Fun Stuff for Bay Area Kids

Free and Low Cost Summer Movies 2011

2011-06-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like every year now, the movie theaters change the way they run their free/low cost summer movie programs. This year AMC theaters has discontinued their $1 summer moviecamp all together. Also, of the theater chains that have cheap summer movie offerings, not all individual theaters participate. So check the links below to find out if your local theater is included in the program. Not to worry though. There are still a lot of other theaters offering summer deals on second run movies. It can be a nice way to get out of the heat and have a little down time with the kids.

From comparing programs, I've noticed that all the movie theaters offer their free or $1 summer kid movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, starting this week. The links below will take you to the theater websites, where you can see the list of scheduled summertime movies. The chains that are still running programs are:

Regal Theaters Summer Movie Express offers Movies for $1 at their Fairfield and Dublin theaters.

Brenden Theaters in Vacaville Has movies for $0.99 with courtesy popcorn and drink for the leftover penny. The Concord Brenden Theater also has movies for $0.99, and a special concession pack offered at $3.00

Century Theater's Summer Movie Clubhouse offers a similar program to last year with $1.00 movies, or prepay for all 10 summer movies for $5.00

It is also worth checking your local parks and recreation guide. Some communities will screen older movies outdoors in a park for free, and they can be a lot of fun to attend.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek

2011-04-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum is a true treasure of the East Bay. Not only is it a fun place to see some local wildlife with your family, but they also provide a wonderful public service through their attached wildlife rehabilitation hospital.

We have visited the Lindsay Wildlife Museum many times over the years. Even though not much changes from one visit to the next, the kids and I always have a great time. It is a small museum. You won't need a full day to explore everything, a couple of hours should be plenty of time. There are various live species of native wildlife on display: raptors, reptiles, mammals, and more. They also have some stuffed specimens of the larger animals, like mountain lions, bears, and deer, that would be impractical to house in a smaller place like this. They also have some common small pets, like hamsters, that occasionally come out for petting in a corner of the museum dedicated to educating kids about choosing and caring for a pet.

Some of the wild animals also come out of their enclosures and can be touched. While one is not available at all times, I don't think we've ever visited Lindsay Wildlife Museum when we didn't get to pet a snake or other wild creature at some point while we were there.

In addition to the wildlife displays, there is also a 'Discovery Room' aimed at younger children with wildlife-themed puzzles and toys available to play with. I've found this space to be often disorginized, but my kids have never seemed to mind the occasional missing puzzle piece, and always have a fun time.

Make sure to check the Wildlife Museum's website before planning your trip. Their open hours vary depending on the day of the week. They frequently host school groups, and offer their own classes, and may not open until later in the afternoon on some days.

My daughter took a drawing class recently at the museum, and produced some great drawings. We would love to take more classes, but the cost can be a bit much for us to go on a regular basis. However, I have several friends who have children that attended many of the different classes offered. All of them have only positive, rave reviews about their teaches and their classes.

The wildlife hospital is attached to the same building as the wildlife museum, but has a separate entrance and you cannot get to the hospital from the inside of the museum. The entrance is on the opposite side of the building than the main museum entrance. If you have an injured animal, you would want to drive past the main parking area, to the next driveway, and there you will find the entrance to the wildlife hospital. To my knowledge, tours are not permitted inside the hospital to allow the injured and recovering wildlife as much peace as possible. Teens over 18 years old can volunteer to work in the hospital if they have a passion for helping animals.

If you follow the pathway that runs in from the the wildlife museum, you will come to a playground. This is a fabulous place to have lunch if you want to make a whole day of your visit. Or, if you want to have your kids run a little energy off before they need to be calm and quite around the animals inside.

Larwrence Hall of Science in Berkley

2010-12-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

We're big fans of science museums (as you may have been able to tell by the reviews listed here so far), but the Lawrence Hall of Science is one of our favorites. It's among the great hands-on science centers of the Bay Area. It's also a little less expensive than many of the other big science museums, right now running at $6.00 to $9.00 for kids and $12.00 for adults, kids under 3 are free.

One of the things we like best about the Lawrence Hall of Science is that it has generally not overwhelmingly crowded when we've visited. We may have to wait a moment to take a turn with an experiment or a table, but most of the time we don't. Usually the stations we have to ration ourselves with and share the most are the big, new ones in the main lobby. There is usually enough room to move, and take time at each science station without feeling like other as hovering around waiting for us to move.

My oldest daughter took a one-day workshop on animal adaptations that she told me she enjoyed very much. I only peeked through the window from the hall, but the group of kids all looked enthralled with the class.

Some of the exhibits change every few months or so and you can see both the current and upcoming themes on the Lawrence Hall of Science website. There are also many exhibits that stay the same all the time, so not everything will be brand new if you visit a few times a year.

The only thing I've been disappointed in was the planetarium show. It's a fairly small planetarium, so the host/speaker is very accessible for asking questions of, which is nice, but the shows we've seen have been underwhelming. One of the shows we watched was projected with a regular projector as a traditional rectangular screen, which made viewing very difficult for anyone sitting underneath it in the circular room. It seem to be a waste of a domed planetarium to me. On the upside, tickets are very cheap, only $4 (it isn't included in the admission cost). But if you're short on time, or unsure if you want to stop and see a show, I'd pass and stick with the other great options available at the museum.

December 2010 Fun Stuff to Do

2010-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ardenwood Historic Farms: December 4th and 5th 2010 -
This is one of my favorite new holiday traditions. Ardenwood is a historic farm in Freemont. The first weekend in December they have their Christmas festival. They celebreate in Victorian era style. They have carolers, Victorian crafts, the Patterson House is all decked out in Christmas atire, Father Christmas is there, and there is a yule log hunt, plus a lot more. It's a fun place to visit any time of year, but Christmastime is my favorite. Dress warm, since it's an outdoor event.

Crockett's Winder Block Party: December 4th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm -
I've never been to this event, but it sounds like a ton of fun: " Amble down one of Crockett's most historic blocks through the Crockett Library, Crockett Historical Museum, East Bay NTRAK Model RR, and Carquinez Women's Clubs' "Old Homestead". Enjoy: caroling, Christmas stories, crafts, Betty Buttons the Clown with her balloon animals and hats, Don O'Brien and the "Extreme Science Magic Show".
Refreshments provided. FREE!"

Tilden Nature Area Family Restoration Day (Berkley): December 12th -
"Join other families who care about the environment on this action-oriented program. Learn about nature's interrelationships and help remove invasive plants. Make a difference while having fun! Rain cancels. This is a drop in program; no registration is required. For information, call (510) 544-2233. "

Dickens Christmas Fair, San Francisco: Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 2010; 11:00am - 7:00 pm -
I've never been to this either, but every review I've read, and everyone I've talked to that has gone enjoyed it. It's a little more pricey than some of the other things on this list, but if you love this time period, you'll probably find it worthwhile.

Holiday Frolic and Snow Park, Martinez: Dec 3rd, 4th, and 5th -
They have snow to play in! How much better can it get than that? (Okay, they have some other fun activities and crafts too) There is a small charge for the snow play and sledding, but most of the events are free here, including a tree lighting and a holiday light parade.

Dunsmuir Historic Estate, Oakland:
I've had some trouble finding specifics for this, such as what dates the Christmas events go on, but several friends say this is a really fun place to visit, so I'm going to list it. If anyone visits, or knows more, please feel free to comment and share!

Local libraries all over the Bay Area are doing tons of fun December activities for families and kids. Check out your local county library's website to see what the branches near you are up to.

Free and Low Cost Summer Movies

2010-06-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

While it's great to get outside and play in the summertime, sometime kids (and parents) need a little down time. A great way to get out of the heat and still have fun is to see a movie. Some local theaters around the Bay Area offer free summer movies, or very low cost movies.

Regal Theaters have many locations and off free G and PG second run movies on Tuesday and Wednesdays. To see if there is a participating theater near you, you can visit their Free Family Film Festival schedule web-page. Not all Regal theaters are participating this year, including some that have participated in the past.

AMC Theaters have a similar program with movies for $1.00. For their list of participating theaters and the movies they will be showing, their Summer MovieCamp website is here.

Cinemark (Century Theaters) also have $1.00 movies for kids this summer. If you plan to attend most of the shows, they also offer a prepaid 10 week Summer Movie Clubhouse card for $5.00.

Summer Reading Programs around the Bay Area

2010-06-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

My kids and I have participated in Summer Reading Programs since they could toddle into the library (actually, maybe even before that). They love filling out the little forms, and collecting their prizes. Every county library in the bay area has a Summer Reading Program for kids, most of them begin today, June 14th. Some local bookstores also have reading programs, and kids can earn free books.
For more information on the library programs, here are the county library websites:

Alameda
Contra Costa
Marin
Napa
San Francisco
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Solano
Sonoma

Half Priced books, that has several locations around the Bay Area offers a Summer reading program as well. Kids can earn a $3.00 store credit each week for reading 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You can read more, and print out the reading log at the Half Priced Books website.

Boarders Books, requires kids to read 10 books over the course of the summer, and they can earn one free book from a preselected list. To see the reward book choices and print a log form, check out the Boarders website.

We are also fortunate in the Bay Area to still have some smaller, independent bookstores. I don't know if any offer summer reading programs, but many sell used or hard-to-find books, and are just great places. Here is an independent bookstore finder, so you can see what shops are in your area.

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito

2010-06-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

We attended a group tour and class at the Marine Mammal Center recently. Now, my kids don’t need a lot of help getting excited about anything to do with animals, but every kids in our group was enthusiastic about seals and sea lions by the end of our visit. Our group ranged in age from infant to around 8 years old. Our tour guide provided a lot on hands-on activities for the group along the way. Along the tour, the kids got to use the rescue boards and poles, and a carrying cage to stage a mock rescue of a plush Harbor Seal toy, they got to try out the equipment used in tube feeding young marine mammals, and at the end, they at last got to view some animals being fed from a quite viewing platform.

The class involved watching short video clips, learning to identify the different types of marine mammals that live in the local area, pretended to examine, collect samples from, and feed another plush seal, and ouch some preserved skins and skulls. The very smallest of our group, the 3-year-olds, and smaller generally lost interest in the ‘class’ structure and were soon climbing on chairs or otherwise not paying attention, but all the other children were very focused and interested.

Our tour guide was also our class teacher, and did a great job of getting the kids involved, and never once spoke down to them. She did a nice job of making sure most kids who wanted to vouluneer for a demonstration got picked to be involved at least once.

I was impressed that for a place that relies so heavily on volunteer labor, it was an extremely clean, well run center. They can really do amazing, and sometimes very difficult work on what must be very limited funds. While our group was young, our teacher guide explained that kids can become Marine Mammal Center volunteers at 14 years of age if that’s something they’re interested in.

You don’t need to be part of a group to visit the Marine Mammal Center. They are open 10 to 5 everyday except for major holidays, and admission is free (but I’m sure a donation would be greatly appreciated). If you visit their website, you can see what species are likely to be there at various times of year, learn how to schedule a tour, and a lot of other great information about local marine mammals.

If you decided to visit the Marine Mammal Center, make sure to carefully read the driving directions. It’s located far along a narrow, windy road that made me a little nervous at times that I wasn’t going the right way. The only other recommendation I have, is that if you can, leave yourself a little extra time to visit the nearby beaches. Sausalito is truly beautiful place, and worth hanging out and relaxing in if you get the chance.

April 2010 Events

2010-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

April 15th 4:00pm to 4:45pm
Magician Dan Chan at the Bay Point Library

April 17th
As a UC Davis graduate, one of my favorite events of the spring is Picnic Day on the Davis campus. It's a very fun, very family-friendly event, and if you've ever thought about visiting the UC Davis campus, this would be a great time to go have a look around. I'm not going to try to list all the activities that are held on Picnic Day, because I would surely miss many anyway. Instead, here is the website for further information: http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/

11:00 am
Pet Parade at the Rio Vist Library

October 2009 events for Bay Area Families

2009-09-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

October 3rd -
Lambtown USA From 9 am to 7 pm at the Dixon Fairgrounds in Dixon California. We have attended this event many times in the past, and always had a great time. If you're into knitting or crochet, you'll love it that much more. Some of our favorite things to do at the Lambstown festival include: watching the sheep to shawl competition (teams compete to sheer, spin, and weave a shall), the sheepdog trials, petting sheep, llamas, rabbits, and other fiber producing animals, and browsing through the vendor building. We've never taken any of the classes they offer there, but they look like fun. Maybe someday. . . In the past, it has been free to attend. This year one page on the Lambtown USA website says it's still free, but a $1.00 donation is recommended, another page says admission will cost $1.00 for adults, and it will be free for kids under 12 years old. I guess, take a buck with you, just in case.

September Things to Do

2009-09-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

September 26th and 27th

- Kidsfair at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. We've attended this annual event several times and always have a great time. There are lots of shows and entertainment, craft booths, costumed characters, and all that great stuff. It runs both days from 10 am to 5 pm. Cost is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids from 2 to 12, and you can also print out a coupon for $1.00 off kid's admission from the kidsfair website: http://www.thekidsfaire.com/ . They have schedules of shows and other useful info there too.

August Events for Bay Area Families

2009-08-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

In addition to my reviews of museums, parks, and other fun places for kids and families, I want to start adding a calender of family friendly events around the Bay area.

Some of the funnest stuff we do are one or two day events. I've wanted to include these types of events in this blog for awhile now, but didn't see a good way to do it. After all, if I write a review to an event we've attended, by the time I'm home to post that review, it's over - and does you guys no good at all. So, the downside to this is that I won't be able to personally endorse any of these events. If it's an annual event, and we've attended in the past, I'll be sure to share my experiences, but a lot of these event listings will be for things I've never been to before. I'll try to provide as much information as I can.

These posts will be updated as I learn of more events too, so check back often. This will not be a complete list ever, and could have new events posted daily if I find new ones that often.

So, for the month of August 2009, here's some neat stuff I've learned about so far:

Regal Theaters Free Family Film Festival
This has been going on all summer. Each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Regal theaters offer 2 free family movies. One G rated movie, and one PG. They are older, second run movies, but they're free! They play at 10 am. The week of Aug 11th, 12, and 13th are the last showings for the summer. Click the link above to find out what movies your local regal theater offers, because they aren't all the same.

Aug. 8th
Campfire sing-a-long at the El Sobrante Library 2:00 pm.

JFK Library in Vallejo Puppet Art Theater: The Tale of the Dragon's Tail at 2:00 pm.

California Academy of Sciences

2009-03-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

The California Academy of Sciences is such a wonderful place; it's really hard to say anything negative about it. However, on our first visit there since the museum re-opened, we all agreed that it wasn't what we'd been expecting.

We expected a lot of extinct animal bones and dioramas. There were a few of these around, but only a very few. Live animals have replaced most of the bones. I see now why they no longer call it the Museum of Natural History. The focus is much more on current events, and less on history. There is a large section devoted to global warming, for example. Although maybe calling it the California Academy of Biological Sciences, or Natural Sciences would be more accurate. Biology, Zoology, Evolution, and other such sciences are well represented, but not so much Physics or other sciences.

It was a little too much information for our kids, since they're so small, but they were also free to get in, so that's fair. In a few years, they could really get a lot out of a visit. As it was, they really loved the aquarium especially, and we had trouble dragging them away from a few tanks.

We spent a little bit of time in the "Explorer Cove" that is a special area just for kids under 6 years old. There are some puzzles, but there isn't much 'exploring' to be done there. It's really just a dedicated play area. The kids loved it in there, playing with stuffed animals, and climbing around, but I may have skipped it for other exhibits if I'd know there weren't any kid displays inside. Or at least saved it for when we needed a break. We made the mistake of heading there first.

We almost skipped a visit into the Rainforest because the line looked intimidating. I'm glad we decided to go anyway. It looked like a long wait, but the staff does a great job of keeping the line moving quickly. Traveling through the rainforest layers, while butterflies flutter past your head is well worth the trouble to get inside.

I was not quite prepared for the crowds. We visited on a Sunday, and the place was packed. Wall to wall. If you aren't a fan of crowds, you may want to try visit on a weekday, although I hear that it gets crowded then too, but I imagine it must be better, right?

One other mistake we made, was waiting until we'd browsed around awhile before asking about the planetarium show. By then all the tickets for the day were gone. So be warned: if you want to see the show, go early, and ask for tickets as soon as you're in the door. If anyone reading this has seen the show, let me know what you thought of it in the comment section, okay?

CPSIA - The Comsumer Product Safety Improvement Act

2009-01-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

This post may be slightly off topic for this blog, but it's an issue that affects all children, and therefore all parents in the US, and I don't feel it has gotten the media attention it deserves.

In response to all the toy recalls for lead paint in 2007, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (aka, the CPSIA). It requires all children’s products (defined as any product designed, marketed toward, or appealing to those 12 and under) be tested by a 3rd party lab for lead and phalates (that bad stuff that softens plastics.) It all sounds well and good. None of us want harmful substances in our kids toys. But there are problems with this law. Big problems that have gotten surprisingly little press so far.

There are some really good blogs about the problems from those in the children’s toys and apparel industry, but I’m going to share a couple links to a more impartial source, Forbes.com. They do an excellent job of explaining how a good idea went so wrong: http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/22/cpsia-waxman-cpsc-oped-cx_wo_0122olson.html
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

While the CPSIA is a direct reaction to recalled imported toys (that were breaking already existing lead paint laws I might add), it does not only regulate imported toys. It regulates ALL children’s products. Clothes, books, science kits, toys, art supplies, bibs, quilts, hand-knitted booties, etc., etc. Many smaller manufactures cannot afford the testing costs of hundreds to thousands of dollars per item. Even if the items are made from supplies that have already been tested and certified lead-free, this law requires that the finished product be retested again at additional expense. You can bet that those manufactures that can afford to comply at all will be raising prices to cover these redundant testing expenses.

The scope of the CPSIA even covers libraries and thrift shops. Children’s books may be disappearing from the library. We may soon not be able to donate or buy used kid clothes and toys to Goodwill. If you think I’m overreacting, visit the American Library Association website. The country’s librarians are not happy: http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?cat=4

I urge everyone to read the Forbes articles to better understand these issues. Then please write to your representatives and ask for common sense changes that will allow our children to be safe without destroying American companies that have always been consciencence about their products.

Explorit Science Center in Davis California

2009-01-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

Davis may be pushing the boundaries of what can technically be called the "Bay Area", but the Explorit Science Center is such a neat little place, I just have to include it here. Also, biased on the tiny crowd the day we visited, it may also be a well-kept secret. More people need to know about this little treasure.

While much smaller than other science Museums like San Francisco's Exploritorium, or even the Laurence Hall of Science in Berkley, the Explorit Science Center is still well worth a visit. Everything there is very hands-on and kid friendly.

Some are quickie experiments, and others require more thoughtfulness and you may want to take your time to really get the most of them. For example, there was a fun station that included a large fan and a variety of items to put above the fan to see how each item behaved as it was blown up into the air. You can imagine how much fun kids have with that! Then another station that we spent quite a long time at was a bridge building experiment. All kids of building materials are provided: blocks, K'nex, and many more. Children (and grown-ups) use these to build small bridges that they can then test out with different weights provided. There are really too many exhibits to mention, and they also rotate through different themes. The "Move It" exhibit was going on when we visited, which was about exploring motion. You can visit the Explorit Science Center website to get the most current program information.

Another great thing about Explorit is that they offer free admission every 4th Sunday of the month. We went on one such free day, and even with free admission, there was plenty of space for us to take out time at each station. I'd expected bigger crowds. Now that we've been once, I know it would be well worth the small $4.00 admission charge to go back on another day. (Children 3 and under are always free.)

Explorit Science Center also offers group and school programs, and you can find information about these on their website. The main Explorit museum is located at 2801 2nd Street, Davis, California.

The Best Printable Halloween Coloring Pages and Activities

2008-10-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote an article on Associated Content while back about Halloween coloring pages. After looking for good Halloween themed coloring pages, and mazes, and dot-to-dots, I found that most of the high Google ranked pages were disappointing as far as quality pictures and puzzles were concerned.

So I dug deeper.

I put all the best websites I found for printable Halloween activities and coloring pages together so you can find great pages without spending so much time trolling through the rest of the garbage that's out there:

Great Printable Halloween Coloring Pages

Our Favorite Books for Learning About Maps

2008-09-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy my daughter didn't inherit my lousy sense of direction. In fact, she adores maps and globes. We have a few books that she will sit and study and red for large chunks of time. I wanted to share them with anyone who also has a map loving, or learning kid in their home.

Besides these books, our globe gets a lot of use. I've seen fancy ones, and plain ones, ones with cute little pictures on them, and ones that just show the land with almost no markings, my child loves them all. I don't know if it matters how fancy your globe is, ours is fairly dull, but it shows the oceans, the continents, and it spins, and that seems to be enough for us so far.

Also, if you know of a great book for kids to learn about the world, or about maps, please share it in the comment section. I have a feeling we will always love maps in this household.

Usborne Children's Picture Atlas by Ruth Brocklehurst, and Doriana Berkovic, Illustrated by Linda Edwards

The Usborne Children's Picture Atlas is a great book for map lovers. It begins with some general information about the different regions and climates around the world. Then there is a map of the world, and individual maps of each continent.

The continent maps have little pictures depicting some of the wildlife that's native to an area, and noteworthy landmarks. There is also a small picture in the corner to show where each continent is on the globe, to put it all into perspective.

This is a book for younger children, and is probably too simple for high school kids. Usborne advertises it for ages 9 to 12, but it is a favorite book of my 4 year old too. Granted, she can't read it, so I have to do that for her, but she loves to see where the animals live, and study the other pictures.

Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton and Illustrated by Harriett Barton

This is a nice introduction to how maps and globes work. It starts with a little history of the use of maps, and then goes into the different types of maps and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Again, the publisher puts this in the 9 to 12 year old age range, but I think it could be used earlier. My daughter doesn't really understand all of it, so 4 is probably too young if you want a full understanding, but I know she'll be ready well before 9.

Rand McNally Kid's U.S. Road Atlas

This is a state-by-state road map of the United States. There is one state per page, so it isn't going to be useful for day to day driving around your city, it just doesn't get to that level of detail, but the major state highways are there, as well as rivers, and other big landmarks.

It is fun to use to talk about where out of state family lives, or if you take a big road trip, or know people in another city.

Happy Frog Bouncehouse and Party Place

2008-09-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

Vallejo, California, has a new attraction for kids: a bounce house, play area called Happy Frog, located downtown at 415 Georgia St. They offer the usual selection of birthday party packages, and also an open jump time during the week, but on the other weekdays, Happy frog offers unlimited jumping for $5.00 per child from 10:30 to 6 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thursday is Toddler Day from 10 to 2, then open jumping from 2 to 6. They are closed on Tuesdays. Happy Frog offers birthday party packages on weekends. The $5.00 price tag for the unlimited jumping is nice compared to per-hour charges at other similar venues.

Read the Full Review: Review: Happy Frog Indoor Play and Party Zone

The Elephant in the Blog

2008-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Why there won't ever be a review of Vallejo's Discovery Kingdom here.

Despite the fact that I live in Vallejo, and am a well-known animal fan, I won't be reviewing Discovery Kingdom in this blog. Since it seems a natural fit here, I thought I'd just post a quick explanation (although maybe no one cares or would have noticed the omission.)

I worked at Discovery Kingdom, then known as Marine World Africa USA, many years ago. I was there when Six Flags took the park over. I survived the transition, but everything I loved about Marine World didn't.

We used to be a non-profit, and had endangered animal breeding programs, dolphin communication research, and a lot of other wonderful programs. But we were going bankrupt. Six Flag came in with money to keep the park going, but took away a lot of what, in my opinion, made Marine World special. I guess it just bothers me that it wasn't good enough as a wildlife park, it had to be turned into an amusement park, with all the rides and flash that go with it in order to survive.

A lot of other behind the scenes changes happened that I won't bore you with, but it was enough that I decided to move on. I've been back to Discovery Kingdom recently; my family talked me into taking our kids there, but I just can't write an objective review. I can't see it only for what it is today because my view will always be colored by what it used to be. What it used to be to me.

Resources for Babies Everywhere

2008-07-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have a few articles I wrote over at Associated Content that are on subjects that are important to me: the environment, the wonders of handmade stuff, and babies.

The first is about various Earth-Friendly diapering options. It's called Earth Friendly Diapers: Simplifying the Options for Environmental Diapering. While researching it I became interested in all the disposable options that claim to be better for the environment. I'm doing deeper research into them, and will let you know when I get another follow up piece finished.

The second is about buying custom made personalized diaper bags. I love Etsy for buying handmade items directly from the makers. Most of the sellers there are very nice, and eager to work at creating something super special for you. Here's the article: Have Your Personalized Diaper Bag Made at Etsy

Online Printable Potty Training Success Charts.

2008-07-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

A common idea I have seen in just about every parenting and potty training book or article I've ever read is the use of a potty training reward chart. Potty training success charts are simple, there's really not much to them. When the child uses the potty, they get a check mark, or a sticker on their chart. After enough stickers are earned they get a pre-determined award. It's just a little goal to work toward while potty training.

I recently wrote an article about My Favorite Sties for Printable Potty Training Success Charts with reviews of a few charts if you don't feel like making your own. All the site in the article offer free toilet training charts.

Children's Wonderland Park in Vallejo

2008-06-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Children's Wonderland Park is one of our favorite playgrounds to visit here in Vallejo. In fact, it's going on my top 5 playgrounds in Vallejo and Benicia list. It's full of fun stuff, clean, and safe. The downside is that it has a small admission fee (currently $2.00 per person over 2 years old). They do also have other fun activities scheduled from time to time that they don't charge any extra for. I definitely recommend a visit to Children's Wonderland.

For more details about where the playground is, and events, click here.

4th of July Events in Vallejo

2008-06-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Vallejo has some of the best Fourth of July Day Events in the North Bay. Beyond the usual fireworks displays, we have a huge parade, the rubber ducky derby, and a festival on the waterfront.

There is a lot for kids and families to enjoy together. The Ducky Derby is especially a huge local favorite.

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The Oakland Zoo

2008-05-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the best stuff on your visit to the Oakland Zoo!

The Oakland Zoo is located on Golf Links Road just off of 580 in Oakland, California. The zoo is open every day from 10:00 to 4:00, and only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. There's a children's ride area right out front as well. The ride area opens at 11:00. Children under 2 years old get into the zoo for free, and children 2 to 14, as well as seniors over 55 receive a discounted price. Current admission prices are listed on the zoo's website at http://www.oaklandzoo.org/. There is also a small parking fee.

The Oakland Zoo is probably our family's favorite Bay Area zoo. We've been members for several years. It is easy to get to, with plenty of parking. It's large enough to fill up a whole day, but not so huge that we need to rush to see everything we want. Most of the animal exhibits are well designed, updated, and maintained. The animals generally appear active and content whenever we visit.

Read the full review here.

The Habitot Children's Museum

2008-05-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Habitot Children's Museum is an indoor play area for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. It features an art room, a play store/restaurant, a water play area, wiggle wall (a tunnel that kids can crawl and climb through), a baby play area, a short riding toy space, and an area for a changing exhibit - currently, a recycling center.

The cost to get into Habitot is $7.00 for children, and $6.00 for adults. Multiuse passes are also available. They offer occasional free entry days or evenings. We visited on such an evening. Their website lists free entry days for January of 2008, but we visited much later than that. It may be worth a call to ask about upcoming free admission days before scheduling your visit. The phone number is 510-647-1111. We had a good time, but if I'd paid $20.00 for my two children and I to get in, I would have been disappointed.

Habitot Children's Museum is located at 2065 Kittredge Street at Shattuck Drive in Berkeley near the Berkeley BART station. Street parking is available, but tricky to find. There's a parking garage across the street, which is convenient, but adds to the cost of a visit.

Read the full review here.

Printable Connect the Dot Puzzles

2008-04-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

A Fun Way to Help Kids Learn Numbers and Letters

Dot-to-dot puzzles are a great way for children to learn number recognition and improve their pencil use. Finding great connect the dots to print from home can be trickier than finding coloring pages, but there are some wonderful resources available online. Printable online connect the dot games are also available from many popular Nick Jr., Disney, and PBS kid shows. This guide will help you find the best printable dot-to-dots for your child's learning level.

One of the great things about dot-to-dot puzzles is that they come in a variety of levels of difficulty. Children can start with very simple puzzles that only include the numbers 1 to 5, or 1 to 10, and gradually move up to more complicated pictures with as many as 100 dots. Some add an extra level of challenge by counting by 2s or 5s. Dot-to-dots also come in upper and lower case alphabet variations to help with learning letters.

I have a four year old with an insatiable appetite for dot-to-dots. From my experience, these are:

The Best Websites for Printable Connect the Dot Games

ABCteach.com

This website has a nice variety of connect the dot games of various levels of difficulty: from 1 to 5, 1 to 10, to 30, 40 or 50. They also have some that count by 5s, or use the alphabet. It is also the only site I've discovered that have spelling dot to dots. The child connects one letter to the next in order to spell a simple word. While my child isn't ready for these yet, I know she'll enjoy then when she's ready.

The printout doesn't quite fill the whole page, but the numbers are still clear and easy to read and follow, even for young children.

Printactivities.com

This site provides a nice long list of dot-to-dots, including many seasonal and holiday themed ones. Most are more advanced games that go to higher numbers. There are a few that stop in the 20s, but there are no simpler ones for children who are still beginners with their numbers. Alphabet versions are also available.

A word of warning about this site: there is an annoying audio ad that plays when you enter the site, so keep that in mind if you click in from work or someplace public.

Coloring.ws

There is a large selection of printable ABC dot-to-dot puzzles in both upper and lower case letters available here. There are also number dot to dots from a complexity of 1 to 9 up to 1 to 45. Two games are available that count by 2s.

These pages print out the best, with games that fill a whole page and nice, big numbers.

Nick Jr., Playhouse Disney, and PBS Kids

If your child has a favorite character, or show, finding character themed connect the dot games may provide an extra level of motivation to them to learn those numbers. These sites do have dot-to-dot puzzles, but don't make it all that easy to find them. The quality of the pictures and the printing, however, is far superior to any of the other sites mentioned. Also, these sites are updated often. If a favorite character isn't mentioned here, just wait awhile; new printable pages will become available from time to time.

Nick Jr. conveniently has all their pintables in one place: http://www.nickjr.com/printables/index.jhtml. Under 'Learning', and then 'Numbers and Counting' there are connect the dots for Dora, Go Diego Go, Wubbzy, and Wonder Pets.

Playhouse Disney also has a page just for their pintables:
http://atv.disney.go.com/playhouse/printables/index.html. There are 15 shows listed, and by clicking each one you can see thumbnails of the available pages. Currently available are Charlie and Lola, and Mickey (It's a picture of Daisy Duck).

As for PBS Kids, right now they only have printable connect the dot games for Clifford: http://pbskids.org/clifford/printables/index-sub03.html. There is an online Dragon Tales themed dot-to-dot game that can be played by clicking on the numbers in the right order. However, your child won't get any practice using a pencil with this method if that's one of your goals.

Sonoma Traintown Railroad

2008-04-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Sonoma Traintown Railroad Park is a little scale model railroad world. Located in the city of Sonoma on Broadway, between Napa Road and MacArthur Street. It is a family attraction that is sure to thrill any small train enthusiast. In addition to the train, there are old-fashioned carnival rides, a few train displays, snack bar and gift shop. The cost to ride the train is $4.25 for anyone over 15 months of age. Those under 15 months are free. The carnival rides require tickets (many require two) that run $1.25 each or 10 for $10.00.

The main attraction is a train ride aboard the small Traintown rail line. The cars are open with low bench seats. The ride lasts for twenty minutes and only one train runs at a time. Sonoma Traintown has several small train engine replicas that take turns pulling the train. The miniaturization doesn't end with the engine and cars. Scaled down tunnels, trestles, buildings and figures appear all along the train tracks.

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What Will Be Here

2008-04-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello.
The California Bay Area is full of really wonderful attractions and places for both adults and kids. As a new mom, I was always on the lookout for things to do with my toddler, but sometimes it was hard to tell just from a website what ages an activity was best for. We ended up spending money for admission to attractions that were too advanced, too dull, or otherwise not what we'd hoped.

On the flip side, we learned about some really wonderful and fun activities for our kids by talking to other moms. It seems there are some great secret spots for kids hidden around the bay area. I would have loved a guide that gave me honest reviews of various attractions and what ages of kids would best enjoy them.

I'm not an authority on every single thing for kids to do in the bay, but we've visited many places, and continue to do so. I hope my lists and reviews help you and your children find something fun to do together.