Roberta Brown

Editor-in-Chief

Years spent at Nickelodeon prepared Roberta to launch Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles branch in 2011, eventually becoming Mommy Poppins Editor-in-Chief in 2013. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which works out well for her son, who has grown up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

Latest posts by Roberta

Father’s Day in Los Angeles: 25 Fun Things To Do with Dad on Father's Day

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 06/05/2022 - 11:07am

Spend Father's Day at Dodgers Stadium. Photo by Alejandro De La Cruz /CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

There are loads of things to do on Father's Day in Los Angeles; the trick is figuring out what the dad at your house really wants. It's his day—you want to surprise him with something special and unexpected, like zipping through the treetops, driving his dream car, or indulging in a little tee time. If you want this Father's Day weekend to revolve around something more exciting than a new tie, check out our ideas for dad-friendly and kid-friendly Father's Day activities that he just might not see coming. We guarantee there are some Father's Day events on our list you hadn't thought of (and some you hadn't even heard of!).

To start dad's day with something sweetly homemade, check out our list of 15 Father's Day Crafts and Gifts That Kids Can Make, then keep him laughing all day with some corny dad jokes. However you celebrate, Happy Father's Day from all of us at Mommy Poppins!

Boat Cinema: See a Movie From the Lake!

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 05/19/2022 - 9:28am

Boat on over and see a show. Perhaps something like Titanic? Or Jaws?

Have you heard about Boat Cinema? It's billed as a sort of floating drive-in, a float-in if you like, and it just might be the coolest way to experience movies this summer. With Boat Cinema, families in LA can watch movies on a big screen while lounging in small, family-sized boats.

Read on for the current lineup of movies! You can also see a movie at one of the local drive-in theaters in Los Angeles, or at an outdoor movie on a blanket in a park.

Drive-In Movie Theaters in and around Los Angeles for Outdoor Movie Nights with Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 05/13/2022 - 11:29am

Head to a local drive-in movie theater for outdoor family movie night. Photo courtesy of Anaheim Town Square

For many years, the drive-in was a nostalgic throwback treat. While there used to be just a few year-round drive-in theaters in the Los Angeles 'burbs, in the last few years we have seen pop-up drive-in events proliferate just about anywhere you can fit a movie screen. If you’re looking to see the latest summer blockbuster, but don’t want to bring the kids to a crowded theater, simply pop the kids in their PJs and pile them in the car for an old-school outdoor movie night!

Keep an eye on our calendar to see all the outdoor movie screenings in parks across town, where movies are shown outside of cars and under the stars. (Or even on boats! Have you checked out Boat Cinema yet?) We're adding all of these cool outdoor movies to the calendar every day, as they're announced, so check back often.

Online Camps and Virtual Classes You Can Still Book for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids, and Tweens

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 05/01/2022 - 2:01pm

Online classes, shows, camps, and tutoring offer enrichment without leaving home.

Online classes, camps, tutoring, and even Mommy & Me groups give families more options than ever before, and we're keeping it easy to find and book them on our Anywhere Activities calendar. Browse our options for school break camps that keep kids safe at home or on the road: wherever you are, you can book virtual classes and camps for kids, whether that's science and STEM classes, online coding courses, language classes, or even music and art programs. Some activities even offer discounts to Mommy Poppins readers, including the online art classes and remote guitar lessons described below. Let virtual be your playground!

Great Art Summer Camps near Los Angeles: Where Kids Can Draw, Paint, and Design

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 02/28/2022 - 10:38am

Young artists paint, draw, sculpt, design, and more at Robertson Art Zone.

Camp and art go together like, well, crayons and coloring books. But if you're looking for a summer camp where your budding artist can go beyond the Crayolas, you live in the right city. Since Los Angeles is a city bursting with creativity, it makes sense that our art summer camps go beyond popsicle sticks and glitter glue. From West LA to Sherman Oaks to Hollywood, these art-centered summer camps will keep your young Picasso happily creating all summer long.

For more summer camps in Los Angeles, including free and cheap summer camps in Los Angeles and popular LA preschool camps, check our whole Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide. Find a full listing of local summer camps in our Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and neighborhood.

Whale Watching near Los Angeles: Whale Watching Cruises and Viewpoints for Landlubbers

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 01/24/2022 - 11:10am

Los Angeles is the perfect place to look for whales from December to April.

Winter is prime whale watching season in Southern California, and there are several ways to spy on the giant mammals as they pass through on their 6,000-mile quest for Mexican romance. Each year, between December and April, roughly 20,000 Pacific gray whales migrate past our beaches, and March brings particularly high traffic because that's when the underwater procession starts to turn around.

With reduced capacity and ocean breezes, whale watch cruises are a safe outdoor activity, making these tours book up fast—so be sure to make a reservation. If your landlubbers have touchy tummies and like to stay on shore, with a little luck and clear skies, simply Sand Sledding on the Los Angeles Sand Berms or a Day Trip to One of Our Favorite SoCal Beach Towns can turn into a whale watching outing.

10 Online Language Classes and Clubs for Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 01/11/2022 - 1:50pm

Photo courtesy of Language Workshop for Children

There is no better time than childhood for learning a foreign language, and no better place to do it than at home. The virtual language classes and clubs below help kids tap into their remarkable ability to learn another language, with online instruction in Spanish, French, Italian, and more—for little kids just learning or bigger kids trying to get ahead in school.

When your bilingual kids are ready to try out their new language skills, why not choose a family travel destination for practice? And in the meantime, check out these other great opportunities for online learning.

Free Admission for Kids at 40+ Family Attractions, Museums, & Theme Parks in Los Angeles

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 01/10/2022 - 12:21pm

The Great Park Balloon in Irvine is free for everyone! Photo courtesy of cityofirvine.org

Getting in free at Disneyland: it's one of those precious moments of childhood that if you blink, you miss. But unlike the ones you can't put a price on, this one is worth about $100. In other words, it's really worth keeping track of when those free admission deals for kids run out. If you're working your way down our Bucket List for Los Angeles Kids, you should probably coordinate with the cut-off ages below; some of the museums you can catch on their free admission days (and happily, some are free every day!), but the theme parks, museums, and other attractions listed below really drive home the bittersweet point that you're only young once.