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

Summer Activities: Exploring the Outdoors

by bonggamom

July 13, 2009

Last week we got down and dirty when we explored the natural world.  This week we're moving back into suburbia -- but still staying outdoors.  Because even though a patio, pool or sidewalk might not be considered nature, they're all places to explore.  Just being outdoors, with all that natural light, all those smells and sounds, invigorates and energizes a child.  You don't need to sign your child up for summer camp to keep him busy; there's a whole summer's worth of outdoor exploration activities you can do on your own.  I've taken inspiration from the PBS Parents Exploration Guide and listed a few places you can start:

1)  Stones, stones, stones! If you have the space  in your yard, create meandering pathways or mazes with stones so your child can skip, hop and explore.   You can even take a day to create and decorate some stepping stones. 

2)  Dirt, dirt, dirt!  Start a small veggie and herb garden with your little one; they'll love digging and raking and getting their hands dirty.  Then take some time each day to water the plants and watch them grow. 

3)  Water, water, water!  Plan a Water Day and splash around with water balloons, sprinklers or sponges soaked in water.  Or go and throw pennies into a fountain (Check this post out for some great fountains in Silicon Valley).  Kids love the sound of running water and love to splash their hands -- and feet and anything else that mom or dad will let them. 

4)  Sand, sand, sand!  Plan a Sand Day and find a sandpit where your little one can dig to his heart's content.  Or take a day trip to visit the biggest sandpit of all, the beach.

Click here to see the full article on PBS, along with their suggestions for outdoor activities and books.  And here are some great activities from our Savvysource Activity archive:

1) Searching for worms
2) Sandcasting
3) Sand Tracks
4) Tricycle Wash
5) Homemade Bubbles

Don't forget, there's still a week left to enter our Super WHY giveaway!  One lucky Being Savvy Silicon Valley reader will win a DVD of PBS Kids' popular TV series, Super WHY.  Click here to enter -- entries will be accepted until midnight PST on July 20th.  Good luck!

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Summer Activities: Exploring Nature (And a Giveaway!)

by bonggamom

July 06, 2009

July 6:  Summer Activities:  Exploring Nature  (and a giveaway!)


With 401k funds on shaky ground and the threat of unemployment looming everywhere, families are doing all they can to economize and save for a rainy day.  This summer, one of the luxuries that families are cutting back on are those pricey summer camps for the kids.  But that doesn't mean the long, lazy days of summer need to turn into the long, boring days of summer.  With the right planning, you can come up with lots of activities to keep your child engaged and entertained -- and we at Being Savvy Silicon Valley want to help.  A couple of weeks ago, we featured some guidelines to help you get started with your own summer reading program.  And throughout July and August, we'll be featuring even more tips and tricks for planning all sorts of fun (and inexpensive) activities your child can enjoy this summer.

One great idea for a Do-It-Yourself summer daycamp is to plan activities around an Explorer theme.  After all, kids love to explore, and it's a wonderful way for them to learn about the world around them.  So for the next three Mondays I'll be featuring some suggestions based on the PBS Parents Exploration guide.  Today we're all about exploring nature.  It's a big world out there, and here are some great ways to  let your child see it all for himself:

1)  Use nature as a  backdrop for your child's imagination.  Set aside part of your backyard for your child to enjoy in his own special way -- making castles, forts, or anything else.  If you don't have a backyard, create a "wild box" with rocks, twigs, some sand and seashells or other natural treasures.  (Our driveway is lined with a multitude of rocks and pebbles; my daughter loves to gather twigs and leaves and prop them up among the pebbles to fashion little fairy houses)

2)  Build a nature project using hammers and nails to shovels and seeds, hoses and houses.  Plant a garden, build a trail or look for birds and butterflies.  (Two weeks ago we bought some caterpillars and watched them build cocoons and grow into butterflies.  It was an amazing experience!)

3)  Just open the door to get your little one going -- and growing -- outside.  Encourage him to play with other children under the shade of a tree, not a roof.   It's that easy to reconnect with nature!


Click here to see the full article on PBS, along with their suggestions for outdoor activities and books.  And here are some great activities from our Savvysource Activity archive:

1)  Flower Hunt
2)  Summer Walk
3)  Leaf Collage
4)  Nature Collection
5)  Bug Catcher Jar

And now, a giveaway -- PBS Kids has generously provided us with one Super WHY DVD for one lucky reader! Super WHY is an entertaining TV show with a unique interactive approach that helps kids learn the fundamentals of reading through colorful, animated storybook adventures.  My kids love Super WHY and yours will too!

To enter, simply leave a comment here and share with us what activities you have planned for your children this summer.  And for an extra entry, you can tweet or blog about the giveaway -- just leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet or blog entry.  Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a Super WHY DVD from @savvySV http://tinyurl.com/kqr48c

The giveaway is open until midnight PST on July 20th, 2009;  I will draw a winner at random on July 21st and announce the winner the next day.  Good luck!  Read more...

Growing Gardens around Silicon Valley

by bonggamom

April 21, 2009

Let's face it:  when you live amidst the concrete and steel of the urban jungle, it's difficult for young children to really understand that fruits and vegetables come from any place other than the local grocery store. Sure, they've read books and watched the PBS shows.  But there's nothing like digging a carrot out of the dirt to really understand what it means to grow food.  Fortunately, many cities and organizations have wisely set aside  so our suburban kids can still get a taste of nature and see what's sprouting.  Here are some gardens in the heart of Silicon Valley where your preschooler can learn and explore, one leaf at a time:

1)  The Kids' Garden at the Children's Discovery Museum has opened for the season!  This real working garden showcases seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs.  They offer daily science and art activities inspired by nature, using natural materials.  Activities rotate seasonally and have included water exploration, seed planting, newspaper seed pots, and wildflower jewelry.

2) The Gardens at Sunnyvale's Full Circle Farm is a great place for children to experience growing produce.  It's easily accessible to kids of all ages, and if you become a volunteer Garden Assistant, you're welcome to bring your little helpers along.  You'll even get to take some veggies home with you as a thank-you!

3) Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto is best known for their gorgeous flowers and picturesque gardens, but their vegetable and herb gardens offer great learning opportunities for children.  They host educational tours for children ages 4 and up, featuring learning, exploration and hands-on activities.

4) At Hidden Villa Farm's educational garden, your preschooler will love crawling through the tunnels, holding imaginary tea parties in one of the little willow-bough tents, and marching along the beds of vegetables, fruits, roots and herbs.  If you join one of their weekend guided tours, you'll even get to nibble on some of their produce just seconds after your guide picks it out of the ground.

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Spring Has Sprung! Weekend Outlook, March 27th - 29th

by bonggamom

March 26, 2009

The sun is shining, it's 65 degrees outside, and they're predicting more sun and high temperatures this weekend (mid-70's!)... don't you just love California?!  Spring has definitely sprung in our little corner of the world, with lots of fun springtime events, uh, sprouting up all over Silicon Valley.  We've got lots of ways to celebrate the great weather this weekend with your preschooler:

1) Celebrate the beginning of gardening season with a fun gardening activity, this Friday at Cheeky Monkey toys in Menlo Park.

2) It's time for a Spring Fling at Filoli!  Filoli Gardens hosts their popular annual springtime event this Saturday.  The gorgeous spring blooms serve as a colorful backdrop for this family fun event.  Children will enjoy visits from well-loved characters, a puppet show, a magic show, arts and crafts, and storytelling.   For grownups, there are demonstrations, guided walks, floral displays and live music. 

3)  Stanford Shopping Center hosts an early Easter activity this Saturday at 11:00am.  Their Easter Eggstravaganza features a mall-wide egg hunt, visits from the Easter Bunny and Desperaux, and Hop Into Spring entertainment at 2:00pm.

4)  Speaking of Easter, the Easter Bunny is once again making the rounds at various malls.  Dress your little ones in their best Easter Bonnets for a special photo, or just have them sit on Mr. Bunny's lap for a short visit. 
*  Hillsdale Mall
*  Stanford Shopping Mall
*  Eastridge Mall 
*  Westgate Mall    

5)  Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's time to bring out the ice cream!  The Friends of the Atherton Library will be hosting an ice cream social and book exchange. Head to the library this Saturday,March 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m.  Bring a book, take a book, have some ice cream -- it's all free.

 

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99 things you must do with your child in Silicon Valley before they grow up

by bonggamom

February 24, 2009

It seems like only yesterday that The Pea was just a little pea.  Now she's 7 and there are still so many things we haven't done together.  I really have to hurry, because some of the best experiences in the Valley have use-by dates:  I want my kids to first experience them while they're young, before the magic fades and they retreat into the solitude of their bedroms and their iPods.

With that in mind, here's a list of must-do activities for parents and kids around Silicon Valley:

Good Eats
 1) Taste garlic ice cream at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
 2) Chew on saltwater taffy at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
 3) Pick berries at a local farm.
 4) Eat fish and chips at Princeton-by-the-Sea.
 5) Get a sugar high at the Jelly Belly Factory.
 6) Have a pancake breakfast at Hobees.
 7) Slurp clam chowder from a sourdough bread bowl at Fisherman's Wharf.
 8) Have an ice cream sundae at Ghirardelli Square.
 9) Burn your tongue at Palo Alto's annual Chili Cook-off.
10) Enjoy berrylicious treats at Watsonville's Strawberry Festival.
11) Go on a tasting tour -- cheese tasting, that is -- around Napa and Sonoma Valley.

The Animal Kingdom
12) Pat a llama at the Happy Hollow Zoo.
13) Join the Los Altos Pet Parade.
14) Milk a cow and feed chickens at Hidden Villa.
15) Watch for whales at the Point Sur Lighthouse.
16) Feed the ducks at Shoreline Park.
17) Spend the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
18) See the Monarch Butterflies in Pacifica.
19) Listen to the sea lions barking at Pier 39.
20) Ride an elephant at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
21) Go on safari at Santa Rosa's Safari West.
22) Visit the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Reserve.

Events
23) Do the Dragon Dance at San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade.
24) Welcome springtime at Cupertino's Cherry Blossom Festival.
25) Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at San Jose's annual parade.
26) Watch 4th of July Fireworks from Shoreline Ampitheater.
27) See the Tall Ships and Blue Angels at San Francisco's Fleet Week.
28) See the world's biggest pumpkins at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival.
29) Go trick or treating at Santana Row.
30) Watch the San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker.
31) Drive through the Vasona Fantasy of Lights display.
32) Meet Santa Claus at a train station during Caltrains Holiday Train.
33) Enjoy holiday scenes at San Jose's Christmas at the Park.

Sporty Stuff
34) Watch a baseball game at San Francisco's AT&T park.
35) Sail a boat on Shoreline lake.
36) Surf (ok, boogie-board) the waves at San Gregorio State beach.
37) Go rafting on the American River.
38) Ice skate under the stars at Palo Alto's Winter Lodge.
39) Run Bay to Breakers with the little ones in a stroller.
40) Bike the Los Gatos Creek trail.
41) Sink a mini-hole-in-one at Golfland.
42) Take your child for a spin at Redwood City's Malibu Grand Prix.
43) Row, row, row your boat at Vasona Lake County Park.
44) Catch some fish at Ed Levin County Park.

Museums
45) Explore and learn at the Children's Discovery Museum.
46) Scare yourself at the Winchester Mystery House.
47) Play tag amongst the artwork at Stanford University's Rodin Sculpture Garden.
48) Marvel at the California Academy of Science's Living Roof.
49) Count the Pez dispensers at Burlingame's Pez Museum.
50) Walk like an Egyptian at San Jose's Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.
51) Geek out at the Tech Museum.
52) Take a class at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.
53) Play and pretend at Oakland's Habitot Children's Museum.
54) Let your imagination take flight at the Hillier Aviation Museum.
55) Follow the toy trains at the Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History.

 

Seein' the Sights
56) Watch an IMAX film at The Tech Museum.
57) See the circus trees at Gilroy Gardens.
58) Enjoy the view from the top of Stanford's Hoover Tower.
59) Watch a space shuttle launch at the NASA Ames Visitor Center.
60) See the stars up close at Lick Observatory.
61) Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.
62) Check out the local bikers at Alice's Cafe in Woodside.
63) Watch a play, for kids and by kids, at Palo Alto's Hotdog Suppertime Shows.
64) Watch the airplanes bound for San Francisco airport take off and land, from Coyote Point park.
65) See where the San Francisco Bay ends at Palo Alto's Baylands Park.
66) Count as many of the Livermore windmills as you can while driving through Altamont Pass on Highway 580.

Nature
67) Hike through the redwoods at Henry Cowell State Park.
68) Hike up to The Dish at Stanford University.
69) Build a sandcastle at Santa Cruz beach.
70) Find serenity at San Jose's Japanese Friendship Garden.
71) Paint the roses red at San Jose's Heritage Rose Garden.
72) Wade in the creek at Los Altos' Shoup Park.
73) Save the earth on California Coastal Cleanup Day.
74) Pick apples at Gizdich Ranch.
75) Explore the tidepools at the Natural Bridges State Beach.
76) Say hello to the wild turkeys at Deer Hollow Farm.
77) Camp overnight at the Big Basin State Park.

Spend the weekend (or week!) at....
78) ...Yosemite National Park...
79) ...Sequoia National Park...
80) ...Lake Tahoe...
81) ...Napa Valley...
82) ...Sacramento...
83) ...Strawberry...
84) ...Gold Country...
85) ...Carmel-by-the-Sea...
86) ...Big Sur...
87) ...Solvang, or...
88) ...LA

Just Plain Fun
89) Ride the Caltrain up and down the Peninsula.
90) Ride the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad.
91) Chug through the redwoods on the Roaring Camp Railroad.
92) Catch a cable car on the hills of San Francisco.
93) Hop on the Bill Mason carousel at Oak Meadow Park.
94) Enjoy the rides at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
95) Get stuck on stickers at the Mrs. Grossman's sticker factory.
96) Splash around at the Morgan Hill Aquatics Park.
97) Meet storybook characters at Oakland's Fairyland.
98) Splash through the fountains at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
99) Watch a movie at the San Jose's Capitol Drive-In Movie Theater.

My family has done quite a few of these items, but we're nowhere near done.  We (and you) had better get cracking on the rest of this list before the kids grow up!

If you have other activities that simply must be on this list, email us at beingsavvysiliconvalley@savvysource.com. 

 

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Park Day: The Oval

by Shawn Burns

January 05, 2009

As you head down Palm Drive toward Stanford University from Palo Alto the view of Memorial Church rising above the sunken green patch called the Oval is really breathtaking (it is especially cool to see on a foggy day; Memorial Church materializes out of a sea of white). The Oval is exactly what it's name implies. It is a green lawn with a single sidewalk as an X-axis. It is sunken a little, so  Read more...

Apple Picking at Gizdich Ranch: Introducing Ana Picazo

by Shawn Burns

October 02, 2008

Being Savvy Silicon Valley is very, very proud to introduce Ana Picazo, a writer, blogger, and mom from the Silicon Valley who will be teaming up with me to form the new Being Savvy Silicon Valley Super Squad . In the next few weeks Anna will begin posting regularly in this space, offering up her Savvy knowledge of the Silicon Valley to you, the loyal Being Savvy Silicon Valley readers. Her  Read more...

Not the Big Apple, But We're Pretty Good

by Shawn Burns

July 23, 2008

Today at Savvy Source our editors are taking you to New York City. For a long time I lived on the East Coast, around the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. I've lived in Upstate New York. But I've never been to New York City. London, Paris, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Munich, Dublin. I've done some metro-traveling. But The Big Apple has remained elusive.  Read more...

Kelley Park

by Shawn Burns

June 04, 2008

I lived in San Jose in my late teens. I didn't get out much, working swing at a hotel out by the airport. So one of the places that I never knew about until I had a kid was Kelley Park , just south of downtown. The park can be tackled in four different ways; it really just depends on what you are in the mood for doing with your kid that day. As with all big city parks there are  Read more...

A green thumb? Not a chance

by Shawn Burns

May 30, 2008

My wife and I are really really good at killing plants. From Christmas trees that die an early death to the herb garden I tried to plant at our last residence, we haven't been able to figure out how to keep other living things alive. This worried me a little bit when we decided to have a baby. As it turned out, though, babies are way easier than plants. Babies cry when they  Read more...