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

NYC Free Kids Activities and Weekend Events for March 21-22

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 9:02am

If you aren't heading out of the city this weekend for some Maple Sugaring, don't worry. There's more than enough to make your weekend slammin' right here in town, with lots of circus performances, concerts, festivals a science fair, and more—all free (except for the circus shows, but who can resist a circus act?). And this weekend marks the official beginning of Spring so get out and have fun!

And don't forget to check our events calendar for some more fun activities too.

Inspiration from Sascha and Malia, Dad Breastfeeding Rampage, Free Food in Prospect Park, More

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 9:03am

The New York City twitter stream never sleeps and the great tweets just keep coming. I feel kind of silly retweeting these online when you should all just be following me and kidbuzzny on twitter and seeing them as they happen, but I know not everyone has made the leap o tweet. I guess that makes me an enabler.

Keep reading for some great tips from our tweeps, including workshops for people trying to start their own businesses, a free foraging expedition in Prospect Park, the new/retro "anniversary edition" Little People house, the breastfeeding brawl going down with some daddy bloggers, emergency bathroom finder iPhone app and more.

Baking My Way Through the Recession: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 03/15/2009 - 9:41pm

Everyone is feeling the strain of the economy, whether they have been directly affected or tangentially. And, I suppose, we are all dealing with it in our own ways. Me, I'm baking my way through the economic crisis.

You might think that makes sense. Cooking at home and baking save money. But I think the real reason I've taken solace at my stove is that it reassures me. If I can bake, then everything is OK. If I can bake, then how can my life not be great? If I've made homemade granola bars for healthy after-school snacks, then how can I not be doing a good job as a mom? Plus, there's nothing to reduce stress like the smell of warm baked goods in your home. How could anything be wrong when your house smells like melting chocolate?

Today I'm sharing a recipe for my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These are delicious. Plus they are low fat and have lots of healthy protein and vitamins. Or as my friend, Katia says, "they're basically delicious muffin-shaped power bars." The recipe makes a whopping 36 muffins. Freeze some for later.

Easy, Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

St Patrick's Day Parade, Events and Activities for NYC Kids 2009

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 9:42am

Even though the St Patrick's Day Parade is NYC's biggest and most popular parade, it's never appealed to me much. Maybe it was the years of working in Mid-Town and seeing the streets littered with plastic beer cups at lunchtime that turned me off. Or the blaring bag pipes and drunken college students might have soured me on it as a kid-friendly event.

But St Patrick's Day is still a great excuse to celebrate Irish culture with some cool events and activities where kids can earn Irish dance steps and music, learn the Irish mother tongue and hunt for leprechauns. Check out some cool St Patrick's Day events and learn about an alternative St. Patrick's Day Parade.

FREE NYC Kids Events and Activities for this Weekend

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 6:56am

The forecast for this weekend? Sunny, not too cold and a 100% chance of cool events for kids in NYC. Be on the lookout for an amazing performing arts festival, a craft market and Jim Henson-inspired retro show for kids (and their nostalgic parents), 2 great excuses to head to the Bronx, and a hike where kids will search for leprechauns (if that won't get your kids to go hiking I don't know what will).

Here's the best of the weekend activities for each of the five boroughs:

Live Birds of Prey, $1 Breakfast, Baby Shower Gift Guide, and more tips, activities, deals, and news from twitter

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 7:52am

As twittering becomes more and more popular, I've been enjoying following all the great information that's being tweeted about, especially lots of great stuff about New York City. I thought I knew a lot about what was going on before, but it's just amazing with all these voices how much more information there is. And I find it so inspiring to see all these people sharing great tips. I thought I'd pass on some of the great info I've mined from twitter this week, both from our KidBuzzNY group and from the people we follow.

Sleepover at the Long Island Aquarium and Others

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 6:31am

A while back we wrote about how awesome the Night at the Museum Sleepover. But the Museum of American Museum of Natural History isn't the only cool place you can sleepover. Here's some news about other cool places to spend the night, including one you can do this weekend for a great little weekend trip out of town.

10 Reasons to Visit Disneyland California Instead

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 6:43am

Going to Disney World feels like a can't-miss obligation for New York City parents: like if we don't take our children to the Magic Kingdom before they outgrow the magic it will just be another decade of therapy to pile on to all our other parental misdeeds.

I'm sure Walt Disney World is 100% as magical as it is said to be, but here are 10 reasons why New York parents should consider opting for Disneyland instead: