Meghan Rose

Before becoming a parent, Meghan Rose worked at pioneering internet companies like AOL, eToys.com, and eBay. After having twins, she shifted her focus to literacy, co-authoring Home is Where the Books Are (Choice Literacy, 2013) and launching LitforKids.com. Now based in Los Angeles, Meghan is all about finding fun things to do with kids. Please send her ALL your ideas and suggestions for national parenting and travel articles, or drop a note just say hi: meghan@mommypoppins.com

Latest posts by Meghan

Ultimate Road Trip Planner: How to Have the Perfect Family Road Trip

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 08/04/2022 - 9:23am

Involve kids in planning and packing, and don't forget to bring things like balls and bikes for physical activity breaks!

Road trips are seared into American culture as a family rite of passage, but planning and taking road trips has sure changed since I was a kid. I remember sticking my head out the hand-crank window to keep cool—no AC in our car!, playing road trip games like counting license plates, eating road trip snacks like granola bars, and pulling over so my parents could plot routes on their folding maps. Now family road trips means multiple devices for in-car entertainment, snackle boxes, and tricked-out Airbnbs.

From fun road trip games to tasty road trip snacks to podcasts the whole family will love, we’ve got everything you need to plan the perfect family road trip right here. And if you don’t know where to go, that’s not a problem! Wherever your starting point, we’ve got some fabulous ideas, complete with exactly where to stop and what to see along the way.

Los Angeles Day Camps Still Available for Summer 2022

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Fri, 07/22/2022 - 11:32am

Hands-on fun with friends. Photo courtesy of RAZ Summer Camp with Art for Kids

Just because summer is already underway doesn't mean you've missed the summer camp bus. The day camps and weekly camps below not only have space available, but you can book them with an easy click right from our Los Angeles Events and Activities Calendar's Camps & Classes section. Find in-person summer camps, drop-in classes, and online summer programs, too. Signing up for camp couldn't be easier!

For more summer camp ideas, including everything from dance summer camps to art summer camps, check out our Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide and Summer Camp Directory.

Mommy Poppins Launches in Miami and the San Francisco Bay Area

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Sun, 07/10/2022 - 1:36pm

Things like having a children's museum with a view like this make it easy to leave your heart in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Did you start to go a little stir crazy in your city during the past few years? Everyone here at Mommy Poppins felt a bit housebound, and got excited talking about the places we couldn't wait to visit with our kids. A couple of places kept coming up, one on each coast. These are cities we've played in, dreamed about, and maybe even left our hearts in, just a little bit. So, we got to work and now we can announce that Mommy Poppins San Francisco Bay Area and Miami are here!

Our two new sites join our growing family of cities that includes NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, DC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Orlando, and Atlanta. Also expanding: the cool things you can do on our site. We recently redesigned our search pages with a cleaner, easier-to-use design and new functionality. You can now find camps and classes on your local calendar of events and even buy tickets directly from our website — if an event has a red "Book It" tag, you can purchase tickets immediately, with no added fees.

In short, we've been busy...

What’s New: Best Openings and Attractions for Kids and Families Spring 2022

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/26/2022 - 12:30pm

Rise NY is a breathtaking simulated aerial tour of NYC. Photo courtesy of Rise NY

Discover the best openings and attractions for kids this spring: these are perfect ideas for family summer travel!

Is the world getting back to normal? Is there a normal anymore? These questions are frankly too much to contemplate as school wraps up and parents are desperately trying to finalize non-refundable summer camp and family travel plans. But one thing we can say for sure is that big things are opening again, and there's probably something new and exciting wherever you happen to live or plan to travel to this summer. From a new amusement park for tots in San Diego to a new way to go skating at Rockefeller Center in NYC, here are the highlights of the best things that have opened recently for kids and families.

If you are planning a family trip this summer, we've got plenty of reviews, resources, and ideas in our Family Travel Guide. And if you're staying home, we rounded up a cool 100 fun activities on our Ultimate Summer Bucket List.

Cherry Picking near Los Angeles with Kids: Favorite Family Farms in the Leona Valley

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 05/24/2022 - 10:34am

Picking your own makes them taste extra sweet. Photo courtesy of Villa del Sol

Of course you can go cherry picking near Los Angeles—SoCal is the fruit basket of the country!

You've been strawberry picking with your kids, and everyone has visited a local farm to pick a pumpkin from the patch in person. But have you ever gone cherry picking? Cherries do best in the high desert, and there are several pick-your-own cherry orchards in the Leona Valley, near Palmdale. It's a pretty ride into high desert horse country, and when you get there, kids can not only go cherry picking, but also pick other stone fruits and enjoy some time on the farm.

The Best Carlsbad Hotels Near Legoland California for Families

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Tue, 05/17/2022 - 11:25am

Take a Lego break on a water slide. Photo courtesy of the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

There’s just something about Legoland California. It’s such a special place that even though you can drive here from Los Angeles or San Diego for a day, you really want to spend the night to be there the minute it opens, go back the next day to the Water Park, or just stay and explore the very underrated and gorgeous town of Carlsbad. Which is why we’ve rounded up the best Carlsbad hotels near Legoland—some within walking distance, some by the beach—all will ensure that you have a wonderful stay in town.

So come for my favorite of the SoCal theme parks, stay for the Flower Fields, the strawberry picking, the charming beach town, the ocean walks, and so much more. Or use Carlsbad as a non-crowded jumping off point to explore all that San Diego has to offer, from Sesame Place San Diego to the San Diego Zoo and so much more.

Best Children’s Theaters in the US: Why Bringing Young Kids to the Theater Is So Important

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Thu, 05/05/2022 - 11:43am

Watch as kids become entranced by a live show. Photo by Alexis Buatti Ramos, courtesy of the New Victory Theater

Look around a theater, the next time you're there and watch their faces as all kids—even the very youngest—become entranced by live theater. You can see it happen, as they are transported by the stories, the characters, the scenes. And it’s not just fun and games; from live theater, kids learn empathy, problem-solving skills, and how to work well with others.

Want to bring your kids to see some wonderful live theater? We’ve not only rounded up the best Children’s Theaters in the country, but we also made it easy for parents to find the best live children's theaters and shows for kids taking place near you, wherever you live. You can even buy tickets to these shows right from our website, and take your kids to a show this weekend.

Tried and Tested: 10 Things We’re Obsessed with This March

Submitted by Meghan Rose on Mon, 02/28/2022 - 2:00pm

Turning Red is the newest Pixar movie. Nuff said. Photo courtesy of Disney

Time to spring forward into March with a whole lot of green, some self-care and snacking, superb screen time, and even a little madness.

March is Women’s History Month, and it happens to kick off on Mardi Gras this year— that combination of girl power and a party spirit is the mood for this month. All our picks either bring a sense of party and playfulness or they’re self-care, post-play pick-me-ups. With the state of the world, that's right where I want to live. A few things on this list are brand new, but several are just new to me; they’re recommendations from friends, co-workers, and loved ones that I’ve been trying out for the last month and become obsessed with. There’s even a pick from each of my kids.

Read on to discover a way to take 20 minutes for yourself, your new favorite breakfast treat, a family TV show I’ve been waiting for for years, and more.

Meghan Rose

Latest posts by Meghan

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