Anna Fader

Founder & CEO of Mommy Poppins
Anna was born in Park Slope, spent her early years in the West Village. By the time she graduated high school, she had lived in 4 of the 5 boroughs. Growing up in NYC in the '70s meant the streets were her playgrounds. Museums and avant garde music venues were the kid-friendly activities. And living downtown taught her the importance of creating community for families in NYC.

Now, raising her own two children in the city, she tries to create the same sense of magic and community she felt growing up, despite today's more commercialized version of kid-friendly New York.

She started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to share a more artsy, educational, uncommercial, community-oriented vision of raising kids in New York City. Today Mommy Poppins is relied on by millions of families as the authority on the best things to do with kids beyond New York City: from Boston to Philly, Los Angeles, Houston and travel guides for dozens more cities and destinations.

Latest posts by Anna

Adirondack Mountains with Kids: 40 Things To Do in this Family-Friendly All-Seasons Destination

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 01/28/2023 - 11:10pm

Open only in the winter, Lake Placid’s Toboggan Chute is a 30-foot high structure that sends toboggans down an ice-covered chute onto the frozen Mirror Lake. Photo courtesy of Lake Placid, Adirondacks, USA

The Adirondacks Mountains are one of the most idyllic family vacation spots in the Northeast. The enormous, pristine natural setting features numerous lakes and quaint towns sprinkled across gorgeous mountains. Visitors to the Adirondack Mountains find tons of all-season outdoor adventures as well as fun, family-friendly attractions. While Lake Placid and Lake George draw throngs of visitors, we opted to stay in Schroon Lake, a cute town that's a little more laid-back, centrally located, and makes a great jumping-off point to explore the region.

Visitors can spend time hiking, boating, skiing, sledding, and even bobsledding or speed skating! In short, the Adirondack Mountains offer tons of things to do, no matter your family's interests. We've rounded up our top picks, whether you want to immerse yourself in history at Fort Ticonderoga, connect with nature at the Wild Center, or slide onto Mirror Lake in a toboggan, the Adirondack Mountains are a dreamy destination for a memorable family vacation. Of course, we've even got some options for great Adirondack hotels so you have somewhere to unwind following your Adirondack Mountains adventures.

Find more family vacation ideas in our Adirondacks, Catskills & Hudson Valley Family Travel Guide.

Free Museums and Free Museum Days in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 01/13/2023 - 6:17am

The Met offers pay-what-you wish admission at all times to New Yorkers and kids always attend for free. Photo by Jody Mercier

When it comes to saving money on culture, there are tons of free museum days and free admission hours offered at a wide variety of New York City's top museums, zoos, gardens, and cultural institutions. Many of these local cultural hubs offer free or reduced admission on certain nights, days, or hours at least once a month—a city perk no busy, cash-strapped parent should miss! Plus, many grown-up museums let kids in for free year-round.

It can be hard to keep track of when and where these free museum days in NYC are available, so we've compiled an exhaustive list of reduced or free admission days at our favorite NYC cultural spots from the Bronx Zoo to the Brooklyn Children's Museum and every free museum in between.

As always, you can visit our Family Activity Calendar for more budget-friendly kid activities every day or visit our NYC Museum Guide for the latest kid-friendly exhibitions in NYC. Also, don't forget to put your library card to work for free admission at many of these same places!

50 Snow Day Boredom Busters for Kids: Fun Indoor Activities

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 01/03/2023 - 9:51am

What kid doesn't love a game of pretend?

When the weatherman predicts a snow day, you can almost hear the collective cries of joy from children—and the sighs of resignation from the adults who will miss work to entertain a house of stir-crazy kids. Before your brood drives you batty, scan through this list of 50 indoor activities just right for a snow day, from baking projects (hot chocolate on a stick) to cool crafts (toy parachutes) and fun games for kids (indoor snowball fight). Have fun—and good luck!

Find more crafts, recipes, at-home projects, and science experiments in our Boredom Busters Activities Guide, or venture outdoors with these snow games and activities.

Asheville with Kids: 40 Best Things to Do in Asheville, NC

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 12/17/2022 - 12:53am

Blow off steam at at the Biltmore Estate's Pisgah Playground. Photo courtesy of the estate

Nestled in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the city of Asheville is a popular travel destination for families looking to hike, swim, and enjoy nature. But there are so many things to do in Asheville, NC beyond the great outdoors. There's the famous Biltmore Estate and its extensive grounds, a thriving food and arts scene, kid-friendly local breweries like Sierra Nevada Asheville, and so much more.

Read on for 40 of the best family-friendly attractions, restaurants, and things to do in Asheville, NC with kids. We've also included a few incredible Asheville hotels, including the Omni Grove Park Inn, home of the famous annual National Gingerbread House Competition.

Find more family-fun destinations in our Family Travel City Guides, and be sure to check our picks for North Carolina's best beaches for families.

Best Places for High Tea in NYC to Enjoy a Cup with Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 12/08/2022 - 4:43pm

The American Girl Store in Rockefeller Center offers tea on select dates this holiday season. Photo by Jody Mercier

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a memorable experience, afternoon tea—sometimes called high tea in New York City—can be a fun outing with kids. It's an especially great winter outing and particularly fitting during the holidays.

Several places serve high tea in New York City, with varying degrees of appropriateness for children. From the fancy Eloise Tea at the Plaza Hotel to the less frilly Russian Tea Room, there are teas—and goodies—for children of all ages and parents of all budgets. Here's our take on the best spots to enjoy high tea in NYC with kids. Bookmark our Guide to Kid-Friendly Restaurants for more family-friendly options for your next meal out.

Pictures with Santa Claus in NYC in 2022

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 11/25/2022 - 11:06am

Enjoy the spirit of the season with a visit and photo with Santa at Kings Plaza Shopping Center. Photo courtesy of the Kings Plaza

Santa Claus is coming to town and New York City kids have plenty of spots to take pictures with Santa this season. From the heartwarming experience at Macy's Santaland to Santa's first visit to the top of the Empire State Building to appearances at area malls—Santa is popping up and posing all over town.

Read on for our favorite spots to take pictures with Santa all across the five boroughs, including plenty of venues offering FREE pictures with Santa in NYC. Our rundown of Christmas tree lightings in NYC is chock full of more opportunities to see jolly old St. Nick. We've got even more ways to meet the seasonal celebrity at these brunches, teas, and cruises with Santa, and our Guide to Christmas and the Holidays in NYC offers more holiday fun.

Orlando with Teens: Top 20 Things to Do at the Theme Parks & Beyond

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 10/21/2022 - 8:32am

Even teens get swept up in the Disney magic!

Think Orlando is a destination just for kids? Visiting Orlando with teens is even better! Orlando theme parks are great when you can go on all the rides and don’t have to worry about the dreaded "theme park meltdowns." My big kids were also able to pack in lots of other adventures and hipster shopping areas as we explored all the Fun Things to do in Orlando Other than the Theme Parks.

Navigating Orlando with teens allows parents to spend more time together, perhaps even at places of shared interests (for example, you're never too old to be a Potterhead)! For more ideas about the best of Orlando theme parks, visit our Orlando Theme Parks & Water Parks Guide. You'll learn about out-of-the-box theme parks, like Gatorland, Crayola Experience Orlando, and much more.

Best Places to Trick-or-Treat in NYC this Halloween

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 10/16/2022 - 9:48am

Halloween means candy galore in NYC. Photo by Sara Marentette

If you think it's hard to trick-or-treat in New York City, think again. One of my favorite childhood memories of growing up in NYC was Halloween in Greenwich Village, when the Village Halloween Parade was just a couple hundred artists and others who marched through the neighborhood. Afterward, we would trick-or-treat up and down the brownstone blocks. Everyone was friendly, and we would come home with our shopping bags filled. It was magical.

Although the parade and Greenwich Village have changed a lot since then, your kids can still enjoy that kind of thrilling trick-or-treat experience in many New York City neighborhoods. Which neighborhood is the best for Halloween trick-or-treating in NYC depends on who you ask. So, we turned to our astute readers and collected recommendations from our parent-driven NYC staff over many, many years to bring you a list of the best places to trick-or-treat in New York City, so you'll know where to bring your kids on October 31. It's always a good bet to join one of the local Halloween parades, and then go trick-or-treating throughout the community with local families.

For more seasonal fun, check out our jam-packed New York City Halloween Guide, which showcases FREE Halloween events, haunted houses, pumpkin patches, and more.

Anna Fader

Anna Fader

Latest posts by Anna

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