Rose Sala

Rose Gordon Sala is a mom to three but also a longtime editor and journalist. She's covered all the capital 'P' subjects, including pets, politics, PR, and parenting. She's written for MSNBC.com, TODAY.com, the New York Post, and Mom.com.

Latest posts by Rose

Crayola Experience Pennsylvania: A Day Trip for Doodlers

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Wed, 08/02/2017 - 10:35am

There are few sights more satisfying than a quietly coloring, fully focused child. Entering the four-story Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania, does not exactly replicate that peaceful scenario (it's busy with excited families!), but there’s no doubt that it’s a kid doodler’s paradise.

Part creators’ studio, part indoor playground, this 65,000-square-foot kid entertainment center is bedecked in bold primary colors with smiling crayons beaming at you from every corner. It offers more than two dozen art-making stations using the full spectrum of Crayola materials—paints, clay, markers and yes, crayons—as well as more active entertainment like a multilevel play, bounce and climbing structure, toddler section, a water table with boats, and a “Cool Moves” dance-like crayon-themed game.

It debuts a brand-new attraction, Adventure Lab, with an immersive and interactive quest-style game. Read on for the full Mommy Poppins review, and find more day trips and hot kid destinations in our U.S. Travel Guide for Families.

A Virtual Ocean Is Coming to Times Square

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Sun, 07/09/2017 - 4:55pm

A digital ocean experience complete with faux sea lions, a coral reef, and sharks will open October 6, 2017 in the Times Square area. National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey will make use of a host of technology (plus award-winning designers) to create a multiroom experience that visitors will travel through for a glimpse of deep sea life.

It will open just a few doors away from the new Gulliver’s Gate, ramping up Times Square’s attractions for families and kids.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 11, so we wanted to provide a few more details on what to expect at Ocean Odyssey, especially for those who want to be first in line.

Zip Line and Aerial Treetop Fun Coming to Bronx Zoo

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Wed, 05/31/2017 - 10:00am

Editor's note: This attraction has closed permanently.
We must have been good this year. New York City kids have barely had time to check out the just opened zip line and climbing tower at Adventures at Governors Island when the Bronx Zoo confirms it will open a Treetop Adventure park with a zip line that soars 400-feet in each direction across the Bronx River, multiple aerial climbing courses, and more in mid-June. (Note: The opening dates have been pushed back as of June 9. We will update you as soon as we have the info.)

Just a few weeks ago, NYC kids had but one outdoor adventure park with a zip line. Now they'll be able to boast of three! Read on for what to expect from these new top Bronx attractions, including opening dates.

MTA Hands Out Baby on Board Buttons to Pregnant Straphangers

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Tue, 05/16/2017 - 10:35am

When a female subway rider offered her seat on the uptown 6 train to one of our Mommy Poppins editors who was well into her third trimester of pregnancy, the gentleman beside her suddenly came to life.

"Oh sorry, didn't know if you were pregnant or just fat." Dude. A new MTA pilot program launched on Mother’s Day 2017 aims to clear up that, ahem, confusion.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which includes NYC’s subways and buses, but also the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, will provide two types of wearable buttons for anyone who requests them due to a temporary or permanent disability: “Baby on Board!” or “Please offer me a seat.” Both buttons carry the slogan “Courtesy Counts,” and are designed to “encourage customers to move their feet and offer a seat for pregnant riders, seniors and those with a disability who are seeking seats,” according to a MTA statement.

Shopkins Live! Brings Your Kids' Favorite Toy Collectible to the Stage

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Tue, 05/02/2017 - 10:05am

A new children’s musical featuring Shopkins, the tiny plastic grocery and household-themed collectibles with names such as Milk Bud, Choc Chips, and Heels, opens in September.

Shopkins Live! Shop It Up! kicks off its national tour in Buffalo, New York on September 14, stopping in more than 75 U.S. cities, including Mommy Poppins regions such as Boston, Long Island, Connecticut, Westchester, across New Jersey, Philadelphia, Houston, and the Los Angeles area.

(Video) Crazy Cool Easter Bonnets and Kids at the NYC Parade

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Mon, 04/17/2017 - 10:30am

NYC families turned out in droves for the city's annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival, from babies in strollers to groups of moms in long gloves and neon-hued hats. Bedecked in all manner of costume and creative bonnets, the Easter Sunday revelers mingled along Fifth Avenue in Midtown, gathering near St. Patrick's Cathedral across from Rockefeller Center.

The energy was pure positivity with spring colors and flowers, as well as NYC's theatrical streak on full display, reports our videographer and photographer who attended this year's fun on April 16. She described it as a "bit like a fashion show." It's FREE silly fun and uber family friendly with balloon artists, dancing, and puppetry; no wonder it's one of our top recommended things to do with NYC kids in April and this spring.

Check out the video and photos below of some of the coolest kids and families at the beloved annual fest.

Swale: The Floating Food Forest Is Coming Back to NYC

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Fri, 03/24/2017 - 12:30pm

Swale is back, or rather it will be this spring. NYC's first and only floating food forest and garden barge is set to return April 29 when it will set up near Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

We visited Swale with the kids in Brooklyn last year when it first arrived and had a blast. It's one more example of New Yorkers getting creative about where they can squeeze in a little more green space.

Help Us Choose Our BESTIES of NJ: Vote for Your Favorite Spots and Win!

Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on Fri, 03/24/2017 - 10:40am

How do we love New Jersey? Help us count the ways! We know that New Jersey is one of the best places to raise kids, but even the best has its best. So we're counting on you, our Mommy Poppins readers and the most savvy parents we know, to help us pick New Jersey's BESTIES.