Shari Simpson
Shari Simpson has Anna Fader and Mommy Poppins to thank for learning to appreciate her own state. Before she started editing Mommy Poppins NJ, Shari dragged her spawn into NYC for any type of "culture"; now she knows all the good stuff to be had in New Jersey and is not so fast to hop on that PATH train. In her other life, Shari is a comedic playwright ("Maybe Baby, It's You", Dramatic Publishing, Inc.), a humor blogger ("Earth Mother just means I'm dusty"), and a freelance writer. She is mother to four (two human, two pug) and resides in Hoboken, where she can be found jogging along the waterfront or dragging her Brownie troop of 30 crazy little girls around town.
You can also follow Shari on Google+.
Submitted by Shari Simpson on
Looking for something a little different for the kids this summer in Jersey? A half-day or full-day spent indoors in a cool art museum or outside at a lively zoo may just be the ticket to an unusual summer experience. Here are the best museum and zoo camps we found in New Jersey. You can find many more New Jersey summer camps in our Camp Guide and Full Directory of Listings.
Submitted by Shari Simpson on
For those of us who remember dashing into the video arcade with our permed hair and stirrup pants to see who had the high score on Frogger, there are two pieces of good news: First, all those vintage games are cool again, and secondly, they're right around the corner in New Jersey—and we don't mean down the Shore on the boardwalk.
The Morristown Game Vault opened earlier this year with Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, and 85 other classics, and it's quickly becoming the hot spot for both nostalgic parents and their hip kids. My family recently spent a happy afternoon pinballing, joysticking, and button-pressing at this wonderful new family fun zone. Read on for the highlights.
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I love board games, so imagine my excitement when I spied a new venue in Hoboken: a cafe devoted entirely to sitting around and playing Scrabble. And Pictionary. And Clue. And... well, you name it, and the Aether Game Cafe has it. Read on for my review of this delightful spot for gathering, eating snacks, and playing Monopoly. And Dominion. And Dungeons and Dragons. And... well, you get the idea.
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For those of you with train-loving kids, an afternoon at Whippany Railway Museum will float their boats (or kick their cabooses, maybe?). We spent Father's Day riding the rails, looking at cool old train stuff in a tiny, wonderfully packed-to-the-gills museum, and generally stepping back in time, sans electronic devices.
Read on for the highlights of our fun day spent in the company of Southern Railway steam locomotive No. 385 and friends.
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When it comes to technology, I am quick to play the "I made it through college with a typewriter and Wite-Out" card when talking with my kids. This inevitably garners an eyeroll and probably rightly so: our children were practically born with devices in their hands. And since statistics predict that by 2020 over 1 million computing jobs will be unfilled in the US due to lack of candidates with the right skills and experience, perhaps it's time for me to embrace the need for my kids to have some mad computer skillz. So I was thrilled when my 10-year old son was offered a coding class at CodeAdvantage, and a Minecraft one to boot, which is just about his favorite thing on earth. Read on to hear about our CodeAdvantage experience.
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So "summer camp" means being outdoors, right? But maybe your kid would rather dance, bounce, create, or paint in lovely, reliable air-conditioning. These indoor summer camps are big on creativity, fitness, and fun—and easy on your wallet—so maybe you can save the swimming and horseback riding for another summer. To find more New Jersey summer camps, be sure to check out our Camp Guide and Full Directory of Listings.
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My kids are water park fanatics, so when we were invited to check out the new and improved Splashplex in East Hanover, they had their goggles on faster than you can say "cascading waterfall pool". And the Splashplex upgrade did not disappoint--read on for Mommy Poppins New Jersey's review of the newly-expanded summer companion to one of our favorite indoor amusement parks, the Funplex.
Submitted by Shari Simpson on
When it comes to Mother's Day, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to giving presents. Some moms prefer a massage at the spa ("I need some alone time!"), while others want to go out for a big family brunch ("I don’t want to cook!"). But if there's one thing we mamas are all suckers for, it's a handmade gift from our kiddos. Don't worry if you're not the artsy type who can whip up something awesome at home on your own. Check out these places in NJ where kids can get creative, have fun and give mom a truly one-of-a-kind gift come Mother's Day morning.
