Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.

Latest posts by Anna

News: Free swimming, yoga, ice skating and more

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 6:20am

Last week I mentioned that the NYC Parks Department was having an open house this week, making all of their rec centers available for free. At the time I hadn't been able to confirm whether the swimming pools were going to be available or not, so I have some more information now that made this worth repeating. I also have some more free fitness deals to check out. Learn how to get free ice skating in Prospect Park and a week of free yoga too.

Free Winter Demo Classes and Open Houses

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 5:45am

As the weather turns cold and the playground is no longer an option, classes seem like a great way to schedule some fun time indoors. You can check out our Classes Guide here for lots of ideas, but in the meantime you may want to try and sample some classes and see what you like. We've rounded up trial and demo classes from lots of programs all over the city. Plus, remember that many places will let you try any class for free once. Just call and ask.

Brand Spanking New: Dewey's Candy Store in Dumbo

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 9:22pm

When did I become the type of person that travels to another borough because she heard a new candy store opened up? I have no explanation, but that's just what we did yesterday after seeing wonderful pictures of this fantastic new sweetopia in Dumbo, Dewey's Candy.

News: Free Gym Time, Movie Passes, an Art Scholarship, More

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 10:30pm

We just awarded two lucky winners free Ice Skating Lessons from Battery Park City on Ice and for the next three weeks we'll be giving away a free Ice Skating Party each week. Since we know how much our readers love freebies, we're jumping right in to some more. We're giving away 25 free family passes to see a screening of the new Jackie Chan family flick. Also find out about free access to Parks Department Rec centers next week, how to get your kid's artwork in a museum or possibly win a scholarship. Lastly, find out what prominent New Yorkers think NY's resolutions should be this year. Read on for all these goodies:

What You Missed: The Best Top Ten Lists from 2009 and the Decade

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 12:58am

Happy New Year! As a parent sometimes the outside world just seems like the ambient music to the milestones of our family's life. Luckily it's never too late to catch up. I've rounded up some great Top 10 lists from 2009 and the decade to help us catch up on the important events we might have been napping through—or just bring it back up from the depths of our sleep-deprived minds. From useful links and information to historic events and some stuff that's just for fun, here's the best of the top ten lists from 2009 and the decade:

30 Favorite Places to Have Fun Indoors in New York City

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 6:47pm

[UPDATED: JANUARY 7, 2013]

We recently asked readers to recommend some of their favorite places for families in New York City. This week we'll be posting some round-ups that include your favorite places and ours. We've already posted 20 favorite family-friendly restaurants and now we're sharing 30 fun spots for indoor play when the weather is too cold, hot or rainy. Make this your to-do list for the winter and you're guaranteed to keep busy and entertained, no matter how brutal the weather gets.

Got a favorite place that didn't make the list? Please add it to the comments below—we'd love to hear additional suggestions!

20 Family Friendly Restaurants in New York City

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 6:50am

We recently asked readers to tell us some of their favorite places for families in New York City. This week, to wrap up 2009, we'll be posting some round-ups of your favorite places and ours. Today we've got 20 great restaurants all over New York City where you'll get great food for kids and grown ups and children are welcome— recommended by parents who have been there, dined that.

Anna Fader

Latest posts by Anna

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