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

Best Places to Trick-or-Treat in Los Angeles for Halloween

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 10/16/2022 - 12:07pm

Hit the streets in South Pasadena for fabulous trick-or-treating and a peek at the actual Halloween house. Photo courtesy of southpasadena.gov

The best places to trick-or-treat in Los Angeles just happen to also be the best places to trick-or-treat in the whole country! Granted, we might be a little biased, but here are the facts: the Halloween decorations on local homes are second to none, and many blocks across the city close off streets to traffic to have trick-or-treat parties. And the LA movie magic often finds its way onto neighborhood streets in the form of elaborately decorated houses and incredible special effects.

But in a city this big, some neighborhoods go all out on Halloween, and some remain pretty quiet. Where should you go? We’ve compiled a list of the most legendary trick-or-treat neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Here’s where to go to find lots of treats—not to mention some prime photo ops.

To keep busy until it's time to trick-or-treat, visit our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids, where you'll find our picks for the best free Halloween events in Los Angeles for kids and much more.

Trunk-or-Treat near Boston: Halloween 2022 Events for Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 10/09/2022 - 7:25pm

Grab your costume and your candy bucket and head out to an awesome trunk-or-treat event near Boston! Photo courtesy of Concord Recreation

Kids have to wait until Halloween to trick-or-treat, but they can trunk-or-treat near Boston all month long. Trunk-or-treating is held at central locations by different organizations and groups. Participants decorate cars and hand out candy from their trunks. These events offer a great alternative to trick-or-treating, when doorbell-ringing traditions get tricky. More communities have been hosting awesome trunk-or-treat activities near Boston each year. So candy-savvy kids end up collecting treats several times before Halloween! We've rounded up several great trunk-or-treat events in the Boston area. We hope you have a fun-filled and Happy Halloween in New England this October.

For more Halloween activities near Boston, explore our Halloween Guide for Boston Kids, and don't miss our list of the best Halloween activities and events in Boston, which includes pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides, and of course our top things to do in notoriously witchy Salem.

Haunted Houses, Horror Nights, and Scary Farms for Los Angeles Teens Who Like a Good Scare

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 10/09/2022 - 11:29am

The entrance to Midnight Falls at the world-famous Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. Photo courtesy of the Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group

Did someone say Haunted House? What goes on at theme parks in Los Angeles for Halloween is nothing like the wholesome thrill of a Tigger-clad child ringing doorbells for candy. It may seem like Los Angeles celebrates a night that's all about children with an awful lot of entertainment that is clearly not for children, but these frightful haunts, houses, and hayrides keep the Halloween fun going for older kids and teens. How to know which haunts are best for which ages? We've braved a few of them to share our reviews of just how scary is scary.

Looking for something not quite so scary, and a good deal cheaper? Check out the coolest free haunted houses and Halloween decorations in Los Angeles. And for perfectly tame Halloween activities for younger kids, we rounded up the best not-so-scary Halloween events for Los Angeles preschoolers. You'll find all this spooky fun, and more, in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

34 Amazing Free Haunted Houses and Halloween Displays in Los Angeles

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 10/07/2022 - 10:07am

Swing by Spooky Hollows to put you in a festive mood. Photo courtesy of Spooky Hollows, Facebook

For getting in the Halloween mood, nothing beats checking out the skeletons our neighbors have dragged out of the closets at these amazing (and free) haunted houses and incredible Halloween yard displays. One of the perks of living in the film capital of the world is that the people who make movies bring that same love of spectacle entertainment to their front yards. Some homes go all out with spooky, creepy, and cool Halloween decorations, while others create private haunted houses that rival the spectacles at big theme parks. And frankly, for showing our kids that Halloween is all about creepy creativity, I would genuinely take a visit to any of these incredible spots over a trip to Disneyland. There, I said it!

Immerse yourself in the spooky season by visiting one of these free house haunts or wandering through a street full of movie-ready Halloween decorations. For more Halloween fun, from the best Halloween events in Los Angeles to Halloween trains near LA, check our Los Angeles Halloween Events and Activities Guide.

Free Halloween Events in Los Angeles for Kids: Trunk-or-Treats, Haunted Houses, and More

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 10/02/2022 - 9:10am

Park Tales: A Not So Scary Halloween is an awesome free Halloween event in Malibu. Photo courtesy of malibucity.org

Why are free Halloween events so wonderful? Because we've already spent plenty on the Halloween costumes and the pumpkin and the Halloween candy—sometimes on multiple costumes and pumpkins and too many bags of Halloween candy! So get out your costumes, and put away your wallet. We sniffed out a whole bunch of free Halloween events in Los Angeles—including trunk-or-treats, pumpkin races, Halloween parades, and more—to make it a little easier to get out and do more with the kids at one of the most festive and fun times of the year.

Don't forget to check out our Los Angeles Halloween Fun Guide for details on other free Halloween activities in Los Angeles, like free home haunts and trick-or-treat spots, and other seasonal activities.

20 Best Pumpkin Patches near Los Angeles For Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 09/18/2022 - 11:05am

From local parking lot patches to farms near Los Angeles, here's where to find your perfect pumpkin.

Looking for pumpkin patches near Los Angeles, specifically ones where you can go pumpkin picking? The Great Pumpkin is awfully spoiled for choice around the Southland. To find the perfect pumpkin patch near Los Angeles for your family, you've got some decisions to make, because they run the gamut from small to large, folksy to commercial. There are festival-type pumpkin patches with extra activities, farms where kids can do their own pumpkin picking, and smaller pumpkin patches in every neighborhood in town. Pick a pumpkin, snap a Halloween photo, and maybe even take a pony ride at one of these 2022 pumpkin patches.

Find a corn maze near LA and more things to do in Los Angeles in the fall in our Fall Fun Guide for Los Angeles and OC Kids. And if a pumpkin patch visit is your first foray into Halloween festivities this year, you definitely want to find all the best Los Angeles Halloween activities in our Los Angeles Halloween Guide.

Mosquitos in Los Angeles: LA County Vector Can Save You from Bug Bites, For FREE

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 09/16/2022 - 7:56pm

In case you haven't heard, this is one heck of a mosquito year. You may have thought it was just at your house, but it turns out that the whole of Los Angeles County is suffering from an excess of mosquitos—which means a whole lot of little legs suffering an excess of mosquito bites! And with illnesses like West Nile and Zika virus in the mix, it's more than just an annoyance. The good news is that Los Angeles County has a service that can help solve the problem—and it's totally FREE! We had a visit from the county mosquito vector this week, and I was so excited I had to share.

Along Came a Spider Pavilion: Big Spiders Are Back at the Natural History Museum

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 09/15/2022 - 10:02am

Spiders are the stars at the Natural History Museum.

The spiders are back! It's time to say buh-bye to the beautiful butterflies of the Butterfly Pavilion to make room for their slightly spookier friends. Every fall, the Spider Pavilion takes over the space on the Natural History Museum’s South Lawn and turns it into the seasonal home to more free-range, eight-legged tenants than anyone in his right mind could want. The Spider Pavilion is an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare and an eight-year-old boy’s version of heaven.

The Spider Pavilion is the perfect fall outing, if you're looking to branch out beyond the typical pumpkin patch or corn maze. For even more spooky, creepy, crawlie fun, visit our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.