Adventure Playground
Adventure Playground is one of the Marina Experience programs and has been written up as a top 10 playground in National geographic. It was voted the Best Creative Play space in Diablo magazine. YELP has rated them 4 out of 5, and they have been written about in the Chronicle, the Boston Globe and Newsweek as one of the Top 5 play spaces in the country. Open: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. (Closed during rain.)
FREE for four children or less if they are accompanied by their responsible adult. Every adult must sign in on the waiver at the entrance for themselves and their children. ______________________________________________ Playgroups please note: Small individual families are invited to play without reservations. Multiple families and friends who plan to meet and play in the playground, need prior reservations if together the total number of people they bring is 8 people or more. Weekend days are very popular and it is the only way to limit the numbers to keep it safe. Supervise your children carefully and ask staff how you can help. Please, No groups from daycare programs, you need reservations and to pay the fee.( see below) Scholarships are available. Reservations for midweek groups are possible depending on staff availability. Call 510 981-6720______________________________________________
African American
Museum & Library
Chabot Space &
Science Center
Chabot Space & Science Center (CSSC) is an innovative hands-on teaching and learning center focusing on astronomy and the space sciences and the interrelationships of all sciences. Its observatory, planetarium, exhibits, and natural park setting are a place where a diverse population of students, teachers, and the public can imagine, understand, and learn to shape their future through science. Check out the latest exhibits!
Children's Fairyland USA
To see a large map suitable for printing and planning your trip click here.
Be sure to check out what's new in their storybook sets, rides, and live entertainment. Don't forget to see what’s playing at Storybook Puppet Theater and Children’s Theater, and while you are there you can learn about their very special animals and gardens.
Habitot
Children's Museum The little museum with heart. Here's a great space for preschoolers and toddlers to practice hands on learning and self-motivated exploration. Mind the hours though -- they're a bit different from most museums.
Habitot is generally not crowded during fair weather months, April-September. The least busy times year-round are 9:30-10:30 am and 12:30-3:00 pm. Group field trips are never scheduled on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Habitot is often crowded on rainy, cold, or wet days and open holidays and Free Admission Days. The busiest hours year-round are mornings from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. To hear a current crowding report, call 510-647-1111 x35. Learn about volunteer opportunities
Hayward
Shoreline Interpretive Center
Learn about our bay and
its flora and fauna while getting some great exercise! 
Their quarterly newsletter,Tidal
Tales
is now available for online viewing. Read about the natural and
cultural history of the Hayward shoreline and get information on
upcoming programs and events. If you receive a subscription to Tidal
Tales and would like to receive it via email please contact
shoreline@haywardrec.org
Be sure to check their website, and the Tidal Tales newsletter,
for upcoming family events and volunteer opportunities!
Lawrence
Hall of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is a renowned resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematics education, and a public science center with exciting hands-on experiences for learners of all ages. Established in 1968 at the University of California, Berkeley in honor of Ernest O. Lawrence, UC’s first Nobel laureate, Lawrence Hall of Science is a national leader in the development of innovative materials and programs for students, teachers, families, and the public at large.
Check out their
website just for kids! Makes a great or post-visit, or
pre-visit, resource.
Learn about
volunteer opportunities for adults and teens at LHS.
Oakland
Zoo
Extend your zoo learning experience by checking out these animal
fact pages, courtesy of the Oakland Zoo:
http://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/ And
don't miss this fun animal sounds video trivia quiz. Be
warned, some are tricky!
Phoebe
Apperson Hearst
Founded in 1901 and
nurtured heavily by Phoebe Hearst, the museum and its shop are
open to the public 10:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Wednesday -
Saturday, and 12 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Sundays. The Museum is
closed Mondays and Tuesdays, National and
University Holidays.
The museum offers rotating exhibits intended to showcase
different aspects of its vast collection. Click here for
current exhibit information.
The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of
Anthropology is located in
Kroeber Hall
at the corner of Bancroft Way and College Avenue on the campus
of the University of California in Berkeley. Gallery entrance
through the museum gift shop.
Tilden
Regional Park
Tilden Regional Park has
something for nearly everyone: wildlife, hiking and
horseback riding trails, swimming, picnicking, pony rides,
farm animals, a carousel,
stream trains,
and botanic gardens.
A number of group picnic areas are available; to reserve one
of these, or for
camping information,
call (510) 636-1684. For information about swimming at
Lake Anza, call (510) 843-2137. The park also
encompasses an 18 hole golf course that features a driving
range, pro shop, practice green, restaurant, and the Tee
Clubhouse coffee shop. Phone (510) 848-7373 for fee
information and reservations.
Redwood Valley Regional Railway
offers 12 minute
train rides through scenic redwoods. Tickets are
$1.75 for single riders or $7.00 for a family group of 5
persons. The Railway closes at sundown.
Visit their website for more information and directions.
The Herschell
Spillman Merry-Go-Round features a calliope and
beautifully hand-carved and painted wooden carousel
animals to ride. A snack stand, restroom, drinking
water facility, and parking are available. The
carousel is open weekends from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets are $1 per ride, or $10 for a book of 13
tickets. For more information call (510) 524-6773.
The Little Farm and
Tilden Nature Area EEC
offer children the chance
to get up close with farm animals and to learn about
nature. The EEC offers exhibits about local
watershed and other natural features of the area.
Parking for both facilities is available in the parking
lot at the north end of Central Park Drive. For
more information, call 525-2233.
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for more East Bay places to go?
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Kids Can...
Giving Service
Taking a Stand
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Taking A Spiritual
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"Wander
through a kaleidoscope of whirling galaxies and stars to the
outer reaches of the universe... Marvel at the wonders of our
neighbors, the Moon and Mars... Explore
natural processes and patterns like craters, volcanoes, and
atmospheric turbulence..."
Just imagine: a ten-acre park on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt where children’s literature comes to life and kids can be kids.
Since 1950, Children’s Fairyland has been delighting children and their parents with whimsical storybook sets, gentle rides, friendly animals, wonder-filled puppet shows, and inspired live entertainment.
One modest admission fee covers a whole day of imaginative fun. And we’re available for birthday parties, summer sleepovers, summer camp, field trips, and special events as well.
A very nice science museum for the East Bay!
Changing exhibits keep it fresh, so be sure to visit their site for
What a gem! We love this zoo because its naturalistic
settings, generously sized enclosures, and wonderful enrichment
programs for the animals really help keep the animals healthy,
happy, and a joy to behold. And parents who've been to
zoos all over the world tell us this is among their top picks.
Plus its manageable size, kid centered learning exhibits, and some
fun little play areas make a it a big hit with kids.
And oh yes, there is a little carnival area near the entrance for
those who like the kiddy rides.
