Jody Mercier

When asked to illustrate her dream job as a first grader, Jody drew a picture of a mom with one kid on each hip and another clinging to her leg. All these years later, that is her reality, raising three kids in New York City. Since that gig only pays in hugs and kisses, she has spent her professional career as a journalist covering health, fitness, sports, and parenting topics. She's currently the regional editor overseeing the Mommy Poppins NYC, New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester sites and can be reached at jody@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Jody Mercier

Sky Skate Elevates Winter Fun with Ice Skating Rink at Edge New York

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Tue, 01/10/2023 - 1:27pm

Skate far above the city streets at Sky Skate, now open on the 100th floor of Edge New York at Hudson Yards.

When it comes to winter sports, NYC seems to be embroiled in a game of seasonal one-upmanship. There are dueling bumper cars on ice, rooftop ice skating rinks, and even our very own skate-and-play mashup of ice skating and gaming, but Edge New York is elevating winter fun—literally. The sky-high observation deck has just introduced Sky Skate, which allows visitors to glide across the highest ice skating rink in NYC—and the entire Western Hemisphere—as the city buzzes below.

Unlike our favorite seasonal outdoor ice skating rinks, Sky Skate is indoors, so it's an all-weather activity, though you'll want to bring along the hats, scarves, and gloves so you can step outside and take in the open-air observation deck views when you're done.

Milk & Cookies Kids Spa Opens Supersized Location for Pampering, Partying, and Playtime

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 12:29pm

Once you've been pampered, don't forget to strike a pose in the larger-than-life milk carton backdrop at Milk & Cookies Kids Spa

A spa day is always a treat in my book, but I don't usually bring my kids along for the pampering. Sometimes, though, it's nice to play a little role reversal, and that's where Milk & Cookies Kids Spa comes in. The longtime Upper East Side pamper spot recently relocated to Kips Bay, bringing all its spa treatments for Cool Gals and Cool Dudes, plus its trademark post-pampering namesake treat, and even a supersized party room and padded toddler play area.

Following a recent visit with my lucky daughters, we've got the scoop on all the fabulous fun at one of our favorite local Black-owned small businesses.

40 Best Things To Do this Winter in NYC 2023: Our Winter Fun List

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 01/08/2023 - 11:17am

The inaugural Hall des Lumières exhibition is a multi-sensory celebration.

When it comes to the best things to do this winter in NYC one thing is certain: Being cooped up in a tiny apartment with your kids hanging off the furniture (and you) is no way to spend the season. We know it can be hard to put on all that winter gear, head out into the cold, and hit up one of the dozens of daily kid-friendly events happening in NYC, but we're here to help. To inspire winter fun, we've compiled this list of 40 awesome things to do. Our picks include spots where kids can run, jump, bounce, learn, create, and get cultured.

Still not willing to open that door? Try one of these indoor craft projects at home as a family to keep those little hands busy or tackle one of our indoor snow day boredom busters. Of course, you can find more fun, seasonal ideas in our Indoor Family Fun Guide or enjoy the great outdoors with the picks in our Winter Fun Guide.

Visiting Color Factory NYC: Inside Soho's Interactive Art Museum

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 9:09am

With 500,000 balls to play with, Color Factory's ball pit provides endless play and fun.

When's the last time you dove into a ball pit filled with half a million sky-blue colored balls or sniffed your way through a color-blocked hallway punctuated by an olfactory overload while noshing on a colorful macaron? If the answer leaves you puzzled, perhaps it's time to trek to Color Factory, Soho's interactive art experience that invites exploration and play.

A one-time pop-up, Color Factory is here to stay and constantly reinventing its 20,000-square-foot space to keep the experience fresh. Following our confetti-filled visit to its Winter Colorland installation, we thought it was time to remind visitors of all the fun inside, which includes infinitely Instagrammable moments, fun lite bites, and tons of colorful displays to explore. It's a perfect spot to brighten up a cold winter's day and has earned its place in our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones in NYC.

20 Family-Friendly Openings We're Looking Forward to in 2023

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 01/01/2023 - 9:15am

Disney turns 100 and there will be celebrations from coast to coast. Photo courtesy of Disneyland

New year, new things to do! As we usher in 2023, we’re looking forward to all the family-friendly openings on the horizon. From cool family travel destinations and brand new theme parks worth planning your vacation around to more local haunts closer to Mommy Poppins' home bases, we’ve checked in with our panel of local experts and put our powers of research to work to bring you this list of family-friendly openings we’re most excited for in 2023. Here's a taste: Disney, Barbie, Mario, Bert & Ernie—and if that sounds too tame for your teens, there's also a rollercoaster that features the world's largest underflip, a zero-G roll, and four inversions. My stomach underflipped just typing that.

Read on for our top picks and start plotting your family-friendly outings. I know we are! And as you're mapping out visits from coast to coast, be sure to use our Family Travel Guide which boasts the inside scoop on traveling with kids from Florida to California and all points in between.

Best of 2022 NYC Kid Edition: Top Openings, Happenings, and Other Awesome Stuff We Loved

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 12/25/2022 - 11:00am

The Stranger Things Experience popped up in Brooklyn for a spell this spring and summer letting guests come face-t0-face with demogorgons. Photo by author

When it comes to kid-friendly fun, we might be biased in our thought that NYC has it all and in 2022 the city that never sleeps sprung back to life with tons of brand-new, family-friendly openings adding destinations and attractions begging for our attention. From a brand new kid-focused museum in the Bronx to destination-worthy, story-inspired pop-ups nearby and toddler-friendly stage shows, plus fun playgrounds, parks, and pop-ups, here are our picks for the best kid-friendly openings in NYC in 2022.

Bobbie and Uber Eats Team up for New Formula Delivery Service in NYC

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Tue, 12/20/2022 - 9:15am

Scoop up your next order of Bobbie formula from the comfort of your couch thanks to the Bobbie-Uber Eats collaboration. Photo courtesy of Bobbie

When it comes to convenience, New Yorkers know a thing or two about keeping it moving and that’s why we’re super excited to hear about the new collaboration between Uber Eats and Bobbie, which brings formula on demand right to your doorstep beginning today.

Read on for more details on the partnership and find more parent-tested tips for raising tiny New Yorkers, including our baby bucket list for 20 first-year must-do’s in our NYC Baby Guide.

Holiday Break in NYC: 35 Things To Do Between Christmas and New Year's Eve

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 12/18/2022 - 2:28pm

Come nose to nose with some wild-inspired lanterns at the Bronx Zoo's Holiday Lights. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/WCS

Few places rival New York City for holiday activities and the upcoming holiday break offers families plenty of free time to sample them all. We’ve rounded up 35 of our favorite Christmas break activities, most of which can be accessed with the swipe of a MetroCard. Fill your vacation with awesome museum outings, live stage shows, fancy meals, and magical must-do holiday experiences. My family even braves the crowds at popular tourist attractions like the Rockefeller Center tree and department store holiday windows.

NYC public school students are on winter break from Monday, December 26, 2022, through Monday, January 2, 2023. If you need more fun things to do over the holiday break in NYC, bookmark our Family Activity Calendar, which is continuously updated as we learn about new, kid-friendly happenings.