Sunny skies, beautiful blooms, and seasonal fruit picking make May an exciting month filled with family-friendly events. Take advantage of the longer days and warm springtime weather to venture to new playgrounds or revisit beloved activities. Here are our favorite family events for the month – let’s go!
This post of May’s best things to do with kids in the East Bay is sponsored by the always magical Bay Area Discovery Museum. Visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum on May 4th and 5th to experience Big Art Weekend.
Reserve Tickets to Shows & Performances
See a hilarious magician or one of many wonderful children’s movies set to live orchestration. Contra Costa Ballet presents Swan Lake in a captivating performance at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Find more upcoming ticketed performances and events >
Save the Date for These Exciting Community Events
- May 4: Free Comic Book Day & Family Day at the Bay Area Book Festival
- May 4+5: Big Art Weekend at the Bay Area Discovery Museum
- May 11: ParkFest at Lake Chabot
- May 12: Mother’s Day
- May 18+19: Himalayan Fair in Berkeley
- May 19: Bay Area Butterfly Festival at Mare Island
- May 25-27:Â Ardenwood Rail Fair in Fremont
- May 25-27: Kidfest in Concord
- May 26+27: Art & Wind Festival in San Ramon
Find lots more Seasonal Fairs & Festivals >>
All Month: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Learn and celebrate cultures with your kids at storytimes, dance performances, and events like Children’s Fairyland’s month-long celebration. The Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival in Tiburon on May 18 looks fun, too.
All Spring: Go on a Color Search in the Garden
Springtime flowers are in full bloom. Spot fruit blossoms, roses, wildflowers, and other cheery flowers in local gardens. Our favorite free destinations include Blake Garden (open on weekdays) and Gardens at Lake Merritt. UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and Filoli are top ticketed picks. Refer to our Parents’ Guide to East Bay Gardens to help you find a local garden to explore.
Mother’s Day Celebrations
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12, 2024. There are so many sweet ways to celebrate the mothers in your life all month long: visit the gardens of Filoli, make afternoon tea reservations, or design a craft together. Check out more ways to thank moms for all they do in our East Bay Mother’s Day Guide >
Go Cherry Picking
May is the prime time for picking cherries. U-Pick farms are located throughout the Bay Area, however, you’ll find the bulk of them in Brentwood. Berries should be available for picking until July, and cherries can be plucked off trees through about early June. Fruit picking guide >
Visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum
Venture over the Richmond Bridge to the scenic Bay Area Discovery Museum. Big Art Weekend will be an immersive creative experience to start the month. At BADM, kids can cook up a colorful feast in Rainbow Mud Kitchen, create a tapestry dying fabric with tissue paper, and run their own Tattoo Parlor, Tats by Tots (Parents don’t worry, tattoos are washable!).
The Print Shop (Opening May 25) lets little ones experiment with materials and explore color, texture, and layers with printmaking. With a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities to discover, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a great day trip for children ages 6 months to 8 years.
Take Advantage of Parents’ Night Out
Parents’ Night Out, also called PNO, is evening childcare that’s essentially a drop-off play date. It’s super convenient for parents who want a date night, and really fun for kids! Children usually eat pizza, have dessert (gasp!), watch movies, make art, and play with other kids of a similar age. Reserve a space for your child in advance; see all the providers >
Reserve Space In Summer Camp
It’s not too late to plan an amazing summer for your children by reserving a spot in a terrific summer camp. Use our comprehensive Summer Camp Guide to search by city, week, age, and special interests – such as STEM, dance, theater, adventure, or cooking. Don’t miss the Northern California Overnight Camp Guide too!
Root for the Home Team
Take the kids to a local sporting event this spring. If you prefer baseball, catch an Oakland Athletics game (kids are free on Sundays!). Soccer fans will enjoy cheering for Oakland’s soccer club teams – Roots (men’s) and Soul (women’s) — or our Bay Area professional team, Bay FC. The Oakland Spiders Ultimate Disc team hosts games that are also very family-friendly.
Free & Cheap Family Picks for May
We’ve gathered our favorite free and inexpensive activities in the East Bay to serve as a go-to itinerary when you’re in a pinch. Find more free & cheap events this month >
- Mondays – Baby Music & Movement Storytime in Richmond
- Tuesdays – Tilden Botanic Garden in Berkeley
- Wednesdays – Fish Feedings at Crab Cove in Alameda
- Thursdays – Blake Gardens in Kensington
- Fridays – MOCHA Art Sessions at Berkeley Central Library (thru May 17)
- Saturdays – Telescope Viewing at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland
- Sundays – Drop-In Art Lab at BAMPFA in Berkeley
Plan an outing to one of the world-class museums in the Bay Area. Several offer free admission on select days. Learn more about ways to get into museums for free >
- May 1: Bay Area Discovery Museum and GLBT Historical Society Museum in San Francisco
- May 2: BAMPFA in Berkeley and SFMOMA in San Francisco
- May 3: CuriOdyssey in San Mateo and Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco
- May 4: Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
- May 5: Oakland Museum of California
- May 7: Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco and San Francisco Botanical Garden
- May 11: Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco
s p o n s o r 
Thanks again to the Bay Area Discovery Museum for sponsoring this May events post. Membership to BADM has its privileges; members get extra discounts and perks throughout May.
