Fun With Kids in the Oakland and Berkeley
Crab Cove in Alameda is a terrific place for children age 3 to 12 who like to get their hands dirty. If your kiddo loves the feel of sand between her fingers, consider their nature-themed birthday parties. As of this writing, the Alameda estuary’s visitor center offers two different themes: Bay Critters and Reptiles. What you [...]
My son’s eighth birthday party was a casual, mostly-boys affair at the Wheelhouse batting cages in Richmond. {previous post: Batting Cage in Richmond: The Wheelhouse} For our Sunday evening party, we had (way too much) pizza delivered right to the venue, brought fruit, pistachios, drinks, and cupcakes. Easy! Here’s what $160 gets you at the [...]
Perfect for a two-year old or three-year old party, Studio Grow is available at 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays for birthday parties. You get the entire place to yourself for two hours or three hours, your choice, and a staff member will help you with set up and clean up. Packed with activities for [...]
A few months ago, I bought a LivingSocial Deal for a bouncy house rental. When I tried to use it for my daughter’s backyard birthday party, I learned that the offer wasn’t valid on Saturdays. Blargh. I filed the coupon away, finding a bright side in the fact that we had now paid for a [...]
I went to a lovely birthday party last weekend at the carousel in Berkeley’s Tilden Park. Made more wonderful by the shady trees and perfect summery weather, it struck me as a fun, special, and pretty easy party.
House too small for a party? Here are four venues you can rent out from Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation. The East Oakland Sports Center- Two rental rooms allow you to have a pool party at this location. The room closest to the tricked-out swimming pool holds 24 people. The non-resident rate for weekend [...]
Located in Kensington (AKA the Berkeley Hills), 4Cats Studio is a hands-on art center for children based on the work of the masters. I am looking forward to exploring with my children. I asked local owner, Sarah Chester, a few questions so we could plan our visit. WHO is your studio for? 4Cats Arts Studio [...]
Did you know that they give tours of Fenton’s Ice Cream in both Oakland and Vacaville? For kids older than age six (sorry, little sibs!), you can make reservations for this special event. Called the “arctic tour” because it concludes in a blast freezer, these half-hour tours focus on how ice cream is made in [...]
Q & A session with an East Bay dad and musician
The dream of the eighties is alive at Golden Skate in San Ramon.
We are excited to announce our partnership with The Buddy Club, a fabulous provider of family entertainment in the Bay Area.
Your aching back will heal but the memories will last. Classes and parties for the daring ones.
Playland-not-at-the-Beach in El Cerrito is a fun and quirky museum to a bygone era. With lots and lots of pinball.
For those who want to keep their houses intact, there are venues, and for those who want to keep the party at home, we’ve got some entertainers to consider.
Magic Dan is a former teacher whose performances are as much fun for the parents as they are for the kids. Oakland mom, Kristen McClusky said, “He was great. the kids loved him and he had the parents cracking up.”
Have a little piece of the Vivarium brought to your house in the form of their traveling reptile program.
There is a super awesome company that does the most amazing magical kids birthday parties. All the costumes are handmade and the performers are incredible.
