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.

Feeding the Ducks, Pigeons, and Seagulls

by Michael Rohde

March 24, 2009

Last Friday, it was absolutely beautiful in the city. The weather forecast called for rain over the weekend, so I figured if I'm going to get the kids out of the house, it better be that day. Turns out, it didn't rain at all on Sunday, but I'm still glad I took the kids to Mt. Lake Park on Friday.

The reason for the trip to the Presidio Park located off of Lake St. wasn't necessarily for the playground, which is really designed for older kids, but for an opportunity to feed the ducks. Turns out, we fed the seagulls and the pigeons instead, but there were a couple of ducks floating around.

This was the first time I took the kids to participate in an activity like this. They are getting old enough to understand how to interact with their environment; and interact they did! To start, I tore off a few pieces of bread and threw them out to the birds. They promptly swarmed and devoured the tiny morsels (let the feeding frenzy begin!). I then gave a few pieces to Max to throw. At first, my two-year old son only wanted to eat the bread and not throw it out to the birds. He was well aware the birds were there as he waved, shouted, and jumped at them; but he thought the bread was for him. His twin sister on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the birds and instead chose to cling to my leg.

I kneeled down to my daughter’s level and calmly explained to her that the birds were friendly. She eventually loosened her grip and then joined her brother in celebrating the birds. I then showed them both how to throw the bread out to the birds. I gave a couple more pieces to Max, but he continued to eat the bread instead of throwing it. I then gave some bread to Julia, who happily threw the bread about all of two feet in front of her. I had a quick panic attack thinking the bigger seagulls were going to swarm her and the bread, but amazingly, they didn’t. Instead, a couple of timid ducks quietly walked up and snatched the bread. Soon after, my son was happily throwing bread alongside his sister, and I kept the bigger birds at bay by doing some long-distance bread tossing.

Overall, it was a good experience, but the feeding frenzy was a bit much and a little unexpected. I think next weekend we are going to try Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. I'm hoping for more ducks and less seagulls and pigeons.

Getting to Know You! If you're a goat, that is.

by Graham Charles

January 16, 2009

These beautiful winter days are perfect for a visit to the zoo. Any day that's not rainy, the exhibits are pleasantly empty and you often get a good chance to chat with the keepers. My three-year old daughter Fern would much prefer, however, to talk to the goats. The nice thing about off-season visits is that we can go often -- the annual membership fee of $60 seems cheap when you figure  Read more...

Travels with Trunki

by Graham Charles

January 08, 2009

I shock no one when I say that travel can be one of a parent's biggest challenges, which is why I always pay close attention in the airport to other parents who seem to be successfully navigating this terra tantruma. Among our latest discoveries: the Trunki, a kids' travel suitcase with a twist: it's also a riding toy. So, your kid can tug it, you can pull it with your kid on top, or an adult  Read more...

99 Things to Do in San Francisco Before Kindergarten: The Full List

by Graham Charles

January 02, 2009

One of my great accomplishments last year was to finish this enormous list of things I think every San Francisco kid should do before the age of 6 or so. The range is vast and yet I'm sure I'm leaving quite a bit off, all the same. Since we originally posted in ten parts, I'm going to reprise the entire list here, complete with check boxes so you can keep track of your progress. (There's  Read more...

Winter Camp at the Zoo

by Graham Charles

December 16, 2008

If you're looking for a little stop-gap daytime activity during the long preschool-free stretch, check out the mini-camps at the San Francisco Zoo. There are two three-day sessions starting on the 22nd and 29th of December, and the animal-based curriculum will differ, so your kids can enjoy both if you prefer. Chances are slim that you'll see the baby gorilla (I was talking to a keeper there a  Read more...

Museumette: Sea Lions and The Marine Mammal Center Interpretive Center at Pier 39

by Graham Charles

October 23, 2008

Maybe you have relatives visiting you and they need to see a mall. Or maybe you've got a kid who loves to watch animals. Or maybe you have a hankering for some serious carnival food. (Mini donuts? Anyone? Anyone?) Or -- and this is what happens to me -- you've got all three at the same time! If so, pack up the relations and the kids and head down to Pier 39. You can grab your fried dough  Read more...

What's that bug? A garden reference tool

by Mike Adamick

August 08, 2008

Yesterday's post about the San Francisco botanical garden got me thinking of all the time we spend in our backyard garden and just how little I know about all the bugs we find. Emmeline likes to turn over rocks and pick up even the nastiest looking creatures I will turn up my nose at -- but she seems to love it all. Well, I found an interesting web site that I'm passing along to give parents a  Read more...

Randall Museum: A Savvy classic pick

by Mike Adamick

July 18, 2008

Everyone in the city probably knows about the little gem called the Randall Museum , but just in case there's a few people who haven't heard, let me fill you in: It. is. magnificent. If you've got a kid in the house, you need to visit Randy. There are puzzles and games for toddlers to older kids, birds, bees and animals for kids of any age, and also some pretty neat classes on everything from  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...

Little Explorers: Land's End

by Mike Adamick

June 05, 2008

Every once in a while my 2-year-old daughter, Emmeline , will latch onto a particular phrase or song and not let go for days and days at a time. Last week, it was "American Pie." A few weeks before that, it was the Golden Gate Bridge. She wanted to see it, read about it, touch it, sing songs about it and, if I had let her, go back to the 1930s and help build it. The kid was obsessed. So I  Read more...

Lions, Tigers and Huge, Hungry Gorillas

by Mike Adamick

May 23, 2008

Until I met a good friend , who used to be a naturalist, I always went to the zoo with one thing in mind: see it all. He showed me that it's much more fun to find one or two or three special spots and just hang out as long as the kids want. ( You try dragging them away from the meerkats and prairie dogs!) But now I go him one better. We like to arrive a few minutes before the 10 a.m. opening  Read more...