March brings lots of fun for kids with its brighter days, beautiful blossoms, and warmer weather. Plus, there are plenty of special moments to celebrate: Holi, Purim, St. Patrick’s Day, Springtime, and Women’s History Month, to name a few.
This post of March’s best things to do with East Bay kids is sponsored by Zip Code East Bay. Join the Colusa Circle 5K, presented by Zip Code East Bay. This family-friendly fun run is a community celebration–all runners, walkers, and strollers are invited to join on March 14 in Kensington.
Save the Date for these Exciting Community Events
- Mar. 1: Free day at the Charles M. Schulz Museum
- Mar. 2-3: Purim is one day, but the costumed carnivals are many!
- Mar. 3: Holi Art & Crafts
- Mar. 4: Free admission day at Bay Area Discovery Museum
- Mar. 7: Chinese New Year Parade
- Mar. 8: $5 Day at The Lawrence in Celebration of International Women’s Day
- Mar. 14: Colusa Circle 5k and Oakland Roots home opener
- Mar. 14-15: St. Patrick’s Day parade and festival
- Mar. 15: Open Cockpit Day
- Mar. 18: Tilden Tots
- Mar. 20: Frolic on the first day of Spring at a local garden
- Mar. 21: Spring Egg Hunt
- Mar. 22: La Bebe’ Boogie
- Mar. 24: Hikes for Tykes
- Mar. 28: Robo Expo at Chabot Space and Science Center
- Mar. 29: Bunny Blast Egg Hunt
- Mar. 31: $5 Cal Baseball Tickets
Reserve Tickets to Shows & Performances
This month has shows for all ages and interests: Amazing Bubble Man, Family Concert: Joy of the Symphony, and The Magic of Merlin’s SWORD IN THE STONE, to name a few. See our full list of upcoming shows and performances for families >
You might also want to reserve a spot in a spring break camp and book ahead for a Parents’ Night Out so you can get a date night.
See Blooming Colors
It is a wonderful time to tiptoe through the tulips with your little ones. Tulips should be popping up at Oakland’s Temple Hill’s free gardens or Mountain View Cemetery; daffodils or tulips will be waking up at Piedmont Park; Woodside’s Filoli should have cherry blossoms, daffodils, and magnolias; San Francisco’s Botanical Garden may still have blooming magnolias along with a great kids’ garden, complete with a mud kitchen! Not into flowers? Visit the cacti at Ruth Bancroft, the redwood grove at UC Botanical Garden, or Hayward’s Japanese Garden to spot koi fish.
Find more tips in our Parents’ Guide to East Bay Gardens >>
Easter Happenings and Hoppenings
Get your baskets ready. While Easter falls on April 5, 2026, most Easter activities will hop into action in March. From floating egg hunts to bunny photos and festive crafts, there are plenty of ways to celebrate with kids before the big day.
Baseball Season is back
Baseball opening day is this month. Cal Golden Bears play on Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium — and tickets are as low as $5 for some games. The SF Giants have a home season opener against the Yankees on March 25.
👉 About the Colusa Circle 5k
Families and individuals can run, walk, or roll through the scenic neighborhood 5k route no matter the weather. The race concludes with a family-friendly celebration of music, prizes, treats, and high fives. All proceeds benefit Tiny Village Spirit, a Richmond-based nonprofit building emergency housing villages for unsheltered youth ages 18–24.
📆 Sunday, March 14
⏰ Registration: 7 am | Race start: 8 am
📍Colusa Circle, Kensington
☔ Rain or shine!
Website to register >
Plan Ahead for Spring Break Daytrips
We like to pick one “funtivity” and build a day around it. Stick close to home with toddler-friendly short hikes. Or buy your tickets in advance for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Safari West Animal Park in Santa Rosa, Muir Woods, and Alcatraz. Leave it to the last minute to opt for a Mori Point hike in Pacifica, a jaunt to Angel Island, or a trip to Sacramento for the California State Railroad Museum.
Staycation can also mean a little driving getaway that doesn’t involve a flight. If you want to choose a family-friendly hotel for a few nights, we have some favorite scenic drivable hotel getaways you’ll love (less than 2 hours to paradise!).
Free & Cheap Picks for March
Need some planning inspiration? We’ve got you covered! We gathered up our favorite free and inexpensive activities in the East Bay to serve as a go-to, weekday itinerary when you’re in a pinch. Find more free & cheap events this month >
- Mondays – Walk or scooter around the Lafayette Reservoir
- Tuesdays – $5 tickets to Cal Baseball Games
- Wednesdays – Walk through Blake Garden in Kensington
- Thursdays – Playdate in the Melrose Branch Garden
- Fridays – MOCHA art workshops at Central Berkeley Library
- Saturdays – Catch the rides and playground at Kennedy Park
- Sundays – Sunday Storytime at Tilden Nature Center
Plus, plan an outing to one of the world-class museums in the Bay Area; take advantage of free admission on certain days. Learn more about ways to get into more Bay Area museums for free >
- Mar. 7-8: Bank of America Free Museum Days
- Mar. 1: Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and First Sunday at OMCA (nearly free!)
- Mar. 3: de Young Museum and Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco
- Mar. 5: BAMPFA in Berkeley
- Mar. 10: San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Mar. 14: Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco
- Every Saturday: de Young Museum in San Francisco
Thanks so much to Zip Code East Bay for sponsoring today’s guide to fun times in March! Register now for their family-friendly Colusa Circle 5k to benefit local youth.
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Find more to do in March on our always-updated daily family-friendly events calendar.
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