As I have done research for this site, I have become aware of many East Bay activities that are outside of my normal traffic patterns with my children. I keep telling myself, “We’ll go there this summer.”
It seems it’s time to walk the walk. Will I really make it to all these destinations with my kids in tow?
Here are some items from my summer to-do list.
- Try five different ice cream stores.
We always go to one of a few places on Solano Avenue. While iScream is delicious, I know there are many more out there. Yesterday I told my kids we’d venture to some new ones in the coming weeks. - Treat the kids to the Tilden Park Merry Go Round.
This isn’t a stretch for us as my son will be at day camp right near the Carousel, but it’s nice to make the time to ride it. - Drive out to Antioch’s water park.
I am usually reluctant to take them to a swimming destination on my own, especially due to the opposite gender child dressing room situation, but I’ll bet I can figure it out. This place looks worth it. - Explore the USS Hornet.
Not my usual area of interest, but might be a good outing to bring visiting grandparents. - Take my kids to the movies.
While other areas of the country have $1 summer movies, no where in the Oakland/Berkeley/Emeryville area does. Thumbs down for that. My daughter has only seen the big screen once, so I’m on the lookout for another appropriate movie for her. - Ice skate in downtown Oakland.
We’ve been twice, and the learning curve is about to have a payoff for my son. Must go again soon! - Tour East Bay bookstores.
Must keep my first grader on track with reading! This Lafayette store is on my list. - Roller skate in San Ramon.
I might have to do this without the kids, because they will be so jealous of my skillz! - Squeeze in one more visit to Studio Grow.
I have a gift card in my wallet and my daughter is outgrowing the place by the day. We’ll have to make one last visit before summer is over. - Ride horses in Oakland.
I haven’t figured out where to go yet, but we’re going!
What’s on your list?
Ha! This is a fun list. I was just building this same type of list in my head. Ice skating and Studio Grow (I have the same pre-paid visit card in my wallet) were on my list. Where is the horse back riding in Oakland?! If you haven’t been swimming at Lake Anza, that’s a must. We took our 4 yo for the first last week and he declared, “I want to live there.” I also want to check out Lake Temescal swimming.
I say add in Oakland zoo, Rock City (Mt. Diablo), pick fresh cherries/fruit in Brentwood, Ardenwood Farms, Del Valle Lake, Suisun Railway Museum (take a ride on a train, pretty cheap), Jump Sky High (or Rockin Gym), miniature golf and or/bowling (http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/)… have a fun summer!
@Melissa, I’ve never been to Rock City — will add that! We had a great time camping last year at Lake Del Valle!
Cheap Summer Movies: At the Hilltop movie theater in Richmond, they have a special summer deal, 10 movies for $5. None of them are first run movies, all are geared toward kids. There are specific dates for each movie and they all start at 10:00 am (!!). Still…it’s cheap!
Flyer at:
http://www.cinemark.com/images/smc2012/SMCflyer2012Color_446.pdf
Also, Antioch’s water park is worth the drive. There are slides/areas for all ages. The color-coded wristbands and life jackets make it feel very safe. They don’t let you bring in your own food, but you can picnic in the grass outside the front gate. I recommend arriving as soon as it opens; it gets very crowded in the afternoon.
Another option is Aqua Adventure in Fremont. It doesn’t have as many slides, but has a “river” with a gentle current and more play areas for young children.
http://goaquaadventure.com/info.php
Thanks, for the tips Mira! We’re going to work on the summer movie options next week. I wrote about the Fremont water park a couple weeks ago but haven’t been there myself.
[...] reading Whitney’s East Bay summer bucket list, I wanted to create one of my own. Here are ten things I’d like to do with my family this [...]