Every Saturday morning, I wake up and check the website Mommy Poppins to see what’s going on in New York City with kids. So do tens of thousands of other parents; so it made perfect sense that they would convert all those great listings and parent-approved ideas into a smart app that does more than just show you listings.
Also? Free!
The new Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app is fairly new to the app store and if I do say so, it’s all that and a bag of cronuts.
While Mommy Poppins currently helping families in Boston, LA, and the New York metro area, in the introductory app they’ve launched with a New York app; hard to argue considering the number of families who head here over the holidays. But don’t worry–the other cities are not long behind.
In map mode you can see what’s nearby–a little overwhelming if you’re in Manhattan, but great if say, you’re up in Westchester. List mode can be helpful if proximity isn’t as important, or filter by categories like indoor, outdoor, park, shopping, food, active, create–and my favorite, FREE.
If the excerpt seems interesting, click through and all on one screen you’ve got directions, one-touch phone calling, the ability to share or save it, and even the chance to give it thumbs up or thumbs down. You can also read more about it at the Mommy Poppins site if you want a full review before you pile the kids into the car to head up to Henry Hudson Park. (Which I totally recommend.)
But the big reason you know there’s a real mom behind this app and not some random developer is the one-click option to send feedback, should the place be closed or completely different than described. Because we’ve all been there, and it is so not fun. Especially with kids in tow.
There are a few things that I imagine will be tightened up with app upgrades. There’s no specific “search” function which would be especially helpful for out of towners wondering where the heck the American Girl Doll store is anyway. I’d also love the ability to search by neighborhood or by zip code which is pretty standard for geolocation apps these days. There could also be some more specific listings; as a Brooklyn resident, I can tell you that “Brooklyn Bridge Park” is made up of destinations all on their own, from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory to Jane’s Carousel to the DUMBO playground.
Also, we need an Android version! And fortunately that’s slated to launch soon.
Even so, as a source of family ideas and activities, the Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go App is really a fantastic resource. And it sure beats trying to Google for kid-friendly midtown restaurants near Rockefeller Center; or scroll through search results for “best playgrounds” on a phone browser when you’ve got an antsy toddler dying for some tire swing time.
Dowload the new Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app free on iTunes with an Android version coming soon. Keep an eye out for LA, Boston and other city app launches too!
