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

Elf on the Shelf's Magical Holiday Journey: Christmas Lights, Ice Skating, and a Ride to Santa Claus

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 11/15/2021 - 3:58pm

Santa Claus greets the trolley at Elf on the Shelf Magical Holiday Journey.

Live holiday events are back in a big way in 2021—so big that even the elves are life-sized! While we totally appreciated the creative holiday drive-thru experiences of last Christmas season, we are definitely excited to be getting out of the car to enjoy holiday lights, decorations, and even outdoor ice skating once again. If all that sounds like a festive evening your family would enjoy, point your car toward Pomona, then jump out of it and enjoy carols, elves, skating, hot chocolate, a trolley ride, and an audience with Santa Claus himself at Elf on the Shelf's Magical Holiday Journey at Fairplex in Pomona.

LA's Christmas Boat Parades: Newport Beach, the Marina, LA Harbor, and More

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 11/07/2021 - 12:54am

Newport Beach Holiday Boat Parade. Photo by Trent Bell

Los Angeles is all about outdoor activities at Christmastime—and nothing says "This is why I moved to Southern California" quite like a Christmas boat parade. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, boat owners gussy up their crafts and parade them up and down waterways for applauding spectators, who line the harbors and marinas from Dana Point to Ventura. Driving around looking at holiday lights is great; letting them float by you at one of these dozen sailing holiday parades is even better.

Los Angeles Gets an Oscar: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Opens to Visitors

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 09/28/2021 - 10:34am

Click your heels three times and you'll be in, well, the Academy Museum!

"Do we need a movie museum?" Tom Hanks asked the first invitees in the Academy Museum 0f Motion Pictures' new Geffen Theater. He looked at us like we were crazy, before finishing, "Yeah!"

We Angelenos know what we're famous for. Hollywood has been synonymous with the movie industry for so long that people outside of LA don't even realize it's a neighborhood. Other cities have movie theaters, but only in LA do we see the street we just drove down to get to the movie theater on the screen in the movie.

So, yes, if there is one museum Los Angeles needed it was the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, a museum dedicated to the art of film-making which we've been doing in this city for more than 100 years. Movies are LA history, and that makes it something to teach our children—who, incidentally, get free admission to the new museum! Read on to find out what we get to see, do, and experience at the new Oscar Museum—including holding our very own Oscar.

Disneyland Tips: 12 Hacks You Need To Know

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 09/12/2021 - 3:06am

Say hi to Donald! Photo by Richard Harbaugh, courtesy of the Disneyland Resort

Whether you're a Disneyland passholder who can collect Lightning Lane passes in your sleep or a hanger back who hasn't visited the park since you were a tot yourself, there's always more you can learn about making the Happiest Place on Earth easier to navigate. And speaking of the good old days, Disneyland nostalgia buffs will definitely want to plan a visit in 2023 when Disney celebrates a century of smiles with special events, openings, and nighttime displays at Disney100 in Disneyland, part of Disney's celebration of its 100th anniversary.

It's a lot easier to smile, of course, when you have a game plan, so here are a dozen tips you might not know that can make a day in Disney a whole lot happier. And if you're looking to eat outside the park, check out these 8 restaurants near Disneyland, but not in it.

The Aquarium of the Pacific: What Makes LA's Biggest Aquarium So Spectacular

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 08/24/2021 - 1:59pm

Of the many things that make Los Angeles kids lucky, one of the best isn’t even in Los Angeles—it’s an aquarium in Long Beach. We love the California Science Center, the Los Angeles Zoo, and so many other classic LA family destinations, but for a joyous, educational, satisfying SoCal day out it’s hard to beat the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The Los Angeles area’s top aquarium is not a one-and-done experience, though. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a destination to visit again and again, with a variety of marine life ranging from tiny, barely visible jellyfish to big playful sea mammals. In fact, for the price of an annual membership, you just might find that your kids form a lifelong bond with a frisky sea lion—but more of that in a moment.

100 School Lunch Ideas for Kids: Back-to-School Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 08/19/2021 - 9:00am

A perfectly packed lunchbox helps kick the school blues. Photo courtesy of www.YumboxLunch.com

Need lunch ideas for kids heading back to school? Chances are you've had a healthy, well-packed school lunch box delivered back into your hands virtually untouched at the end of the school day. There should be a special name for the heartbreak one endures at the words, "I told you I hate peanut butter and jelly," when not only is this the first you're hearing of it, but you spent extra on organic jelly and freshly ground peanut butter. And if not PBJ, then what? Well, we've got 100 lunch ideas for kids to answer the question of what to pack in a successful school lunch.

20+ Great Los Angeles Party Entertainers Who Make the Party

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 07/25/2021 - 8:23am

Happily Ever Laughter's playful fairytale characters keep kids enchanted.

Like the people who throw them, birthday parties have evolved. Grandma might point out that she managed just fine without puppies and ponies, but that doesn't mean we have to. The truth is that a good party entertainer can make a budget party in the backyard or local park feel like the event of the season. If you're that mom who's never at a loss to entertain a dozen 8-year-olds, our hats are off to you (and please contact us about writing a party piece!); for everyone else, here are 20+ party entertainment companies who bring the party to your house, and we think they really take the (birthday) cake!

Clue Live! Solve a Classic Murder Mystery at Westfield Century City

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 07/15/2021 - 2:36pm

The best thing to come out of the past year has got to be the flood of creativity in event planning. As quickly as we lost some activities we loved, other new family-friendly, socially distanced experiences sprang up, from drive-through dinosaur museums to walk-through candylands (with a few of hands-off haunted houses and holiday displays in between). The latest innovative addition to the LA event scene is Clue Live!— an in-person, open-air version of the classic board game. Attendees solve a familiar murder mystery: was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick? Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with a lead pipe? The walking adventure in Century City brings all of these characters to life this summer so you can play detective.