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

Summer Recipes: 5 Healthy, Quick and Easy No Cook Family Dinner Ideas

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 11:36am

Debbie Koenig teaches a unique cooking class for new parents, called Parents Need To Eat Too, from her own Brooklyn kitchen, where she arms her students with tips, techniques and recipes to make sure putting a delicious and healthy dinner on the table doesn't get put aside along with your pre-baby jeans.

We got Debbie to share some easy, healthy no-cook recipes that are perfect for enjoying this summer, when the last thing you want to do is sweat over a hot stove. Thanks, Debbie!

Weekend Events for Kids in New Jersey, June 27-28: Blueberry Festivals, Kids Day, Touch a Truck and More

Submitted by Anna Fader on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 12:23am

With the sun scheduled to show it’s face again (finally!) this weekend, there are plenty of fun outdoor activities this weekend for kids in New Jersey from blueberry festivals to Civil War Battle Re-enactments! Check out the Touch-a-Truck event at Liberty Science Center, Kids Day at the Bamboo Brook Nature Center and more.

Celebrate Don't Be An Idiot Day with They Might Be Giants

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 06/25/2009 - 8:07am

Today is the anniversary of the day that I idiotically decided to stick to my commitment of teaching my STUDENT UNION SILKSCREENING CLASS! rather than going to see They Might be Giants, who were playing live in a great small venue in Madison, Wisconsin on the day that happened to be my 20th birthday. Since I'm getting perilously close to an unspeakable age anyway, as of today, I am no longer celebrating my birthday, but only celebrating the anniversary of Don't be an Idiot Day. To celebrate Don't Be An Idiot Day you must go do something fun, preferably at the expense of some obligation that really won't matter in the long run. All of you are welcome to celebrate it with me.

Also, in honor of the mumble mumble anniversary of that momentous day and the first inaugural Don't Be An Idiot Day, I am rejoicing with some news about the band that started it all. Here's some cool stuff going on for TMBG fans:

10 Things You're Going to Like About The New Mommy Poppins (we hope)

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 5:32am

Mommy Poppins has always been a labor of love, but never more so than working on this redesign. Actually this project started out as just a simple desire to expand our neighborhood pages and make it easier to find all our new guides, but Simon, my amazing (and handsome) developer, was so good at making my wouldn't it be cool ifs... come true, I just kept coming up with more, and more...and more. Finally, a mere 9 months later, we've got a whole new site, with a new design and lots of cool features that make it easier to find what you're looking for and more fun to use.

Read on for highlights of some of the new cool features of the site and please leave a comment and let us know what you think:

Celebrate Congo Gorilla Forest's 10 Year Anniversary at the Bronx Zoo

Submitted by Anna Fader on Wed, 06/17/2009 - 8:00pm

I remember when they originally opened the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit at The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo, what a revelation it was. To be able to stand with just a thin layer of glass separating us from those amazing animals. I can hardly believe that the Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit is now celebrating it's 10th Anniversary. Has it really been 10 years!?!

The 10th Anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest makes now an especially good time to visit, because The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo is celebrating with special programs that highlight the Congolese culture. There will be traditional African drum and dance performances by the Harambee Dance Company, kids can watch “lunchtime with the gorillas” at 2pm each day, and experience the crafts of the Republic of Congo with artisans from the Museum for African Art leading workshops in Basket-making, Gourd Adornment, Bead-making and Mask making. Best of all, visiting the zoo contributes to WCS's ongoing conservation work with gorillas and the Congo.

Can Fast Food Be Part of A Healthy Pregnancy Diet?

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 6:33am

You’re pregnant, nauseous, working on a deadline, and oh-yeah, trying to cut back on food costs in the middle of a recession. You know that you’re supposed to be eating really healthy right now, but lack of time and energy, and the need to save cash have been pushing you towards some not-so-healthy food sources lately. Plus, hangover food seems to be the only thing that calms your morning sickness. All is not lost! Our guest poster, Frances Largeman-Roth, and author of the new book, Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom's Healthy Eating Guide, will show you how you can actually eat on the run without breaking too many nutrition rules. Hey, these are tips that we can all use, whether we're pregnant or not. Thanks, Frances!

It’s always healthiest to make your own food. That way you’re in charge of how much fat, sodium, and preservatives are involved. But there are some healthier picks at the chain restaurants. Here's the skinny on avoiding the fat (and other bad stuff) at the top fast food chains, what to order and what to avoid, for a healthier diet during pregnancy:

School News, Kids Restauarant Week, New Nonchalant Parenting Trend, and Cool Raffles

Submitted by Anna Fader on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 5:55am

First, I gotta thank all you great people who voted for us for best NYC local blog over the weekend. We got some real momentum going. I hope you will all keep voting for us every day. If you were not online over the weekend, please take a moment to catch up on how you can help Mommy Poppins get dubbed number one NYC local blog and vote for us.

And now for the news: we haven't done one of these for a while now so there's lots of school news to catch up on, especially with budget cuts, mayoral control and test scores all hanging in the balance. Also find out about a really cool fundraiser, the new parenting trend, and great deals on eating out during kids' restaurant week. Dig in:

NPR wants you to vote for Mommy Poppins***

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 1:32pm

Occasionally I get into a radio mode and I tune in to NPR. Somehow I always seem to tune in when they are having a pledge drive. So I've basically been listening to non-stop pledge driving for the last couple days and it's inspired me (or brain-washed me) into action.

Here's the skinny: Mommy Poppins has been nominated as the best local blog in NYC in the Parents Connect Parents Picks contest. (Cool) But we're not actually in the lead. (Bummer) But it would be kinda cool to win it 'cause I think we are the best local kids blog, don't you? So here's my NPR-style pitch (read below in best Brian Lehrer voice):

Anna Fader

Latest posts by Anna

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