Roberta Brown

Editor-in-Chief

Years spent at Nickelodeon prepared Roberta to launch Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles branch in 2011, eventually becoming Mommy Poppins Editor-in-Chief in 2013. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which works out well for her son, who has grown up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

Latest posts by Roberta

Halloween Costumes: 7 Great Places to Buy or Rent a Costume for LA Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 10/06/2017 - 3:31pm

OK, you've found the perfect pumpkin - now what to wear? Most costume shoppers can sniff out the nearest Walgreens, Aahs, or even seasonal pop-up Halloween store without guidance. A mask and cape from one of these might well serve the needs of your household's trick-or-treaters, but if something a little extra special is required – or if you're just wanting to be inspired – try one of these year-round, long-time costume specialists.

The Griffith Park Ghost Train Is Back for Halloween 2017!

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 3:56pm

It's ba-ack!

If your family is a die-hard Halloween-loving crew, you probably never miss the fabulous, kitsch-as-a-witch Griffith Park Ghost Train—except last year when you sorely missed it. We certainly pined for it last October, when the all-volunteer crew of train enthusiasts at Los Angeles Live Steamers took a year off from their annual, spooktastic labor of love. But whether you love the ride or had never heard of it, we can all share in the wonderful news that the Ghost Train rides again in 2017!

Angels Flight Opens Again, in Time for a Labor Day Ride!

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 08/29/2017 - 6:56pm

Anyone can root for the Dodgers or skirt traffic on the 405; proof of a real Angeleno is whether you've been on Angel's Flight. The quirky, ostensibly pointless little funicular train shoots straight up Bunker Hill and only makes sense to locals (a train in Downtown LA that travels 300 feet—uh, why?); transplants from other states generally don't even know it's there. For an LA native, though, a ride on Angels Flight is a must, whether or not you have any need to be on Bunker Hill. This is especially true this week, when the 116 year-old railway revs up its two little cars again after a long absence.

Little Damage in DTLA: Want Some Charcoal in Your Ice Cream?

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 8:04pm

When I became a parent, a mom friend told me that what I could look forward to was the return of the simple, perfect joy of an ice cream cone. The image of gleefully chasing an ice cream truck warmed my heart. But now that my kid is a teenager, that ice cream glee looks a little different. It looks like Little Damage, the social media phenomenon that has people standing in line for an hour on a DTLA street corner to eat a black ice cream cone, only AFTER they have photographed it and shared it with a few hundred friends. This summer, the ice cream that brings joy is charcoal flavored.

Kids Kayak the Marina for Free All Summer with Kayaks 4 Kidz

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 07/05/2017 - 5:52pm

Note that due to construction at Mother's Beach, Kayaks for Kids will not be offering its usual classes in the 2018 summer season.

They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but what about a free kayak lesson? I've wondered for years about that free kayaking class for kids in the Marina, which we shout out on our list of 50 Free Things for Kids To Do in LA this Summer. It seems so unlikely—like there must be some catch. Does someone actually offer kids a chance to spend a couple of hours kayaking the Marina for free on alternate Sundays all summer long? Has this program really existed for 15 years, teaching hundreds of kids to kayak, without most Angelenos even noticing it's there?

Legoland's Water Park Makes It Even Cooler in Summer

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 06/28/2017 - 7:48pm

I've always found plenty to love about SoCal's fun-filled brick wonderland, but Legoland's new water park expansion this summer adds one more reason to visit. Surfer's Cove is a whole new section, upgrading the seasonal attraction from a park add-on to a summer experience worthy of a visit all its own. The new area brings more slides, more waves, and more ways to get wet for kids of all ages. Could you fit all of Legoland's action into one day? Anything's possible, but the bigger, better water park makes a family want to take advantage of one of the many deals that include keeping the fun going all weekend or all year.

A Wand Goes Out in LA: Whimsic Alley To Close Soon

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 06/01/2017 - 3:04pm

We're sorry to hear that Whimsic Alley, the we're-not-supposed-to-say-Harry-Potter style fan store and party space on the Miracle Mile, is closing later this month. That means no more birthday parties, costume balls, and High Teas set in the faux Hogwarts Great Hall, no more SciFi fan weekends, and no more summers spent at "The Camp that Lived." After several years of having this underground Potter fix at our fingertips, Los Angeles is to become a one-Hogwarts town, with Universal's Wizarding World as the only quidditch game in town.

There is, at least, one silver lining.

LA Summer Camps with Availability — Yes, Even Now!

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:56pm

How stressful is the end of the school year? Let me count the ways. Oh sure, there's the silver lining coming of not having to drive to school or argue about homework for 10 blissful weeks; but blissful loses its luster pretty quickly in the face of, "What are we going to do today?" – particularly if you already know that what YOU need to do doesn't involve sprinklers or beaches. We know we should have figured out summer camp by now, really we do. We have a stack of flyers for neat-o programs that are probably filled up already with kids whose parents got on this weeks ago.

Summer vacation may be staring you in the face, but there's no need to panic; all of the camps listed below still have availability as of this publish date. Some of the programs even allow families to book by the day, for ultimate spontaneity. After all, you have to leave some time to bum around doing the fun things in our Summer Guide.