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

Los Angeles School Year Begins in August, But Not On Campus for LAUSD

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 07/13/2020 - 3:07pm

"While the new school year will begin in August, it will not start with students at school facilities," announced Superintendent Austin Buetner today, allowing the families of 735,00 students to stop speculating. "There is a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petrie dish."

Citing the recommendations of the WHO and health experts from around the globe, the rising rates of COVID cases in the Los Angeles area, and funding challenges that have yet to be addressed, Buetner said that to avoid compromising the health and safety of the school community and all those connected to it, on-campus learning will simply not be possible in August. San Diego Unified School District made a similar announcement today; whether other regional school districts follow suit remains to be seen.

Buetner's broad strokes for how LAUSD plans to make off-campus learning successful, and for how students could return to LAUSD campuses in the near future, follow.

Free and Reduced Cost Summer Camps at Los Angeles Parks Enrolling Now for Summer 2020

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 07/10/2020 - 5:33pm

Yes, Los Angeles, there is summer camp. Not only that, there's free summer camp, cheap summer camp, and summer camp scholarships. And these are all live, in-person camps set up to help working families at 50 different parks around LA County.

Space is available now for these free and reduced cost programs that include mini-camps and full-day camps for kids ages six and up. The Board of Supervisors is offering both 50% and 100% scholarships for the LA County Parks 2020 Summer Camps programs—available on a first-come, first-served basis—to provide support for families that are slowly integrating back into the workforce.

Splash Pads 2020: Water Play Areas and Spraygrounds Opening in Los Angeles County Parks

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 07/09/2020 - 11:16pm

Dalton Park Splash Pad. Photo by Victor Cejeda

So far the summer of 2020 has been the summer without splash pads, but all that is about to change: As of July 9, Los Angeles County Parks are turning the water on! The parks below are all scheduled to open their splash pads from July 9 - September 30, 2020, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10am-6pm. Note that only stand-alone splash pads are allowed to open so far, not those within an aquatic center or pool area. County pools and aquatic centers remain closed.

Of course, we aren't out of the water yet: parents still need to wear masks, there are still only a limited number of water playgrounds available, and keeping kids 6 feet apart while splashing through sprinklers is a challenge some parents might understandably choose to skip. There is no question that playing outdoor water games at home is the safer way to go. But since that isn't an option for everyone, having a few good splash pads and spray parks open up for the hottest part of summer is a relief to be sure. We will update this post if more spraygrounds open. Play safe!

Top Summer Activities in LA: 50 Things To Do with Kids around Los Angeles Summer 2020

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 07/03/2020 - 6:45pm

Summer 2020 may not be what most LA families had planned, but once we make our peace with staying close to home, it can be a different kind of fun. It can be staycation, love where we live, totally Southern California kind of fun. It can be old-fashioned, making popsicles and sipping homemade cocktails while the kids play backyard water games kind of fun. And we can take a break from stressing about what school will look like in the fall by picking a few of the wonderful things to do that we can still indulge in this summer around Los Angeles. The photos from summer vacation 2020 may all have masks in them, but we can be making wonderful childhood memories all the same! Here are 50 places open now to get you started.

Orange County's Best Kept Secret Is a Water Park Right on the Beach

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 4:44am

Apologies, but I am about to blow a well kept secret wide open: Newport Beach has a cove hidden in plain sight that may be the best family beach day in the Southland. Of course the definition of "best family beach day" may not be the same for everyone; only continue reading if your ideal beach day would include kayaks, SUP boards, paddle boats, and an inflatable water park in a warm surf-free lagoon surrounded by clean sand, fire rings for s'mores, easy parking, and clean bathrooms. Only head to Newport Dunes if you're prepared for that level of nirvana.

Registration for Apple Camp at Home, Apple's FREE Virtual Summer Camp, is Open Now!

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 07/01/2020 - 4:05am

Like most things this summer, Apple Camp will look a little different in 2020.

Apple Camp takes place entirely online this year, but with live orientation sessions to kick off each project, and drop-in Q & A sessions to get help. Like the in-store version, Apple Camp at Home will focus on a project from start to finish. These projects traditionally have taken two days at in-store sessions, with a third day to showcase campers' work. The virtual camp allows kids to create at their own pace, with support available during the week that the project is live.

If you've got an 8-12-year-old interested in STEM or movie-making, you'll want to act fast; Apple has just opened registration, and space is limited. These special annual camps are 100% free—and they traditionally fill up quickly!

For more camp information and ideas, check out our Camp Guide and Directory.

15 Road Trips You Can Take from Los Angeles this Weekend: California Summer Travel 2020

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 06/23/2020 - 12:48pm

Yosemite National Park, photo by Regan Buker/Flickr

Most of us had summer vacation plans for 2020, and most of us have faced by now that those plans aren't happening. While we adjust daily to the new normal, we also look at an uncertain summer that really needs some bright spots, preferably including a couple of getaways. California has begun cautiously opening up, and that gives us some options: from glamping to deserts to not-so-far islands, we've checked to see which weekend destinations we can drive to now, in pursuit of that vacation we all definitely deserve.

California Reopening Phase 2: What's Open and What's Closed in Los Angeles Now

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 5:30am

If Coronavirus quarantine has got you down, help is on the way. Governor Newsom and Mayor Garcetti have begun rolling out their reopening plans, offering gradual relief to families and businesses exhausted by months of Stay-at-Home orders. Going outside has never sounded so thrilling. After two months of lockdown, only seeing each other in car parades and 8pm howls, giving our kids quarantine haircuts and virtual birthday parties, we finally have the beginnings of a plan to get out and enjoy the beaches, hiking trails, and more of LA's natural beauty. If we do it responsibly, we should be able to enjoy some fresh air without putting people's lives at risk.

The plan to reopen California has four phases, and we are in the early stages of Phase 2. Read on to find out what that means for schools and businesses, as well as trails, beaches, farms, and more that we can now visit—as long as we adhere to social distancing protocol and cover up with face masks.