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

Room to Run: Codornices Park

by VDog

January 07, 2009

Location: Codornices Park , 1201 Euclid Ave, Berkeley (between Eunice and Bay View Place) (Tip: the locals call it CORD-on-ee-sis, instead of CO-DORN-ee-sis) The main sports field at Codornices is a large expanse, much of it far from the street. It's a great place to bring a kick ball or just yourselves and run around. Sometimes you can find lots of dogs with their owners, sports practices, or  Read more...

Scrambling at the last minute

by VDog

December 24, 2008

If you are a procrastinator like me, you may have some last minute shopping to do or have provisions to pick up. Target is open today from 7am-6pm. Elephant Pharmacy is open from 8am-8pm, and there is a printable coupon on their website (or in the mailer you may have received) for $10 off $50 or $25 off $100 purchase. Most grocery stores will be open until at least 3pm. Speaking of Target,  Read more...

Best Decorated Neighborhoods & Areas

by VDog

December 23, 2008

I don't know how long people keep up their Holiday Lights, but hopefully you've got until the New Year to check out some of the fabulous sponsored and independent lights displays around the East Bay. Since this is my first Christmas in the East Bay with the kid (last year we traveled elsewhere), I asked some of the Moms in my Meet-Up group if they had any suggestions, and did a  Read more...

Cabin Fever already?

by VDog

December 22, 2008

Day one of the Winter Holiday break, and you're already bored of the kids? Get out and about to check out some of these activities: Today (Monday, 12/22): There is still time to see Santa up at the Tilden Carousel! 5:30-8:30pm tonight and tomorrow night. www.tildenmgr.com All ages. Saidey Dey's Cafe (formerly Tumble & Tea): Mother's Helper's hours from 10a-2p and Singalong time with Nancy  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 ideas for your weekend plans

by Whitney Moss

November 06, 2008

Hop on the BART and head to the City for the Ferry Building Farmer's Market between 8 am and 2 pm on Saturday. Visit Cordonices Park in the Berkeley Hills. Sit on a piece of cardboard to ride the big concrete slides that are embedded in the side of the hill. Four and unders will need a grown up to sit below them. Go to The Sippy Cups concert at The Blue Sky Family Club in Emeryville @ 2:15 or  Read more...

Destination: El Cerrito Plaza

by Whitney Moss

September 25, 2008

Need to kill two hours with your preschooler? Head to El Cerrito Plaza and work your way through this list of hidden gems. PetCo - Look at the mice, guinea pigs, and rats before moving on to the birds. Finish it up with turtles and fish. Go there in the next month and check out all the costumes for tiny dogs. Trader Joes - Ignore your dentist and let your child choose a new dried fruit to try.  Read more...

Make an instant fort: indoor fun

by Heather Gibbs Flett

August 13, 2008

Whitney recently turned me on to PreSchoolMama, a fantastic resource for moms of preschoolers (such as ourselves) looking for fun and educational activities all the time! Regarding tents and forts, she offers 8 suggestions for instant cozy fun: All kids love having a little enclosed space that they can call their own. It could be a tent, or a playhouse, or anything similar that no one can  Read more...

Gourmet Ghetto for Preschoolers

by Whitney Moss

August 04, 2008

If the afternoon you're looking to fill is a Thursday , you're in luck because the Farmer's Market on upper Shattuck is a great destination for kids who are into walking on their own. Older preschoolers can even practice paying for an item all by themselves. First, work up an appetite at Live Oak park and use the bathroom in the rec center there.  It's pretty easy to park there as well.  Then,  Read more...

Downward puppies: free family yoga class

by Whitney Moss

July 31, 2008

Elephant Pharm offers free classes on a variety of wellness topics, and I see no reason not to take advantage of as many of them as possible. This Saturday, Family Yoga will introduce yoga through animal role playing and Simon Says activities. Kids will learn balance and strength, and most importantly, LISTENING SKILLS! From 11.30 to 12.15 at Elephant Pharm on Shattuck and Cedar in Berkeley.  Read more...

Got wheels? A bicycle event in Albany!

by Whitney Moss

July 17, 2008

A posting on the wall at the bike shop caught my eye today: The Berkeley Bicycle Club Criterium. The bike extravaganza at Memorial Park this weekend offers a chance to witness a real sporting event in progress AND a race for kids as young as 4. The kids' race is free to enter. Other nearby places to get your wheels on: 1. Jefferson School Playground on Rose near Sacramento. The gates are open  Read more...

Sanity Saver: Keep a portable Easter egg hunt in your trunk

by Whitney Moss

June 19, 2008

Sometimes a day trip has a lull in it. Let's say you're at Oakland's Fairyland with your 3 year old and you need to kill 20 minutes before your friends show up. Bust out a rousing game of hunting and finding . My kid loves this. And, you can do it anywhere. Bring some small plastic animals (or plastic eggs if you have them from Easter) and hide them. The child simply closes her eyes and  Read more...

Kid-friendly art outing: DeYoung Museum in SF

by Whitney Moss

June 13, 2008

Our Bay Area compatriot in Savvy Source blogging, Mike Adamick , enlightened me about the exhibition that's at the DeYoung Museum this weekend: Chihuly at the de Young . (And, thanks to Target, the museum is FREE all weekend long) This is exactly the type of exhibit I look for to enable us to take our preschooler to a museum. I was raised to appreciate art and I want my son to understand the  Read more...

An all-day adventure at Tilden Park

by Whitney Moss

May 13, 2008

Tilden Park, one of the jewels of the East Bay, has so much to offer that I hardly know where to start. I seriously considered naming my daughter Tilden , and still have it on a list for an imaginary third child that I don't plan to have. My son, a preschooler with an avid interest in bugs, has just learned about this activity called "hiking" and he's way into it. He loves to wear his tiny  Read more...