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

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.

Our New Deals Page Has Savings On Classes and Parties

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 11:06am

A few weeks ago we added a new feature to the site and we wanted to make sure you knew about it. We love helping families save time and money. That's why we created our new deals page. We’ve invited local businesses who value Mommy Poppins readers to offer exclusive deals. And they delivered.

Our New Deals Page Has Savings on Classes, Parties, and More

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 11:06am

5 Must-See Interactive Art Exhibits in NYC That Close Soon

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 07/28/2017 - 11:35am

If the purpose of art is to make us think about and see the world from a different perspective, taking your kids to see creative works is a double whammy. Kids always seem to see the world with fresh eyes, so having an art-venture is a super fun way to get a new POV as a family.

The city is bursting with FREE outdoor art over the summer, as well as several new exhibits just for kids. But we recently stumbled upon some extra fun, interactive art happenings that although not necessarily designed for kids, are actually perfect for them. Most of these close as summer winds down and fall blows in, so read on to get the scoop now.

Camping in New York Just Got 100% More Awesome with Tentrr

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 07/18/2017 - 7:05am

Camping seems like such a nice idea. You connect with nature—just you and your family or friends in the woods. But the reality isn’t always as splendid. Gathering all the gear needed and packing everything and everyone into the car, or arriving at a trampled campground that's often just a few feet of dirt and some brush separating you from a band of beer-drinking bros, and you lose some of the romance. That's why we were excited to stumble upon a new way to reconnect with nature, especially for NYC or city families who don’t have room to store lots of equipment between trips.

A new website, Tentrr, connects private camp sites and campers, like an Airbnb for the Great Outdoors. While your host may leave you cookies or something extra to make you feel welcome, the best part of our stay was the total seclusion. The sites are on private land, so it really will be just you, the trees, and some woodland creatures.

Deal Alert! Mommy Poppins readers can save 20% off Tentrr. Visit our deals page to see all current offers for Mommy Poppins readers.

New Discovery at Sea Brings Science and Nature Themes to Princess Cruises

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 05/27/2017 - 12:00pm

Cruises are fun. How can you beat a giant floating resort with entertainment, amusements, unlimited food, and fun at every turn? And that’s just on the ship. My favorite part of a cruise is waking up in a new location to explore.

Now, Princess Cruises is bringing more joy of discovery to your next vacation at sea with a new partnership. Teaming up with Discovery Channel, new Discovery At Sea excursions and on-ship programming bring to life the nature, wildlife, and history of each destination. We were hosted on the Grand Princess, sailing year round from San Francisco, and the first ship to offer the new Discovery at Sea programming.

We Ate Meal Kits for A Month – Here's What We Learned

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 05/07/2017 - 10:05am

I tried every meal kit, and it wasn't at all what I expected.

I am a meal planning fanatic (yes, spreadsheets and all). So I was curious to try out the new trend of meal kit delivery services to see if they really make family dinnertime with kids easier. And because I’m completely compulsive, I signed up for every single meal kit option out there, so that my family ate only meal kits for five weeks. Want to know how it went?

After cooking dozens of meal kits, here’s my obsessive, totally non-sponsored rundown of the best and worst. If I didn’t answer your question here, feel free to check out my meal kit review videos on Facebook and leave a question there.

10 Tips for Last Minute Yellowstone National Park Accommodations

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 05/07/2017 - 7:57am

The word is that if you want to visit the popular national parks like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon you have to plan a year in advance because the accommodations get booked up.

When we decided to take a last minute cross country drive last summer, I thought we might have to skip Yellowstone. In a panic, I started looking into how to get accommodations about a week before our arrival. Sure enough, all the rooms were booked for the two nights we wanted to stay in the park. But, in the end, it all worked out and we had an amazing stay. It was definitely worth it. Read on for my best tips for booking last minute accommodations at Yellowstone and other national parks.

Anna Fader

Latest posts by Anna

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