Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: OC Fair, AstroFest, and World Cup Finals

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 07/12/2018 - 6:16am

AstroFest. Photo courtesy of City of Astronomy

World Cup fans have it easy this weekend. Just two choices (that's France or Croatia for those of you keeping score). Pick a side; you root for one team or you root for the other. There is the question of where you watch the game—more than two choices there—but other than that? Easy peasy.

Everyone else, though, by gosh there are a lot of decisions to make. Do you go to the Orange County Fair? Is your adventure defined by riding the rails or blasting off into space? How do you choose between a 24th anniversary or a brand new opening? I wouldn't call it an emergency exactly (unless you are fans of the 1970s hit tv show Emergency! in which case you definitely want to go to the latter).

Side with the Greeks. Side with the Trojans. Side with ice cream. (We all scream for ice cream.) You can walk the dinosaur, or walk like an Egyptian, or maybe just go for a walk on the beach. (With books) There are a whole lotta choices, and not one of them is wrong.

The following are some of our best picks for the weekend, the choice is yours....

What's New at SoCal Theme Parks This Summer

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 07/06/2018 - 4:18pm

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run riders will take the controls as pilots, gunners or engineers. Photo courtesy of Disney Parks

How is a theme park like your kids? Because just when you think you know everything about them, they up and change on you. And just like with your kid, those changes are (mostly) good. Sure, we may have to say good-bye to a couple of old favorites, but look at all we get in their place. Sit back, buckle up, keep your arms inside the ride at all times, and see what our local theme parks have in store for you this summer.

Google Brings Pop-up Mini Golf to Third St. Promenade

Submitted by Toby B on Tue, 06/19/2018 - 4:50pm

Google, let's play mini golf! The Google Mini Golf pop-up coming to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica finds a cool way to demonstrate Google Home products: with a voice and putter activated mini golf game.

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: JPL, Fun-a-Palooza, Great Big Day of Play, and Pirate Day

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 06/07/2018 - 2:10am

Photo courtesy of Ventura Harbor Village

Don't be sad. Yes, the school year is coming to an end. Yes, most kids are either on or about to be on summer break. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. In fact, it could be quite fun!

There are tons of fun or downright awesome ways you can spend your time this summer. And for proof, you need look no farther than this very weekend in front of us. YOU CAN GO TO SPACE. (Disclaimer: you cannot actually go into space, at least not this weekend. But you can go to JPL and meet the scientists and engineers and possibly robots who design, engineer and carry out our actual missions to space.)

There's a Fun-a-Palooza, hello? There's a Great Big Day of Play. The people who named these events did not risk being subtle: you're going to have a blast.

There are block parties and street fairs and open houses. Anyone missing school can fake the feeling with lots of reading and there are some kick-offs to get you started. You can dance like nobody's watching, make art happen, or maybe even win a Tony. (Disclaimer: you are probably not winning a Tony, at least not this weekend. But you can watch the Tony Awards with a bunch of other theater fans. Maybe you should rehearse your acceptance speech just in case.)

Keep reading for our suggestions for a totally awesome time this weekend. (Disclaimer: No need for a disclaimer. It's going to be fun!)

Free (or Almost Free) Outdoor Summer Movies for Families All Over LA

Submitted by Toby B on Sat, 05/26/2018 - 3:55pm

And... action! As summer kicks off, a familiar annual scene is playing out at locations throughout the Southland: the season of free, nearly free, and gloriously cheap outdoor summer movie series has started rolling. At museums, parks, beaches, and malls, indoors and outdoors, in the early morning and by the light of the moon, families can catch both recent blockbusters and timeless classics for free or close to it. (While free is awesome, we think a dollar is still pretty good!)

Below you can find our comprehensive guide to free (and darn close to it) summer movie screenings and festivals. Click on the event names for more details, including movie titles. And keep checking back, because we'll continue to post more listings as they are announced, throughout the 2017 summer movie season.

Is that the London Eye in Long Beach? Giant Observation Wheel Visits Queen Mary

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 05/17/2018 - 3:53pm

Well take a look at that! An Observation Wheel—which is another way of saying a really huge Ferris wheel with a great view—is setting up shop in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary, for one month only. No mere amusement park ride (though we like those very much!), the Observation Wheel offers birds-eye views of the picturesque Long Beach sky line, the majestic Queen Mary, and beyond. This thing is so tall you may be able to spot the buffalo grazing on Catalina Island.

Beauty and the Beast - A Christmas Rose: Panto in Pasadena Review

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 12:24am

Photo courtesy of Lythgoe Family Productions

It’s not exactly the Beauty and the Beast you know, but the latest show from Lythgoe Family Productions is a captivating tale love and acceptance for audiences young and old. If you're wondering whether this holiday show is the right one for your family, read on!

Zoo Lights Holiday Display: Animals Light up the Night at the LA Zoo

Submitted by Toby B on Tue, 11/28/2017 - 1:07pm

We Angelenos love our holiday lights, and we are blessed with an abundance of viewing opportunities. But sometimes logistics can be an obstacle, particularly for families with small children. Where do we park? How far do we have to walk or drive? Can we find all the displays…? One simple and family-friendly solution is the Zoo Lights display at the Los Angeles Zoo. This large scale sparkle, which replaces the old Griffith Park Lights drive-through event, puts everything you want to see within the grounds of the LA Zoo, and parking is free (merry Christmas to me!).