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

Bay Area National Parks

by Michael Rohde

June 15, 2009

Savvy Source Pittsburgh recently wrote about all the great things happening with the National Park Services, which happens to be today’s Savvy Source topic… So, being one to follow the crowd (at least for this week, usually I’m just lost in the crowd…) I’m writing about National Parks, to which San Francisco and the Bay Area has plenty.

While scanning a list of National Parks in California, I counted eight of which are either in San Francisco or are within a quick drive (or a day trip if you count Yosemite). I included Yosemite not because it’s so close (it’s not), but because it has a Junior Ranger program, as does the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Alcatraz, Fort Point, Point Reyes, and the Presidio were not on the Junior Rangers list but are great places to visit. I still have not been to Alcatraz, even though I keep telling myself next time we have out-of-town visitors, we are going (but it hasn’t worked out yet).

It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Point Reyes, but I remember it being absolutely breathtakingly beautiful with steep cliffs and pounding surfs with plenty of trails. I also like Point Reyes for the blue cheese (available at your finer establishments).

Last, but not least, is my personal favorite: the Presidio. I have been very fortunate to literally live less than a two-minute walk from the Presidio golf course. Of course, having twins for the past two years have put a serious dent in my golfing, but it’s nice to know there’s a driving range within five minutes of me. I used to take hikes through the Presidio all the time and walk down to Baker Beach, or the Marina, the Palace of Fine Arts; if I was hungry, I’d walk all the way through the Presidio, out onto Lombard, and plop down at the OBW (Original Buffalo Wings).

After Max and Julia were born, whenever one would get fussy and need some fresh air, I’d put them in the baby bjorn and we’d walk the close-by Presidio trails, touch the bark of the trees, and listen to the wind whistle through the leaves. Now, we usually pack up the stroller and walk down to Julius Khan Park. Good times. Good times indeed in the Presidio. And how can I forget Inspiration Point, with its views of Alcatraz, the surrounding bay, the old barracks and officer’s quarters, and trees; lots and lots of trees.

As summertime approaches, it’s time to get out and about, and show the little ones that living in the city doesn’t always mean concrete, asphalt, steel and glass. There’s plenty of green stuff out there to explore.

A Quick List of National Parks in and around San Francisco:

Alcatraz
Fort Point
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Junior Ranger)
Muir Woods (Junior Ranger)
Point Reyes
Presidio
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Junior Ranger)
Yosemite (Junior Ranger)

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...

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...

Gardening in the Rain

by Graham Charles

November 05, 2008

We're in that glorious period where the rain has started but it's still light and relatively warm enough to get out there and start planting with your kids. Rain means mud, and mud means some fun digging. Here are three opportunities for your budding gardeners: 1. Go native. If you can make it, the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society has their annual plant sale tomorrow  Read more...

Weekend Outlook: October 18th and 19th

by Graham Charles

October 15, 2008

Weekend Outlook: October 18th and 19th Check out these fun, family-friendly activities for this weekend: One of the main reasons I wanted kids was to be able to tag along on field trips -- but I'm getting impatient waiting for my toddler finally to go to school so I can partake of her outing bounty. Imagine my excitement, therefore, to learn that on Saturday, Strybing Arboretum  Read more...

4 Gardening Activities to Do With Your Kids This Fall

by Graham Charles

October 10, 2008

One of my two-year old daughter's favorite pastimes is gardening. She loves to dig, find bugs, run through the sprinkler, and pick berries, but I've been hard pressed at times to figure out how to involve her more in the aspects of gardening that I love -- planting, growing from seed, transplanting, and anything requiring sharp-edged tools. So I asked Elizabeth down at the Sloat Garden Center  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...