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

Are There Any Pick Your Own Organic Apple Orchards in New York?

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 2:48am

[UPDATED: August 11, 2012]

Many people want to know where you can pick your own organic apples near NYC. I've asked the farmers about this, and they say that in our climate it's very hard to farm apples organically and nobody really does it. Instead, you'll find farms that use low-spray or sustainable farming practices.

Yes, we're all encouraged to eat organic apples because of the high amounts of pesticides and fungicides generally used on the fruit. However, picking your own apples or buying local apples is much better for the environment than buying organic apples that are shipped in from distant climes. Plus, you're supporting small local farmers.

Here are a couple of places where you can pick your own not-quite-organic apples near New York City.

Apple Picking Near NYC Especially for Families with Toddlers

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 2:27am

[UPDATED: August 11, 2012]

With apple- and pumpkin-picking season closing in, and the fall weather approaching, how best to include the little ones? We went looking for some of the best places to go apple picking within one hour of New York City that are good for families with toddlers. These spots have small trees with low-hanging fruit so that little ones can reach the apples, plus other fun stuff for kids like hay rides, petting zoos and more.

Back to School: Check Out Our Updated Classes Guide and Save Big on Fall Classes for NYC Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 6:00pm

Getting haircuts, shopping for clothes and supplies, menu planning, and picking out classes and after-school programs—these are my fall rituals. And I suspect many of you are going through the same thing right about now.

We can help you plan your back-to-school season with our updated Classes Guide, which is filled with myriad options for NYC kids. And we can help you save money, too, with our Big Deal Fall Classes Sale. Read on for all of the details.

East River Ferry: 20 Fun Things to Do With NYC Kids Along the Route

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 4:00pm

For a long time, New York City seemed to forget that it was made up of islands. But over the past few years, we've been remedying this situation by reclaiming our waterfronts with riverside parks, and creating new opportunities to get out on the water, whether for transportation or pleasure.

The newest addition to NYC's waterfront culture is the East River Ferry, operated by NY Waterway. With stops in Midtown, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Dumbo, the Financial District and Governors Island (and Atlantic Avenue and Red Hook on summer Fridays), the East River Ferry is a great way to visit lots of fun spots for a full day out with the kids.

With an all-day pass ($12 for anyone over age 5), you can hop on and off the ferry at any of the stops throughout the day, so you can hit different attractions in multiple boroughs. My family and I tried it, and we discovered 20 great things to do with kids along the East River Ferry route.

Dan Zanes Interview: The Children's Music Star Chats with One of His First Fans

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 1:05pm

Exactly a decade ago this month, a friend told my family about a new band for kids that was playing at Chelsea restaurant The Park on Sundays. We went the following weekend with our then two-year-old Emma, and instantly became fans of Dan Zanes & Friends, which soon became a children’s music juggernaut.

The Grammy winning group plays many different genres of music (rock, folk, world, blues, even show tunes) and the songs espouse positive values like having fun, making music and caring about others. The fact that Zanes—who played in the adult rock outfit The Del Fuegos in the '80s—and his collaborators are as popular as ever after releasing 10 albums over the past 10 years speaks (sings?) volumes about their talent, tenacity and creativity.

Emma was too young to remember those early concerts (that's a photo of her at age two with Zanes!), but she grew up listening to all of the band's CDs. So she was thrilled to get the opportunity to chat with him about his career, his favorite things to do in NYC with kids and how he plans to get ready for his big free Celebrate Brooklyn concert this Saturday, July 16 in Prospect Park, where he'll play tunes from his upcoming album Little Nut Tree.

What does a 12-year-old want to know from her first musical favorite? Read on to find out.—Sara, mom to Emma the interviewer.

The Hot List: Save More Than $1,000 on the Best Things to Do with NYC Kids this Summer

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 3:00pm

The long, slow days of summer are when we finally get a chance to do all of those fun things we just couldn't get to during the school year. We start every summer by making a bucket list of places we want to check out, and then my family and I work through them.

This year we're sharing our Hot List with you. There's a wide range of activities: playing indoors, getting active outside, exploring nature, eating summer foods, and, of course, getting wet. There are even a few day and weekend trips.

As we were planning this Hot List of the best things to do in and near NYC this summer, we thought it would be super-cool if we could get some of these places to offer discounts to our readers. And many agreed!

These deals are too good to make available to everyone on the Internet. So for the first time, we're offering a downloadable, printable version of this blog post.

What will you find in our printable Hot List book?

Extended listings with addresses, contact info and hours for every venue, so you have all of the info you need to plan right at your fingertips.
Coupons that can save you more than $1,000 in total. These discounts are only available in our Hot List book.

We're selling the Hot List book via Poppins Perks and giving 100% of the profits to NYC public schools. You can buy the Hot List now for the special price of just $4.99, or read on to see what's on our list.

Figment NYC Festival on Governors Island: Creative Fun for the Whole Family

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 2:08am

Sometimes rain is the best thing that can happen to your weekend plans. There's nothing like a storm to keep the teeming masses away from an excellent event. The Figment Festival on Governors Island is one of the most fun things to do in the city every June, but it's usually jam-packed. This year, we braved a few drizzles (and one downpour) and almost had Figment completely to ourselves.

This free festival continues through Sunday, June 12, so there's still time to enjoy all of the wacky, artsy fun. What's the fest like? Check out our slide show and our list of highlights of the 2011 Figment Festival, then head to Governors Island tomorrow to see for yourself.

Mommy Poppins Advance Screening of the New Judy Moody Movie!

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 10:00am

I'm excited to invite you to a free advance screening of one of this summer's top family films, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, just for Mommy Poppins readers—yah!

I don't think there's a kid in New York City who doesn't read Megan McDonald's wonderful books about goofball Judy Moody—and to read them is to love them. Now the world of this gleeful third grader is coming to life in the new movie, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. The film looks like a lot of fun, and my kids and I are looking forward to checking it out at Mommy Poppins' exclusive (and free) advance screening. I hope you'll join us.

The screening will take place on Wednesday, June 8 at 5:30pm on the Upper West Side. We have an entire theater, but I expect these seats to go fast so RSVP ASAP if you'd like to go. Read on to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the movie, as well as info on your chance to snag free tickets.