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

Dogs, Zoos, and Bay Walks

by Michael Rohde

April 15, 2009

My son loves dogs. Yesterday at the park we ran across a dog walker who had about five dogs with her. Max went crazy. He threw his ball at them yelling, "Catch!" One of the dogs pounced on the ball but the dog walker immediately intervened. Maybe she has a policy of no kids playing with the dogs while they are on business. Oh well. I promised Max as soon as he's old enough to take care of a dog, he can have one. In the meantime, there's Dogfest 2009. On April 18, from 11AM to 3PM at Duboce Park, the SFUSD McKinley Elementary School is holding a fundraiser based on dogs. You can enter your dog in contests for best trick, best costume, best look-alike duo, mutt what? and other categories. All proceeds support educational enrichment programs.

Also on Saturday, from 10AM to 3PM you can party for the planet at the San Francisco Zoo. From their web site: "This fun and informative celebration of Earth Day is aimed at educating and entertaining Bay Area families on green, sustainable living solutions inside and outside the Zoo. It incorporates everything you love about the Zoo and its animals. A variety of local, earth-friendly companies and services will be on hand for visitors, as well as green-themed music and puppet performances the whole family will enjoy. Learn and see more on how the Zoo maintains a green commitment to the animals and the environment.You can actively Party for the Planet as you Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at the Zoo!"

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is celebrating its' 39th anniversary of Earth Day with a week of nature-themed art projects, conservation-based workshops, environmental guest scientists, and more. There are scheduled activities each day of the week, but here's the rundown for Saturday: Natural Object Communal Art Project, a Paper Making Workshop, and a Bay Walk starting at 2:15.

Point Bonita: Wednesdays on the Trail

by Graham Charles

January 28, 2009

I'm firmly of the opinion that one of the most valuable outdoor activities you can engage in with your kids is the free-form walk in a wild or semi-wild setting. Just wandering the beach or through a forested section of the Presidio, kids get to explore, look around trees, and pick up rocks. The physical activity of a playground gets combined with a day full of inquiry: what could be better?  Read more...

Museumette: Crissy Field Center -- Or, "Wilderness Survival for Toddlers"

by Graham Charles

December 11, 2008

In another of my series of visits to San Francisco's tiny but kid-friendly museums, today we drop by the Crissy Field Center down on the bayshore road on the Presidio's edge. It's the National Park Service interpretive center, and you can visit any day -- there's a little cafe and a couple of exhibits -- but the way to really get involved is to go to one of the center's frequent kid-oriented  Read more...

Museumette: Conservatory of Flowers

by Graham Charles

November 13, 2008

Museumette: Conservatory of Flowers In another of my continuing series on San Francisco's small museums, this week I cover the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It's a compact building, but it's got enough interesting flora to make it worth the $5 and an hour or so. The eastern room, in particular, with its huge water feature, fake mangrove roots that easily  Read more...

Talk Like a Pirate While You Clean Up After Them

by Graham Charles

September 18, 2008

Can there be any more jam-packed weekend? First comes Talk Like a Pirate Day on Friday, September 19th, followed the very next day by International Coastal Cleanup. As residents of the peninsula that is San Francisco, it naturally falls to us both to care for our environment and be goofy within it, so this coincidence of scheduling is more than fortunate. Let's start with Friday's  Read more...

Littlest Green Thumb: Garden Labs

by Mike Adamick

June 27, 2008

I feel a little guilty for not writing about Paxton Gate earlier, considering it should be one of the top destinations for anyone with kids in the city. Who doesn't like to see a stuffed duck with an crocodile head? Or taxidermy mice arrayed in a variety of human-like poses and costumes? Adults usually squirm, but kids eat that stuff up. Big Time. Sadly, this post isn't about Paxton Gate. Well,  Read more...