Roberta Brown

Editor-in-Chief

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

Latest posts by Roberta

Hauntoween: a Halloween Drive-thru Trick-or-Treating Pumpkin Patch in the Valley

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 10/11/2020 - 7:42pm

The jack o'lantern tunnel is a highlight of Hauntoween.

A pandemic Halloween season needs creative solutions, and Los Angeles has met that challenge head on. We know trick-or-treating this year is iffy at best, parties are taboo, and theme park haunts are all canceled; but Halloween promoters and enthusiasts have hit October running with a variety of drive-thrus, drive-bys, and socially distanced Halloween activities. Most of these COVID-era Halloween experiences are new for 2020, and the highest profile of the bunch is the Hauntoween Drive-thru in Woodland Hills. We made a journey on opening night to give this celebration a test drive, find out how a rolling haunt works, and see if Hauntoween is worth the price of admission.

Playgrounds Re-Opening: Which Los Angeles Parks Are Opening Their Playgrounds and When?

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 10/06/2020 - 3:41pm

California and Los Angeles DoH say playgrounds can reopen, but when?

LA County Health officials have at long last announced that parks and playgrounds around Los Angeles can reopen, after a closure of more than six months for the relentless COVID-19 pandemic. It's not surprising that all over the Southland parents are scrambling for shoes and asking each other "Where? When??" The problem is that, as encouraging as the October 5 announcement sounds, practical answers to "Which playground??" are not so easy to come by. But go ahead and find that other shoe, because some playgrounds have already begun reopening.

Things To Do in LA this Weekend with Kids: Knott's Fall-o-Ween, Haunted Hayride, American Girl, & Fireworks

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/23/2020 - 6:00pm

Check your calendars, folks, because apparently it's Halloween season in these here parts. As of now, Angelenos can pick their pumpkins, eat sweet 'n' spooky treats, and have the bejeebies scared out of them.

Little by little our favorite venues are finding ways to come back to us (hello LA Zoo and Sea Life Aquarium!). New favorites are popping up, taking advantage of our twin loves of cars and movies. In the coming days you can see Goosebumps, Men in Black, The Incredibles, and Grease just to name a few.

Of course, many of our favorite events are too social to accomplish much distancing, but this week we can wiggle waggle walk our way through virtual editions of the Marine Mammal Care Center's Sealpalooza, LA Library's annual Los Angeles Libros Festival, the Aquarium of the Pacific's Baja Splash Cultural Festival, and the Hollywood Bowl's Fireworks Finale. (Not to mention the Monterey Jazz Festival, Farm Aid and Bonnaroo!)

And our Back-to-School Fair is still going; catch the last few free demo classes this week, including Atlantic Acting and Coucou French.

Keep on reading to find some of our top picks for September.

Best Private Swimming Classes and Swim Schools for LA Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 09/13/2020 - 1:47pm

Time for swimming lessons? Group swim classes at a local YMCA or community pool can vary widely in quality (even within a single facility), so we’re here to tell you where Angelenos who are serious about getting the job done keep their kids afloat—and it doesn't have to cost a mint. Private and semi-private swim lessons don't necessarily require a private pool, and they do get kids on the fast track to independent swimming. Several popular swim instructors and schools make use of public pools or swing deals with private pool owners to make private instruction accessible to everyone. Check out the great options below for getting kids safe in the water.

COVID-19 info: Note that as of the publish date, indoor pool facilities are not open in LA County, so lessons are only available outdoors or over the county line. The swim schools below are able to function within those parameters; swim schools that are closed during the pandemic are not listed.

Find more ideas for classes, tutoring, pod support, and homework help at our online Back-to-School Fair, going on now!

Halloween 2020: Trick-or-Treating Is Canceled in LA County, So What CAN We Do?

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 12:15pm

The news has been spreading faster than a wildfire in a Santa Ana: Halloween trick-or-treating is canceled. After going full pandemic Scrooge on us and officially banning trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, and most other ways that we entertain our kids in October, the Los Angeles County Department of Health has actually responded to public outcry by slightly walking back some of these activities to "not recommended."

Either way, once we've established what we can't do, how about what we can? Tickets for that super cool Stranger Things Haunted Drive-thru sold out so quickly they're now booking for January. But fear not: there are still some major Halloween events in October, even if we don't ring doorbells or throw Halloween parties.

10 Classes Kids Can Take Outdoors around Los Angeles, from Art to Zooga

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 3:09am

Photo courtesy of Trapeze School New York - Los Angeles

Kids spend enough time indoors—at home, at school, and even at homeschool. In LA where we are lucky enough to have near perfect weather for much of the year, why take class indoors? Add a pandemic into the mix, and taking classes outside can be a true lifesaver. Some of the classes below, ranging from trapeze to surfing to archery, do their thing in the great outdoors all the time. Other classes are getting creative in challenging times and moving their dance studios and art studios out in the fresh air to create healthier environments for learning. So who's ready for some enrichment in the sunshine?

Find more ideas for enrichment classes, tutoring, pod support, and homework help at our online Back-to-School Fair, going on now!

12 Things About Distance Learning that Don't Suck

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 09/08/2020 - 11:03am

Pick whatever seat (or angle) you choose for online learning.

Distance learning is hard and almost no one's first choice—this we know. But not everything about it is awful. In fact, there are even a dozen or so things about it that my family has found kind of nice.

We may be wishing for the good old days, but sometimes it's good to remember that these are the good old days. And the 12 things below might even be things we'll miss about remote learning when all this is a bizarre memory.

Find loads of remote learning resources in our 2020 Back-to-School Guide.

Back to Hogwarts Is the Cure for the 2020 Back-to-School Blues

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 4:58pm

Back to School doesn't sound nearly so bad when the way you get there is by careening through a wall at Platform 9 3/4, pushing a trunk and an owl.

If your kids are feeling wary about starting the new school year remotely (or in person wearing masks), it might help to join Harry Potter and the gang on their first ever virtual back-to-school trip to Hogwarts. After all, who knows better than Harry, Ron, and Hermione what it feels like to be a little scared of danger and the unknown in a new school year?

Roberta Brown

Latest posts by Roberta

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