Cal Day Fun for Your Little Bear

In 2022, Cal Day is only open to UC Berkeley students and prospects and their families. Sorry, East Bay residents, you are not invited to the party this year!

The last in-person, family-friendly Cal Day was in 2019.

Cal Day is a terrific opportunity to for the little kids in the East Bay community to get a taste of the world-class university in our backyard for FREE. There really is something for everyone as UC Berkeley (a.k.a. Cal) opens its doors and gates to families.

You can hear the Cal Band and get busy with a hands-on science experience. My husband and big kids have their eyes on auditing another physics class while my little ones want to run around the grounds making slime and looking for doggies and birdies respectively.

If you’re bringing babies, hang onto this list of changing table locations and lactation room access.

Experience it for yourself Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Visit the Cal Day planner online. To choose the best demos and classes for your family, you can sort by time, category, or family-friendly. See my top picks below or just wander around campus!

My Cal Day picks for families

Ongoing

Solar Roasting 
9:00 am-3:30 pm @ Hearst Mining Circle

Virtual Reality Demonstrations 
9:00 am-3:30 pm @ 121 Campbell Hall

Earthquake! 
9:00 am-4:00 pm @ 220 McCone Hall

The Ant Lab 
9:00 am-4:00 pm @ Valley Life Sciences Building, courtyard

Dig Like An Archaeologist! 
9:00 am-4:00 pm @ Archaeological Research Facility, 2251 College Building (next to Boalt Hall)

Insects and Spiders from Around the World 
9:00 am-4:00 pm @ 3003 Valley Life Sciences Building

Play with Clay! 
9:00 am-4:00 pm @ Archaeological Research Facility, 2251 College Building (next to Boalt Hall)

Showtime on Sproul Plaza 
10:00 am-3:00 pm @ Sproul Plaza

CalSol: Berkeley’s Solar Vehicle Team 
10:00 am-3:00 pm @ Etcheverry Hall-Soda Hall Breezeway

Live Kelp Forest Organisms with Touch Tank 
10:00 am-3:00 pm @ Valley Life Sciences Building, courtyard

Berkeley Art Studio: Pottery Demos and Games 
10:00 am-4:00 pm @ Berkeley Art Studio, César Chávez Student Center

Kids Zone! 
10:00 am-4:00 pm @ Lower Sproul Plaza

9 am

Artist Books, Architectural Pop-Up Books, and Coloring 
9:00 am-12:00 pm @ 210 (Environmental Design Library) Wurster Hall

Kids, Build a Box City! 
9:00 am-2:00 pm @ Wurster Hall, 1st floor lobby

Instrument Petting Zoo 
9:30 am-3:00 pm @ 250 Morrison Hall

10 am

Cal Band Performance 
10:00-11:00 am @ Sather Gate

Biological Anthropology: Compare Mammalian Brains! 
10:00 am-2:00 pm @ Archaeological Research Facility, 2251 College Building (next to Boalt Hall)

Robot Learning Lab: A Robot that High Fives and Hugs! 
10:00 am-12:00 pm @ Kvamme Atrium, 3rd floor Sutardja Dai Hall

Robot Race Cars 
10:00 am-12:00 pm @ Cory Hall, 3rd floor

Jupiter’s Icy Moon and Fun with Liquid Nitrogen 
10:00-11:00 am @ 141 McCone Hall

Fun with Fossils 
10:00 am-12:00 pm @ 3007 Valley Life Sciences Building

11 am

Look Like a Viking: Make Your Own Chainmail! 
11:00 am-12:00 pm @ Ishi Court (Dwinelle Hall interior courtyard) (access via Campanile Way)

All-Level Basketball Clinic 
11:00 am-12:00 pm @ 220 Hearst Gymnasium

The Entomology Club Brings Out the Bugs! 
11:30 am-1:30 pm @ Genetics & Plant Biology Lawn

Noon

Cal Band Performance 
12:00-1:00 pm @ Sproul Plaza, Mario Savio Steps

Fun with Physics 
12:45-1:45 pm @ 50 Birge Hall

1 pm

Build a Computer Game in 30 Minutes 
1:00-3:00 pm @ 425 Hearst Memorial Mining Building

Math Games and Prizes for Kids of All Ages 
1:00-2:00 pm @ 3108 Etcheverry Hall

Fun with Fossils 
1:00-3:30 pm @ 3007 Valley Life Sciences Building

2 pm

University Gospel Choir 
2:15-3:00 pm @ Hertz Hall, south patio

In addition to the fantastic special events happening on campus, Cal Day means that Lawrence Hall of Science (10 am to 5 pm), BAMPFA (11 am to 7 pm) and Blake Garden (9 am to 4 pm) are open for FREE all day.

I know that’s a LOT to take in. And I only named a few dozen activities. You won’t get to it all, and that’s okay. Work with your child to pick a few events or classes that will best capture her imagination and attention span, then just go for it. See the full schedule of activities. See also tips for your visit.

Tweet and Instagram along at #sharecalday and #510families to share your pictures and find live tips!

[photos from http://calday.berkeley.edu/]