April has special days to celebrate with family, including Passover, Easter and Earth Day. We also expect sunny, warm weather and activities to enjoy the great outdoors! If you’re staying in the East Bay for spring break, plan for visits to museums, day trips and storytimes.
This post of April’s best things to do with East Bay kids is sponsored by historic Mare Island. Reserve tickets to Mare Island’s Decked Out at The Quarters, a live music celebration held on April 27.
Save the Date for these Exciting Community Events
- Apr 1: April Fools – Play gentle, silly pranks on your kids
- Apr 1-4: Tilden Steam Trains running
- Apr 4: “Pay What You Can” Day at California Academy of Sciences
- Apr 5: Bay Area Roller Derby Season Opener & Falcons Ultimate Frisbee Home Opener
- Apr 8: Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s
- Apr 12:Â Passover begins at sundown; Find family-friendly Passover events >
- Apr 19: Piedmont Food Fest & Earth Day community happenings
- Apr 20: Happy Easter; See community Egg Hunts & Bunny Photo Ops >
- Apr 22: Tiny Tuesday for ages 2-5 at Lindsay Wildlife Experience
- Apr 23: Magic Show at San Leandro Main Library
- Apr 24: Oakland Spiders Ultimate Frisbee Home Opener
- Apr 26: Berkeley Bay Festival and Touch-A-Truck
- Apr 27: Mare Island’s Decked Out at The Quarters family-friendly live music celebration
- Apr 29: Cal Baseball only $5Â per ticket
New Museum Exhibits
- Uncover the science of food at The Lawrence. At this new exhibit, kids can discover how technology, history and science shape what we eat. Check out how our food choices impact our bodies, our communities, and our world. Learn more >
- Go on a dinosaur adventure at California Academy of Sciences. Now through September 1, 2025, visitors can come face-to-face with a Euoplocephalus or a Tyrannosaurus rex at during Dino Days. This new outdoor exhibit features 13 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, hands-on fossil dig pits, and special dino-themed programming, including a puppet show about a Sauropod and dinosaur crafts. Learn more about Dino Days >
- Celebrate Fairyland’s 75 years of history at OMCA. This installation takes visitors on a trip down memory lane to showcase the history, evolution, and future of Oakland’s beloved theme park. Coincides with the seasonal return of Friday Nights at OMCA. Learn more >
🎸 Spotlight on Decked Out at The Quarters
The Mare Island Company is hosting an afternoon of top-notch live music at the historic Officer’s Row. Decked Out at The Quarters features a diverse lineup of Bay Area musicians at this family-friendly, dog-friendly one-day gathering. Don’t miss:
- 20+ bands spanning jazz, folk, R&B and rock
- Family activities like face painting and art projects
- Variety of great food and refreshing beverages
Mare Island’s Decked Out at The Quarters is all about community, connection, and the magic of live music in a historic setting. Bring your bike to cruise around the island before, during or after the event. Complimentary and secure bike parking is available. Reserve your tickets >
Easter Happenings and Hoppenings
The month of April is packed with community activities to celebrate Easter — most of them before the big day itself: egg hunts, Easter crafts, dressing children in pastel colors, bunny photos, dyeing eggs and even floating egg hunts.
Reserve Tickets to Shows & Performances
- Reserve a space at Kid’s Night Out so YOU can enjoy a child-free date night.
- Discover family-friendly shows and ticketed events to know about for families >
- Find a last-minute space in spring break camp for your kid. Don’t forget about summer camp >
Play Among the Wildflowers
Thanks to the rain, the flowers are blooming all over. Hike to see the wildflowers popping up in East Bay Regional Parks. See the blooms at Oakland’s Temple Hill’s free gardens for a less rigorous option. Not into flowers but want to be outside? Visit the mud kitchen at San Francisco’s Botanical Garden or Hayward’s Japanese Garden to spot koi fish. Or even reserve a parking space to Muir Woods to walk among towering giants on April 19th’s National Park Fee-Free day.
Find more tips in our Guide to Kid-friendly Super Bloom Hikes >>
Take a Staycation around the Bay Area
Staycations can take two forms: drive to a nearby hotel and stay for a night or two, or sleep in your beds and plan a series of day trips that make the most of our gorgeous Bay Area. We’re big fans of both kinds! Here are some favorite family day trips: Monterey Aquarium, Muir Woods, Sacramento Train Museum, Santa Cruz, Angel Island, and Pacifica. Find more Bay Area staycation ideas here >
Free & Cheap Family Picks for April
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 – Together Wee Play free drop-in playtime for ages 1-4
- Tuesdays – Join Hikes for Tykes (first and third Tuesdays)
- Wednesdays – Blake Garden weekdays are free
- Thursdays – Stop by Sulphur Creek Nature Center
- Fridays – Storytime at Crab Cove
- Saturdays – Stomp through El Cerrito Splash Pad
- Sundays – Catch the rides and playground at Kennedy Park
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 >
- Apr 1: Legion of Honor and Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco
- Apr 3: BAMPFA in Berkeley & SFMOMA in San Francisco
- Apr 5-6: Bank of America Free Museum Days
- Apr 6: Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and First Sunday at OMCA (nearly free!)
- Apr. 8: San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Apr 13: SFMOMA Free Community Day
- Every Saturday for Bay Area residents w/ ID: Legion of Honor & de Young Museum
Thanks so much to Mare Island for sponsoring today’s guide to fun times in April!
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