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

A Mother's Day Gift for You: Free Play at Giggles 'n' Hugs!

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 04/22/2018 - 11:32am

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Mommy Poppins and Giggles 'n' Hugs are teaming up to offer a little gift for you in honor of Mother’s Day. On Monday, May 7th, it’s Mommy Poppins Day at Giggles 'n' Hugs. We invite you to enjoy free admission at either Giggles 'n' Hugs location (Topanga Canyon or Glendale), plus a special Mother’s Day treat for you: choose a cupcake, cookie, coffee or, go on, a mimosa. You deserve it!

Greenpoint, Brooklyn Food Crawl: Best Polish Restaurants and Fun Spots

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 11:05am

If you’ve been itching to try to decipher signage in a foreign language, step into a market that smells like 15 kinds of sausage, and stuff your face with foods from the Old World, then all you and the kids need to do is hop on over to Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Somehow, despite the fact that neighboring Williamsburg has become the poster child for rampant development and gentrification, Greenpoint has managed to maintain its charm and Polish flavor. That’s not to say that the neighborhood hasn’t changed or that skyrocketing rents haven’t impacted local families, but many of the shops along Greenpoint’s main drag, Manhattan Avenue, are still locally owned markets and restaurants often specialize in Polish foods. If you have Eastern European roots, locals might even address you in Polish. All this makes a day in Greenpoint feel like a trip to the Old Country.

Greenpoint is just one of many ethnic foodie thoroughfares in the city. We aim to help you travel the world airfare-free with the Mommy Poppins Passport Series. We'll spotlight the best international streets in all five boroughs. Introduce kids to the diverse food and fun that immigrants have brought to New York City’s streets, including in Astoria, Manhattan's Chinatown, and even at a Queens mall.

Is Axe-Throwing Brooklyn’s Newest Kid-Friendly Activity?

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 10:45am

As you step into Kick Axe Throwing, you will be forgiven for a momentary flash of jealousy pointed at the pretty young things hanging out and drinking beers with their friends in the hipster-chic log cabin–themed spot. New York’s first axe throwing venue is the perfect place for beers with your buds, but I was here to determine if it was equally cool action spot to take kiddos.

Technically, children aged 7 and up are allowed to participate, so, to test the waters, I had come to Gowanus, Brooklyn with an 8-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a 14-year-old, ready to chuck axes. Consent forms signed, we met our Axpert in the waiting area and headed with anticipation to our axe-throwing range.

Our Best Family Travel Destinations of 2017: Beaches, Resorts, Attractions

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 12/30/2017 - 11:30am

LEGOLAND Beach Retreat was one of the top openings of 2017.<em> Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND.</em>

Family destinations really upped their game in 2017. We saw amazing new attractions at some of our favorite amusement parks, the opening of the largest indoor water park in the US, and the opening of the brand new Dr. Seuss Museum. LEGOLAND's new Beach Resort is so awesome it went right into our list of mind-blowing kid-friendly hotels, and technology brought us a whole new way to go camping. Our writers have been busy checking them all out and sharing insider tips. Speaking of insiders, our new Disney experts gave us the scoop on visiting California's Disneyland with a baby or without.

Read on for our top travel reviews of family-friendly resorts and beaches, great cities, theme parks, and attractions of 2017. Want more family travel inspiration? Read our top travel spots of 2014 and 2015 or check out our Family Travel Guide.

Don’t Visit Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii without Reading This

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 12/16/2017 - 2:15pm

Aulani Resort in Hawaii is a unique property in the Disney family, offering an absolutely luxurious resort vacation with enough family fun that parents can enjoy without feeling like they are vacationing in Romper Room. The property is designed with a big “H” and a small “d” to put the emphasis on being an authentically inspired Hawaiian experience with a touch of Disney magic. This balance is just another example of how well Disney knows how to please families.

Aulani is a wonderful resort by any standards. With upscale, but family friendly accommodations, a world-class spa, and plenty of activities, we spent an entire week there and never ran out of things to do. In fact, the resort has so much going on that it’s worth doing some planning before you start packing in order to make sure you get the most out of your stay. We sussed out all the ins and outs of the resort to provide you with what you need to know to get the most out of your Disney Aulani vacation, reduce stress, and even save some money.

A Holiday Weekend Itinerary in NYC with Preschoolers

Submitted by Anna Fader on Wed, 12/06/2017 - 11:51am

We are all fully aware that a tired child is an unhappy child—which makes for an unhappy family, especially when said brood is trying to simultaneously fend off tantrums and take in the town during the holidays.

That's why we've created a NYC holiday itinerary specifically geared to the under-five set: something a little more mellow for those preschoolers visiting from out of town, or even locals wanting to check out all the holidays festivities the city has to offer. It's set of activities that respects the limits of a preschooler's emotional and physical mileage.

Planning ahead? Check out what special events might be taking place during your visit with our always-up-to-date NYC Event Calendar.

VRBar Brings Virtual Reality Gaming Fun to Brooklyn

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 11/14/2017 - 10:00am

The promise of virtual reality has been dangled before us, enticingly, for years. Until now, disappointing and expensive forays into the virtual world have left us happy to leave VR to hardcore gamers and “boys with toys”... and disposable income. But, finally, virtual reality arcades and an explosion of fun games are making it an actual reality for families.

We recently reviewed VR World in Manhattan and the positive experience made us excited to seek out another virtual reality spot in Brooklyn. The recently relocated vrbar in Dumbo offers virtual reality gaming in a less crowded, reservation-based environment.

Our Ultimate NYC Bucket List is Now a Free Printable

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 10/20/2017 - 11:48am

What should we do today? It's the age-old dilemma anyone with kids faces. And even though New York City is seemingly overflowing with things to do, somehow it's still possible to feel at a loss.

Of course, we hope our website, event calendar, Go Lists, newsletters and many guides help you find inspiration whenever you need it, but we also know that sometimes you just want the answer to stare you right in the face. That's why we've made our most popular 100 Things to Do with NYC Kids Before They Grow Up list into a handy printable sheet that you can stick on your fridge (or wherever people stick things now that fridges are often stainless) and access at any time. We've cut down the list to just the top 50 things that are doable on any given day (although some are seasonal). If you need details on the activity just go to the short URL listed on the page and you can click to find all the deets for your activity.