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

St. Patty's Day Specials!

by VDog

March 17, 2009

A few local places are having some Saint Patrick's Day Specials:

This Little Piggy

All merchandise in the store that has even a spot of green on it (not including sales tags) is 17% off, even brand new piggy merchandise!

Don't forget -- every Wednesday they have free art activities! 10am-6pm free coloring, cutting, drawing activities for 2-10 year olds, including free piggy shaped cookies!

4th Street, Berkeley
510-981-1411

 Sadie Dey's Cafe (fka Tumble & Tea)

 Get $1 off admission when you dress your kid in green!

Plus Mother's Helper's hours from 10am-2pm, Spanish Storytime with Miguel from 10-10:30am & Singalong time with Nanci & Friends from 11:30am-12noon.

 4210 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
510-601-7378

Habitot

Special activities to celebrate Saint Patrick:
The Shamrock Ceilidh Band will perform traditional Irish folk music from 10:30 am-12:00 pm. Throughout the morning, hunt for “gold” throughout the museum, make potato prints and grass baskets in the Art Studio, listen to Irish folktales, and at 12:00 pm, sample green shamrock cookies and punch.

Print out this coupon to get in for $1 off the regular admission!

2065 Kittredge Street, Berkeley
510-647-1111

Do It This Weekend: February 27, 28, March 1

by VDog

February 26, 2009

Here's some fun activities happening this weekend:

Friday: Get your Crochet on at Sadie Dey's Café! (Formerly known as Tumble & Tea.)

11am-12pm

Learn how to crochet, get help expanding your crochet skills or simply hang out with us!

$15 per person for lessons plus $1.00 off child’s admission to SadieDeys Café

 (Saturday at Sadie Dey's catch Songs on Guitar with Ira from 10:30-11am!)

Saturday: Lawrence Hall of Science

Hit any of the ongoing exhibits or catch this special "Flying High" performance from 1-1:50pm.
From the website: Take an imaginary trip into space. Start the excursion by speeding though a whole day in our planetarium "time machine" and then identifying the Big Dipper. Take off with the launch of a spaceship and learn how things move in space, how astronauts eat food in a weightless environment, and how satellites are put into orbit. Don't worry, you’ll return safe and sound!
Recommended for ages 4-7.

Open 10am-5pm
Adults $11/Seniors & Students $9/Child 3-6 $6/Under 3 FREE

Flying High performance tickets are an extra $3 for Adults over 18 and $2.50 for those under 18. 

Sunday: Lou Donaldson Jazz Matinee at Yoshi's Jack London Square

Get your groove on to Alto Saxophonist Lou Donaldson, guitarist Randy Johnston, drummer Fukushi Tainaka, and organist Akiko Tsuruga.

This is one of my favorite Sunday activities. Grab some Terriyaki and California Rolls before the show or order heavy appetizers and drinks to your table, and enjoy the non-napping activity!

Yoshi's Oakland
2pm
Tickets: $5/Child, $18/Adult with child, $20 General Admission

50 Things to Do Before Your Child Goes to School (Kindergarten, That Is)

by VDog

February 24, 2009

Roughly. A lot of these are great activities for your older kids, too!

This list was compiled over several blog posts by our former Being Savvy Editor, Heather Gibbs Flett. You can still catch her daily at RookieMoms.com! 

1. Children's Fairyland: trippy and bizarre unless you grew up here and remember it fondly from your childhood. Whoa, they even offer a sleepover.

2. East Bay Vivarium: stinky and warm homage to all things reptilian right off Fourth St. in Berkeley.

3. Pumpkin patch (which one's the best? I've heard good things about Clayton Valley?)

4. Little Farm at Tilden Park: wonderful, free working farm. Bring celery or lettuce to feed the animals.

5. Pottery painting at Brushstrokes: work together to make a keepsake gift and have fun getting all painty.

6. Sand castle building contest: play or watch in Alameda in June each year (this year, it's June 7th).

7. Ashkenaz for the kids' music series: we saw Hot Buttered Rum here and my son got hooked on their foot-stomping bluegrass. Plus the venue is a Berkeley institution.

8. The Oakland Museum of Children's Art, MOCHA: free for gallery visits and has an awesome Drop-In Art Studio for kids between ages 18 months and 5 years for $7.

9. Ferry to San Francisco: hop on the ferry at Jack London Square

10. Sketch for ice cream: whether you're pro-sugar or anti-sugar, this place is a real treat. Don't your kids deserve sustainable, organic, deliciousness? Yum.

11. Alameda Flea Market: first Sundays of each month at the former naval air station. Miles of wandering with very little shade, but an amazing trip for a little one. Bring water and a healthy snack or two.

12. Visit the Berkeley Rose Garden: meandering paths, stunning views of SF, and roses of all hue. An antidote to the flea market.

13. BART trip to anywhere: gas prices are so high, you'll want to do this without my suggestion

14. Watch an all ages movie at the Parkway or Cerrito Theaters - snuggle up on couches and enjoy being together as well as watching a show. Check the schedule for weekend all ages shows.

15. Berkeley or Oakland Farmers Market: there are so many good ones, you should pick the closest or most convenient time, then enjoy a snack together.

16. Lawrence Hall of Science: Great little kids area, many hands-on exhibits, and ample outdoor space. Worth a membership. My experiences with the younger scientist on RookieMoms.

17. March (or tricycle) in a Parade. The Pride parade (this weekend) is in SF: join the family fun with a group from the Discovery Museum. Or find a spot to watch from the sidelines. And we'll cover the Solano stroll as it happens. Otherwise, you're just on the receiving end of all those flying candies. Better to be in the action, right?

18. Fireworks: let your kid stay up late to watch the fireworks. We'll be taking our boys to the Berkeley Marina show. In earplugs.

19. Walk around Lake Merritt: Good luck to you! This jewel of Oakland has a 3.4 mile circumference.

20. Go to Berkeley Family Camp: Find a couple days or a weeks to make this tradition your family vacation.

21. Rock out at a Baby Loves Disco Party: You decide far east bay or the big city depending on where you live. I vote SF to relive my glory days and ride the BART.

22. Ride the (real) rails: Amtrak wherever you want or follow my tips for a fun daytrip to Martinez.

23. Circus class at Ha Ha This a way: he'll learn how to juggle and I'll refine my trapeze act, right?

24. Climb Indian Rock: Tucked away in the paths through the hills, reward your little climber with a treat at the top. Follow my tips and mini history lesson or just wing it.

25. Plant a garden: big or small, something edible so they can learn where real food comes from. I'll share my dirty experiences soon!

26. Brunch at Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley's Thai Buddhist temple: At Russell St and Martin Luther King Jr. near the Tool Lending Library, monks invite the public to sit on the lawn and eat delicious and bountiful Thai food. I can't wait to try this! [helpful article in Berkeley Daily Planet]

27. Visit BAM: take your little art critic to Berkeley's Art Museum and ascertain MOMA-readiness.

28. Preschooler yoga class at Yogalayam: Namaste!

29. Wander through the Edible Schoolyard: living history and another great lesson in food!

30. Enjoy story time at N Berkeley Library: N. Berkeley has Whitney's favorite story times. Which one do you like best?

31. Captain's Cottage for High Tea for little princes and princesses in training. Recommended by a fellow preschool mom of 4. Her just-three-year-old enjoyed this place's charms and behaved the whole time.

32. Berkeley Kite Festival (pictured, my husband - photo by me). We loved this festival for our one- and three-year-olds. Responding to the excitement and peer pressure, we bought the Octopus Kite so we'd have something to fly. If at all possible, bike to the festival and avoid the traffic and parking scene.

33. Ice skating in Alameda where the groovy surface is slick without the cold. Cool. Can't wait to try it.

34. Funky sleep over at the Zoo or Fairyland for a change. Good for the over-four set. We'll have to do it next year.

35. Daytrip to SF Giants game and fan lot. Fun for baseball lovers and baseball haters.

36. Visit the USS Hornet for a climbing history lesson. Anyone done this with their kids yet?

37. Bike the Ohlone greenway

38. Pick fruit from neighboring trees and make a tart or pie

39. Visit the fab waterpark swimming pools in Antioch or San Ramon

40. Oakland A's game

41. Boogie through lunch at Cheeseboard Pizza, bring your tipping money

42. Parents' Night Out at Dig's bistro

43. Venture to the Discovery Museum in San Rafael

44. Ride out to Sonoma's Train town

45. Head to Chapel of chimes during a concert

46. Cheer for the Oakland Warriors

46. Go to the pet wash at Telegraph and Alcatraz and watch for sudsing pooches

47. Swing out for a party or take a class at Trapeze Arts

48. Pass the day away at the amazing indoor playspace of Studio Grow

49. Cal Berkeley football game while they're still young enough to dress like a mascot

50. Ardenwood Farm in Fremont -- draft horses pull a train car, kids can help feed the sheep and the chickens, and they offer many seasonal special activities.

Potty Training Power!

by VDog

January 23, 2009

Savvy wide post courtesy of Being Savvy: Cleveland Today we are going to discuss Potty Training. Our job as parents is to get them out of the diapers and into the bathroom. I don't know about you, but it is one of my least favorite responsibilities as a parent. Not that changing diapers or pullups is fun, but potty training just seems so ... I don't know ... time consuming?  Read more...

Do It This Weekend: January 24 & 25

by VDog

January 21, 2009

Octopretzel Live & In Concert! Super fun kid's music band Octopretzel will be playing a concert at Studio Grow in Berkeley, Saturday the 24th at 10am. Check out their music on their MySpace page . Admission $7. Don't miss it! Songs & Puppets at SadieDey's Cafe Included with admission this Saturday morning are two fun activities -- Songs on Guitar with Ira from 10:30am-11am and  Read more...

Best Indoor Play Places for a Winter's Day

by VDog

January 20, 2009

Sadly the extremely short lived Blue Sky Family Club leaves us one less place to go when it is dreary out. But have no fear! There are still great places to take the tots when the weather outside is frightful. Some of my favorites: Sadiey Dey's Play Cafe (formerly Tumble & Tea): I know some may disagree with me, but Sadie Dey's is at the top of my list  Read more...

try it tomorrow: inauguration day activity

by VDog

January 19, 2009

I found these great printable coloring pages of President Obama and the First Family on www.election-trends.com . Print some out and spend some time talking to your children about Presidential history, President Obama's historic election, the changes facing America in this new economy, or your own political ideas. Hopefully once you get the kids set up and started, you can sit back, relax,  Read more...

Stuck inside? Make a gingerbread house!

by VDog

December 19, 2008

A good blog friend of mine, Red Lotus Mama , shares this fun and (relatively) easy indoor, holiday-appropriate activity with us: Growing up creating a gingerbread house was never part of my family's holiday traditions. It always looked like a fun activity to do and decided to make it a tradition with my daughter. I am not a baker (or a cook), not because I can't, because I choose not to. I  Read more...

Sometimes the best presents are experiences

by VDog

December 16, 2008

This year I have politely requested, 'no stuff' for me or the kiddo. I would guess most of us in the Bay Area have a lot of 'things' for ourselves and our children. We have a tendency to overindulge our children (ok, maybe it's the Grandparent's fault) with abundant toy boxes. But sometimes the best 'things' are not really 'things' at all! They are experiences . Your child(ren) love spending  Read more...

Fun Holiday Activities, Children's Museum Style

by VDog

December 09, 2008

Want to make holiday memories with your child(ren), but don't want the mess in your own house? Try these: Habitot Make-Your-Own Gingerbread House Workshops December 11 - 17; 10:00 am & 11:00 am sessions Habitot is throwing a decorate your own take-home gingerbread house with icing, candy, and other sweets workshop! Call Liz at (510) 647-1111 x17 to reserve your spot.  Read more...

5 fabulous gift ideas

by VDog

December 09, 2008

Here are a few gift ideas for you...not much shopping time left until Hanukkah and Christmas! Sugar Plum Fairy Skirt What girl (or boy?) in her Princess phase WOULDN'T love this combination tutu/ballerina/musical outfit? I know several little girls for whom this would be a perfect gift -- prancing around and taking the music with you is pretty darn convenient! And hey, if you get sick  Read more...

5 Awesome Toys (That Make Great Presents)

by VDog

December 02, 2008

Five awesome toys (and DVD's) to consider for your holiday bounty: LeapFrog Letter Factory DVD's To be fair, we only have ONE of the DVD's in this five pack, but let me tell you, it is a HUGE hit with both me and the kid. Developmentally, the "Letter Factory" DVD is right on for my two year old, and after the first viewing, he knew that the "T" says "tuh." This video is not  Read more...

Tea is for Teddy: Part II

by Whitney Moss

November 12, 2008

On Monday I wrote about taking a stuffed animal or doll out for "tea" with your preschooler. It's all the rage, you know, as the trend was kicked off by the American Girl franchise. Since we have no American Girl store nearby, and, even if I saved this activity for our Thanksgiving trip to LA, I'd have to shell out $20 per person for a tea service there, I'm on a mission to brainstorm  Read more...

"Tea" is for Teddy

by Whitney Moss

November 10, 2008

When I read about the Teddy Bear Tea event at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, with it's fireside storytime, teddy bear-shaped cookies, and $80 per person price tag, I thought, "sounds nice for the Bugaboo set." For the rest of us, however, I am certain we can make our own fun with teddies and tea. The Buttercream Cafe at 841 San Pablo Avenue offers a fancy-feeling crossiant and tea  Read more...

Crown your princess with brains and adventure

by Heather Gibbs Flett

October 22, 2008

Have you ever seen the site Kids off the Couch ? It's a fantastic site with ideas for relating movies with real life adventures and I'm so excited that we're edging toward being old enough to partake... last week's suggestion included watching a princess movie and some great ideas for counter programming your budding prince or princess. A few months ago, I read Holden a book about  Read more...

A buddy-friendly bedroom

by Whitney Moss

September 23, 2008

I don't know if it's the age or the fact that my son now has a huge bedroom or that the bedroom is set up well for cooperative play, but having a single friend over has become a delightful way to pass the time. And let me emphasize ONE friend. A love triangle, even between preschool boys, can go badly. Two boys, however, up in my sons room, seem to entertain themselves for hours with hardly any  Read more...

Weekend fun: Blue Sky or Stroll?

by Heather Gibbs Flett

September 12, 2008

Whitney and I are joining a few other families for a camping adventure this weekend. Each family has a preschooler and a younger baby (Milo at 18 1/2 months is the oldest by a week). Wish us luck! While we are away, you can enjoy two fantastic events this weekend. If you plan carefully enough, you can make it to both: Solano Stroll: Fun day-long parade and festival. Last year, the kid's area  Read more...

Top 10 Toys that are already in your house!

by Heather Gibbs Flett

July 30, 2008

Sometimes, the only thing better than a really cheap activity is a totally free activity. Whitney and I have identified our favorite 27 items that are already in our houses that function as toys or games and narrowed it down to our 10 favorite most fun! All but one of these items can be found in anyone's home, so you can refer to this list when striving to entertain your child in a child-free  Read more...

Drop-in yoga for preschoolers

by Whitney Moss

June 09, 2008

At Yogalayam , on Alcatraz in Oakland , where I was extremeley devoted to the post-natal yoga class (anyone with a new baby MUST try it!), there is a Children's Yoga class for 3-5 year olds on Tuesday afternoon. Class begins at 4 pm. For me, taking Julian to Children's Yoga was an exciting milestone because it was the first class we've done where I don't have to (much)My little boy, in a room,  Read more...