Bay Area sightseeing w/grandmother & 20 mo. old
June 2002
We are looking for a great place for an active family summer vacation
1-2 weeks long with a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. We've been to
Kauai, which was terrific, and are thinking of going again, but
I'd like to try out someplace new. I've sifted through the
places on the website, but they seem to be of the flavor, ''If
you are in city X, go to Y,Z'' But I want to know people's
favorite vacations ever with young children.
Thanks,
susan
Recommendations received:
Berkeley Tuolumne Family Camp
Cancun, Mexico
Trinity Alps
October 2002
Now that it's getting dark very early again, I would like to find
some new activities for the evening between dinner (6:00)
and bedtime (8:00). In the summer and early fall, we took
our two-year-old for walks around the block or to run on the
local jr. high track. These activities were wonderful for
burning up that last burst of toddler energy at the end of the
day, but it's becoming too cold and dark now. What do other
families do this time of year an on into the rainy season?
Carolyn
We've been going down to our local bookstore and heading for
their childrens' section with our 18 month old daughter. She
loves being able to run around and shows no inclination to pull
things off shelves or demand things (this will change later I
know). It's also fun for us - one of us sticks to her like glue
& then the other can browse for a while, then we switch off. We
might even get our Christmas shopping done early!
KB
It's not a physical activity, so it may not fit your needs, but
we like the evening ''family'' storytimes at our branch of the
Oakland public library. Check the library website to see where
there's one near you.
nelly
Also recommended: Wee Play
Fun things to do with toddler & babies
October 2001
Hi, my sister and her family will be visiting us in a
>few weeks. Between us we'll have a 2.5 yr old and
two 6 mo. olds. Being a new mom, I'm not sure what
there is to do around here with small children,
especially in Oakland. I've seen the listings on the
UC Berkeley website, but in Oakland the listings are
few. All recommendations are appreciated.
Alice
(Editor note: click on the links below to see more recommendations.)
Check out Habitot Children's Museum,
which is geared toward younger children. It is
located at the corner of Kittridge and Shattuck, underneath Mel's Diner. You can visit
its website at www.habitot.org.
The 2.5 year old might also enjoy riding the steam trains at Tilden Park.
Pam
Lots of folks will say these I'm sure: Fairyland ...
And of course there's also the Oakland Zoo which is a perfect size for a small child ...
Karen (Oct 2001)
Fairy Land, at Lake Merritt, and the Oakland Zoo are both great places for a toddler.
They 6-month-olds will probably enjoy being outside and also seeing the animals. (The
Little Farm, Merry-go-Round, and Steam Trains at Tilden Park are also great--kids and
parents enjoy these--they are in Berkeley, not Oakland). If the weather leads you to
want to be inside, the Oakland Museum has a California natural history floor that is
full of displays of animals--also popular with many toddlers, although some find the
restrictions of being in a museum trying. If the kids like animals, the Lawrence Hall
of Science has a biology room that is open weekend afternoons. It often has portions
of exhibits that are designed for the very small, too (eg. giant foam blocks).
Cynthia
These places are fun with infants and toddlers:
Habitot in Berkeley (an indoor play area/museum for infants-age 6)
Totland in Berkeley (a community playground)
Singing at the Northbrea Community Church (Wednesdays at 10am, $3 donation, parents
and kids sit in a room and sing songs)
Fairyland in Oakland (outdoor, near Lake Merritt, animals, rides, play structures,
puppet shows, rides)
Oakland Zoo
Jenne
I recommend the Merry Go Round and the Steam Train in Tilden Park
as things that
both 6 month olds and two year olds will enjoy. Parks that have good baby swings
for the babies and climbing structures for the toddler are Thousand Oaks and Aquatic
parks in Berkeley. Baby Bounce at the Berkeley West Branch library should also be fun ...
HalfDink
I just visited the Oakland Museum w/ two toddlers and it was fun...
There's also Fairy Land at Lake Merritt which you probably already know about.
Montclair Park has a duck pond, two large climbing structures, and lots of grass to frolic on.
My favorite nice restaurant in Montclair is "Italian Colors", near the Wells Fargo bank. They have crayons for the kids w/ paper on the tables. Food is excellent
Susan
Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) now has a drop-in Little Studio for kids
2-5 and their parents....
Free Toddler Activities
We are students on a budget and I need some ideas for things that are cheap
but fun to do with a 2-year-old. Any suggestions? Carol
Suggestions received:
Downtown Berkeley Public Library toddler story time
Public Parks Dreamland, Totland, Tilden
Oakland Museum
UC Berkeley campus
Trainspotting
My mother-in-law is coming to visit us next
month. She has never been to California and wants to do some
sightseeing. I will need to being along our 20-month-old.
What can we do that is fun for both ages?
Betty
Get and Arts Card for discounts to cultural events and museums! more info
at: http://www.islco.com/yaba/artscard/
Ride a ferry from Oakland to SF; or SF to Sausalito & visit Bary Area
Discovery Museum. Children's Fairyland in Oakland is great for younger
ones and I often have seen grandparents enjoying themselves as well.
Golden Gate Park & Tilden Parks carosels are great too! Oakland & SF
zoos, beaches all around the Bay Area are great. Steam trains in Tilden
are fun too.
Have Fun!
Holliday
My one word of advice when going out and about with a toddler and a
grandparent is to not overdo it. Schedule plenty of 'down time" and see
that your little one still gets his/her naps. Sometimes a walk to the
corner for an ice cream and a few hours at the local playground are the
best activity of all. My parents, who live far away and see my kids only a
few time a year, have always loved going along on the kids 'regular'
activities, so we usually do big outings every couple of days, with quieter
activiites (park, baking cookies, crafts at home, grocery shopping) in
between. I have also found that as much as my parents love my kids, they
don't have the unlimited stamina and patience that I do (!) for being
around small children, and they need to take a break from the kids every
now and then.
Judy
Weekend Toddler Activities
There seems to be all sorts of wonderful activities to do with children
during the week. I am getting really frustrated because I work full time
and I don't have the flexibility to take time off for painting classes,
gymnastics, music etc... I would like to make a plea to those individuals
who run private businesses for these types of activities to please schedule
some time for those of us who can only come on the weekends! And if anyone
knows of a resource to find weekend classes for toddlers (with parent
participation), please let us know! Thank you.
Laura
Try swimming classes at the YMCA in downtown berkeley. BB
Boy, do I hear you on this one. However, I think that Kids in Action
gymnastics on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland has Saturday classes, and there
are also some Kindermusik offerings on Saturdays (albeit limited).
Habitot does not offer classes, but it does offer the opportunity to
make art. There are also places to go like Little Farm and the Zoo that
we find very enjoyable on the weekend. Wendy
Hilltop YMCA in Richmond has a parent child swim class on Saturdays. When
your child turns 3 he/she can participate in the regular swim classes- also
available on Saturdays. My sons love the swim classes.
Ellen
The Berkeley Y has baby gymnastics and various swimming with your child
activities -- some that are independent and some that are classes. I've
tried the parent-child swim class and we really liked it. The main library
has baby bounce which is a story/singing time, and so does the Claremont
branch. For kids that are a little older, East Bay Regional Parks has
nature activities in Tilden near the little farm. Carol
Gymboree on College Avenue in Rockridge has classes on Saturday morning for
kids up to three. The spring 2000 session starts April 10. They also have a
Wednesday evening class for kids 14-28 months. The Berkeley YMCA has
parent-child swimming classes on Saturday mornings for kids up to three
that are fun, too.
Linda
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