Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san francisco, CA

June 30, 2009

For some people, to live, work, and raise a family in San Francisco is a dream they like would like see come to fruition. For others, due to changing times and conditions, harsh realities can settle in and they have to re-adjust their goals and priorities. For those of you permanently settled in this great city, please ignore the following list. However, if you see your days numbered living in the city by the bay—and you’re about to find yourself living in the city across the bay, over the hills, and far away—then this list is for you.

Things my family should do before we leave San Francisco (and live 20 minutes away in the East Bay):

Go to Alcatraz. That’s right folks, I’ve lived in San Francisco for more years than I can think of and I’ve never been to Alcatraz. That’s a crime right there if you ask me.
Go to Muir Woods. The last time I went to Muir Woods, I think I was about 10-years old, and on vacation with my family, who lived in Minnesota at the time. Haven’t been back since. You know what keeps us away? Every time we drive across the bridge we see huge signs along the highway that read, “Muir Woods Parking Full.” Then, a few miles further down, we see where the shuttle parking is located. We just keep on moseying on down the road to the Costco or the Target. The redwoods have been there for hundreds of years, they willl be there for another few weeks.
Go to Boulevard one last time. Of course, this item will be checked off sans kids, but Boulevard holds a special place in our hearts. It’s one of the first fine dining experiences I had with my wife; we love the service and we love the food even more.
Take a sailboat ride around the bay. This one probably won’t happen, because my wife gets sea sick and it is too cold and windy for the toddlers. But, like I said, we’re not moving that far away and we can always make a day trip out of it when the kids get older.
Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Again, this one ranks up there with the sailboat ride. As soon as the kids can walk more than 10 feet without stopping to examine a crack in the sidewalk, we are so there!
Go to Mitchell’s. Excellent ice cream. ‘Nuff said.
One last picnic at Crissy Field. This is a fan favorite for all of us. The kids love running around the big fields, the people watching can’t be beat, and picnic food is the best. If you ask my kids, what do you eat on a picnic, the answer is invariably, “Cook, Chips!” That’s right, we eat cookies and chips on a picnic. The sandwiches and fruit are very quickly tossed aside.
Ride a Cable Car. Yes, we have ridden many a cable car in our time, but not with the kids. We think they’ll love it.
Visit Alamo Square Park. This is my wife’s pick. She likes the views and wants to show the kids the painted ladies.
I wrote about this last week, but I forgot about my father-in-law visiting, so we still have to get down to the Farmers’ Market at the Ferry building and eat chilaquiles. Of course, seeing my father-in-law did provide an opportunity to knock a couple of other restaurants off our list before we leave: we had a great breakfast at Ella’s and we dined at Garibaldi’s the night before. So, all-in-all, it was a win-win situation. And there’s always another Saturday around the bend…at least…for a little while longer.

First Lady Maria Shriver Sponsors a Fully Intergenerational Playground

June 23, 2009

This event actually happened yesterday, but I still think it’s good to spread the news. The following is the majority of a Press Release from First Lady Maria Shriver.

Sacramento, CA – California First Lady Maria Shriver and CaliforniaVolunteers will sponsor the first fully intergenerational volunteer-built playground in the nation, providing a space for people of all ages to come together and play. The playground build will take place on Monday, June 22 at Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco, kicking off the 2009 National Conference on Service and Volunteering. The event will mark Shriver’s 31st playground build throughout California, inspired by her commitment to create safe play spaces for children and honor the legacy and dedication to community service of Cesar E. Chavez. The playground project will be planned using an innovative community-build model led by national nonprofit KaBOOM!, which has coordinated construction of more than 1,600 play spaces across North America.

“This is more than a play space, this is a testament to the fact that Californians of any age can unite around the concept of play, serve their communities and create an inclusive environment that transcends age diversity,” said First Lady Maria Shriver. “This trailblazing play space truly embraces the philosophy that playground lessons last a lifetime and regardless of age, WE never outgrow play.”

More than 300 volunteers from the community and the San Francisco School Volunteers program, as well as attendees of the National Conference on Service and Volunteering are expected to join the construction of each of the playground’s elements in just one day. In addition, a unique mural and garden will be established at the school to honor the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez. The edible garden will feature a farmer’s market stand, allowing kids and seniors from the community to create a micro enterprise, sell vegetables and raise money for the school.

“Cesar E. Chavez was a champion of service and community involvement, and this entire initiative is a great way to honor his legacy,” said Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering. “This initiative clearly demonstrates the power volunteers have to shape their communities.”

Car Snacking

June 22, 2009

While it’s true that today’s SavvySource topic is, “On a Budget: Car-Camping with Little Ones,” it’s also true that we’ve never gone car-camping with our twins. However, we have gone car-snacking with our kids, to the delight of many a passer-by. Do I need to explain? Good, then I have a blog post in the making…

Like most parents of multiples, we don’t own a Nissan Z, although that was my car of choice before I learned my wife was pregnant. Instead, we have a four-door Accord and a Honda CRV. We almost went with the Odyssey or the Sienna, but we’ve witnessed far too many parents trying to park those big monsters in the city, and so we decided to go with something smaller. Hence, the CRV.

When the kids were smaller, and they fit in Bumbo seats, we would take the Bumbo seats with us when we went out to eat. They fit easily in a booth and we didn’t have to deal with a restaurant’s dirty high chairs or their booster seats. Hence, our Bumbo seats were in the back of the CRV on many an occasion (we never took them back out of the car after we ate).

Now that you know we own a CRV, and we used to drive around with Bumbo seats in the back, what came next was almost natural. There were several times when we were out and about running errands for extended periods and either snack time or lunch time would creep up on us. So, what would we do? That’s right, we popped open the CRV’s hatch, and set up the Bumbo seats. Apparently, for those walking through the parking lot, it was kind of an unusual site to see Max and Julia sitting in the back of the CRV (as happy as could be) enjoying a snack and taking in some people watching. It was kind of a no-muss, no-fuss situation. We had everything we needed right there in the car: bibs, food, sippy cups, wipes, etc. We didn’t have to wait in line for a table, we didn’t have to chase the kids around a busy restaurant, and best of all, we didn’t pay $2 for a small kid’s milk. Nope, we car-snacked it. The kids loved it. Mom and Dad didn’t mind it. And we got lots of, “Oh, look, how cute!” types of comments.

We even did very quick diaper changes after the snack for the drive back. That way, they were ready for their naps as soon as we got home. Clean up was pretty much a snap as we gathered everything up, found the trash can near the outside of whatever store we were at, and we didn’t have to over tip the waiter as a means to apologize for all the crushed crackers and spilled milk. It was really a win-win situation.

Now that they are older, and we no longer use the Bumbo seats, car-snacking has become a distant and faded memory. But there is still the rare occasion in which we pop open the back of the car and chow down on a cereal bar. It’s kind of like al fresco dining, but no, not really. Read more...

Sesame Street Live Performances This Weekend

June 18, 2009

Sesame Street Live is awesome! My family had the distinct pleasure of attending Thursday night’s show and it did not disappoint. The two-hour performance had our two-and-a-half year olds rocking, bopping, and snacking the whole way through.

The show started at 7pm, which is pretty darn close to our normal bedtime. We had our worries that the kids weren’t going to last the entire show, so we went prepared, we packed: milk, snacks, jammies, blankets, and sleeping buddies (a frog for Max and a lamb for Julia). We should never have worried. The sight of Elmo and Zoie, on stage together, was a magical treat that couldn’t be beat (see that, it even got me rhyming…).

During the intermission, we stocked up on a $2 kids popcorn (which was plenty big), and Max and Julia got an Elmo and a Zoie, respectively ($15 each). We thought the concession prices were pretty darn good (when was the last time you got $2 popcorn at the movie theater) and the stuffed toy prices were to be expected. The parking was $15 as well, so come prepared with some spending money. But believe me, the money is well spent when you see the endless smiles on your kid’s faces as they dance and sing along to a truly great show.

I really, really thought our kids would zonk out on the car ride home, but once again they surprised us. We put them in their jammies, bundled them up with blankets, and tucked in their new friends. Instead of sleeping though, they laughed and giggled and played for the journey home; they were that amped up. When we did get home, we quickly brushed our teeth, kissed our buddies night-night, and everyone promptly fell asleep. We really could not have asked for more.

There are morning and evening performances throughout the weekend. If you have not purchased your tickets yet, please use the use promo code SESAME to save $3 off per ticket. You can buy your tickets now at any Ticketmaster location.

Sesame Street Live
"Elmo’s Green Thumb"
Oakland, CA; ORACLE Arena

Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21

Ticket prices: $15, $20, $25 & $30 (Gold Circle).
Additional fees/surcharges may apply.

Performance Schedule

Friday, June 19: 10:30 AM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, June 20: 10:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Sunday, June 21: 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM

Life is Good

May 13, 2009

This Saturday there are first-time festivals at Golden Gate Park, sing alongs, street festivals, and carnivals. On Sunday, you can rest (speaking as the Dad of two-year old twins, comments like that are meant as sarcasm…there's no such thing as "resting" when you have two-year olds...).

Life is Good Festival
The first Life is Good festival is a free, family-friendly day in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park at Speedway Meadow on May 16, 2009 from 11am to 5 pm. The outdoor bash features great live music from ALO, Martin Sexton, and The Sippy Cups, classic backyard food, and a colorful mix of good-time games and activities for all ages. From seed spitting and badminton to soccer kicks, tug-o'-wars and football flings, they promise a day of big smiles and healthy play.

Dream Circle Spring Sing (Bay Area Discovery Museum)
Saturday, May 16, performances at 11am & 12:30 pm
Members $8; General $10
Tim Cain, Cindy Cohen, Miss Kitty and Cristopher Smith – all under one roof! Join BADM for a delightful sing-along concert with Marin’s best loved children’s entertainers. Kids of all ages will be delighted to raise their voices and sing some favorite songs with this incredibly talented foursome. Ballerinas will have a chance to pirouette and doggies will be called upon to hop up and down. There will be lots of dancing, clapping and tapping fun.

Asian Heritage Street Celebration
Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 11am to 6pm. Two stages of music, arts and crafts, food, prizes, karaoke, traditional and pop culture J cars, Thai kickboxing, carnival rides and games. Free admission.

Splish Splash Peabody Bash
Time to celebrate the arrival of Spring! Please join the Peabody school for a whale of a good time at their Carnival this Saturday from 11am to 3pm. They will have carnival games for children of all ages, a silent auction, a jumpy house, a rock climbing wall and a raffle for the adults with food and fun for all! The carnival takes place on the school yard at 250 7th Avenue, between California and Clement Streets. Don't want to mess with parking? No worries, take the 2 Clement, 1 California, 44 O'Shaugnessy or the 38 Geary bus lines.

If you missed it yesterday, there's still time to enter the contest to win tickets to see Sesame Street Live in June at the Oakland ORACLE Arena (details).

Win Tickets to See Elmo Live

May 12, 2009

Elmo Elmo is coming to the Oakland ORACLE Arena and BeingSavvy San Francisco has a family 4-pack of tickets as a giveaway.

A little about the show
When Elmo's sunflower, Sunny, outgrows his flower pot, Big Bird's garden seems to be the perfect place for Sunny to flourish. An excited Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street's fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow faster. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and his friends shrink! As Abby tries to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird's garden from a smaller perspective and learn some big lessons about patience, overcoming fears and appreciation of nature. From dancing ladybugs to grouchy beetles, get ready for a fresh, original Sesame Street Live on a whole new scale!

Enter the contest
To enter the contest, simply leave a comment (only one comment per family; multiple comments disqualifies you), and make sure to include your email address so I can contact the winner. The ticket vouchers are good for any performance at any time and you can redeem them at the box office.

This contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends at midnight PST on May 24, 2009. I will draw a winner at random and announce the winner's name on May 25, 2009.

Discount code available
For those who don't win, but would still like to attend, use the use promo code SESAME to save $3 off per ticket. You can buy your tickets now at any Ticketmaster location.

Sesame Street Live
"Elmo’s Green Thumb"
Oakland, CA; ORACLE Arena
Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21

Ticket prices: $15, $20, $25 & $30 (Gold Circle).
Opening Night (Thursday, June 18, 7 pm)—All seats $15 (excluding Gold Circle seating).
Additional fees/surcharges may apply.

Performance Schedule

Thursday, June 18: 7:00 PM
Friday, June 19: 10:30 AM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, June 20: 10:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Sunday, June 21: 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM

Leave your comment now for your family's chance to win! Read more...

Hawaii, Mexico, Japan, and More all in SF

April 29, 2009

There’s no shortage of things to do this weekend. Events range from the Bay Area Discovery Museum's fundraiser to a Hawaiian dance program at Yerba Buena Gardens and much, much more.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
On Saturday from 1PM to 2:30PM, Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, Patrick Makuakane's dynamic Hawaiian dance company, presents a program of visually captivating hula. In its only full-length San Francisco performance this year, the company will feature a rich blend of traditional and contemporary forms of hula, showcasing a delightful combination of signature pieces and audience favorites in the hula kahiko, hula 'auana, and hula mua styles. Performances are given in a "talk-story" format, incorporating narration and dance to provide a rich cultural context.

San Francisco Cinco De Mayo Festival
Visit Mission Dolores Park on Saturday from 10AM to 6PM. This is a free, kid-friendly, and alcohol-free event. Bring your picnic blanket and enjoy all-day music, kid's activities, entertainment, food, arts and crafts and more.

Kristi Yamaguchi's Children's Day Festival in Japantown
From 11AM to 4PM on Saturday, visit the Japantown Peace Plaza (Post and Buchanan Street). In recognition of Japan's National holiday to celebrate children, the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California invites you to bring your family and enjoy the fun. This free event will have plenty of kids craft booths, entertainment and great food.

Bay Area Discovery Museum's Fundraiser
BADM encourages you to join them on Saturday at 6PM for Playdate—an evening of grown-up play at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge to benefit the museum. The evening begins with wine tasting and cocktails while you enjoy the beautiful view of San Francisco. Browse and bid on Silent Auction packages, then sit down to a fabulous dinner and a Live Auction—all at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge!

Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin Street and offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month, which does include family programs. Free admission to "Target First Free Sundays" is granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to capacity restrictions, admission is not guaranteed.

San Francisco Birth and Baby Fair
If you're new to parenting or expecting a baby, Maternity Xchange, sponsored by Natural Resources, brings together representatives from pregnancy, birth, parenting and baby related resources for a day of information, education and shopping. Baby experts—from midwives and educators to baby photographers—will be on hand to address your questions and interests. The Birth and Baby Fair also offers free workshops, refreshments, and goody bags. Check out baby and maternity clothing, including items from local designers, most discounted from regular retail price. The event takes place at Fort Mason on Sunday from 10AM to 3PM. Tickets are $5 but you can find free and discounted passes at Natural Resources locations and AAA.

Baking Bread with a Toddler

November 21, 2008

As we enter into cooler weather, indoor pursuits beckon, and what could be better than baking with a toddler? I'm all over the "easy" way -- buy some pre-made dough, roll it out, and cookie cutter it to death -- but I've found that this bread recipe is nearly as easy and allows for a lot more fun, to boot. It's derived from a no-knead bread recipe I found in the New York Times ( here's the Read more...

Make a Wish: Begin Charity at Home With Your Kids

November 12, 2008

Kids are champion consumers. It's natural for them to amass vast quantities of toys and games or even, as with our 2-1/2 year old daughter, shoes . But it's never too early to balance a child's instinctive urge of "mine" with acts of altruism. For younger kids, requiring charitable gestures can feel somewhat mechanical or forced, since they're not really programmed to help strangers. Read more...

San Francisco Stories: Where to Listen in The City

November 11, 2008

Listening to stories read aloud is such a ubiquitous part of childhood that it's easy to forget it's happening. Sure, we read to our 2-year old daughter Fern at naptime and bedtime, and probably at least once or twice a day besides, but it's like brushing her teeth: it fades into the background of our parenting tasks. Which is why it's nice to get out into the world and attend a public reading Read more...

A Hole in the Sun, a Hole in the Fog: Escaping the Weather at the Bay Area Discovery Museum

September 01, 2008

We're deep in the San Francisco late-summer weather pattern: three days of scorching heat followed by a day of blinding fog. It's better than the all-haze, all-the-time of an August that we just suffered, but it does present a planning problem for parents: will tomorrow be best for the beach or an indoor escape? Beat the heat or shelter from the cold? One easy solution is Sausalito's Read more...

Creepy Crawling Kids

August 07, 2008

The San Francisco Botanical Garden has some interesting classes for kids age 3 to 5 during the summer months. Every Tuesday at 11 a.m. the garden hosts "family adventures" that include story times, garden exploring and art creation. There's also an on-going exhibit by San Francisco artist Margo Bors exploring "creatures small: insects and plants" that looks like it's worth some quality time. Read more...

Savvy classic: The herb garden

August 05, 2008

Dana and I both love to cool and we are slowly passing along some of our kitchen secrets to our daughter, Emmeline. One of those secrets is that I can't keep basil alive for the life of me. But I still try. And now Emme does, too. In a planter in the backyard, we installed some oregano, basil, mint and parsley and whenever we need something for a recipe, we send Emme out back to pick the correct Read more...

$1 Cone Day at Maggie Mudd's

July 22, 2008

I've been meaning to let everyone know about a great place to share a delicious -- and cheap! -- ice cream cone with the kids, but the thought slipped my mind until I saw San Francisco's very own Maggie Mudd featured on a food show about making ice cream filled cupcakes. What a delicious head jog. So here it is, the good news: Every Wednesday, Maggie Mudd in Bernal Heights offers $1 cones all Read more...

Savvy Road Trip: Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

July 21, 2008

I'm sure I'm stepping on a few Savvy toes by linking up an activity so many miles to the south, but my wife and daughter recently traveled to San Jose to see a friend and my 2-year-old couldn't stop talking about the Children's Discovery Museum. "They've got balls and water fountains and bubbles and aprons and they don't mind if Emme gets wet" is exactly how she summed it up. So I wanted to Read more...

Playground Resource: Golden Gate Mothers Group

July 10, 2008

If you're going to be out and about in a new part of town and want to hit a playground along the way, the Golden Gate Mothers Group offers the best resource I've seen for the city's parks and playgrounds -- complete with brief explanations of what's available and photos, too. Plus there's a fantastic map for pin-pointing the parks. We find it very useful when we know we're going to be doing Read more...

Giants Fan Lot Open All Year

July 09, 2008

I'm a huge fan of baseball and rather militant anti-TV parent, but I do make an exception every now and then. But usually only when it comes to baseball. If the Giants are playing an afternoon game, I'll haul my daughter on the couch and try to teach her the finer points of the game. Which is to say, we both usually get a nice sun-warmed afternoon nap. Most of the Giants games are played right Read more...

Savvy cakes: Virgin Megastore

July 03, 2008

We've already covered the best place to share an ice cream cone , and also the best places to buy birthday cupcakes , but now it's time to combine them all: the best place to share a cupcake with the kids. I just love going up to the 3rd floor of the Virgin record store downtown -- corner of Market and Stockton and right across the street from one of the BART exits. They sell Citizen Cake Read more...

Surviving Muni: Thank God for Pirate's Booty

July 01, 2008

I wear a bracelet that my mother-in-law purchased from indians in a remote outpost of Panama, and every now and then my daughter will demand to take a turn with it. Unfortunately, it's tied on and can't be removed without breaking it. Thankfully, I found a great substitute that is A. pretty (relatively), B. healthy, and C. a great life-saver on long MUNI trips. If you've ever strung popcorn on a Read more...

Chopstick Bird Houses Make Takeout Fun

June 20, 2008

Well, maybe not as fun as the sweet deliciousness that is garlic noodles with pan-seared shrimp, but still pretty fun -- and a whole lot more eco-friendly. OK, I am blatantly stealing this -- untested -- from Apartment Therapy , because while the idea looks fantastic for adults, I'm guessing it will be even better for kids. But it basically involves building a simple bird house from those Read more...

Free Museum Weekend! Chihuly at DeYoung

June 09, 2008

My poor wife -- she plans a nice Father's Day weekend for us, and then I learn that Target has sponsored an entire free weekend at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park to commemorate the opening of the brand-new Chihuly exhibit. This is a tough one. If you've seen a Dale Chihuly exhibition before, you know this is a visual, sensory treat any child would go nuts over -- and any adult would Read more...

Room to Run Golden Gate Park Children's Playground

May 28, 2008

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (seriously, you're going to get sick of it), but nothing wears out my kid like the children's playground in Golden Gate Park. If I need to ensure a solid nap in the afternoon (and who doesn't really?), I pack a load of extra clothes and a vat of sun screen and head for the park. From climbing walls to endless ladders, cement slides to slippery Read more...

Fountain of Fun -- Yerba Buena Waterfalls