Fresh air can be critical to whole-family sanity, don’t you think? Enjoy togetherness, but don’t forget to leave the house. Here are some East Bay outings that are available this on Christmas Eve.
Things to do on Christmas Eve Day
Ice Skating
Oakland Ice has two open skate sessions on Saturday the 24th. Read our list of where to ice skate with kids to see which other rinks may be open.
Oakland Ice Center website> (My review of Oakland Ice.)
Arcades, Bowling, and Entertainment Centers
Plank (Oakland) is open 11 am to 6 pm
Bowlero (Alameda) is open 12 pm to 8 pm
Round1 Bowling & Entertainment (Concord) is open 10 am to 2 am
High Scores (Alameda) is open 11 am to 8 pm
Holiday Lights
Christmas Tree Lane (Alameda)
Piedmont Circle of Lights (Oakland)
Museums
Chabot Science Center (Oakland) is open 10 am to 2 pm on Christmas Eve.
Lawrence Hall of Science (Berkeley) is open 10 am to 3 pm
Contemporary Jewish Museum (San Francisco) is open 11 am to 5 pm. Note that they are also open on Christmas Day with family activities scheduled and free admission.
Sponsor
Movies
The drive-in movie theater (Concord) has a showtime 5.30 pm
All theaters are typically open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Did you know that Hayward has a shiny new theater at the Southland Mall? It opened this week. Look for Mary Poppins or the Grinch showings for a family-friendly outing.
Church
Readers favorite kid-friendly services:
Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley invites the public to a family-friendly service, as does Northbrae church, promising thoughtful music for children. Both programs start at 5 pm.
Always open: Regional Parks + Playgrounds + Nature
New parents? Take a stroller to one of these places.
Explore Rock City in Mt. Diablo
Oakland Parks & Playgrounds
Walk around the Cal campus
A big list of outdoor destinations for families, most of which are accessible on holidays
