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

Don't Miss CAMPTOPIA, Our Amazing Indoor Festival with Camps

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 01/19/2025 - 6:50am

CAMPTOPIA NYC Camp Fair connects local families with top NYC summer camps for a day of fun.

If you've been to a Mommy Poppins event, you know they are always full of fun, but our upcoming CAMPTOPIA summer camp fair may be one of the best yet.

We've convinced top area day and sleepaway camps to bring their activities to CAMPTOPIA so you can try them out and see how much fun summer camp can be. Enjoy arts and crafts, slime making, cooking, basketball, soccer, a bounce house, and more—all at this FREE event, which is sponsored by Peppermint.

Find all the details and how to sign up for CAMPTOPIA below.

Best Sledding Hills in NYC

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sun, 01/19/2025 - 6:41am

Central Park has some great hills for a fast ride. Photo by Jody Mercier

When the flakes fly, the sledding hills in New York City really come to life. Families flock to these local sledding spots spread across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island for wintertime fun with the kids. In compiling our list of the best sledding hills in NYC, we asked our readers, family, and Mommy Poppins writers and editors for their top recommendations for sledding hills citywide.

Looking for more snowy day activities? Read our roundup of snow day boredom busters, and bookmark our NYC Kids Guide to Winter Fun for more seasonal activities.

Free Museums and Free Museum Days in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 01/17/2025 - 12:11pm

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 Kids Guide to Museums, Galleries, and Exhibits for the latest kid-friendly exhibitions. Also, don't forget to put your library card to work for free admission at many of these same places!

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Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 01/06/2025 - 1:24pm

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

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 12/17/2024 - 12:36pm

Afternoon tea at The Palm Court in The Plaza is a long-celebrated tradition and a memorable outing during the holidays or perfect experience gift. 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 afternoon 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 2024

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 12/02/2024 - 2:23pm

At the Apollo's Winter Wonderland, guests can take pictures with Santa and enjoy live performances. Photo courtesy of the Apollo

Santa Claus is coming to town and New York City kids have plenty of places to take pictures with Santa this season. From the heartwarming experience at Macy's Santaland 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 our very own Mommy Poppins Santa Studio at City Point that's completely FREE.

Our rundown of Christmas tree lightings in NYC offers more opportunities to see jolly old St. Nick, plus you can snap pictures with Santa these brunches, teas, and cruises. Our Guide to Christmas and the Holidays in NYC offers even more holiday fun.

NYC Public Restrooms: Apps, Maps, and Best Bets to Find Bathrooms on the Go

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 11/19/2024 - 10:47am

With a little know how, you'll know where to go the next time a potty emergency strikes.

Whether you're a tourist stuck in Times Square or a local on the go, finding a clean public restroom in NYC can be a challenge. However, with a little insider knowledge, you might realize there are actually clean and safe bathrooms all around NYC. This guide to NYC public restrooms includes the best resources for finding a clean public WC in the city, from restroom finder apps, to maps that claim to have mapped every bathroom location in NYC, to the most reliable places to find bathrooms in any borough.

If you want more insider tips on navigating NYC with kids, check out our NYC Travel Guide for Kids and Familles.

Best Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat on Halloween in NYC

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 10/28/2024 - 12:55pm

Halloween means candy galore in NYC. Photo by Diana Kim

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 Kids Halloween Guide, which showcases FREE Halloween events, pumpkin patches, and more.

Anna Fader

Latest posts by Anna

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