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

Best Things To Do in Los Angeles in February 2023 with Kids: Super Nintendo World, Dodgers FanFest, and More

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 01/29/2023 - 12:30pm

Entertaining basketball is a slam dunk. Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters

February brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles, from theme park thrills to community celebrations and sports events. This month is full of enthralling activities.

Mario madness comes to LA in February with the highly-anticipated opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. If the excitement of experiencing Mario Kart™ in real life has you on the edge of your seat, then sports fans are sure to find more action-packed fun at Dodgers FanFest, a Harlem Globetrotters game, and NASCAR: Clash at the Coliseum. If sports are not your thing, your pod might enjoy the Whale Fiesta in Cabrillo or the International Festival of Chocolate at The Bowers Museum. Face it, those New Year's resolutions to eat healthier are already long gone, so why not indulge in some chocolate?

Of course, February is full of cultural happenings, from the San Gabriel Lunar New Year Festival to a Black History Parade and Festival in Pasadena, plus select Southern California museums open their doors for a free museum day.

January's Best: Rose Parade, Honoring MLK, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 12/30/2022 - 9:47am

Traditional mochi pounding is part of the 2023 Oshogatsu Family Festival. Photo courtesy of Japanese City, Facebook

January brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles which kicks off with New Year's Day and moves on to kids going back to school and then Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend! Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in Los Angeles this month.

2023 starts with that Southern California classic, the Rose Parade, and things only get better from there. Bluey comes to town in January, to the delight of toddlers across LA. It's also the month that we celebrate Epiphany on Olvera Street and one of my personal favorite fests of the year: the Snow Leopard Festival at the Santa Barbara Zoo. It's time to hop into Year of the Rabbit at Lunar New Year celebrations from Santa Ana to Monterey Park. And the whole town comes out to honor the man who was a King at the massive Kingdom Day Parade in Leimert Park.

January also means it's winter. While we didn't get walloped this Christmas like most of the country, you can take advantage of the recent rain and go sledding and snow tubing near Los Angeles or take one of these amazing winter day trips where you can see snow in SoCal.

27 Fun Hanukkah Celebrations and Menorah Lightings for Kids in Los Angeles

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 12/08/2022 - 9:22am

Celebrate Hanukkah with music, crafts, and building a giant Lego menorah. Photo courtesy of the Original Farmers Market

However you spell it—Hanukkah, Hanukka, Hannukah, Chanukah, or Channuka—Los Angeles is a great place to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Home to a Jewish population larger than that of Jerusalem, Los Angeles has loads of lighting celebrations all over town, with giant menorahs lighting up open spaces from Silverlake to Santa Monica

There are more than enough celebrations to fill the eight crazy nights, including the popular event at the Skirball Center, as well as numerous local events and candle lightings that burn the sunset oil all week long. For 8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah with Kids and more ways to celebrate this holiday season with your family at home, check out our Guide to Holiday Fun for Kids.

Holiday Lighting Celebrations in Los Angeles: Christmas Tree Lightings, Menorah Lightings, and Fireworks!

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 11/06/2022 - 10:45am

Is this really America's tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree? Check it out live and see! Photo courtesy of Citadel Center

Get ready to deck the Southland halls, walls, trees, skies, and more with Christmas tree lightings, menorah lightings, and fireworks! As the holidays get rolling, there are plenty of opportunities to snap photos with Santa, take in a boat parade, and marvel at some spectacular neighborhood holiday lights and Candy Cane Lanes, but the best way to kick it all off is with a good old-fashioned tree lighting (or menorah lighting) ceremony. Communities all over Los Angeles and Orange County have their own traditions—including caroling, cocoa, fireworks, and much more. Pick whichever of the locations below is nearest to you, and go rock around a Christmas tree!

We'll keep adding more below as communities make their plans. Check our events calendar and sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up with the latest info. For more holiday events and activities, check our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families.

School Calendars 2022-2023: Start & End Dates for Los Angeles County Schools

Submitted by Toby B on Tue, 08/02/2022 - 10:18am

Check out the academic calendars for the Los Angeles 2022-23 school year.

It's still hard to predict what the 2022-23 school year is going to look like right now, but all our fingers and toes are crossed for a full year of being face-to-face in the classrooms, with things as normal as possible! And one thing that normal means is that summer vacation comes to an end far too fast, as the majority of SoCal school districts currently opt for an August start date.

School calendars for the largest school districts in Los Angeles County for the 2022-2023 school year are below, and you'll want to bookmark the page now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and booking summer camps. Follow the links for each district below for details on school holidays and semester breaks, and to stay up to date on any last-minute changes from your local district.

The 2022 Hollywood Bowl Schedule: The Best Family-Friendly Concerts This Summer

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/28/2022 - 10:42am

If you've never seen fireworks at the Bowl, can you call yourself an Angeleno? Photo courtesy of the Hollywood Bowl.

The Hollywood Bowl isn't just one of the best concert venues in America—for many LA families a visit to the Hollywood Bowl means summer has arrived. It means picnics, cozy blankets, binoculars, fireworks, sing-a-longs, music, movies, stars on the stage, and stars in the sky.

This summer all your favorites are here: fireworks with a duo of comedy legends on the 4th of July, the annual Sound of Music sing-a-long, and live-to-screen concert performances of favorite movies. In 2022 the Hollywood Bowl schedule includes two evenings featuring the incomparable Diana Ross and closes out with 80's megaband Duran Duran. So peruse our list of the family-friendly shows that we can't wait for and get ready for a very musical summer.

St. Patrick's Day Weekend in Los Angeles: St. Patrick Parades, and More Things to Do

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 03/04/2022 - 10:44am

Little leprechauns love ukuleles! Photo courtesy of the County Ventura St. Patrick's Day Parade

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles this St. Patrick's Day weekend? St. Patrick’s Day is packed with parades, leprechauns, and more fun events.

There are several weekend opportunities to celebrate with St. Patrick's Day parades, festivals, and corned beef. So top o' the marnin' to ye; Erin Go Bragh; that shade of green looks bonny on you, and let's go find that pot o' gold!

9 Montessori Preschools for Long Island Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Sat, 02/19/2022 - 10:06am

Stimulate your child's learning at West Hills Montessori. Photo courtesy of the school

The days are long, but the years are short. Before you know it, it’s time for your little one to spread his or her wings and head off to preschool.

There are many preschool options on Long Island, and choices can be overwhelming. But if you’ve decided a Montessori preschool is a good fit for your child, we’ve put together a list of options to get you started on a search.

For the uninitiated, Montessori is an educational philosophy developed more than a century ago that encourages kids to be independent and learn at their own pace. Typically students are grouped by ability rather than age, classrooms are outfitted with specific learning materials, and specially trained teachers act as observers and facilitators.