Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Coronavirus School Closings in LA: Plus Museums, Libraries, Theaters, Parks, & More Closed

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 03/13/2020 - 9:44pm

The COVID-19 / coronavirus pandemic is closing a few schools, in case you hadn't heard.

Great news, though: We have a chance to be heroes! By doing our part, we get to help our friends and neighbors stay healthy during this Coronavirus emergency. What's asked of us is pretty simple: wash your hands (you should be doing that anyway), sneeze into your elbow (same), and don't go to school... say what, now?

Yes, kids, you get to be honest-to-goodness heroes by not going to school. We'll be giving up on a few fun things as well, but just for a few weeks. Pretty much everyone has jumped on the bandwagon, thanks in no small part to Governor Newsom's directive to put a pause on all large gatherings. Schools are closing. Museums, zoos, theaters are closing. DISNEYLAND IS CLOSING. (This is Momma's stunned face.) Stores and restaurants are open, but we wish you luck trying to find a roll of toilet paper.

Ordinarily, sharing fun public events is our raison d'etre. But right now, the best way we can all be good members of our community is to stay home more, support local businesses when we can, explore wide open spaces, and take a moment to breathe (just not too close to anyone else).

Our Coronoavirus Guide is full of news updates as well as projects you can do at home, and other suggestions to get you and your kids through this unusual few weeks. Our calendar may be light on live events, but look out for interactive concerts, classes, virtual tours, and other fun stuff you and your kids can participate in online.

School Calendars 2020-2021: Start & End Dates for Los Angeles County Schools

Submitted by Toby B on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 1:26pm

Note: Coronavirus closures and school district plans for social distancing may cause changes to these dates, which were announced in early 2020. We are updating the info below as new dates are announced.

School calendars run our lives, and they're mostly different from when we were kids. The majority of Los Angeles school districts, like LAUSD, now opt for an August start date, with just a few stragglers sticking with the old-school September start. And never assume that school starts and finishes roughly in line with last year's school calendar, because schedules seem to change all the time.

This year Paramount is first out of the gate, leading the back-to-school race with a pool-party-pooper start date of August 9, followed by William S. Hart Union High School District August 11 and Alhambra and Downey on August 12. Hermosa Beach is still letting kids wait until September, with a scheduled September 3 start date.

Wondering where your district fits in, and when you can book passage for some of our Family Travel highlights? Bookmark our list below with start and finish dates for the 2020-2021 school year all over LA County. And if what you read makes you wonder about what other school options are available to you, maybe our school guide can help.

West Virginia with Kids: Top Things to Do in the Mountain State

Submitted by Toby B on Sat, 10/26/2019 - 2:29pm

From the moment my family arrived, we found West Virginia to be quite literally a breath of fresh air. A quick four-day family vacation to the Mountain State left such an impression that my tween daughter announced nearly immediately that she'll be moving there!

Whether seeking outdoor adventures, such as whitewater rafting and hiking in stunning West Virginia's state parks, or enjoying a classic state fair and exploring caves, families with kids of all ages will find plenty of fun things to do in West Virginia. We knew little of this mountainous southern state beyond the refrain of John Denver's anthem...."almost heaven, West Virginia." But we couldn't agree more. What we found was a refreshingly authentic travel experience, steeped in nature and sweetened by welcoming locals. Our overwhelming impression is just the absolute greenness of the sate: thick forests of trees, so many trees, and lush, dense greenery. More than three-quarters of the state is covered by forest.

Read on for our family-friendly travel guide-slash-love-letter to the state of West Virginia. We're sharing some of the favorite restaurants, resorts, cities in West Virginia, and yes the abundance of outdoor opportunities and more fun things to do in West Virginia when traveling with kids, from camping to skiing and more.

Santa Monica's All New Cayton Children's Museum Is a Game Changer!

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 08/02/2019 - 4:54am

The Zimmer is gone. Long live the Cayton!

The long-awaited Cayton Children's Museum opened its doors this summer at Santa Monica Place Mall. The new museum is a reinvention of the much loved Zimmer Children's Museum, which closed last January. While we looked forward to this new museum with great anticipation, we had to wonder: could anything warm our hearts the way the Zimmer did? Spoiler! The Cayton is up to the job!

Keep reading to find out what you can expect on a visit to the Cayton...

Memorial Day Weekend for LA Kids: Greeks, Scots, Star Wars, and Fireworks

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 05/23/2019 - 1:37am

First and foremost, Memorial Day is about the members of the armed forces who gave their lives in our nation’s service. Their sacrifice is unimaginable, our debt to them beyond measure. To those lost, and to those who serve our nation and all it stands for, we salute you.

The weekend is not all somber reflection; Memorial Day also means a long weekend, and the unofficial start of summer. Festival is the word of the day: throughout the Southland folks gather to enjoy yummies and winged wonders, and to celebrate different cultures (including Greek, Scottish, and Topangan). Discovery Cube opens new exhibits that explore the different sides of super powers. (It's just science.) The Aquarium of the Pacific opens a new wing that encourages us all to be super heroes for the ocean.

And, of course, Memorial Day weekend closes with tributes to our fallen heroes. Ceremonies are being held at the Nixon Presidential Library, in Burbank and Canoga Park, and at Woodlawn and Forest Lawn Cemeteries.

Read on for some of our favorite picks for this three-day holiday weekend...

Mother's Day Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Fire Service Day, Rocket Launch, and Gibbons

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 05/08/2019 - 11:00pm

It's Mother's Day, and Momma wants something good. Something unique. Maybe something handmade. Most likely something handmade.

For the record, Momma is well-rounded. She likes apes, and she likes butterflies. She likes gardens. She likes big cars; she likes fast skates. She likes firemen and men in tiaras. She likes to drink the tea.

Momma likes rockets in flight and stars on ice. She likes getting in free and being treated like the queen she is.

But mostly she likes spending time with her kids. We get one weekend to call our own, Mommas; make it count!

Keep reading for our best suggestions for a Mother of a weekend!

School Start & End Dates: 2019-2020 Academic Year Calendars for LA County Schools

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 04/26/2019 - 12:58am

NOTE: California public schools are performing distance learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Whether they will open again or resort to summer school is up in the air. Below is the 2019-2002 LAUSD school calendar. Or click if you are looking for the 2020-2021 LAUSD school calendars.

Summer vacation ain't what it used to be. The majority of SoCal school districts now opt for an August start date, with vanishingly few stragglers sticking with the old-school, post-Labor Day start. And beware assuming that school starts and finishes roughly when it did last year, because schedules seem to change all the time. 2020 is a leap year, and that extra day may impact the school calendar as well.

This year Alhambra is first out of the gate, leading the back-to-school race with a pool-party-pooper start date of August 9; but in a radical change of course, Torrance goes from last man standing to a late August start. Hermosa Beach is now the only district on our list with a September start date, with classes beginning on September 5.

Wondering where your district fits in, and how much time you have left for these 50 Free Things To Do in Summer? Bookmark our list below with start and finish dates for the 2019-2020 school year all over LA County. And if what you read makes you wonder about what other school options are available to you, maybe our school guide can help.

Fun & Free Easter Weekend Events for LA Kids: All About Eggs and Bunnies

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/18/2019 - 2:00am

Everywhere you look, there's an Easter egg hunt to be found. Under that tree: an egg hunt. Behind the bushes, there’s one more. In fact, I see dozens of them, and you can find them in our Easter egg hunt round-up! Grab your basket and collect them all (but make sure you leave enough for the other mommies).

See, here’s the deal: There is literally an egg hunt on every block, every corner, every square inch of Los Angeles this weekend. And every egg that you find? You open it up and—surprise!—it tells you about another egg hunt. Some egg hunts are in gardens; some are in malls; some are on the farm; some come with breakfast. (Eggs and breakfast? Weird.)

Actually, the trick this weekend is going to be not finding an egg hunt. There are a few other things out there: you might luck onto bubbles and Bolero, pachyderms and penguins, Earth Day and natural wonders, ice tales and dog tails and fish laying eggs...

......

...did someone say ... eggs?

Eggs. Eggy egg eggs. Lots and lots of eggs.

Hop on over to our most egg-citing picks for this weekend…

Toby B

Toby B

Latest posts by Toby

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