Summer Spots for Kids: SF Bay Area

The following is a list about indoor, outdoor, trails, and kid-friendly restaurants in the Bay Area. It is not exhaustive, so feel welcome to add comments about places you recommend.  

Written in collaboration with:

Rachel Teichman ~ Tots and Plans & OOGIAH, www.totsandplans.com & www.oogiah.com

Lillian Berman ~ Kid Friendly SF, www.kidfriendlysf.com

Jessica Hahn-Taylor ~ Hill Babies SF, www.hillbabiessf.blogspot.com

Photo Credit: Conservatory of Flowers

SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco Indoors

Aquarium of the Bay: Kids can see underwater & visit the new otter exhibit.

Conservatory of Flowers, GGP: Wonderful permanent & temporary themed flower displays.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Children’s author exhibits and crafts projects some days.

The Creativity Museum: Technical arts experiences from music to animation. Carousel too.

Exploratorium: A hands-on way to learn about all things science in a great new location.

House of Air: Kids can jump and bounce indoors!

The Randall Museum: Animals to see and a little treehouse structure to climb. Classes too.

Recess Urban Recreation: Lots of space for free play, & classes including art & languages.

Japan Center: It’s great to visit to Japantown in any weather, but on foggy and rainy days, a visit to Japan Center is a splendid cultural experience!

San Francisco Outdoors

Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, GGP. Discover your & your child’s inner botanist.

Crissy Field: Converted from military use to a waterfront park with a marsh, meadow & promenade. Kids can run & fly kites on the beach. Crissy Field Center has programs for kids.

Japanese Tea Garden, GGP: Authentic Japanese garden with bridges to climb and tea to try.

Park Chalet, GGP: This eatery & brewery has an outdoor space for their food and/or your own. Outdoor music & events. Make sure to visit the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden too.

China Beach: This private feeling beach, tucked away in the Sea Cliff neighborhood is perfect for kids. Pack lightly though, you’ll need to walk down a long staircase.

South Beach Harbor: Nice toddler playground along the Embarcadero, grassy area great for dogs, marina view, new building open to public for party rentals and Java House Restaurant.

San Francisco Trails

Bayview Hill: 360-degree views; rare native plants; historic WPA staircases; stroller friendly

Fort Funston: Sunset Trail (0.75 mile; stroller friendly) & Low Tide Loop Trail ( 2+ mile, beach access). A favorite of dog owners. 200 foot high sandy bluffs, view hang-gliders.

Lands End: Impressive views of the Bay and shipwrecks, cypress trees & wildflowers.

McLaren Park: 2nd largest park in SF; dog friendly; 2.7 mile Philosopher’s Way; Louis Sutter Playground and duck pond; stone spiral at the summit of a hill; rope swing

Mt. Davidson: A short hike to the top of this mountain will give you an impressive view of the whole city. Highest point in SF.

Corona Heights: Hike up this mini mountain near Randall Museum & see a panoramic view of the city.

San Francisco Kid Friendly Restaurants:

Shulzies Bread Pudding in Hayes Valley: http://www.schulziesbreadpudding.com/

Green Chile Kitchen in NOPA

Delancey’s on the Embarcadero near South Beach

Noodle places in Japantown and Japan Center: Some favorites are Suzu, Mifune, and Benihana

Park Chalet at Ocean Beach & GGP

Boogaloo’s in the Mission

Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack in the Mission/Bernal

Pacific Catch in Inner Sunset, Marina and Marin

Dragon Well in the Marina

Super Duper in the Castro, Marina, Downtown, Mill Valley

La Paz Restaurant Pupuseria in the Mission

El Toreador in West Portal

Photo credit: Children's Fairyland

THE EAST BAY

East Bay Indoors

Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Fairyland and Freight & Salvage, Berkeley: Children’s theatre based on favorite books. The Cat in the Hat will be playing live at Fairyland this summer.

The Bladium, Alameda: Soccer, baseball and basketball classes, camps & nights out.

Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland: Real rockets ships and educational playroom, along with a planetarium/movie theatre.

Habitot, Berkeley: Kids can take part in all kinds of make believe, educational play and art.

Junior Center of Art & Science, Oakland: Exhibits and events teach about science, art & history.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek: Kids can see animals & learn about rehabilitation.

MoCHA, Oakland: Themed art projects for kids to try out and get creative and messy.

Oakland Libraries: Summer evening events with performances & projects.

OMCA, Oakland: Exhibits, family Friday nights out & Gallery of California Natural Sciences.

Play Cafe, Oakland: Ball pit, dress-up, kitchen & baby play areas. Lots of food & seating.

Sticky Art Lab, Berkeley: Wall full of discarded household items waiting to be transformed.

Studio Grow, Berkeley & Danville: Crafting, playing, climbing, story, song & parachute time.

East Bay Outdoors

Adventure Playground, Berkeley: Kids can explore and build with discarded building supplies.

Alameda Beaches: Alameda feels like a vacation spot with its beaches & shops.

Children’s Fairyland, Oakland: Charming pre-Disneyland theme park with rides, holiday events, the longest running puppet show in the U.S. & summer overnights.

Cull Canyon, Castro Valley: Clean man-made swimming hole with lifeguards & picnic area.

The Oakland Zoo: Perfect zoo for young kids. A variety of animal exhibits and carnival rides.

Pixieland Amusement Park, Concord: Vintage style amusement park with lots of rides.

Roberts Regional Recreation Area, Oakland: Redwoods, all-access play area, grass & pool.

East Bay Trails

Berkeley Marina: Paved path for biking, running and walking.

Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland: Lots of trails, along with a playground and amphitheatre.

Lafayette Reservoir: Fishing, boating, biking, skating and walking. Check daily schedule.

Lake Merritt, Oakland: Great paved path for biking, running and walking. Waterbirds.

Lake Temescal Recreation Area, Oakland: Lake, picnic areas & playgrounds.

Tilden Park, Berkeley: 2,079 acre park, 39 miles of trails, merry-go-round, Lake Anza, train ride & feeding farm animals.

Photo credit: Marin County Parks

THE NORTH BAY

North Bay Indoors

Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito: Hands-on art, science & environmental education museum. Classes, events, outdoor play spaces & performances.

The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito: Visit the center that rescues and humanely treats ill, injured, or orphaned marine mammals, and returns healthy ones to the wild. Free admission.

Playland Sausalito: Jumpy houses, indoor play area for ages 6 & under.

Play-Well Marin Activity Center, San Anselmo: Engineering & physics education through building with LEGO blocks.

North Bay Outdoors

Blackie’s Pasture, Tiburon: Sports fields, walking & biking path. Picnic areas & playground.

Brentwood Fruit Picking: A variety of farms to pick and buy fruit from seasonally.

McNears Beach, San Rafael: Fishing, swimming pool, picnic area & snack bar.

Old Downtown Windsor: Kid friendly, charming old-style downtown in the wine country. Home of the World Famous Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic that takes place one weekend each June. A must see at least once in your life!

Terra Linda Pool, San Rafael: Pool day getaway. Playground & shallow kiddie pool.

Train Town, Sonoma: Quarter scale railroad on four mile track, miniature town & petting zoo.

Safari West, Santa Rosa: Take a ride through animals living in the wild, and even camp out too. Book reservations online for visits or lodging.

Schoolhouse Canyon Park-Camping at Russian River, Guerneville: Perfect car camping under redwoods, across the street from the Russian River.

North Bay Trails

Angel Island: Island mountain in the bay, historic Immigration Station and Nike missile site; 5 mile perimeter trail; switchback trail to top of Mount Livermore

Bolinas Beach Loop: 1-mile loop through quaint downtown to beach and back; accessible during low tide

Muir Woods: Redwood forest (some trees over 600 years old); Redwood Creek watershed; 6 miles of trails, some stroller friendly

Mt. Tamalpais: 2,571’ peak, great views, 50 miles of trails, Bootjack Picnic Area, East Peak Visitor Center, Mountain Theater

Photo Credit: San Mateo County Parks

THE SOUTH BAY

South Bay Indoors

C is for Craft, Palo Alto: Drop-in time and classes for old fashioned crafting & LEGO playing.

CuriOdyssey Museum, San Mateo: Experimental wildlife center for children & families at Coyote Point.

Didalidoo, San Bruno: Indoor playspace for ages 0-4. Lots of space to climb, roll & slide.

Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo: Hands-on science exhibits & outdoor zoo with tortoises, raccoons & bobcats. A climbing area too.

Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose: Kids will learn about jobs, cultures and books while pretending.

U-Me: Open play areas for climbing, and classes all day including story time, dance and art.

South Bay Outdoors

Coyote Point Park, San Mateo: Picnics, playgrounds, bay swimming, CuriOdyssey Museum, windsurfing and boating.

Burgess Pool, Menlo Park: Sunny swimming, playground, grassy areas.

Gamble Garden, Palo Alto: Community horticulture foundation. Free entry to gardens.

Parkside Aquatic Park, San Mateo: Bay beach, boating, playground, picnic tables.

City of Pacifica: Beaches, surfing, parks, Coastside Farmer’s Market, play at Frontierland Park and other playgrounds, bowling at Sea Bowl & horseback riding at Sun Valley Equestrian.

Costanoa, Pescadero: Picnicking, spa, lodge, camping, cabins & restaurant.

Gilroy Gardens: Horticulture based, beautiful family theme park, great for young children.

South Bay Trails

Crystal Springs Regional Trail, San Mateo: 15 miles of trails, Sawyer Trail is flat and paved, reservoir views, sunny, 600 yr. old Jepson Laurel tree, Pulgas Water Temple

Mori Point, Pacifica: 32-acre wetland and coastal scrub, ocean views, beach, marsh with red-legged frogs

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, off Hwy 35: 3,000+ acres, 10.4 miles trails, excellent wildflowers, ridge location, oak trees, rolling hills, long views, headwaters for two creeks

San Bruno Mountain, Daly City: 2,378 acre park, 360-degree views, bogs, ravines, long views, unique fauna

Kid Friendly South Bay Restaurants:

Buck’s in Woodside

Falafel’s Drive-In, San Jose

Fish Market, San Mateo

Jeffery’s Hamburgers, Menlo Park

Benihana’s Burlingame

Word from the Lepidopterist

I published a short piece on the Starr King Open Space in Bay Nature magazine's most recent issue: http://baynature.org/issue/apr-jun-2013/

Starr King Open Space on Potrero Hill in San Francisco was known as "the field" when I was little girl, growing up a block away. I used to walk my dog, Poi Boy, here, and play here after school, sliding down the hills with cardboard under my butt. Many years later I learned Starr King is a great example of San Francisco's serpentine grassland habitat, which fosters rare native plants, many in bloom right about now. (I'm also leading a hike/picnic here on Sunday April 7th, click here).

Shortly after the issue of Bay Nature came out with my little article, editor Dan Rademacher forwarded me an email from Liam O'Brien, a famous lepidopterist (famous to me as I've laminated his lavishly detailed brochure on San Francisco's butterflies and hung it on my wall over a year ago). I was thrilled! Wow, the Butterfly Man?! For a burgeoning amateur naturalist (me), I think Liam is tops. 

Liam O'Brien, SFbutterfly.com

Liam said I could share his original email about my piece on Starr King, so here it is! 

Hey Guys -
Thought you should know because of my current issue of Bay Nature I set out for a piece of the city I'd never been too. Hard to imagine, but the fantastic Starr King Open Space had missed my radar. Margo Bors gloriously photography that accompanied the write-up made me jump on the 48 Quintara bus line ( how cool you guys even give directions...) Anyway, I got a little lost and had an amazingly encounter with a mammal for the first time in the city - a Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) was behind a fence. I know that's not a good sign of health ( nocturnal creature in daylight = rabies? Myth?) Anyway, positioned my iPhone 5 between the mesh and was rewarded. What a beautiful pied creature! I Prayed not to be Sprayed. Down the street at Starr King, saw my only second population of Goldfields ( Lasthenia californica ) in the city. I believe the only other place in San Francisco for this Serpentine obligate is Inspiration Point in the Presidio. Thank you, Bay Nature! Liam O'Brien
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfbutterfly.com

The Semi-Hidden Frog Habitat of Brisbane

We got an invitation to visit a place I'd never heard about--a restored frog habitat in Brisbane, that sweet town just south of San Francisco, nestled in a bayside cleft of San Bruno Mountain. 

Our new friend and naturalist extraordinaire, Paul Bouscal from San Bruno Mountain Watch, who has accompanied us on a group hike on the mountain, was rip-roaring eager to show us this "frog habitat." 

So on a blue Sunday afternoon in March, we went to see what all the hullabaloo was about, and boy were we happy we did. 

The Rendezvous Point
Paul told us to meet him at a parking lot in a suspiciously industrial part of Brisbane. As we cruised into the parking lot at 100 Cypress Lane, our car windows rolled down, we heard an intense amphibious bellowing. Somewhere amongst the enormous warehouses and tell-tale arroyo willows there were hundreds of frogs. The kids were thrilled! We were thrilled! This certainly was something to get excited about. We parked and saw that a creek that is the remnant of a freshwater marsh fed by seeps ran alongside the parking lot. And it was full of frogs!

The Frogs 
Pacific Chorus Frogs, also known as Pacific Tree Frogs (Pseudacris regilla) can be found from Canada to Mexico along the West Coast, and if you live in San Francisco or nearby, you can find a whole bunch of them in Brisbane. They range from brown to green, and the size we most commonly saw was equivalent to a phalange of my finger.  

What Was and Is--Flora and Fauna


This riparian habitat is part of restoration project spearheaded four years ago by a fellow named Jim McKissock, his volunteer group, EarthCare, and assistance from San Bruno Mountain Watch. Just a year ago the water in some areas was anaerobic and full of mosquitos, but now the critters include frogs, tadpoles, and water striders galore. 

Volunteers have removed Pampas grass, ivy, acacia, fennel, privets, and pines in order to bring back rushes, cat tails, tule, water ferns, and more. Anise swallowtail butterflies showed up on the water parsley, and other blooming plants include clarkia, ceanothus, lupine, sticky monkey flower, yarrow, evening primrose, yampa, wax myrtle, checkerbloom, and more.   


Rails to Trails
A railroad ran through here over a century ago, built in 1905. The frog habitat is located along part of Crocker Park Rails to Trails, where in the old-time days the train ran inland to fetch the quarried greywacke from out of San Bruno Mountain. 

Heading East to the Ice House
We meandered along the trail, the old rail line, heading towards the bay. 

We went through an old rail tunnel that ran beneath Bayshore Boulevard (though I've driven that road many times, I had no idea there was a tunnel below). I love tunnels, and this one was particularly cool--short in length, high ceilinged, and full of sunshine on either end.  

Back outside we came to huge puddles filled with thousands of squirming tadpoles, which was a delight for the children. 

We continued on our eastward path, passing an old brick building which Paul said was once an ice house. Back in the day, some rail cars would pick up blocks of glacial ice, originally from Tuolumne, to chill perishable goods moving up and down the rail lines. 

The big hill to our immediate north is Ice House Hill, but I never knew it until walking with Paul, who talked all about the history, plants, and animals of the area. I silently mused about how I'd like to explore there, some day. I've cruised up and down Bayshore Boulevard many times, often wondering about that hill, intensely curious about the horses I've seen grazing there. 

Mission Blue Nursery

We walked south alongside the active commuter rail line, the
kids thrilling at every passing train (and there was plenty of room between us and the Cal Train), the engineers pulling their whistles when we made the universal gesture of honking a horn as they passed. 


Not more than three minutes walk south from the old ice house was the Mission Blue Nursery. There's a road that also leads there, of course, coming from the south end. The nursery was amazing, filled with hundreds of native plants that will go towards restoration projects and be sold to you and me for our gardens and yards. We hung out for a little while, letting the kids poke around, and then returned to the frogs. 

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PHOTO ALBUM

Map to the Starting Point of this Hike

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4 Simple Nature Toys for Little Kids

Okay, so these nature toys are so simple, you might roll your eyes as you read on. But to a little kid manipulating bits of nature is just a lesson in fun. The other day we were walking and picking things up on the path, and with the kid's help, dried sticks and seed pods morphed into spears, umbrellas, and bouquets. Check it out! 

THE FENNEL SPEAR

1. Take a long piece of dried fennel and denude it except for the topmost spray of dried flowers, which acts like an arrow's fletch to make a perfect aerodynamic drag.  
2. Your hand is the balance point as you aim.
3. Fire!
4. Send kid to retrieve (except from big clumps of poison oak).

PAMPAS GRASS SCEPTER

Okay, so Pampas grass is terrible and invasive in California and it'll surely make a bigger mess of things with this game. I've been guilty since childhood (bringing Pampas grass into my bedroom where it'd shed it's flaxen pieces all over proving it wrecks havoc indoors and out.)

1. Your kid finds a choice piece of Pampas grass. 
2. The parent cuts it off (it's hard!).
3. Your kid becomes a Queen or a King on their walk. 

PAMPAS GRASS UMBRELLA

The Pampas Umbrella is quite similar to the "scepter," above, except you need a hat to stick on the end of it. Alternatively a piece of Pampas grass can become an impromptu broomstick or baton.

FOXTAIL BOUQUET

Who doesn't like the smooth, slippery feeling of pinching the bottom of a piece of grass and running your fingers up, making a pretty bouquet? It took a bit of hand-holding to teach my kid how to do it, but once she got it, all I heard for the rest of the walk was "Foxtail bouquet! Foxtail bouquet!"

1. Pinch the base of a grass stalk heavily laden with seed heads. 
2. Run your fingers up its length, holding tight. 
3. Ta da! A foxtail bouquet fit for a fairy or a three year old. 

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In parting, take a gander at the photo below. Fennel spears aren't just fun for little kids. 

Upcoming Group Hike: Starr King Open Space in San Francisco

I recently published a small article about Starr King Open Space in Bay Nature magazine, and was pleased to hear from the editor, Dan, that a well-known lepidopterist in the city was thrilled by it. He'd never been there before and ended up seeing plenty of flowers, including rarities, and even some wildlife.

For the group hike of April 2013, I'd like to bring folks to Starr King Open Space on Sunday April 7th from 11 to 12:30.

Starr King Open Space is on Potrero Hill in San Francisco. It's relatively close to General Hospital, the 101 and 280, 23rd Street, and it was my backyard as I grew up here in the 80s and early 90s. I used to spend hours here, sliding down the hills on pieces of cardboard with other neighborhood kids, walking my dog, or watching the fog drape over Twin Peaks. I'm glad to know the place is protected now, and furthermore that with age you can even notice a lot more than when you were a kid---like seeing all the wildflowers and understanding how rare they are, like the mariposa lily.

We'll ramble around the 3.5 acres that make up this open space, visit a stone spiral in one of the meadows, see rock outcroppings that create a special habitat called serpentine grassland, and have a picnic with an amazing view of the city spread out before us.

Special Guests
Webb Green, Vice President of the Starr King Open Space (http://starrkingopenspace.org), will point out different kinds of wildflowers, many of which are rare and native. He's been on the board for a decade, and active with the land for twenty years. I'm hoping Julie Shumate, the President of SKOS, will attend with her kid, as they're good friends of mine.

Getting There

We will meet under the eucalyptus trees across the street from Starr King Elementary School (1215 Carolina Street, 94107--cross street is Coral Road) on Potrero Hill.

Bus: You can catch the 48 Quintara from 24th Street BART, or the 19 Polk from Civic Center BART---either will take you a few blocks from our meeting spot.

Car: Exit 101 to Cesar Chavez, go north on Potrero Avenue, turn right on 23rd, turn right on Carolina Street, proceed two blocks to Starr King Elementary School, and park.

Relevant Links
http://starrkingopenspace.org
http://www.potreroview.net/news10051.html
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nativeson/article/Enjoy-Starr-King-Open-Space-atop-Potrero-Hill-3518667.php

Map of the Area

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Crystal Springs Trail: dirt, bunnies, and the sound of water

In the past whenever I've visited Crystal Springs Reservoir, I'd only ever walked on the paved trail, Sawyer Camp Trail, the one full of joggers and walkers galore, whizzing bikes, and a flotilla strollers. Sawyer Camp Trail is just north of 92--but I've always wondered about the possibility of trails south of Highway 92? 

I'm not a lover of concrete, especially when I'm want to be outdoors, so it's with great pleasure I tell you about Crystal Springs Trail, a dirt trail just south of Highway 92

Crystal Springs Reservoir
Crystal Springs Reservoir, for those who aren't familiar with it, is right off I-280 to the west of San Mateo, just 20-something miles south of San Francisco. It's a beautiful place for a man-made lake, and its clean, blue waters come from local creeks and from as far away as Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. The  the forests and mountainous ridge to the west are pristine without houses or roads.

"Spring Fog" by Christina Puckett. Cordair.com

This is a great place to see advection fog at work too--that incredible natural wonder where the fog slides over the hills in a thick white blanket. Come late in the afternoon or the morning for the best chances of seeing this.

Perhaps the biggest drawbacks to walking along Crystal Springs Reservoir is the continuous fence (but you start to forget about it here and there), and the droning of single-engine prop planes en route to the tiny airport in Half Moon Bay / Princeton Harbor, but these distractions are intermittent. Mostly, you see the flowers and the fields, the cottontails and the raptors, and hear the songbirds and the water hitting the shore. 

Such a pretty trail compared to concrete ones

The Trail
Crystal Springs Trail gets you much closer to the water than the popular and paved Sawyer Camp Trail. Because Crystal Springs Trails is dirt, it somehow seems to repel people---on a busy Sunday there was just our family and a few joggers.

This one, then, is the gem.

You can actually hear water lapping on the shore, see beaches, and get close to wildlife. During one snack break, cottontails foraged under the coyote brush while overhead hawks and vultures flew.

Lupine

We only walked about a mile, past a large oak tree and a crude bench, though our map showed that 1.8 miles from where we parked was the Pulgas Water Temple, a stone structure with Greek architectural elements that was built to celebrate the fact that folks could get water all the way from Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite to here. (It's good to note that there are bathrooms at the Pulgas Water Temple.)

At this time of year, late March, there were wildflowers galore: purple colored lupine, buttercups, California golden poppies, and many more. The serpentine rocks along part of the way nurture native plants because of the chemicals they impart to the soil, and I think I saw goldfields there. We passed tons of coyote brush throughout. There was also coffee berry, oak trees, and plenty of poison oak and blackberry along the fence edges.

Teasel

The trail was flat with a little undulation. An outdoors type stroller could easily traverse this, and our 3.5 year old managed to go about two miles roundtrip before self-combusting.


Directions
Drive south of San Francisco on 280 for about 22 miles. Exit at 92 heading west. Park on Canada Road, which crosses 92. You will be on the east side of the reservoir.

Park at the southwestern corner of the intersection between Canada Road and Highway 92; there are plenty of parking spaces. A narrow dirt trail swings down at either end of the parking area to the main walking trail alongside the fence.

No facilities, except at the Pulgas Water Temple.

Of particular interest to bicyclists, check out Canada Road on Sunday when it closes to motorized traffic between H-92 and Filoli (approximately 2.5 miles). It's called Bicycle Sunday, and the open road is all yours.

Map of Crystal Springs Trail, courtesy http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us

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PHOTO ALBUM