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

Camp Spooky: Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt for Young Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Sat, 10/10/2015 - 10:11pm

If you've got older kids (or a macabre Halloween side yourself), you know what a great job our LA and OC theme parks do of haunting those who love to be scared every October. But what about the kids who just like things mildly spooky - like maybe a couple of smiling ghosts and a spider or two? Sure, Disneyland has Mickey's Halloween Party, but that still involves staying up way past bedtime. If you have little ones you want to bring to a happy Halloween haunt without staying out past dark, where the scariest mummy looks suspiciously like Peppermint Patty, then Camp Spooky is the place you oughta be.

Ship Happens: Taking Kids To Visit the Queen Mary in Long Beach

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 10/05/2015 - 4:47pm

Half a century ago on Halloween, the ocean liner Queen Mary made her last luxurious journey across the Atlantic, then set off the long way around to the Pacific (she was too wide for the Panama Canal) and docked in her permanent resting place at the port in Long Beach, California. There she has sat ever since, alternately charming and frightening visitors year-round, a key shape in the Long Beach skyline. She looks pretty, but is there a reason to bring your family on board the Queen Mary for a visit? Is there enough to entertain kids? We spent an afternoon on board so that we could know what we're talking about when we say absolutely, yes.

Man Covets Bird at 24th Street Theatre: Parent Review of a Family Show

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 09/27/2015 - 2:53pm

There is a lot to love about 24th Street Theatre. The team behind this homey little playhouse is passionately devoted to education, to neighborhood outreach, and to a different kind of children's theater. Most of the the shows 24th Street produces are not public events, because the company devotes most of its resources to programming for local schools. But when this team decides to launch a public production, you can count on it being inventive and thought-provoking. 24th Street is not a place to see another Saturday morning Snow White; it's a place for ground-breaking theater that takes kids along for the ride. The last show we saw there, Walking the Tightrope, delighted so many families that Center Theater Group picked it up for an extended run. The company's latest production, Man Covets Bird, may follow the same path.

Talk Like a Pirate Day: It's Real & Celebrates with FREE stuff in LA

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 09/18/2015 - 4:47pm

Well shiver me timbers, ahoy there buccaneers, fly the jolly roger, and any other piratical cliché you can think of: September 19 is a national holiday called Talk Like a Pirate Day, and no, we arrrgh not making that up. How could we? This peculiar celebration of all things pirate has grown in popularity each year, until we've finally decided that it merits a post of its own. So hold onto your eye patches, because we know 6 great ways to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day in LA!

LA County Fair: Fun Beyond the Roller Coasters, Even on a Hot Day

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 4:14pm

Somehow, during all my years in LA County, I had never ventured out to Pomona for the Los Angeles County Fair until this past weekend. The fair always seemed so big that I didn't know where to begin, and generally so hot that I hesitated to try. Thrill ride fans probably already know the vast opportunities the fair offers for hurtling bodies through space in a variety of carnivalesque ways; but truth be told my own thrill ride needs can be satisfied in an hour or two at the Santa Monica Pier. I brought my family to the fair in search of a different experience, something more akin to a spider spinning "Some Pig" above a farmer's prize livestock. And while I didn't find Charlotte, I did find several unexpected ways to enjoy a September day–many of which turned out to be shady, breezy, or even air conditioned. And let's be honest, that pretty much always matters during LA County Fair season.

Our day at the fair was a triple-digit scorcher–the kind that makes my family question my sanity when I head the car east. Here are five unexpectedly fun ways we found to escape the heat while enjoying the LA Fair.

Harry Potter Hamlet: Something Is Silly in the City of Culver

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 08/18/2015 - 1:42pm

One of my favorite things about August in LA is Culver City's annual Shakespeare in the Park, courtesy of the Actors' Gang. Each year the Gang gives an upbeat, modern makeover to a different Shakespeare play aimed at families; recent highlights have included the Superhero Twelfth Night, the Star Wars Romeo and Juliet, and the My Little Pony Midsummer Night's Dream. This summer, Media Park comes alive every Saturday and Sunday morning with the Harry Potter Hamlet; and to go or not to go is hardly a question.

Sunny Day Scoot: Driving Tours of Griffith Park & Parties in Scooter Cars

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 06/21/2015 - 1:55am

I'm feeling pretty smug today. Not only did I take my kid on an outing in his hometown that thrilled him within an inch of his life; I also found an activity that was utterly and completely new to our LA team's native Angeleno, Jackie Stansbury. You may have noticed a recurring theme in Jackie's posts: unlike most LA parents I know, her childhood memories are actually all right here in the Southland. When she talks about a grunion run, she compares it to the one she did 40 years ago. In short, there's nothing new under the LA sun for her. That is, until today, when she and I were invited to do some scootering under the sun in funny little vehicles that feel like a cross between a bumper car and Colonel Klink's motorcycle. We took our kids on LA's newest road adventure: Sunny Day Scoots.

Inside Out at El Capitan: Parent Review of Pixar Movie & Live Light Show

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 06/19/2015 - 8:18am

Pixar's brand-new adventure, Inside Out, hits theaters this weekend, and once again audiences in Los Angeles have the edge on the rest of the country, because we have the option of seeing the film with El Capitan's live stage show. Neither the movie nor the show disappoints; Inside Out harks back to the studio's best work, reminiscent of Toy Story's perfectly balanced blend of wistfulness and whimsy; and the 3D LED light dance spectacle that precedes it is, frankly, out of this world. Ready to laugh, cry, and bathe yourself in a psychedelic glow? More to the point, are your kids ready? The film is rated PG for a reason, so here's what you need to know before taking young children to experience the Disney/Pixar summer blockbuster.