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

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, Fiesta La Ballona, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Weekend

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 08/25/2023 - 7:00am

The carnival comes to Culver. Photo courtesy of Fiesta La Ballona

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles this weekend? Here are some of our favorite events and activities to add to your list this weekend.

You've heard about Barbie (and read our take if you should take your kids to see it), but are you ready for Hot Wheels? The (not so little) racers are setting Ontario aglow this weekend. If Blue Beetle is more your style or the mutant mayhem of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—you're in luck because movie theaters across the country are giving you the chance to catch those films and more for just four bucks a pop, thanks to National Cinema Day.

Can't get your kids to put down the Switch and leave the house? Now they can leave the house without putting down the Switch because the Nintendo Summer of Play is stopping at Santa Monica Place, with Switch-playing opportunities for all.

Summer weekends are still going strong, so dip into the best swimming lakes near Los Angeles and run through LA's best splash pads. Enjoy the last weekend in August by discovering a fun new activity in our Ultimate LA Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

21 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles August 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 07/30/2023 - 7:00am

Launch into August with Rocket Fever. Photo courtesy of the Columbia Memorial Space Center

Summer is not over yet, and there are so many things to do in a Los Angeles August! It's a great time to enjoy outdoor movies & concerts, summer festivals, and the best beach days.

A Los Angeles August is that crazy time of year when the height of heat and summer fun collides with back-to-school, and parents need to turn the dial up on the end-of-summer fun. Luckily, the events and outings in Los Angeles this month do not disappoint, and there are loads of amazing activities to do before the school bell rings—many of them free. This Los Angeles August sees the return of several favorites, including the Getty Center's Garden Concerts for Kids, the Actors' Gang's wildly creative Shakespeare in the Park for Kids, and the Japanese American National Museum's annual summer celebration, the Natsumatsuri Family Festival.

These are just a few of our favorite things to do in August—there's so much more! When the heat is too much to grin and bear, we've got 77 Places to Beat the Heat in LA. When your credit card says to take it easy, we've got 71 Free Things To Do In Los Angeles This Summer with Kids. And don't forget to check back weekly for our picks for the best things to do in Los Angeles each weekend.

Best Things to Do in Los Angeles July 2023 with Kids: Fireworks, Festivals, Fairs, and More

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 11:45am

Race over to the fair. Photo courtesy of the Orange County Fair

Bring on all the things to do in Los Angeles in July with kids. Kicking off with 4th of July fireworks galore, this month never slows down, so you can enjoy every minute of summer fun.

July will be dynamite! This month explodes onto the scene with things to do in Los Angeles, starting with fireworks aplenty as 4th of July events in Los Angeles are aglow. And the 4th of July is only the beginning, as our summer favorites like Griffith Park Shakespeare, Echo Park's Lotus Festival, and Friday nights at the LA Zoo return. From spending the night in LA's most beloved bookstore to immersing yourself in Bubble World, July is bursting with things to do in Los Angeles.

These are just a few of our favorite things to do in July—there's so much more! As the month heats up, the best splash pads in Los Angeles will help cool the kiddos down. Enjoy free concerts, and free outdoor movies, and soak in summer with our Ultimate Los Angeles Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

4th of July Weekend in Los Angeles: Fireworks, Parades, and More Things To Do with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 06/28/2023 - 12:15pm

Red, white, and blue flair. Photo courtesy of Gloria Molina Grand Park

4th of July weekend in Los Angeles is alight with fireworks, fun runs, parades, and more family-friendly events to add to your list for this weekend.

This weekend we celebrate our freedom. Freedom to see the red, white, and boom of 4th of July fireworks, which take place over water, sporting arenas, theme parks, and possibly with drones. Which will you choose? Watch the 4th of July parades marching by, go to carnivals, and more. It's the last weekend of Nike Kids Camp behind CAMP's magic door and the first weekend of Bubble World: An Immersive Experience. The makings are here for a spectacular red, white, and blue weekend.

For a complete list of all the dazzling 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles, check out where to see 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles and the best 4th of July activities that aren't fireworks if you choose to have a more low-key celebration. We wish you a Happy Independence Day, LA!

Did we mention we’re running weekly giveaways all summer long? This week we’re giving away a Mommy Poppins beach towel. Plus, each entry also counts as an extra entry into our Ultimate Summer Giveaway, an all-included trip to Nick Resort Punta Cana! Find out how to enter on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

Where to See 4th of July Fireworks in Los Angeles 2023

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 06/18/2023 - 7:50am

Revel in a movie and firework at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Cinespia

Enjoy the tradition of the 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles this holiday with friends and family throughout the city.

"Oh, say, can you see" the 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles? The annual and epic patriotic party is almost here. Whether you party late into the night at Grand Park, lug some camping chairs to a local mall parking lot, or turn up the sound machines and hope the baby stays asleep, it helps to know exactly where to find all the 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles. Grab a blanket and picnic and head to one of these spectacular 4th of July fireworks shows in Los Angeles near you.

If you plan to celebrate the 4th of July at home, dive into desserts, Independence Day crafts, and more from our list of the Best At-Home Fourth of July Activities for Kids. Plus, discover seasonal fun with free things to do in Los Angeles this summer, free outdoor movies, free outdoor concerts, and even more in our Ultimate Los Angeles Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

Father's Day Weekend Things To Do in Los Angeles: Plus, Honoring Juneteenth and More

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 5:00am

Paddle into Father's Day with the Cardboard Yacht Regatta. Photo courtesy of santamonica.gov

Looking for the best Father's Day weekend activities to do in Los Angeles? Here are some events to add to your list for this weekend in June.

Settle down, padre; we get it. It’s Father's Day. This weekend it’s all about you. Dad gets the choice from sunup to sundown: make way for baseball, golf, car rides, car shows , and even a yachting regatta —of the cardboard variety. We can entertain you with the Grateful Dead and The Fray, and tons of outdoor summer concerts that start this weekend.

Keep the mood silly with a few dad jokes, and forward these parenting tips for soon-to-be fathers. Sit back, enjoy time with Dad, and splash into summer fun with our Ultimate Los Angeles Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

Did we mention we’re running weekly giveaways all summer long? This week we’re giving away a Mommy Poppins beach tote, plus each entry also counts as an extra entry into our Ultimate Summer Giveaway, an all-included trip to Nick Resort Punta Cana! Find out how to enter on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

Los Angeles's Free Concerts and Outdoor Music Festivals for Families This Summer

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 5:30am

LevittLA Concert Series in MacArthur Park hosts musicians from LA and around the world. Photo courtesy of Levitt Foundation

Free concerts throughout Los Angeles in the summertime, where parents can pack up both a picnic and restless tots and spend an evening under the stars, is beautiful music to our ears.

They say music soothes the savage beast, but it's also pretty good at entertaining the easily bored child. Lucky for us, free outdoor concert series fill Los Angeles and OC parks and open spaces all summer long. So, the odds are you won't have to travel far to find an open-air event. Throw down a blanket, spread out the snacks, uncork the wine, and watch the kids boogie the evening away as you sway to breezy melodies.

Looking for more entertainment in the great outdoors? Our roundup of the best free outdoor movies in Los Angeles this summer will help you find favorite films, and there's plenty more summer fun in our Ultimate Los Angeles Kids Summer Vacation Guide.

29 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles June 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 05/28/2023 - 7:05am

Sail into summer in unique style at the Cardboard Regatta. Photo courtesy of the City of Santa Monica

Get ready for Los Angeles June summer activities! A Los Angeles June brings festivals for Juneteenth, Father's Day, and maybe even some early fireworks.

Summer in Los Angeles is music to our ears, and there's no shortage of sweet sounds that will fill the month of June. The Palos Verdes Street Fair and Music Festival, MakeMusic LA, a Father's Day family celebration that entertains the tiniest Grateful Dead fans, and Pasadena's Music Under the Stars are just a few events that will help provide the soundtrack to the season. Speaking of performances under the stars, numerous free outdoor movies in Los Angeles are happening across the city. SoCal sets the stage for another epic summer.

These are the events and outings we're already looking forward to in June. But don't forget to check back weekly for our picks for the best things to do in Los Angeles each weekend.

You can always find more great happenings this June on our event calendar, check out summer festivals and fairs in Los Angeles for families, and explore our Summer Fun Guide for Los Angeles Families.