Kylie Williams

Kylie Williams is a mom of four who loves exploring Los Angeles with her kids and reporting back about the exciting events, attractions, and hidden gems she discovers. When she's not schlepping the kids around the city, she's probably at the gym, reading a book, or putting together snack bags for one of the kids' sports teams. If you know of a place she should check out, drop a line at Kylie@MommyPoppins.com.

Latest posts by Kylie

LA's Unusual and Underrated Christmas and Holiday Activities

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Fri, 12/05/2025 - 11:58am

Sock skating is a unique holiday activity in LA. Photo by Jamie Pham

When you think of LA, it most likely conjures images of sunshine, palm trees, and Hollywood. But did you know there are dozens of amazing family-friendly holiday activities in Los Angeles? As your resident Los Angeles mom of four (ages 2 - 9), I've tried them all and curated a list of the best and most unique holiday activities in LA.

We're not talking your average overpriced light display or kitschy Santa experience. We're talking genuine, quality fun that the kids will talk about for years to come. So skip out on the mall Santas and pass on Candy Cane Lane (it's become too commercialized for my taste, and the parking is a nightmare); this list of unique Christmas events for kids in LA will set you up for the best December ever.

38 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Los Angeles for Kids

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 11/23/2025 - 7:23am

DTLA sparkles each night during the holiday season. Photo courtesy of The Bloc

Merrily, there are loads of free holiday and Christmas events in Los Angeles for when you've blown your budget on rare Labubus and a home Skee-Ball game but still need fun, festive things to do with the family.

Christmas in Los Angeles is dazzling, magical, and frankly a little overwhelming. There are more light displays, Christmas parades, tree lightings, immersive experiences, holiday walk-throughs, and Santas to visit than any reasonable family can handle. Don't get your tinsel in a tangle, though. Before you tap your Apple Pay for every Christmas experience in the county, check out our list of totally free holiday and Christmas events. You'll be shouting "joy to the world" for these free parades on land and water, tree lightings, Santa Claus visits, and that's before we even start with the menorahs and gelt drops for Hanukkah celebrations.

Save your cash for the stocking stuffers for kids by filling your festive days and evenings with these fun, free holiday and Christmas events, and visit these free neighborhood light displays in LA. If you need even more ideas for holiday events, check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities for Los Angeles Families.

What's Open on Thanksgiving in Los Angeles? Places Open for Family Fun

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 11/16/2025 - 11:14am

Stroll through vibrant foliage and gardens. Photo courtesy of Descanso Gardens

Thanksgiving might be known as the holiday where you eat food and watch football all day, but there's much more to do on this holiday in Los Angeles than you might think. Sometimes, you need a change of scenery or a break from the relatives, so knowing what's open on Thanksgiving in LA for family fun is invaluable—for clearing the house to prepare the meal and for walking it off afterward.

Stuff your Thanksgiving with much more than just food. You could spend the whole holiday out and about in Los Angeles by going to one of the places below and eating at one of the many restaurants in LA open on Thanksgiving.

Gobble up more holiday goodness with Thanksgiving crafts, games, and activities for kids, and see where to kick off the Christmas festivities with the best neighborhood holiday lights in Los Angeles. For more holiday happenings, check out our Events Calendar and peruse our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families.

Best Polar Express Train Rides & Christmas Trains in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 11/13/2025 - 8:43am

Say hi to the conductor before meeting Santa on the Southern California Polar Express Train Ride. Photo courtesy of the train

'Tis the season for Polar Express train rides or Christmas trains! Los Angeles has plenty of holiday magic waiting on the rails, from a staple in Griffith Park to a movie-like adventure on the SoCal Polar Express. So, put on those matching family PJs and get ready to sing some carols, hear a story, and chow down on Christmas cookies, while embracing the holiday spirit. Kiddos may even get the chance to hand over those wish lists to Santa Claus in person.

There are seats available (so far!) on the Christmas train rides below that take place from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas. Reserve your spot ASAP because Polar Express trains are a hot ticket, and tend to book up fast.

Get in the holiday spirit with the best neighborhood holiday lights in Los Angeles, take your Christmas card to the next level with LA-only photo ops with Santa, and visit our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families for more holiday adventures.

Best Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat on Halloween in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Tue, 10/28/2025 - 9:19am

Hit the streets in South Pasadena for fabulous trick-or-treating and a peek at the actual Halloween house. Photo courtesy of southpasadena.gov

The best places to trick-or-treat in Los Angeles happen to be the best places to trick-or-treat in the whole country! Granted, we might be a little biased, but here are the facts: the Halloween decorations on local homes are second to none, and many blocks across the city close off streets to traffic to have trick-or-treat parties. And LA movie magic often finds its way onto neighborhood streets in the form of elaborately decorated houses and incredible special effects.

But in a city this big, some neighborhoods go all out on Halloween, and some remain pretty quiet. Where should you go? We’ve compiled a list of the most legendary trick-or-treat neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Here’s where to go to find lots of treats—not to mention some prime photo ops.

To keep busy until it's time to trick-or-treat, discover the best Halloween events for kids in Los Angeles, save your Halloween budget for candy and costumes with the top free Halloween events in LA, and find more Halloween fun in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

Orange County Fun: 31 Things To Do in Irvine with Kids

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 10/26/2025 - 1:07pm

The Great Park Carousel is a fun family destination. Photo courtesy of DestinationIrvine.com

Just south of Anaheim, Irvine beckons LA families to come and play. This lovely city sits at the heart of Orange County. With 250,000 residents, UC Irvine, and the headquarters of many well-known companies, it is consistently rated as one of the safest and best cities to live in by national publications. With all this going on, there must be something to do, right? And is there ever!

If you're looking for an outing in your own backyard, things to do after a sports tournament (Irvine’s parks play host often), or if you fancy a drive somewhere new, there are lots of places to explore and lots of things to do in Irvine.

Looking for more OC fun? Check out our Best Things to Do in Orange County Guide, our list of things to do with kids in Newport Beach, or learn more about all the fun things to do in Anaheim (that aren't Disneyland).

10 Holiday and Christmas Events in Los Angeles to Book Now!

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Fri, 10/24/2025 - 1:17am

LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow makes a festive family evening. Photo by Jamie Pham

The time to book the best holiday and Christmas events in Los Angeles is now! These popular holiday events go on sale early and sell out quickly.

The holiday season is magical, but for parents whose to-do list is longer than Santa's, it can be hard to track when to buy tickets to all the big holiday and Christmas events in LA. Set your alarms, mark your calendars (view our Los Angeles events calendar while you're at it), and prepare those ugly Christmas sweaters for all the festive family outings.

From incredible light walk-throughs to holiday train rides and the dates they go on sale, keep reading for all the LA holiday events intel.

Keep the holiday traditions going, or start a new one by bookmarking the must-do Christmas events in Los Angeles, seeing an LA Nutcracker ballet, and making more holiday memories with our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families.

The Most Iconic Pumpkins in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Fri, 10/10/2025 - 7:54am

The Mickey Pumpkin at Disneyland. Photo courtesy of the author

LA has some pretty iconic pumpkins... so what could be more fun than parading around town and taking photos with some of the smiliest jack-o'-lanterns in the city? I've pulled together a list of the most iconic pumpkins in the Greater LA area. Some you have to hike to, some you can ride in, and some are just impressive pumpkins in easy-to-access spots. So, save this article and see how many of these pumpkins you can find before the spooky season ends! Consider this your official Mommy Poppins LA photo scavenger hunt assignment.

Want more Halloween fun in Los Angeles? Check out our Halloween guide, read about our favorite LA neighborhoods for trick or treating, or learn about our top Los Angeles October events. Also, there are plenty more pumpkins at the best pumpkin patches in Los Angeles!

Kylie Williams

Latest posts by Kylie

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