Indoor Fun: 10+ Things to Do on Rainy Days in the East Bay - 510 Families
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Indoor Fun: 10+ Things to Do on Rainy Days in the East Bay

Wow, can the time pass slowly inside the house on a rainy day! While we love cuddling up to some Disney+ under a blanket and splashing in muddy puddles, here is a list of fantastic indoor but out-of-the-house family activities for East Bay parents to consider.

Places to go with Bay Area kids on a Rainy Day

Step away from the screen

Well, trade screens for other screens, anyway. Big kids can get their video game fix at Plank in Oakland. In Alameda, the Pacific Pinball Museum offers pinball from every era. Berkeley’s new Game-On gets their brains working. Other places for big kids to play indoors are on this list >

Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda
Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda | Photo: Heather Flett

Play Indoor Sports and Games

Bowling offers hours of bowling fun for multi-generational crowds (find some bowling deals first). Try something new at Fat Shafts Archery in Benicia. Drive out to Concord for Round1 Entertainment.

Bowling with Kids and other weekend ideas
Throwback to Albany Bowl | Photo: Anna Azimi

Learn Something at a Museum

The science museums, Chabot Space & Science in Oakland and Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley are super kid-friendly. Berkeley Art Museum (BAMPFA) and Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) are beautiful spaces to explore together and offer hands-on areas for little ones to feel engaged. See a list of museums you can visit for FREE. Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward also offers an indoor space and it’s free.

See a list of Bay Area science museums for kids here >

Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland | Photo: Anna Azimi

Go to a Family-friendly Movie

With onsite cafes, The New Parkway in Oakland and The Cerrito Cinema in El Cerrito both make it possible to feed your kids a real dinner and watch a movie at the same time. If they need to flop their bodies around during the show, there’s room for that. Lots of other movie theaters offer $6 Tuesday movies >

5 dollar movies on tuesdays

Self-Care together with a Pedicure

Sure, you usually like to get some me-time with a Mani/Pedi, but why not bring along your kiddos to indulge in a little self-care? You can call ahead to your favorite nail salon to check if they’ll take kids, or check out our list of particularly kid-friendly nail salons here >

little girl at nail salon getting pedicure
Athena enjoys the special treatment of her pedicure at Bougie Babies | Photo: @adventureswith.athena

Obviously, your local library

Yes, this is an obvious one, but just a reminder that your local library has a bevy of fun programming and activities of kids. And it’s all FREE. Check out what’s going on in Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, or El Cerrito.

Make Art Together

Drop-in for some studio time at Brushstrokes Studio or Color Me Mine Alameda and paint pottery together. Big kids can collaborate on a family plate or individual mug. Babies can get in on the action by stamping footprints onto your work. Finish up your creative endeavors with hot cocoa. Drop-in Art Studio guide>

Brushstrokes Studio Berkeley
Baby keepsakes at Brushstrokes | Photo Nissa Brehmer

Jump and Roll Around

Check our calendar to see if any of the local open gym hours are happening. We like the ninja warrior courses at Traverse Fitness and the Ultimate Sports Open Gym. and if not, consider making the drive to Rockin Jump in Concord, Fremont, or Dublin for some bouncing time. Even Pump It Up in Oakland offers Pop In Playtime where you pay by the hour. Ruby’s Tumbling in Alameda also has pop-in playtime on Monday and Friday mornings.

boy shooting basketball into hoop
The basketball bouncy house at Pump It Up is super fun for working on your shooting and dunking | Photo: Julie Herson

Splash and Swim

There are a few East Bay indoor pools that are warm and fun on a cold rainy day. Albany has tot hours in the morning, as does the Richmond Plunge and Silliman Aquatic Center in Newark (on weekends in the winter). Aquatech in Alameda is another great option, not far from the movie theater and Color Me Mine if you want to try a few indoor activities together.

child at pool
Point Richmond’s The Plunge is fantastic for little swimmers. | Photo: Maureen Burke

Climb all the Walls

Since they’ll likely be climbing the walls at home, might as well get your kids on an actual rock wall! Happily, there are a bunch of fabulous climbing gyms in the East Bay, with two newer options in Berkeley (The Oaks and Benchmark on Shattuck). Pacific Pipe in Oakland has some great options for family climbing too.

Oakland Rock Climbing Gym - Pacific Pipe
Pacific Pipe Climbing| Photo: Julia Gidwani

What are your go-to activities for rainy days?

xxx

 

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