Activities This Weekend

We are quickly coming upon the last month of summer...how did it go this fast?! If you would like to make the most of the month of August, here are a few suggestions for the first weekend in August. Lots of fun things to choose from if the beach, parks and zoos are no longer entertaining...

August 1st -

Bank of America - Museums on Us Weekend. Choose from Contemporary Jewish Museum, deYoung Museum, Legion of Honor, Museum of African Diaspora in SF, San Jose Museum of Art and the San Jose Tech Museum. For more info, see Bank of America Museums. FREE ADMISSION FOR B OF A CUSTOMERS. Also on August 2nd. As a note: the deYoung Museum has a special "Doing and Viewing Art" project with families who first view the galleries on Saturday. Ages 4-6 and 7-12.

Day Out With Thomas - Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton from 8:30 am - 5 pm. Take a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine through San Lorenzo Valley River Gorge and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Price - $18; 2 and under are free. For more info, visit Roaring Camp Railroad. Also on August 2nd.

Summer Gardening Fair - SF Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. From 10 am - 3 pm. Learn about plants and get tips from local experts. Experience butterflies close up and look inside a bee hive. FREE ADMISSION. For more info visit the SF Botanical Garden.

San Francisco Aloha Festival - Presidio Main Post, Parade Grounds in SF. From 10 am- 5 pm with music, dancing and food celebrating the cultural diversity of the Hawaiian Islands. FREE ADMISSION. For more info, visit www.pica-org/alohafest/index.html.

Fremont Festival of the Arts - at Mowry and Paseo Padre Parkway in Fremont from 10 am - 6 pm. Arts and crafts, food, Kid City and three stages with entertainment. FREE ADMISSION. For more information, visit Fremont Festival. Also on August 2nd.

Mega Science at Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley from 10:30-noon. Make things go "pop", go on a scavenger hunt and create bags of slimy goo. Snack provided. Ages 7-12. $6 for EBRPD residents; $8 non-resident. For more info, visit the East Bay Parks site.

Puppet Show at Fairyland - The Fisherman and his Wife performed by Benjamin Blake and repeats on Sunday, Aug 2nd at 11 am, 2pm and 4pm. Free with $7 admission. http://www.fairyland.org/ for more info.

Sid the Science Kid is at Lawrence Hall of Science: Meet Sid the Science Kid, star of the popular animated PBS science show! Sid will model science play in the LHS KidsLab, the exhibit designed especially for kindergarten and younger scientists. Educators from LHS and KQED will share resources on supporting your preschooler’s science learning. Free with admission. For more information, see Lawrence Hall of Science site.

Weekly Art Classes for Kids at the Lakeshore Learning Center, 1144 Montague Ave, San Leandro. From 11 am - 3 pm. This week's theme: Friendship Frame. Classes are also held in Walnut Creek at 1929 Mt. Diablo Blvd. at the same time. Ages 3 and up. FREE ADMISSION. For more info: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/.

Coyote Point Museum Free Museum Day - 1651 Coyote Point Drive in San Mateo from 12-5. Visit with coyotes, raccoons and river otters. Learn about California's native animals and plants with the help of a ranger. For more info, visit their web site.

Comics Workshop - learn to draw comics with Oliver Chin. FREE at the Dublin Public Library - 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin at 3pm.

Les Miserables (School Edition) at the Julia Morgan Young Peoples Performing Arts Center, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley at 7pm. Repeats on Sunday, Aug 2nd at 2pm. $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $8 for children. For more info, see brown paper tickets.

Comedy of Errors - Amador Valley Community Park at Santa Rita Rd and Black Ave in Pleasanton at 7:30 pm. Shakespeare in the park presented by the SF Shakespeare Festival. Repeats on Sunday, Aug 2nd. FREE ADMISSION! See http://www.sfshakes.org/ for more info.

Peter Pan - Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St. in Livermore on Sat and Sunday at 8pm by Tri-Valley Repertory Theater. Tickets range from $26-34. For more info, see http://www.livermoreperformingarts.org/.

August 2nd -

Family Hike up Mt. Diablo in Clayton from 9-11 am. Take a walk in the morning sun with Dave Husted. Reservations required yet PARTICIPATION IS FREE. Dave@outsideinterests.com.

Bay to Barkers Dog Walk Festival - Golden Gate Fields Racetrack at 1100 Eastshore Hwy in Albany from 10 am to 1 pm. A one mile dog walk, games, conests and prizes. Proceeds benefit Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society.

Help Feed the Animals at Ardenwood Historic Farm - 34600 Ardenwood Blvd, Fremont at 3pm. Meet the animals on the farm and feed them a tasty snack. Repeats Thur-Sun through August. Free with admission - $5 for adults and $4 for ages 4-17. For info see: http://www.ebparks.org/.

Yoga for Children - at the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin St. in SF. From 2-3 pm, learn different animal poses inspired by sculptures in the museum. FREE ADMISSION AND LESSON. For more info, see Asian Art Museum web site.

Have fun!

Wiggles Coming to San Jose!

The Wiggles are on tour again and coming to San Jose! They will be at the San Jose HP Pavilion on Wednesday, July 22nd at 3pm and 6:30 pm. Ticket prices vary. For more info, check out the HP Pavilion events page. Get Wiggley!

Target sponsors cultural events

Target is always supportive of the schools and cultural events. There are several concerts it is sponsoring and many museums you can visit for free because of their support. Whether you are in your home town or visiting others in different parts of the country, you can check out the programs on Target's art and culture web page by simply choosing the city of your choice. Have fun everyone!

American Crown Circus

The circus has come to Newark, CA! A small company called American Crown Circus is performing at the Newark Junior High School this weekend through Monday, June 22nd. What a great way to celebrate Father's Day! The feats are pretty amazing - from tightrope walking to flame-throwing to motorcycle riding in a bubble! It is fun for the whole family. The venue is small too so you get a good view almost everywhere. There are clowns and peanuts and cotton candy to make the circus experience complete. So, if you are looking for some family fun to kick off the summer, check it out! Tickets are $5 for kids (if you have a coupon, they get in free) and $15 for adults. Sunday shows at 4, 6 and 8 pm and Monday shows at 6 and 8 pm. For more information, call 510-793-5683. It is sponsored by the Tri-Cities League of Voters.

Lindsay Museum

Lindsay Museum is a gem in Walnut Creek. This museum is specifically for all to reconnect and learn about local wildlife up close and personal yet in a safe environment. They say that children appreciate wildlife and their environment much more if they can relate to it. This is a wonderful way to help our children relate to their Bay Area environment. Not only do they have exhibits and hands on activities but also classes for more in-depth learning. Visit the Lindsay Museum web site for more information and June 27th is Free Admission Day!

Kid-Friendly Places in SF

If you want to stay close to home this summer, you can still make it feel like a family vacation by going to San Francisco with the kids. There are lots of things for the kids to do from riding the cable cars, to playing in Golden Gate park to learning at the Exploratorium. There are even hotels and restaurants that are kid-friendly. For more information, click here for the city search guide on kid-friendly things to do, places to stay and places to eat. See you there!

Free Museum Schedule

Trying to find an inexpensive way to educate and delight the little ones this summer? How about a free day at the museum? This is a great family activity! We have so many museums in the Bay Area that we don't even realize how many of them are free any day of the week or certain days in the month. Here is a list of the schedule of free museum days...see you at the museum!

Always Free:

Palo Alto Junior Museum - young children especially - Palo Alto - 650-329-2111
Museum of American Heritage - 10+ years - Palo Alto - 650-321-1004
Cantor Arts Center - Palo Alto/Stanford Campus - 650-773-4177
Intel Museum - school age kids - Intel HQS Santa Clara
Nasa Exploration Center - great for school age kids - Moffet Field
Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History - Santa Clara - T/Sat only
Monarch Grove Sanctuary - Pacific Grove - Oct through Feb
Maritime Museum of Monterey - Monterey - 831-372-2608
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum - Santa Cruz - 831-420-6289
Randal Museum - SF - 415-554-9600
Cable Car Museum - SF - 415-474-1887
Chinese Culture Center Gallery - SF - 415-986-1822
Museum of Children's Art - Oakland - Gallery only - 510-465-8770

Free First Weekend with Bank of America card:
Yerba Buena Cneter for the Arts - limited children programs
Museum of the African Diaspora
DeYoung Museum
San Jose Museum of Art
The Tech Museum of Innovation

Free First Sunday:
Asian Art Museum - SF
Coyote Point Museum - San Mateo - great for small kids

Free Second Sunday:
The Tech Museum of Innovation - San Jose
Oakland Museum of California

Fremont Water Park Opens!

Aqua Adventure in Fremont next to Lake Elizabeth in Central Park has its opening this weekend! And, not a day too soon! Many of us have watched the construction of this water wonderland and wondered when it would open and give us a way to entertain the kids on those hot summer days! For this activity, tickets are very reasonable - $14.99 for Fremont residents over 4' and only $1 more for non-Fremont residents. $9.99 for little ones under 4' ($10.99 for non-Fremont residents) and $2.00 for those 3 years and under (which includes a swim diaper)! There is a pool, a network of water slides and a lazy river...something for everyone. Season Passes are also available.

Open Hours: M-F 11-4; Sat & Sun 11-5.

For more information: http://www.goaquaadventure.com/index.php

Free Museum Days at Bank of America

It is nice when you don't have to do ANYTHING to get something for free. If you bank at B of A, this is true! They have free museum days the first weekend of every month through April. All you have to do is show your Bank of America credit card or debit card with your CDL. How easy is that?! We have not participated in this yet as I have always had plans the first weekend, but in March, we plan to take advantage of this great opportunity. There is a list of museums that are a part of this program - not all museums participate. But, still, there are a few big ones that make it worthwhile - Tech Museum in San Jose and deYoung in San Francisco as examples. Check out this link for more info: http://promotions.bankofamerica.com/museums/

Pumpkin Patches Galore

Have you been to the pumpkin patch yet? Headed to Half Moon Bay for their annual pumpkin festival? This Festival is this weekend on Oct 18 and 19th from 9-5 on Main Street and with the many pumpkin patches on Hwy 92 on your way there. However, there are many people who head out to Half Moon Bay. If you are looking for something more local, check out this web site: http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/CApsanfran.php. We found a great patch - G & M Farms in Livermore. Not only do they have a ton of pumpkins, they have pony rides, a great corn maze, some good ol' cooking like corn on the cob and peach cobbler, a cow train ride and a fun corn kernal play box! Check it out or visit one of the other local areas. Happy Halloween!

Free Museum Day!

Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28 are free museum day at many museums around the nation! If you click on the link below, you can print out the pass good for 2 free admissions. It is sponsored by the Smithsonian. Enjoy a nice day of culture with your family! http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html

Fourth of July Celebrations

It is hard to believe that the 4th of July is almost here! But, it is true. We are in the midst of summer and I can hardly believe it. Hopefully, you are heading somewhere fun and cool. But, if you are not, here is a list of the fireworks displays in the Bay Area so that you can bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the celebration! And, just so you know why we celebrate on July 4th (the Declaration was signed on the 2nd of July), here is a link to a summary of the historical events that led up to the July 4th celebrations. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080701/sc_livescience/whenwasthe4thofjulyfirstcelebrated


SAN FRANCISCO - Fisherman's Wharf Waterfront, 9:30 p.m.
OAKLAND - Jack London Square, 9:15 p.m.
BERKELEY - Berkeley Marina, 9:30 p.m.
SAN JOSE - Discovery Meadow 9:30 p.m.
SAUSALITO - Waterfront, 9:15 p.m.
SAN RAFAEL - Marin County Fairgrounds 9:30 p.m.
VACAVILLE - Andrews Park, 9:30 p.m.
REDWOOD CITY - Seaport Court - Dusk
FOSTER CITY - Foster City Lagoon - 9:30 p.m.
HALF MOON BAY - Pillar Point Harbor - 9:30 p.m.

How to Keep Cool Today...

Trying to keep cool today??? Head towards water! There are plenty of things to do in Santa Cruz like the Boardwalk, the beach, Capitola and it is only about an hour away. But, of course, you have traffic, the effects of the fires (latest one was 50% contained as of this am) and still a high of 92 degrees, but you have a breeze and the water! In SF, where the high is only expected to be 85 degrees, Ghiradelli Square will have free ice cream sundaes at 4pm and there are plenty of stores, museums and parks to enjoy the day and stay cool. Or you could head to nearby Stinson Beach or Sausalito too for a picnic and great scenery. Other options: Half Moon Bay is always cool and the downtown Main Street is fun to stroll, grab a sandwich and window shop. If the kids need to play and splash in the water, the nearby beaches are happy to facilitate! Less obvious options: Alameda shoreline, Mountain View shoreline, Quarry Lakes, Fremont, Vasona Park, Los Gatos. There are also numerous parks with water elements - Campbell Central Park, San Ramon Central Park and many others. And, don't forget that Chabot Science Center has Family Day today...air-conditioned entertainment! Whatever you do, enjoy and keep cool!

Events for Week of May 19th in the Bay Area

Here are a few activities in the East Bay for the little ones before the busy three day weekend...


Tues - 20

Child Safety Seat Inspections at Child Care Links in Pleasanton. childcarelinks.org. This happens at Child Care Links every third Tuesday of the month. So, if you can't make it this month, check it out next month.


Joy of Movement at Kensington Library - 61 Arlington Ave, Kensington at 6:30 pm. Move, sing and jump around. Ages 3 and up. Free. 510-524-3043 or http://www.ccclib.org/


Wed - 21


Bubble Lady - she entertains the family with amazing bubble tricks at the Brentwood Library 4-4:45 free. Brentwood Lib - 751 Third St., 925-634-4101 or ccclib.org.


Thur - 22


Chocolate Tour at Charles Chocolates in Emeryville. Learn how chocolate is made during a guided factory tour of the Charles Chocolates production facility. Tours are given at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm every W, F, Sat and Sunday free. 6529 Hollis St., Emeryville - charleschocolates.com.

Children's Wetland Storytime at Big Break Regional Shoreline, Bridgehead Road, Antioch from 9:30-10:30 am. Discover the wetlands with a story and a walk along a dirt road. Strollers welcome. Registration is required but it is free. 888-eb-parks or http://www.ebparks.org/


Fri - 23


Buki the Clown - Join Buki every Friday for balloon animals, face painting and more. 11-11:30 am for kids 1-5/ $4.95 all day. Parents and pre-crawlers are free. At Tumble and Tea, 4210 Telegraph in Berkeley. tumbleandtea.com

Tip of the Month - 2/1/07: Super Franks

Is it difficult to find a place to go for the whole family? It was for us. Our toddler isn't old enough for most movies, go-cart parks and we were a little tired of Chuck-e-Cheese. Then came SuperFranks in Pleasanton! It had its grand opening in January and has a variety of entertainment for various age groups. There is a glow-in-the-dark minature golf course, princess dress-up area with a room for tea parties, age appropriate and non-violent archade-type games and a cafe with Starbucks coffee and wifi! Check out their web site for more information - www.superfranks.com

Zoos and Animal Parks

Interested in checking out the animals in the Bay Area? This is a great family activity and lots of fun for all ages. Here is a list of zoos and animal parks. There may be others, so please let me know if I need to make additions to the list!

San Francisco Zoo -
http://www.sfzoo.org/ or call 415/ 753-7080

Oakland Zoo - http://www.oaklandzoo.org/ or call 510/632- 9525
Animals are seen in a natural habitat. There is a wide variety of animals from lions, elephants, camels, giraffes, birds, zebras and other exotic animals.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose - http://www.hhpz.org/ or call (408) 277-3000 1300 Senter Rd, San Jose, CA 95112
Plenty of attractions for little ones, including several merry-go-rounds. The zoo has a variety of birds, lemurs, goats and monkeys. Feeding the animals at the petting zoo is a hit, especially with a hand-washing basin right outside for bacteria-paranoid moms and dads. Reasonable food prices at cafe. Entrance of $6 is absolutely worth it. Even more so, if you buy the annual pass and make the trip several times a year.
Map it Get directions

Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont - This farm/park that has cows, chickens, sheep and pigs. Not all animals are available to visit all the time so check the web site or call the park to see what animals they have available and when feeding times are. Ardenwood also has special events throughout the year, including Halloween and Christmas.
www.ardenwoodaffairs.com or call (510) 796-0663
34600 Ardenwood BlvdFremont, CA 94555
Map it Get directions

Art, History and Discovery Museums in the Bay Area

Below is a list of many, if not all, of the main museums in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you know of any others, feel free to let me know via comment. I have visited several of these museums but not all of them. I hope to have commentary for all of them either from me or others, so please pass on your comments for your fellow moms if you have an experience with any of them. It is a great way to get your child interested in the world around him and familiar with other cultures, countries and various art. Some museums have partnerships for discounted rates with memberships for frequent visitors such as the national parks. This is a great family activity and educational too! Enjoy!

African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO)http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/AAMLO/
Alcatraz Island
http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/
Arts Benicia
http://www.artsbenicia.org/
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
http://www.asianart.org/
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
http://www.apiculturalcenter.org/
Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology
http://bade.psr.edu/bade
Bay Area Discovery Museum
http://www.badm.org/
Bayanihan Community Center
http://www.bayanihancc.org/
Berkeley Art Center
http://www.berkeleyartcenter.org/
Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/
Berkeley Historical Society
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/
Cable Car Barn
http://www.sfcablecar.com/
Cable Car Museum
http://cablecarmuseum.com/
California Academy of Sciences
http://www.calacademy.org/
California Historical Society
http://www.calhist.org/
California History Center
http://calhistory.org/
California Indian Museum
http://www.cimcc.org/
California Palace of Legion of Honor
http://www.famsf.org/legion/
Campbell Historical Museum
http://www.ci.campbell.ca.us/communityandarts/museum.htm
Camron-Stanford House
http://cshouse.org/
Cantor Center for Visual Arts
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva
Capp Street Project
http://www.wattis.org/cappstreet/
Cartoon Art Museum
http://www.cartoonart.org/
Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens
http://www.yerbabuenaarts.org/
Chabot Space and Science Center
http://www.chabotspace.org/
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
http://www.cdm.org/
Chinese Culture Center
http://www.c-c-c.org/
Chinese Historical Society of America
http://www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/www.chsa.org
Coit Tower
http://coittower.org/
Computer History Museum
http://www.computerhistory.org/
COPIA
http://www.copia.org/
Coyote Point Museum
http://www.coyoteptmuseum.org/
Creative Growth Art Center
http://www.creativegrowth.org/
de Saisset Museum
http://www.scu.edu/desaisset/
Death Valley National Park - Scotty's Castle
http://www.nps.gov/deva/
Exploratorium and Palace of Fine Arts
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
Filoli Center
http://www.filoli.org/
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
http://www.thinker.org/
Fort Point National Historic Site
http://www.nps.gov/fopo/
Galeria de la Raza
http://www.galeriadelaraza.org/
GGNRA
http://www.nps.gov/goga/
GGNRA-Point Reyes National Seashore
http://www.nps.gov/pore/home.htm
GLBT Historical Society
http://www.glbthistory.org/
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
http://www.parkconservancy.org/
Haas-Lilienthal House
http://www.sfheritage.org/house.html
Habitot Children's Museum
http://www.habitot.org/
Hall of Health
http://www.hallofhealth.org/
Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society
http://www.healdsburgmuseum.org/
Hiller Aviation Museum
http://www.hiller.org/
History San Jose
http://www.historysanjose.org/
Holocaust Center of Northern California
http://www.holocaust-sf.org/
Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMSJ)
http://www.jamsj.org/
Judah L. Magnes Museum
http://www.magnes.org/
Lawrence Hall of Science
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/
Los Altos Historical Museum
http://www.losaltoshistory.org/
Luther Burbank Home and Garden
http://www.parks.sonoma.net/burbank.html
M.H. de Young Museum
http://www.thinker.org/deyoung/index.asp
Manilatown Center
http://www.manilatown.org/
Marin Historical Society
http://www.marinhistory.org/
Marin Museum of the American Indian
http://www.marinindian.com/
Mendocino County Museum
http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/museum/
Mexican Museum
http://www.mexicanmuseum.org/
Mills College Art Museum
http://www.mills.edu/museum/
Mission Cultural Center of Latino Arts
http://www.missionculturalcenter.org/
Miwok Archaeological Preserve of Marin (MAPOM)
http://www.mapom.org/
Monterey Bay Aquarium
http://www.mbayaq.org/
Monterey History and Art Association
http://www.montereyhistory.org/
Monterey Museum of Art
http://www.montereyart.org/
Morrison Planetarium
http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/
Museo Italo Americano
http://www.museoitaloamericano.org/
Museum of American Heritage
http://www.moah.org/
Museum of Craft and Folk Art (MOCFA)
http://www.mocfa.org/
Museum of the African Diaspora
http://www.museumoftheafricandiaspora.org/
Napa Valley Museum
http://www.napavalleymuseum.org/
National Japanese American Historical Society
http://www.nikkeiheritage.org/
Native American Cultural Center
http://www.nativecc.com/
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
http://www.oacc.cc/
Palo Alto Art Center
http://www.paacf.org/
Pardee Home Museum
http://www.pardeehome.org/
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
http://www.hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/
Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Center
http://www.precitaeyes.org/
Richmond Art Center
http://www.therichmondartcenter.org/
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum
http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design
http://www.sfmcd.org/
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
http://www.sfmoma.org/
San Francisco National Maritime Park Association
http://www.maritime.org/index.htm
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (SJ ICA)
http://www.sjica.org/
San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA)
http://www.sjmusart.org/
San Mateo County Historical Museum
http://www.sanmateocountyhistory.com/
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
http://www.santacruzmah.org/
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/
SF Performing Arts Library & Museum (SF PALM)
http://www.sfpalm.org/
Society of California Pioneers
http://www.californiapioneers.org/
Sonoma County Museum
http://www.sonomacountymuseum.com/
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
http://www.thecjm.org/
The Oakland Museum of California
http://www.museumca.org/
The Tech Museum of Innovation
http://www.thetech.org/
Triton Museum of Art
http://www.tritonmuseum.org/
USS Hornet Museum
http://www.uss-hornet.org/
USS Potomac
http://www.usspotomac.org/
Works/San Jose
http://www.workssanjose.org/