Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik's early career editing teen magazines somehow morphed into a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a very long sojourn at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick online and then Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com local. She was a founding member of the WebbyAward winning GoCityKids, has written for Family Fun Magazine, Vanity Fair, and New York, and her novel for middle schoolers, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. She strives to keep the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar packed and accurate, and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Drew

Best Art Summer Camps near NYC: Performing Art Camps, Theater Camps, Sleepaway Art Camps

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 10:00am

Get creative this summer at Creatively Wild Arts Studio. Photo courtesy of the studio

New York City is the epicenter for the arts, so of course, it's home to a diverse and amazing selection of art summer camps. With many world-class professional artists teaching here, NYC offers a huge selection of art summer camps ranging from visual art camps to performing art camps and filmmaking summer camps. From Brooklyn to Midtown to the Bronx and beyond, you can find the perfect art summer camp from our list below for your budding artist.

For more summer camps in New York City, including free and cheap summer camps for NYC Kids and popular preschool camps in NYC, be sure to bookmark our NYC Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and neighborhood.

Best Zoo and Museum Summer Camps in NYC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Mon, 04/10/2023 - 4:18pm

The Queens Zoo offers zoo summer camps for kids ranging in age from 18 months up to 13 years covering a variety of wild themes. Photo courtesy of WCS

When the time comes to book summer camps in NYC, parents sometimes overlook NYC's museums, zoos, and the New York Aquarium, but these culturally rich organizations offer an incredible selection of summer camps.

Some popular summer camps at NYC museums sell out in the blink of an eye, but we're including them here so they're on your radar for next year and beyond, including summer camp at the American Museum of Natural History and The Met.

No matter your child's interest, we've got tons of options in our New York City Summer Camp Guide, including picks for great creative and performing arts summer camps in NYC and cool STEM summer day camps. You can find more great camp programs in our camp directory where you can search by interest, age, or borough from Brooklyn and the Bronx to Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens.

Spring Festivals and Fairs in NYC this April

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 04/07/2023 - 10:44am

Celebrate spring at the Queens County Farm Museum's Apple Blossom Children's Festival. Photo courtesy of the QCFM.

Spring festivals abound this month as New York City's festival season kicks off this April with two dozen fun and mostly FREE fairs, festivals, parades, and carnivals. Of course, it helps that April not only brings showers, it also brings Easter, Earth Day, Arbor Day—and all their accompanying spring festivals!

Annual Mommy Poppins favorites taking place this April include Car-Free Earth Day, the Queens County Farm Museum's Apple Blossom Children's Carnival, and Spring Family Day at Carnegie Hall.

Read on for our top picks for spring festivals this April and bookmark our Family Activity Calendar and Spring Fun Guide for all our seasonal must-dos.

Easter Weekend 2023: 15 Best Things To Do in NYC with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 04/05/2023 - 3:57pm

Hunt for eggs and meet Miffy during the festivities at CMOM this weekend. Photo by Emily Munro

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for Easter weekend.

Easter eggs are hiding in parks all over town this weekend, and we have all the Easter Egg hunt details here, including how to join Mommy Poppins for Easter at The Seaport. Easter fun can also be had aboard the Easter Fun Cruise and Egg Hunt, with Farm Friends on the High Line, and on roller skates alongside the Easter Bunny in Brooklyn Bridge Park!

You can also soak in impressionistic pastels at the Monet's Garden, which closes soon, steer the vehicular enthusiasts in your family to the New York Auto Show, and wave goodbye to the Macy's Flower Show.

Our Family Activity Calendar is always hopping, plus we've found 50 awesome things to do during spring break, which kicks off Thursday.

26 Best Things To Do in NYC April 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 03/26/2023 - 7:26am

Step into an 8,000-square-foot wonderland of balloons and inflatables during Balloontopia at City Point. Photo courtesy of the event

Easter, Passover, and Earth Day mean there's lots of fun for kids in New York City this April!

April arrives with fool-proof fun: Head to King Manor Mansion for April Fools pranks, bathe in glorious color at the Brooklyn Children's Museum's Holi Fest, bliss out at Balloontopia, shift gears at the NY Auto Show, and dress in your best (with your fanciest hat) at the glorious annual Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue.

Celebrate Earth Day at the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, Randall's Island, and Rockefeller Park. Dazzle little theater-goers with Wink or Flutter, and cheer on some astonishing talent—for FREE—at Radio City Music Hall.

We've got all the Easter egg hunts and Easter Bunny brunch intel, and you can find more top April fun in our list of the best things to do over spring break or our picks for 53 things to do during an NYC staycation. If you're looking to get away, we've got a list of glorious spring day trips, plus our top tips for how to save money on spring break travel.

Our Family Activity Calendar tends to expand as the weather gets warmer (simple science), so don’t forget to check it frequently.

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30+ Easter Egg Hunts in New York City

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 1:25pm

TNF hosts an Easter egg hunt in Sakura Park on April 16. Photo courtesy of the event

An Easter egg hunt is the perfect way to celebrate the season. With Easter Sunday just a hop, skip, and a jump away, there are tons of Easter egg hunts on the horizon in NYC. We've got the scoop on these treat-filled Easter egg hunts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, including Mommy Poppins' own Easter egg hunt during Easter at the Seaport.

Most of these Easter egg hunts in NYC are outdoors in local playgrounds and parks, and a few even offer additional spring fun, like Easter Bunny photo-ops.

Find more ways to celebrate the season, including Easter Bunny brunches in our Spring Fun Guide for NYC Families.

Best Summer Camps in NYC with Weekly Enrollment

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Mon, 03/06/2023 - 4:45pm

Tennis is just one thing kids love about Advantage Summer Day Camps. Photo courtesy of the camp

Families who need flexible summer camp plans are in luck: New York City is home to tons of summer day camps offering weekly enrollment. Whether travel plans mean you can't commit to a camp for the whole season or your kids have more than one passion to pursue, these local summer camps with weekly enrollment make it easy to create an enriching summer camp experience no matter your kids' interests or your family's schedule.

Our picks for top summer camps with weekly enrollment include summer camps in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. We've rounded up more than 20 summer day camps in NYC below, but you can always find more summer camps, including free and cheap summer camps, great sleepaway summer camps in the Northeast, and teen-friendly summer camps by bookmarking our New York City Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and borough.

27 Best Things To Do in NYC March 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 02/26/2023 - 7:06am

The Macy's Flower Show, "Big Dreams Bloom Here," opens in late March. Photo by Jody Mercier

Whether you're turning green for St. Patrick's Day or taking a deep dive into Women's History Month, March in NYC is a paradise for kids. Here are our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in New York City this month.

St. Patrick's Day parades are marching across all five boroughs, the Macy's Flower Show heralds the return of spring, and super shows for kids this month include Dog Man the Musical, Baobab, Junie B's Essential Survival Guide to School, and Zephyr!

Families can head to CMOM to celebrate female icons, sing along with The Pop Ups at the Jewish Museum, screen some real gems at the New York International Children's Film Festival, or go on a nighttime frog hunt.

It's your last week to take advantage of our Family Skate and Play Package at Industry City, too, because we can feel the warmth of spring's sun approaching. So, our Spring Fun Guide is blossoming with kid-friendly seasonal picks. Of course, we’re adding more events to our Family Activity Calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.