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

Fort Point National Historic Site

by Crystal Ritchie

August 10, 2009

San Francisco summer was in full swing at Fort Point National Historic Site on Sunday.  Upon our arrival early in the day, the bridge was swathed in mist and fog, but by mid-afternoon the sun and breeze drove away the clouds to reveal a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning sparkling water.  Nestled right under the southern end, the stately military outpost provides a great vantage point from which to see the bridge, the bay, Alcatraz, and the city's unique skyline.

While one may not immediately think of Fort Point as a place to take a young child as some may find the loud nearby foghorn or the dark alcoves of the fort overwhelming, there is plenty for more adventurous kids to touch and see.  The architecture of the brick building and steel bridge will leave you and your child wide-eyed.  There are several canons that are out in the open for inspection with stacks of canon balls next to them and a room full of ammunition barrels.  Climbers have three flights of stairs and a spiraling staircase to ascend, all leading to the roof of the structure where a small lighthouse lives.

Special Programs and guided tours are presented by the rangers throughout the day.  Volunteers also provide information about the rich history of the site.  We learned about medicines and instruments used by military physicians and toured the sleeping quarters of the soldiers.

Fort Point is located in the Presidio.  It is easily accessible and free to the public (although a donation is suggested), making it an ideal place to visit for families as well as tourists.  Weather is (not surprisingly) unpredictable, so sweaters are recommended.

Stern Grove, Beach Chalet, and the Sports Basement

by Michael Rohde

July 09, 2009

Hello Moms and Dads (there is at least one Dad out there that reads this, right?). My apologies for being absent these past few days, things are hectic right now with the move coming up next week, and between packing and daily life the blog took a backseat. Come to think of it, I should write a post about packing for a move with toddlers involved. Believe it or not, my kids got super excited helping me box up some of their toys. My intention was not to pack their toys, but rather some odds and ends on a shelf; they saw me doing it and immediately started throwing toys in the box. I don’t think they realized they won’t see those toys again for a week, but they sure did enjoy throwing them in the box. But I digress… This post is about weekend activities.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due…thanks to my beautiful, loving, and helpful wife for finding a few things to do around town…that you may or may not be aware of.

We love Ocean Beach Family Concerts at the Park Chalet
July 11th and 25th from 3pm-5pm, bring the family to Park Chalet and enjoy great, kid-friendly, live Music and support Ocean Beach.

Kids Stage at Stern Grove
From 12:00 until 1pm before every concert each season, kids of all ages are invited to participate in hands-on arts projects and programs at KidStage in the West Meadow. Different activities are featured at each concert, from mural-making, singing and dance lessons to crafts and drumming, and more!

Sports Basement Bryant Block Party
Sunday July 13th 12:00-6pm

Sports Basement at 1590 Bryant invites you to attend their inaugural Block Party to benefit Friends of Franklin Field to rebuild our neighborhood park. You can expect a day of festivities with food, drinks, live music, demos, raffles and fun for the whole family.

Jazz, Culture, Sunday Streets, and Yo Gabba Gabba

by Michael Rohde

June 03, 2009

There’s plenty of things to do this weekend as Sunday Streets explores new territory, there’s a Jewish community festival in Yerba Buena Gardens, and Yo Gabba Gabba hits the Xbox 360. If you’re looking for something to do tomorrow, there’s jazz at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Yerba Buena Gardens
Mads Tolling Quartet
Thursday, June 4, 12:30–1:30pm
Mads Tolling, two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist with the Turtle Island Quartet and violinist with the acclaimed Stanley Clarke Band, leads his own ensemble in a performance of contemporary lyrical jazz with virtuosity and spontaneity. The Mads Tolling Quartet is Mads Tolling (violin), George Ban-Weiss (bass), Mike Abraham (guitar), Eric Garland (drums).

Israel in the Gardens Festival
Sunday, June 7, 11am–5pm
Celebrate the diversity of the Jewish community! The largest Jewish community family festival in the Bay Area includes a variety of activities for teens, young adults and families featuring the hottest new music, theater, a film festival, resource tables, and freshly prepared ethnic foods. Shop for everything from jewelry to handmade clothing from artisan craft booths!

Sunday Streets
Sunday Streets is taking it’s fun and games to the Mission. All activities take place between 10am and 2pm unless otherwise noted (check the web site). The event’s centerplace is at Garfield Square Park at 26th & Harrison Street. Per usual, there will be kid’s activities, cultural programming, roller skating, dancing, and biking.

Yo Gabba Gabba
Many of you know that I’m a proud owner of an Xbox 360, along with 30 million others. In addition to me, 20 million others also have an Xbox Live subscription, which provides access to TV shows, movies, and other content. Now available on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace are episodes of the popular Yo Gabba Gabba children’s show. If you haven’t seen this before, it comes highly recommended.

For those of you without an Xbox, the DVD’s for the first and second seasons are available on Netflix.
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Free Days at BADM and CA Academy of Sciences

by Michael Rohde

May 20, 2009

The Asian Pacific Heritage Festival at the Bay Area Discovery Museum is on Saturday, May 23 from 10am to 5pm. This includes free Museum admission & performances. In honor and celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Month, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is proud to co-sponsor the Asian Pacific Heritage Festival. Come learn about and experience the different traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander communities of the Bay Area through performances, food and the arts.

The CA Academy of the Sciences is offering San Francisco residents free admission. For this weekend, if you live in Excelsior, Ingleside, Bayview, Hunter's Point, or Visitacion Valley (zip codes  94112, 94134, 94124) you can have free admission on May 22, 23, and 24. Other zip codes have free days on different days. Unfortunately, my zip code was earlier this week and we missed it. Don't let that happen to you!
 
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Life is Good

by Michael Rohde

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).

Mother's Day 2009

by Michael Rohde

May 06, 2009

I have to give Sunday Streets continual props. The first one of the year was a blast. We went down to AT&T Park, ran the bases, played ball in the Fan Lot, and then walked over to the playground and a grassy field, which is about a block away. Sponsors had hula hoops and catch-and-throw toys spread out. It was hilarious to see my little two-year old trying to hula. She had no trouble getting inside the hoop and picking it up, but it was far too big for her to start swinging her hips. Gotta hand it to her for trying though!

I bring Sunday Streets up because on May 10 they will be back at it again along the Waterfront route in the Southeast Sector of the city. The route highlights the San Francisco Bay Trail, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The route starts at AT&T Park, stretches to the Bayview Opera House, and then finishes at India Basin (details).

If you’re still looking for something to do today, don’t forget that the Bay Area Discovery Museum offers free admission on the first Wednesday of every month (yep, that’s today).

Koret Museum Days
BADM is participating in Koret Museum Days, which means on Sunday May 10, admission is free of charge. Seventeen other museums and varied locations are participating, including the Exploratorium, the SF Museum of Modern Art, and the SF Zoo (full list of locations).

That’s all good for Mom Day, but what about Saturday? Don't worry, there’s stuff to do then as well:

Richmond District Family Fun Days
The Richmond Village Beacon is presenting a carnival event with resource booths, food, and games for every member of the family! This event is free and open to the public (details).

Baby Loves Disco (in my wife's words, "geez, this is expensive!")
If your baby/toddler/kid loves to dance the afternoon away, and you don't mind dropping $18/per person at the door (that's $72 for a family of four), then Baby Loves Disco is where you need to be heading on Saturday.

Hawaii, Mexico, Japan, and More all in SF

by Michael Rohde

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.

March for Babies and Sunday Streets

by Michael Rohde

April 22, 2009

Hope you have good walking shoes because this weekend is for getting out and about. Saturday is the March for Babies, if you've been reading this blog lately you might be getting tired of reading about it, but I promise this is the last mention (until next year).

The walk takes place at the Great Meadow at Fort Mason and is 6.25 miles long. Registration begins at 8AM and the walk starts at 9AM. If you need more information, please call 415.788.2202.

If 6.25 miles isn't enough walking for you, then head over to the Embarcadero and AT&T Park areas for Sunday Streets. If my feet aren't too blistered up, I'm sure my family will be back at the ballpark. Last year was tons of fun and we'd love to have a repeat performance. The waterfront route runs along the Embarcadero from AT&T Park to Aquatic Park. Activities begin at 9AM. The Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District's Fitness, Health and Safety Fair is at Aquatic Park from 10AM to 4PM. Pier 39 will have live music from 1PM to 3PM at the main entrance.

If you do happen to miss the first Sunday Streets of 2009, there will be additional dates throughout the summer.

Crissy Field

by Michael Rohde

April 21, 2009

A month ago I wrote about how the weather is warming up and I mentioned a few San Francisco beaches. Boy oh boy did I write that post too early. Last weekend the heat rose into the 80's and I understand it reached 90 degrees downtown yesterday. The sunshine and warm weather prompted us to trek through the Presidio last Saturday and down to Crissy Field.

Our mission for the day was two-fold: buy some new walking shoes for Dad (that's me) at the Sports Basement so I don't get blistered feet during the March for Babies this Saturday, and the second objective was to have a picnic. The picnic went off without a hitch. Max ate nothing but potato chips and Julia ate nothing but trail mix. I was hoping they'd have at least one bite of their sandwich, but once potato chips and M&Ms are introduced it's all over for anything else, save for a Joe Joe (Trader Joe's version of the Oreo).

After the picnic, the plan was to head over to the Sports Basement and to pick up those much-needed sneakers. But it was hot. Real Hot. Like, I'm-sitting-here-sweating-and-I'm-not-even-moving hot. It was that kind of hot. The kids were greasy and dirty and sweaty from all the food and sunscreen (can't forget the sunscreen—don't ever forget the sunscreen) and we decided to pack up. But the kids didn't want to head back to the car. They wanted to run around and watch the bikers and joggers and the dogs. So we obliged and we strolled around a bit. We eventually found ourselves near the beach area, the very crowded beach area, and next thing we knew we were stripping off shoes and socks and heading for the water.

Max took right to the lapping bay water while Julia kept her distance. While the water was icy cold it certainly didn't stop anyone from getting wet (except for Julia). Twenty minutes later and our sweaty, greasy, dirty kids were also now soaking wet and covered in sand (and that included Mom and Dad). No way were we going shoe shopping. Oh well. At least we had a fun lunch, we cooled off in the water, and my family now realizes what a cool little beach Crissy Field has to offer. While before the water was just for show, in heat like that, it’s also functional and fun.

Cherry Blossoms, Easter Egg Hunts, and the Union Street Spring Celebration

by Michael Rohde

April 08, 2009

The San Francisco weather has turned wet again, but the forecast calls for somewhat sunny skies this weekend, so go ahead and make some outdoor plans!

Over in Japantown, the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place near Post and Buchanan. On the weekends of April 11 and April 18 the festival will celebrate Japanese Americans with music, dance, martial arts, tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, and (of course) food!

If your little one is anything like my daughter, who wore her Hello Kitty rain boots and jacket today, I'm sure they will go nuts-o for the Hello Kitty Land at the Children's Village on April 11 and 12. The next weekend, Hello Kitty and her entourage will perform live at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas from 11AM to 1PM.

Over in India Basin, friends and neighbors are holding their 9th Annual Spring Egg Hunt. Families are encouraged to gather around 10AM on Saturday and the hunt starts at 11AM. The event includes prizes and (of course) food and takes place at Hunters Point Boulevard between Evans and Innes.

Last, but not least, the 18th Annual Union Street Spring Celebration and Easter Parade takes place on Sunday from 10AM to 5PM on Union Street from Gough to Fillmore. The event features Union Street's best restaurants dishing it up in an outdoor bistro setting (what's a San Francisco event without food?).

Activities include large inflatable bounces, kids' rides and games, a climbing wall, a hands-on children's activities area, costumed characters, a petting zoo, a pony ride and music.

So there are three events that sound pretty fun. My best bets would be the Hello Kitty party on Saturday and the Union Street festival on Sunday.

AT&T Park and the Return of Sunday Streets

by Michael Rohde

April 07, 2009

Play Ball! The San Francisco Giants opened their season today by defeating the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park. The day began with wet weather and it was starting to look hit-and-miss if the game was going to take place at all. Luckily, the rain lifted and the tarp was removed from the field about an hour before the first pitch was thrown. It's always fun to attend a baseball game, but there's something magical about attending opening day.

AT&T Park is an excellent place to take your little ones. Not only is the allure of baseball present, but there's the Coca-Cola Fan Lot and Lou Seal is always good for a sighting. The Fan Lot consists of a huge slide and an area where the kids can hit balls and run the bases. It's always jam-packed in there, so it's best to arrive early when things are still quiet.

In related news, Sunday Streets returns to San Francisco on April 26 (one day after the March for Babies walk). Sunday Streets made its SF debut last year and we happily participated in the activities. If you're not sure what Sunday Streets is, here's a bit of info taken from their email announcement, "Over ten thousand people turned out on each of two Sundays [last year] to enjoy the car free open space. We walked, skated, danced, biked and hula hooped along the 4.5 mile waterfront route with friends and neighbors, supporting local businesses along the way. We heard from many people who loved it and want to see it continue."

This year, Sunday Streets has dates scheduled throughout the summer. Their web site is still lacking any details on the activities, but if they open up the ballpark again and allow us to run the bases, then we are definitely there! We did that last year and it was one of the most surreal experiences being on the field, running the bases, and looking up into the stands. It's something that you simply cannot miss. Plus, they had the Fan Lot open, and because we got there early we practically had the place to ourselves, which was another surreal experience.

Checking out Sunday Streets and AT&T Park are two San Francisco experiences that can't be beat.

Writing Books with Your Child

by Graham Charles

January 07, 2009

The second-best thing about parent blogging is joining a community of parents with whom to share ideas. (The best is creating a tangible record with which to embarrass your child in later life. But I digress.) I was feeling pretty proud of my idea to have even pre-verbal kids write their own thank-you notes -- it made the Savvy home page even ! -- when I was humbled by this even more  Read more...

New Year's Resolutions for Toddlers

by Graham Charles

January 01, 2009

My mother is a clinical psychologist who, among many career successes, did great work with families with hyperactive children. One of her greatest tools -- one she not only used with me but also passed on to me -- was the "rewards chart." I put that in quotation marks because it's not always a classic "chart" -- with some families, she used a currency of some sort, like tickets or tokens. But  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...

99 Things to Do In San Francisco Before Kindergarten, Part 9: The Best Neighborhood Playgrounds

by Graham Charles

December 08, 2008

I set aside the penultimate post of this now massive list of 100 things to do in San Francisco before kindergarten for a topic near to my heart: neighborhood playgrounds. My daughter Fern and I have made an informal study of The City's playyards   81. Sunnyside has not only a playground but also a great, kid-accessible field that's on-leash only, a rarity for greenspace parks in The City 82.  Read more...

A San Francisco Holiday -- Kid-Style

by Graham Charles

December 02, 2008

San Francisco goes a little nutso around the holidays. Once those outlining lights appear on the Financial District's skyscrapers, holiday events start to crop up on every corner. If you're really intent on not missing a single one, you can check out the Visitors' Bureau's entire list of festivities , but to trim it down, here are some of my favorites: I love to ice skate, and there are once  Read more...

San Francisco Stories: Where to Listen in The City

by Graham Charles

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...

99 Things to Do In San Francisco Before Kindergarten, Part 5: Adventures

by Graham Charles

November 10, 2008

These not-to-be-missed activities could fit under one of the other categories, but even more, they all entail a sense of adventure, of your kids stretching a little farther than they think they can. Can a 5-year old really walk all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge and back? Possibly not, but then again -- possibly yes, and it's worth letting them try it. 41. Walk across the Golden Gate  Read more...

Museumette: The Bay Model Visitor's Center

by Graham Charles

November 06, 2008

Continuing my series on the tiny and odd museums of San Francisco, we head north this week to Sausalito's Bay Model Visitor's Center. This quirky site was originally a working model -- it's a 1.5 acre indoor representation of the bay, filled with water to a couple of inches, that the Army Corps of Engineers used to image current and flow. The actual science has been replaced by computers,  Read more...

99 Things to Do In San Francisco Before Kindergarten, Part 4: Food!

by Graham Charles

November 03, 2008

San Francisco is a foodie town, so it makes sense that we should spend the first few years of our kids' lives indoctrinating them into our ways. For this installment of the San Francisco "top 99," I'm going to focus on some food experiences you should try to have with your preschool kids. I'm leaving out a thousand restaurants, of course -- feel free to school me down in the comments! 31.  Read more...

Go-Go Dancing Penguins, and Other San Francisco Halloween Spots for Kids

by Graham Charles

October 28, 2008

Where to go on Halloween in San Francisco? Your best bet, of course, is your own neighborhood, but not every San Francisco region boasts the right climate for trick-or-treating with preschool-aged kids. Luckily, there are a few spots that consistently draw crowds of trick-or-treaters and gawkers -- and even if they're not right next door, they're worth the trip. By far my favorite is  Read more...

99 Things to Do In San Francisco Before Kindergarten, Part 3: Outdoor Adventures

by Graham Charles

October 27, 2008

Welcome back to our series on those unmissable things to do with your kids in San Francisco. As you'll remember, I'm splitting this enormous topic into thematic groups of ten. Last week I mentioned the ten museums large and small that you should enjoy in the pre-kindergarten years, and Mike started the whole thing off with the initial top ten . This week, I'm going outside to the top 10 outdoor  Read more...

Walking, Unafraid of Cars: John F. Kennedy Drive on Sundays

by Graham Charles

October 17, 2008

San Francisco is one of those unique cities where you can feel fully urban and still be surrounded by nature. We go to the beach or hiking in the Presidio so often that I frequently forget how some of our best walks aren't on the wild outskirts but right in the middle of town. Case in point: John F. Kennedy Drive, the main strip through Golden Gate Park. Every Sunday, it's closed to  Read more...

Record a "Happy Birthday" Video

by Graham Charles

September 26, 2008

Fern has seven grandparents and a bucketful of uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends sprinkled around the country, so we do a lot of long-distance connecting. One fun way we've found to keep in touch is to record a video of Fern (and us, unfortunately) singing "Happy Birthday" to each relative. Luckily, this is very easily done, and there are several methods: If your computer has a  Read more...

"It Takes Two": The Best Kid Activities to Do With a Friend

by Graham Charles

September 23, 2008

As soon as my two-year old daughter and I started going on outings with other kids, I realized that a two-adult, two-kid ratio is a hundred times less challenging than one to one. Even when there are three or four kids, having two adults around softens the corners of parenting stress immensely. This week's Savvy National list is "things to do that are more fun with a pal," which is  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...

Parents Entertaining Parents in San Francisco

by Graham Charles

September 16, 2008

The list handed down from Savvy headquarters today is "things to do with other grownups, with or without kids in tow." I found this a tricky one to compile for a bunch of reasons, not least that I don't really know much about being a grownup. Still, I am very social, so I threw together five of my favorite San Francisco adult-oriented destinations -- no, we'd better call them  Read more...

Savvy Urban Hiker: Glen Canyon Park

by Graham Charles

September 03, 2008

For me, one of San Francisco's charms is that it continues to reveal hidden surprises even after I've lived here nearly 20 years. Glen Canyon Park rates as one of those surprises, a little trail along wild (if pokey) Islais Creek, right in the middle of town. Avid hiker though I was, I never even found this park until Fern, my 2-year old, started to get excited about hiking with me.  Read more...

Savvy Weekender: Play in the street on Sunday!

by Graham Charles

August 29, 2008

My wife and I will encourage our two-year old, Fern, to play in the middle of the street this weekend, although to be fair, we're going to be very selective about which street. First priority, of course, will be the hula hoop contest south of Market, or maybe we'll run the bases at AT&T Park or else we'll be break dancing in Chinatown. All of the above, of course, are part of this  Read more...

Savvy Urban Hiker: The blackberries are back!

by Graham Charles

August 25, 2008

Time to send your kids into the underbrush again! Blackberries have been popping out on sunny hillsides since July, but now's the season for the fogberries: the super-tart smaller blackberries that didn't get quite as much sun as their midsummer cousins. There are dozens of little blackberry pockets around town; here are a few of my favorites: Mountain Lake Park in the Richmond.  Read more...

Savvy classic: The herb garden

by Mike Adamick

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...

Noe Valley Library's guest sing-alongs

by Mike Adamick

July 28, 2008

We attended a movie screening for the book Knuffle Bunny at the Noe Valle branch library last week, and it was a ton of fun to see the favorite book come to life in an animated short. Emmeline loved it, and it seemed like every other kid there did, too. We also found out that this week -- tomorrow, in fact -- the Noe Valley branch will be hosting guest musician Bonnie Lockhart for a half hour of  Read more...

Playground Resource: Golden Gate Mothers Group

by Mike Adamick

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

by Mike Adamick

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...

Surviving Muni: Thank God for Pirate's Booty

by Mike Adamick

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

by Mike Adamick

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

by Mike Adamick

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...

Planes, Trains and Sitting Quietly on MUNI

by Mike Adamick

June 06, 2008

We take the bus and trains quite a bit, whether we're on our way to playgroup or downtown to meet Emmeline' s mom for lunch. And while most of the time the kid is more polite and accommodating than your average MUNI rider, there are times she acts, well, like a 2-year-old. Easy snacks. Illicit sips of milk. Books. These things help to an extent on our "off days," but nothing seems as sure fire  Read more...

Cheap Treats: Exploratorium Free Days

by Mike Adamick

June 04, 2008

My friend Peter over at The Poop let everyone know about the free days on the first Wednesday of the month at the Exploratorium. Bad, bad move. That place is a zoo on free days! And yet ... it's still worth it. The Exploratorium is a gem. Even on the most crowded days when every hands-on exhibit is teeming with toddlers, you just know simply being there is educational enough for any child. From  Read more...

Room to Run Golden Gate Park Children's Playground

by Mike Adamick

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

by Mike Adamick

May 20, 2008

My daughter is obsessed with puddles -- jumping in them, creating them, bringing them home in buckets and naming them Roger. (Seriously, kid, what's your deal?) And don't even get her started on fountains. If we're in a hurry and I see one, I have to cross the street to avoid it, otherwise we'll be stuck for a solid half hour. If you've got a water-obsessed toddler (see yesterday's post ), the  Read more...