Science
Family-friendly Bay Area Science
Science museums, natural exploration, technology destinations, and family-friendly phenomena for Bay Area children.
Upcoming Science-y Events in the East Bay
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Fish Feeding Viewing @ Crab Cove Visitor CenterFriday, March 13, 2026
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Science Fridays @ West Oakland Branch | Oakland Public LibrarySaturday, March 14, 2026
10:30 am – 12:30 pm: Family Nature Adventures: Insects @ Chabot Space & Science Center2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Science Storytime @ San Lorenzo Library
Sunday, March 15, 2026
10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Open Cockpit Day @ Oakland Aviation Museum2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Science Lab @ San Lorenzo Library
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Fish Feeding Viewing @ Crab Cove Visitor Center
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm: LEGO Club @ Central Library | Berkeley Public LibraryWednesday, March 18, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Tilden Tots @ Tilden Nature Center3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Fish Feeding Viewing @ Crab Cove Visitor Center
Science Resources and Places for East Bay Families
Academic Summer Camps for East Bay Kids
Want to make learning fun this summer? These educational summer camps include cool offerings in the East Bay from math to writing.
Kid-Friendly OMCA: Oakland Museum of California
Children under 12 are free. Kid-friendly exhibits and beautiful gardens make the Oakland Museum of California a win for families.
Children’s Creativity Museum in SF
The Children's Creativity Museum in Yerba Buena Gardens is a hands-on, multimedia art and technology experience for kids 2-12.
Visiting the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley
Indoor and outdoor fun at The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. Take your time exploring, and if you have three or more kids, definitely ...
Three-Year Old’s Guide to Lawrence Hall of Science
My three-year-old came to the Lawrence with his science goggles on ready to play and learn. Our visit was a joyful exploration
STEM Camps for East Bay Kids
This roundup of science and technology camps includes activities from digital filmmaking to video game programming, ecology, and robotics.
Ticket Alert: Family-friendly Maker Faire Bay Area
Maker Faire Bay Area is about creativity, which means every year brings something completely new that you’ve never seen.
Chabot Space & Science Center is a Gem in Oakland’s Redwoods
Chabot Space & Science Center reopened and we have the full scoop on what's new and what's still great for families.
Hikes for Tykes: Exploring the Regional Parks
Hikes for Tykes offers guided toddler-friendly nature walks and exploration in various East Bay Regional Parks.
Discover San Francisco’s Randall Museum
The Randall Museum is a FREE wildlife museum with live animals, trains and is next to a short steep hike to a killer view.
Birthday Party Place: Lush Handmade Cosmetics
For ages 5+, birthday party guests can mold soap and bath bombs with natural ingredients at the Lush Shop.
Animal Discovery Room at Lawrence Hall of Science
The Lawrence Hall of Science hosts an active Animal Discovery Zone from chinchillas to box turtles.
Profile: West Oakland Farm Park & Playground
West Oakland Farm Park has it all according to my little ones: farm, playground, green space, animals, and an amazing mission.
Ticket Alert: Space Week at Chabot Space & Science Center
Save the dates for Space Week at Chabot Space & Science Center in the Oakland Hills. Prepare to be delighted.
Oakland Zoo For Families (Is Membership Worth It?)
Oakland zoo membership for families pays for itself in less than two visits. We break it down for you.
Get Free Museum Entry with Discover & Go
Powered by our local libraries, Discover & Go gets you and your kids in free to some of our most popular museums and attractions for ...
Half-day Trip: Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward
This wild animal rehabilitation center in Hayward allows kids to get up close and personal with drop-in hours and special programs.
Cal Academy of Sciences Is for Kids of All Ages
Cal Academy of Sciences, kids and parents will have fun visiting an aquarium, rainforest, and natural history museum all under one living roof.
Toddlers’ Guide to Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Everything at Walnut Creek's animal rescue and museum, Lindsay Wildlife Experience, is great for a three-year old.
21 Places in the Bay Area Where Kids Can See Animals
A few favorite places to get a miniature zoo experience for FREE in the East Bay, small animal encounters, & farms!
Sleep at the Cal Academy of Sciences with Penguins+Pajamas
Sleep at Cal Academy of Sciences with Penguins+Pajamas. It is memorable for kids and parents with after-hours exploration, movies, and a sleeping bag on the ...
Three-Year Olds’ Guide to Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium has awesome otters, penguins, and play area. But it can be overwhelming, too. Here's our little kids' perspective.
Now Open: Run Around the USS Hornet with Little Ones
While the interior spaces are fascinating for adults, kids only wanted to play and run in the outdoor spaces of the USS Hornet anyway.
San Francisco’s Exploratorium with Kids
San Francisco's Exploratorium with kids is a ton of fun -- hands-on science museum with lots to touch and room to climb. Don't forget the ...
Three-Year-Olds’ Guide to Cal Academy of Sciences
The Cal Academy with a three-year-old is a different type of visit. Here are my tips, tricks, and suggested itinerary for the best day.
25 Places to Take Preschoolers in the East Bay – Indoors
Places to take East Bay toddlers and preschoolers: Bay Area destinations for younger kids featuring amazing indoor play spaces and museums.
Day Trip to Bay Area Discovery Museum
The Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito is a hands-on, outdoor science museum that will entertain & educate children under 5
Top Things to Do With Kids at Cal
Here are our top things to do with our kids at University of California at Berkeley's "Cal" Campus: climb, sing, dinosaurs, research, run, and play!
Home Depot Offers Free Weekend Workshops for Kids
Spend a FREE morning at Home Depot building craft projects with your kid on the first Saturday of each month.
Half-Day Trip to CuriOdyssey at Coyote Point
CuriOdyssey is a science playground and zoo best suited for the smallest children at Coyote Point in San Mateo.
Field trip: The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito
Animal-loving kids will love to see the baby seals, learn about what they eat and how we can take better care of our ocean-dwelling friends.
Crab Cove Beach and Visitor Center in Alameda
Children will enjoy exploring Crab Cove beach in Alameda, but start with the visitor center to get more out of your trip!
12 Best Bay Area Science Museums for Kids
The Bay Area has some of the world's best science museums. Play with your kids while learning about science, technology, and nature.
Fabulous Safari West in Santa Rosa
I took my family to Safari West in Santa Rosa to spend the morning on a safari vehicle tour. Super fun! I suggest this trip ...
Play Tourist at San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay & Pier 39
Aquarium of the Bay at SF Pier 39 for a fun day trip that's all about sea creatures and the waters of the Bay. Oakland ...
Toddlers’ Guide to the Exploratorium
All our best advice to enjoy San Francisco's Exploratorium with toddlers and three-year olds. Take a deep breath and let's go!
Visiting Oakland (Overnight!) With Kids
Where to stay, eat, and play in Oakland with little kids. An itinerary with a jam-packed 2 days & 1 night plus tons more ideas.
Field Trip: San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum
This indoor and outdoor children's museum in San Jose is engaging, interactive, and educational— worthy of a day trip to the South Bay.
MEL Science Amazing Chemistry Sets for Kids Sizzle & Change Colors
Get up to three legit amazing science experiments for kids -- that sizzle, foam, flame, & change colors -- delivered to your door each month.
Register Now: SWE Science Workshops for Grades 4 to 8
SWE Science Saturdays and SWE Science Scholars are programs that teach engineering ideas and principles to 4th through 8th grade students.
DIY Outdoor School: Redwood Regional + Botany Exploration
We took this Montessori-inspired leaf classification activity out to the local trails to extend the learning and heighten our environmental awareness.
Stargazing With Kids & Seeking Out the Elusive Milky Way
You don’t need a telescope to see the Milky Way and stargaze. Just a sense of adventure to escape the light pollution and some coffee ...
Kiwi Crate Projects Are Pretty Incredible
Kiwi Crate makes "seriously fun" art and engineering projects on a subscription basis for ages 0-8, 9-13, and 14+. My five-year old loves it.
Ten Special Things to do at the SF Zoo
From Gorillas to Penguins and back through on the historic train, the San Francisco Zoo has a lot to offer families. Oakland Zoo members save ...
Half-day Trip to San Rafael and WildCare
A half day adventure in San Rafael starts with a visit to WildCare, a FREE rehabilitation facility for local animals that toddlers dig.
No more tours of Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory in Petaluma
The only sticker factory in the USA, Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory, has stopped giving tours as of July 31, 2019.
ZooKids classes at Oakland Zoo
ZooKids is offered twice each month for four- and five- year old animal lovers at the Oakland Zoo. And, you can drop the kids off!
Go Outside with Kids, Really Outside
Feeling quite tired of playgrounds (I hear you!), Berkeley mom of two Annie Burke started taking her family and friends out to some less-traveled parks ...
Drop-in maker space for the youngest creators
At Junior Center for Art & Science, a new youth maker space equips young innovators to create from low-tech, creativity-inspiring materials.
Reader tip: Help UC Berkeley improve parenting information
Receive $50 for a one-hour interview to help Cal improve parenting information through its UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
{510} Families’ Big Birthday Bash (photos)
50 toddlers and their big people joined us at the Junior Center of Art & Science in Oakland to celebrate our 7th birthday. Thanks to ...
Introducing Girls Garage
Girls Garage in West Berkeley offers the space, resources, and teachers to get girls hands-on with welding, woodwork, and a little trouble.
Get Your Kid a Job: Baby Scientist
Seeking baby scientists: UC Berkeley and Mills College both have exciting research studying early childhood development and your child can participate!
Amazing Bubble Shows are exactly that
The Amazing Bubble Show by Louis Pearl is one that all ages -- yep, even the skeptical tweens and grandparents! -- will enjoy.
World Record for Einsteins happening in Berkeley
The elementary and middle school students at Black Pine Circle School in Berkeley, CA will gather en masse at the school’s athletic field at 2pm ...
Little kids wanted for cool research at Cal
Years ago, I wrote about getting your baby a job as a scientist and I stand by that recommendation. I first learned about the super ...
3 super day trips with a one-year old
We are happy to introduce you to Jennifer Saranow Schultz (AKA Hintmama), the San Francisco parent to Hannah. As of the time of this interview, ...
Birthday party entertainment: East Bay Vivarium
Birthday party fun: Have a little piece of the Vivarium brought to your house in the form of their traveling reptile program.
Field trip: Farm day in Brentwood
I took the kids to an awesome pick your own farm and pumpkin patch out in Brentwood that I totally recommend!
Birthday party entertainment: Fur, Scales and Tails
When I heard about Tracy Hill "the animal guy" and his performance at birthday parties, I knew I should share.
