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

Muppets Most Wanted: Parent Movie Review

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 03/25/2014 - 7:30am

Muppets Most Wanted (PG) is in theaters, and we're ready to address two questions right off the bat: 1. Is the new Muppet movie worth seeing, and 2. Is it worth seeing at El Capitan? No need to draw it out: the answers are yes and yes! Read on for a parent review that helps you decide whether or not your little Miss Piggy fans are ready for this film, and why seeing it at Disney's El Capitan Theater - directly in front of the new Muppets star on Hollywood Boulevard - is more of an experience than seeing it anywhere else.

Our New Camp Guide & Business Listings with Improved Search & Features

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 5:13pm

Last fall, we asked our readers to take a short survey and share their thoughts about how to improve our Summer Camp Guide. Overwhelmingly, we heard that you wanted a combination of our editorial recommendations, plus the ability to search listings and find recommendations from other parents.

So we're happy to debut our newly updated Camp Guide and our Camp Directory, now featuring an improved search, parent reviews and star ratings, and other enhancements. Even better: Our overhauled Directory isn't just for camps. We have begun bringing you listings for party places and services and enriching classes, too.

Read on to find out more or head straight to our Day Camp Guide and Directory to browse the listings and leave reviews for your favorite programs.

Kids on Stage: a Theater Camp for LA Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 03/07/2014 - 5:07am

If you're a Westside mom of a kid bitten by the acting bug, the name Kids on Stage is probably already familiar to you. Kids on Stage has been introducing young performers, from toddler to teen, to the joys of the performing arts since 1987. The company offers theater camps and acting classes, staging productions at local Westside performance spaces, including Santa Monica's Morgan Wixson Theater. But what makes this company stand out among LA's many and varied children's theater companies?

Ernest and Celestine - Parent Review of a Children's Film

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 02/25/2014 - 9:05am

If there is one film in this year's Oscars field deserving of the sometimes overused label “modern day classic,” I think it’s the French animated feature Ernest and Celestine. The film has been nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature, and it’s easy to see why; in today's sea of computer-animated, 3-D action adventure movies for kids, this hand drawn tale is a visual treat, with endearing characters and a gratifying story. It's got to be tough getting attention for a small foreign children’s film in a year that is overwhelmingly dominated by Disney’s mega-phenomenon, Frozen, but this little film is absolutely worth the attention of movie-loving kids and their parents, whatever the Academy's final decision.

Easy Valentine's Day Cards for Kids To Make

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 02/11/2014 - 4:39pm

On a scale of 99¢ Store perforated cartoon cards to Martha Stewart shadow box masterpieces, most of us really just want to help our kids make a few Valentines without using up all of the week's homework time to do it. No doubt some of the Valentine's Day activities on our calendar can offer ideas slightly closer to the Martha Stewart end of the spectrum; here we're volunteering to help with the other end of the scale. And so we present really easy, really fast, really cute Valentine's Day cards that can cover a whole classroom of kids in no time - and still leave time to treat your own little Valentine to a Valentine's Day Breakfast Parfait...

Fun for Kids at Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM (Parent Review)

Submitted by Roberta B on Wed, 01/22/2014 - 3:56pm

Forgive the rhetorical question, but can anyone make acrobatics more exciting than Cirque du Soleil? The Canadian circus phenomenon has umpteen touring productions in at least umpteen cities, and what keeps us all coming back for more goes beyond the gymnastics, the tumbling, the trapezes, the unicycles, the silks, the flying rings, the trampolines, and the tightropes. It even goes beyond those unexpected flourishes like the steampunk waterskiing flamenco rollerskating bullfights. What takes our breath away is the all-out drama of a celebration of the human body. Or, as my 10-year-old more succinctly put it midway through TOTEM at the Santa Monica Pier, "Talk about impossible!"

Jason and the Argonauts at the Wallis Annenberg Center - Parent Review

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 01/17/2014 - 4:52am

If Jason and the Argonauts is a sign of the type of kid-friendly theater we can expect from Beverly Hills' new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, then families have a lot to look forward to - and a great new reason to rediscover 90210. The 65-minute production out of Scotland is a rare treat, serving up classic story and mischievous humor that reaches a variety of ages simultaneously.

10 Los Angeles Mommy Blogs that We Loved in 2013

Submitted by Roberta B on Sat, 01/04/2014 - 4:46pm

Somehow it's January already - a time for recovery (from the holidays) and resolutions for the new year. As we plan how to make Mommy Poppins even better than it was last year, with even more insights into even more wonderful ways to enjoy our time with kids, we take a look at some of our favorite mommy blogs of 2013, raising a glass to the network of parents who enrich all of our experiences in LA parenting. We're highlighting 10 below who turn out some of SoCal's finest reading for busy, fun, connected, and curious moms. And so, in no particular order (since they're all wonderful) we present 10 of our favorite family blogs from last year, covering everything from recipes to private schools, from baby gear to kids' auditions. Please feel free to shout out some of your own favorites in the comments below!