Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Drew

Father's Day Weekend 2025 Things To Do in NYC: Plus, Honoring Juneteenth and More

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 06/13/2025 - 10:41am

The Museum at Eldridge Street presents the annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival. Photo courtesy of the museum

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Father's Day weekend.

Dads are in the spotlight this weekend, with Father's Day-focused festivities at the fore at Wave Hill and CMOM. Families can also get the jump on Juneteenth fun in Rockefeller Park, and explore NYC's melting pot at the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival.

We've tons of excellent options for family fun this weekend, including a Pride celebration at St. John the Divine. Here's hoping the weather finally cooperates!

You can stay on top of all of our top picks by bookmarking our NYC Family Activity Calendar or joining our Poppins Parents Group, where we share deals and sneak peeks with our fans!

Free Outdoor Movies in NYC Summer 2025 for Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 7:38am

Enjoy the popular Movies With a View series at Brooklyn Bridge Park in July and August. Photo by Etienne Frossard

When the summer sun goes down in NYC, the town lights up outdoor movie screens in all five boroughs, and these free outdoor movie screenings are perfect for kids and families.

We keep an eye on these special outdoor summer movie screenings all season long, including the Movies Under the Stars series, which offers screenings in some of our favorite parks and playgrounds in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, and annual favorites like Bryant Park Movie Nights, the Summer on the Hudson Pier I Picture Show, and Movies with a View in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Read on for our favorite free outdoor summer movies in NYC and bookmark our NYC Kids' Summer Fun Guide for more free things to do with kids all season long.

23 Best Things To Do in New York City June 2025 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/30/2025 - 10:11am

Bring a picnic to the New York Philharmonic's annual free concerts across New York City with post-concert fireworks. Photo Van Cortlandt Park/Chris Lee

Get ready for summer! June in NYC brings festivals for Juneteenth, Father's Day, Pride, and even some early fireworks.

June is jam-packed with amazing family fun, and the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks get it started with the season's first fireworks! Mommy Poppins is hosting our own train-inspired fest at Grand Central, and beloved favorite annual festivals, including the Museum Mile Festival, Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas, and PrideFest keep the fun rolling all month long.

89 Free Activities for Kids in NYC June 2025: Best Things To Do

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 05/27/2025 - 12:00pm

The annual PrideFest street fair features live music, artists, craft vendors, food trucks, performers, and more. Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk/NYC Tourism + Conventions

June marks the kick-off to the summer season and tons of fab, free things to do in NYC. From the Lower East Side's Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival to the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island and train-inspired fun with Mommy Poppins at Grand Central, plus lots of Juneteenth and Pride events, we've found more than 80 family-friendly free things to do in NYC this June with kids.

37 Summer Festivals and Fairs in June 2025 for Families

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/23/2025 - 8:26am

The Mermaid Parade on Coney Island is a joyful summer rite of passage. Photo by Raven Snook

Summer festival season kicks into high gear in June when the debut of warmer weather prompts a head-spinning number of fantastic fairs, parades, carnivals, and other fetes. Annual over-the-top celebrations include the Museum Mile Festival, Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas, Make Music NYC, and Coney Island's iconic Mermaid Parade.

June's also all about Pride fun and Juneteenth celebrations. Read on for our top picks so you don't miss a minute.

Memorial Day Weekend 2025 in NYC: Fleet Week and More To Do in NYC with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/23/2025 - 8:23am

The New York Botanical Garden's floral show Van Gogh's Flowers is inspired by the genius of the iconic artist Vincent van Gogh. Photo by Jody Mercier

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Memorial Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long holiday weekend.

Memorial Day weekend heralds the return of Fleet Week, and NYC is looking positively ship-shape. Life at the Limits returns to the American Museum of Natural History, and 14 miles of NYC beaches are ready to welcome sandcastle builders, waders, and body surfers as the weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. Come Monday, Memorial Day parades march through Brooklyn and Queens.

Looking to get out of town for the long weekend? Don't miss our stellar list of 36 summer day trips!

Speaking of travel, our next free, travel-themed event is going to be one of our most fun and unique ones ever. We are literally rolling out the red carpet, so bring your smiles for live entertainment, henna for kids, an incredible, larger-than-life Japanese calligraphy performance, and lots more fun! To top it all off, some lucky kids can compete in one of three live MasterChef Junior Mystery Box Challenges, while all registered families are entered for a chance to win a free family vacation to Dreams Resorts & Spas. Don't miss it! Register now for next Saturday's Family Travel Fest!

Free 2025 NYC Summer Concerts and Outdoor Music Festivals for Families

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/16/2025 - 12:37pm

Start the summer with free musical entertainment at Live at the Archway in Dumbo. Photo by Noemie Trusty.

Free concerts and music festivals are a summer staple in NYC, and there are always loads of great performances to enjoy. We've rounded up all the best free concerts in New York City this June, July, and August, so this list is guaranteed to keep the kids grooving all summer long.

There are summer concerts in the parks, playgrounds, piers, and plazas from Manhattan to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens, so scroll, click, and set reminders so you don't miss your favorites.

Beloved annual summer concert series, like Sounds at Sunset in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bryant Park's Picnic Performances, SummerStage, and BRIC: Celebrate Brooklyn are all on the schedule, and we have a little something for the whole gamut of musical tastes, from jazz to rock, opera, folk, hip-hop, and classical.

Mother's Day Weekend 2025 in NYC: NYBG Garden Party and More Things To Do with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/09/2025 - 7:12am

Ecological City stages a spectacular six-hour procession of visual art, giant puppets, and wild costumes. Photo courtesy of the Losaida Center

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for Mother's Day weekend 2025.

Take it easy this weekend with Mother's Day prep options that include a floral design workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden, Mother's Day card-making in the LaGuardia Garden, and the weekend-long Mother's Day Garden Party at the New York Botanical Garden, which just reopened its stunning children's garden.

If that's not enough, we've got 27 more ways to celebrate mom, plus the lowdown on the best spots for Mother's Day brunch in NYC, but book those reservations now!

Drew Kristofik

Latest posts by Drew

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