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

Free Virtual Events in February: Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, New Movies, & More Online Fun

Submitted by Toby B on Mon, 02/01/2021 - 8:00am

For a small month, February sure packs a punch! Jam-packed into 28 little days, we get Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Presidents Day, and Mardi Gras, not to mention African American History Month and the Super Bowl. Oh, and thanks to a little Perseverance, we're landing on Mars!

'Til movie theaters fully reopen, major film premieres are being held at your house. Premiering digitally this month are a new release from Studio Ghibli, a big screen adaptation of Flora & Ulysses, and a cartoon/live action hybrid Tom & Jerry.

Our Poppins@Home platform continues to be the go-to for fun and fabulous enrichment activities for kids, with classes to keep your baby in tune and give your soccer-crazed kids happy feet.

Mask up, log on, and keep reading for non-stop virtual fun in February.

Things To Do in LA this Weekend with Kids: Dance Drive-In, Hide and Seek Garden, and a New Studio Ghibli Film

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 01/27/2021 - 8:57am

Sometimes you just want to take flight! Image from Dusk courtesy of Dance Camera West

Things are looking up: Our statistics are improving and California's stay-at-home restrictions are being relaxed. Pretty soon we can look forward to an expanded repertoire of engaging and enriching recreational activities. And in the meantime: we can go to Disneyland! (For vaccinations, if we meet the current Tier 1 criteria.) And horse trails and gardens and farms! (For some fresh air and change of scenery, no matter who we might be.)

The changes aren't happening overnight, so we encourage keeping a close eye on our site. We'll do our best to keep you informed as favorite venues once again roll out the welcome mat. 'Til then, we have no shortage of online amusements. This week we can log on to celebrate chocolate, Marion Davies, and human abilities. Ohana means family, and you'll want to gather yours for the premieres of Finding Ohana on Netflix and Studio Ghibli's Earwig and the Witch on HBO Max.

Poppins@Home continues to bridge the enrichment gap, with fun and funky virtual classes for kids of all ages. Real science brings magic to life in the Magical Potions class at the Science of Wizarding School. Step by step instructions help kids draw iconic cartoon characters, with a different character featured each class. And happy feet make for happy kids, so sign them up for HappyFeet soccer.

Keep reading for more inspirational picks for the coming week.

School Calendars 2020-2021: Start & End Dates for Los Angeles County Schools & Reopening Updates

Submitted by Toby B on Sat, 01/02/2021 - 8:06am

Academic Calendars and News for the Los Angeles 2020-21 School Year

School schedules run our lives. That’s never been more true than it is this year when parents have been called upon to be tutors, teachers, and tech support during school hours.

LA County schools have been fully cleared by the county to reopen. Read on to find out exactly what this means for families across the Southland.

And if what you read makes you wonder about what other school options are available to you, maybe our school guide can help.

New Year's Weekend Things To Do in LA: Free Gardens, Concerts and Movies in Your Car, & a Battleship

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 7:32am

Ventura Botanical Garden is free on New Year's Day. Photo courtesy of Visit Ventura

2020, we’re so sorry to see you go. So sorry. Those parties we’re throwing, those are because we are sad you are leaving. The flashy lights and the singing and the celebratory pinecones, all tangible expressions of our deep, profound, can’t-wait-til-you’re-gone sorrow.

True, we may seem jolly through our many jubilations, but remember as we laugh on the outside, we are also laughing on the inside. Who wouldn’t, nibbling on tasty treats and exploring the rave-like wonders of LA’s newest drive thru? And even if it means most of our celebrations are virtual and far apart, we’re cool with that, because that means we are literally putting ourselves further from you.

Whatever 2021 holds in store, know that it can never replace you in our hearts, worst year ever. Though you may be gone, the silver lining is you will be gone. And us? We'll be so busy doing fun things like the ones we find on the Poppins@Home platform, such as a planting workshop, a LEGO masterpiece design class, and a virtual escape room, that we may even forget you ever existed...

Keep reading for our best picks to party like it isn't 2020...

Things To Do in LA: Lighting of the Bay, WonderLAnd, Tree Lightings, Charlie Brown

Submitted by Toby B on Tue, 11/24/2020 - 1:06pm

Lighting of the Bay, photo courtesy of Newport Dunes

Happy Thanksgiving, folks! We’ve been through a lot this year, and there’s more yet to come, but we can still take a moment to be thankful, to appreciate what we have, and to express gratitude for the many ways Southern California brings light to our lives—such as Newport Beach’s Lighting of the Bay, which starts this weekend.

For another: drive thrus! If there’s one thing Angelenos have down it’s driving (both in and thru), and as of this weekend we can experience the lights and snow of WonderLAnd, reflect in the shine of Hikari at Tanaka Farms, and bask in the glow of our home team champions at the Dodgers Holiday Festival. All aboard for the railroady goodness of the Irvine Park Railroad Christmas Train and Fillmore & Western Railway’s North Pole Express; get in gear for Santa’s Speedway in Irwindale.

And on Thanksgiving Day itself? We can experience Macy’s Parade and feast with the Peanuts gang while staying safer at home. Folks who usually prep for their turkey dinners with 5K/10Ks can participate in virtual editions. (You’re supposed to run, but if you choose not to, be grateful no one will know!)

Don’t forget, Saturday is Shop Small day, when we are asked to patronize small local businesses—a boost they need this year more than ever. (Online purchases count!) And as always at this time of year, what we are grateful for most is you, our Mommy Poppins readers. Keep well, keep safe, and keep reading for our most grateful picks for this week.

Halloween Events 2020: LA's Ultimate List of Haunted Drive-Thrus, Trick-or-Treating, Pumpkin Patches, & More

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 10/04/2020 - 4:21pm

Hauntoween Halloween Drive-thru, photo by Ian Brown

This Halloween season will be different; we know that. But as long as we keep the CDC's guidelines in mind, there are still several ways our kids can enjoy the big holiday they look forward to every October. Angelenos can pick their pumpkins, eat spooky treats in a decorated "ghost" town, have the bejeebies scared out of them, and watch classic Halloween movies. Just make sure to wear a mask with your mask, and get ready to kick off some Halloween 2020 memories at any of the COVID-friendly Halloween events below.

Coronavirus School Closings in LA: Plus Museums, Libraries, Theaters, Parks, & More Closed

Submitted by Toby B on Fri, 03/13/2020 - 9:44pm

The COVID-19 / coronavirus pandemic is closing a few schools, in case you hadn't heard.

Great news, though: We have a chance to be heroes! By doing our part, we get to help our friends and neighbors stay healthy during this Coronavirus emergency. What's asked of us is pretty simple: wash your hands (you should be doing that anyway), sneeze into your elbow (same), and don't go to school... say what, now?

Yes, kids, you get to be honest-to-goodness heroes by not going to school. We'll be giving up on a few fun things as well, but just for a few weeks. Pretty much everyone has jumped on the bandwagon, thanks in no small part to Governor Newsom's directive to put a pause on all large gatherings. Schools are closing. Museums, zoos, theaters are closing. DISNEYLAND IS CLOSING. (This is Momma's stunned face.) Stores and restaurants are open, but we wish you luck trying to find a roll of toilet paper.

Ordinarily, sharing fun public events is our raison d'etre. But right now, the best way we can all be good members of our community is to stay home more, support local businesses when we can, explore wide open spaces, and take a moment to breathe (just not too close to anyone else).

Our Coronoavirus Guide is full of news updates as well as projects you can do at home, and other suggestions to get you and your kids through this unusual few weeks. Our calendar may be light on live events, but look out for interactive concerts, classes, virtual tours, and other fun stuff you and your kids can participate in online.

Things To Do and What's Canceled in LA this Weekend: Patrick's, Purim, and Butterflies

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 11:01pm

As the weekend approaches, rain is in the forecast, and a public health crisis is looming. As of this writing, most major venues are still open, extra precautions are being taken, and, this being Los Angeles, the show still goes on.

But we are starting to hear of more canceled events, particularly the large scale ones (Coachella, E3, the sport of basketball). The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has been postponed until October. A number of universities and private schools are transitioning to online classes for the next few weeks, though we have not heard much of public school closures on the K-12 side.

We're doing our best to keep our calendar updated with canceled or postponed events (we've listed several at the end of this post). Since the landscape is rapidly changing we suggest checking with the venue for up-to-the-minute information. Now might be a good time to avail yourself of our "Boredom Busters" guide, aka how to stay home with your kids for extended periods of time without driving each other bananas.

The disruption in daily routine may be hard for kids to make sense of, and they may need some reassurance. I’m reminded of the Mr Rogers quote about dealing with crisis: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping... If you look for the helpers you will know that there is hope." In this coronavirus crisis, we are all the helpers. By washing our hands, sneezing into our elbows, and maintaining social distance, we are all doing our part to limit the spread of this illness. We are all the helpers, and if for a short time we scale back on our activities, we are doing it to keep our friends, our family, and our neighbors healthy.

Keep reading for our healthiest, and most helpful, suggestions for the weekend...