Raven Snook

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. As a writer, she's contributed articles to New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide, Better Homes and Gardens, iVillage, AOL TV and Moviefone, Parents.com, and worked as an in-house editor for ParentsConnect.com and TimeOutKids.com. As a performer, she's appeared on many downtown stages (sometimes even for pay!), a couple of obscure films and TV shows, and The Maury Povich Show as a female drag queen. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show. After being the NYC editor from March 2011-March 2015, she is now happy to just be a blogger as she pursues additional writing opportunities.

Latest posts by Raven Snook

This Week: Awesome Presidents' Day Weekend Events and Day Trips, Best Annual Parades for NYC Kids, Sahara Sam's Giveaway

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/14/2013 - 4:00pm

We hope you enjoyed your snow day last weekend as much as we did. Even though we were disappointed that so many events were canceled at the last minute, I know my family was glad to have a bit of a break from running around. My daughter spent hours playing in the snow—in fact she refused to leave until her toes started burning from the cold (snow in your boots gets you every time)..

While we might get a few light flurries this weekend, it doesn't look like sledding will be on the agenda over midwinter school break, but lots of other fun activities are. We've got Chinese New Year Parades, awesome day trip and staycation ideas, roundups of the best current museum exhibits for kids and family shows, and more in our Winter Fun Guide. Out in New Jersey, maple sugaring season has arrived and on Long Island, you can try to spot the seals. Plus the Mommy Poppins team is hosting a special Presidents' Day art meet-up at Hiho Batik. The possibilities for the four-day recess are almost endless.

Our New Jersey site is also giving away two family four-packs to Sahara Sam's Oasis Indoor Water Park in West Berlin. Of course if you subscribe to our free newsletters you knew that already, since we've been telling you about it all week. We're always giving away things in our emails which is why it's worth signing up.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: NYC Winter Break Day Trips and Camps, Best Family Theater Shows, Focus on Fort Greene Clinton Hill

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 02/07/2013 - 4:00pm

Even though both Staten Island Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, it sounds like we're going to get enough snow this weekend to go sledding, cross-country skiing down the street and maybe even have a full-fledged snow day. We're doing our best to keep our calendar and posts updated with accurate info, but we predict there will be many cancellations so if you're heading to an event, be sure to check the official website to confirm it's still happening.

If the blizzard inspires you to keep the fun inside, you can try some Valentine's Day-themed crafts, catch a family show or explore a new kid-friendly museum exhibit like Canstruction at the World Financial Center. My daughter went to see it last weekend and she took the photo above of a poodle made entirely from canned food! Our Winter Fun Guide is filled with info on all of these activities and more, so you can make the most of the season, both indoors and out.

If you're trying to figure out what to do during the upcoming four-day winter break, we just did posts on Presidents' Day break camps and NYC day trips. If you're thinking of traveling further afield, our friends across the Hudson just shared their list of the top 100 things to do in New Jersey with kids before they grow up and our Travel site has a roundup of great winter getaway deals and discounts, including an awesome Disney cruise deal.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: February Go NYC List, Chinese New Year Celebrations, Best Winter Exhibits for Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 4:00pm

We admit we jumped the gun when we posted our list of the best sledding hills in NYC earlier this week. We were just so excited about the snow (that's my daughter in the photo, gleefully making snow angels in her schoolyard) and we had hoped there would be more of it.

Of course we don't need a blizzard to enjoy winter sports. Many nearby ski and snow tubing resorts blow their own, and our New Jersey and Connecticut sites have plenty of great seasonal activity suggestions, in case you're thinking about taking a trip over the upcoming four-day midwinter break. Looking for additional getaway suggestions? Our Travel site also has a post about five mini-vacation spots for families in the Northeast, including the popular CoCo Key Water Resorts in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Back here in NYC, we launched our February Go NYC List featuring the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month so you can plan ahead. We're particularly excited about the Citi Pond Winter Film Festival, which kicks off this coming Monday, February 4 with an outdoor screening of the classic animated Disney flick Peter Pan in Bryant Park. The Mommy Poppins team will be there with a table so come say hello. We'll even be handing out vouchers for free hot chocolate to our readers while supplies last. Watch the movie as you glide around the ice or pull up a rink-side chair.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Indoor Places to Play, Class and Theater Deals, Best Winter Concerts

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 4:00pm

The only thing worse than having to go out in the cold is hearing people complain about it. So we're not going to do that. Instead, we'll tell you about our favorite places to play indoors, not just preschooler play spaces but an indoor skatepark and rock climbing gyms that appeal to older kids.

Of course, by the weekend it's supposed to be a balmy 30 degrees, much better weather for outdoor winter activities. Take a day trip to Fairfield, Connecticut to go ice fishing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and of course there are great snow tubing and downhill skiing spots all over the tri-state area. And if you really want to fantasize about getting out of the city (or need to plan a spring break getaway), our Travel site has a review and slide show of the all-inclusive resort Azul Beach Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Deals on Winter Kids' Classes: Swimming Lessons, Test Prep, Dance, Theater and Animation Classes & More

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 10:00am

Now that winter has come to stay, you'll probably be spending a lot of time indoors, but you can't just stay at home the whole season or the kids will go stir crazy. Time to sign up for some winter classes. We reached out to some of our favorite educational and enriching NYC programs and asked them to extend deals to our readers. The result is ten excellent offers for kids that you won't want to miss, from babies through tweens. Save up to 50% on classes like swimming, musical theater, Spanish, dance and animation. We even have discounts on test prep programs. Act fast! These deals are too hot to hang around long.

This Week: Martin Luther King Day Celebrations and Volunteer Projects, Film Series for Kids, Family Skiing Near NYC

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/17/2013 - 4:00pm

A school bus strike, a flu epidemic and no agreement over the teacher evaluation plan. Man are we ready for the three-day MLK weekend to arrive. How to celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy was a hot topic across all of our sites this week, and we found lots of meaningful ways to mark the holiday (which also happens to be President Obama's inauguration day) in NYC, on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut. There are even some volunteering opportunities for families.

While the snow we got in NYC earlier this week washed away in a matter of hours, our Winter Fun Guide has info on plenty of tri-state area ski and snow tubing resorts that make their own in case you're thinking of going away for the weekend. We're hoping we actually get a natural snowfall at some point this season so we can go cross-country skiing, too.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This Week: Monthly NYC Go List, Focus on Tribeca, MLK Day Camps, Gyms with Childcare

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 01/10/2013 - 4:00pm

Last Sunday, my daughter and I waited on a long line to see the awesome swings installation at the Park Avenue Armory, which was closing that day. It was one of those unforgettable, offbeat experiences that we love sharing here on Mommy Poppins, and I was so happy that we didn't end up missing it. Now there's an easy way for your family to stay on top of cool, one-of-a-kind events like that exhibit: Mommy Poppins' brand-new NYC Go List, where we highlight the absolute best things to do with kids every month. January is usually slow in terms of family happenings and yet we found 15 events worth putting in your calendar. We can't wait to see what kinds of can't-miss experiences the warmer months bring!

While it looks like we won't be sledding in NYC anytime soon, nearby skiing and snowboarding spots are open and making their own snow. And if you're searching for a great seasonal getaway for the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend, our Travel site has profiles of three family-friendly Massachusettes ski resorts. You can find lots of other day and weekend trip ideas in our NYC Travel Guide.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Martin Luther King Day Holiday Camps for NYC Kids

Submitted by Raven Snook on Tue, 01/08/2013 - 4:00pm

Last fall we wrote a post about camps for Election Day and Veterans Day to help out all of those working parents who can't take every school holiday off. Now Martin Luther King Day is coming up on Monday, January 21, and despite the fact that it's a federal holiday (not to mention Obama's public Inauguration Day), we know a lot of moms and dads may need to go into the office (like me!).

On these one-off school holidays, it's often hard to find coverage but we did the work for you and came up with 13 awesome sounding camps, many offering a full day of activities (although a few are half-day in case you can get out early). While you slave away, your children get to enjoy soccer, cooking, theater, robotics and chess, plus special volunteer opportunities in the spirit of the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Makes us wish we could trade places with our kids.