New in town? 50 things East Bay parents need to know

If you've just moved to Berkeley, Oakland, or some other part of the East Bay, let us welcome you! Our readers and contributors have helped us put together a list of the top resources in the area for parents. 510Families.com offers many profiles of these resources and more within our archives, but consider this your community-generated cheat sheet.

Parks and Outdoor Destinations

Tilden Park
Massive regional park, with access points from both the Oakland + Berkeley Hills and Orinda, featuring a carousel, working farm, Lake Anza, short hikes, and Steam Trains you can ride.

Codornices Park
Large Berkeley Hills park for picnics and exploration. Two playgrounds and basketball courts. Tunnel that connects to Rose Garden. Learn more >

Children's Fairyland
Small-scale, vintage amusement park with rides and play areas. Best for kids 2-7. Located near Lake Merritt in Oakland. Details here >

Adventure Playground
Like the Sandlot your dad played in, Adventure Playground has structures made out of plywood and nails and kids are welcome to add on to them. A uniquely Berkeley experience. More details >

The Oakland Zoo
An impressive Zoo for a medium-sized city, the Oakland Zoo has all the large animals you can name, plus a children's zoo area and a ride area, including a roller coaster, carousel and two ways to travel through the sky over the Zoo.

Central Park
Fremont's large urban playground offers a lake with pedal boats, a unique playground, skate park, and is adjacent to a waterpark. Learn more >

Swimming Pools
A list of pools (open seasonally) and beaches in the 510. Read it >

Want to play outside? Here's a list of 20 places to play outside with your little kid >

Up for exploring? See our list of 50 things to do when school is closed >

Indoor play spaces and destinations

Public libraries
Nearly all of them have storytimes for babies and toddlers. Readers especially like Central Berkeley and Lakeview Branch Oakland Library – Baby Bounce with Ms. Miriam on Wednesdays at 11:30. “She is fabulous!” See our events calendar for many story times >

Lawrence Hall of Science
Hands-on science museum in the Berkeley Hills with a spectacular view and things to touch for kids of every age. Review here >

Bay Area Discovery Museum
Worth the drive to Sausalito, this children's museum is great for every age. Free admission the first Wednesday of the month. Review here >

We have compiled a great list of the indoor play spaces in the East Bay here > 

Don't miss our 25 places to take East Bay preschoolers >

Birthday Party Ideas

We've listed all the indoor and outdoor birthday party venues, alongside entertainment vendors and treats in our East Bay Birthday Party Guide >

Shopping + Saving money

Discover and Go
This program is run through the libraries and allows you to get free admission to many of the children's museums in the area.

Farmer's Markets
A list of all the area Farmers Markets with top picks for kid-friendly experiences. Read it >

Deals and Discounts page
We maintain this page to share half-price tickets on big shows and events, ie Disney on Ice.

Ways to Connect with Other Parents

A comprehensive list of places moms can meet other moms is here >

Childcare

Bananas
This non-profit in Oakland helps parents and caregivers find each other and maintain strong relationships. Looking for a nanny? Start here.

Berkeley Parents Network
Weekly email newsletter for Berkeley/Oakland and surrounding areas of childcare jobs wanted and offered, plus every other parenting topic you could imagine from toilet training to co-parenting after divorce.

Summer camps
Each year, 510families.com compiles a detailed list of amazing day camps and overnight camps. We also produce camp guides for winter break and spring break.

Good Things for Moms and Dads

Home Delivery of Food
If you like to have groceries or dinner delivered, you're living in the right place. We have assembled a helpful guide to all the restaurants, apps, and services that will deliver to your home, including diapers.

Yoga Classes for New Moms
Numerous local yoga studios offer a class for moms with babies. Wonderful accomodations are made for a great postpartum experience.

Favorite restaurants for families
We have a list of restaurants our readers like best for eating out with kids in the East Bay.

Prenatal classes
Those who are expecting their first East Bay baby should know about two resources for classes and support for pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood: Birthways in Berkeley and Then Comes Baby in Oakland.

Downtown Berkeley YMCA
A local favorite, this Y offers a big child-watch facility, swimming pools, classes for kids, and a “Kindergym” with a baby bounce circle time.

Rookie Moms
Aww, it warms my heart that a few people named our blog for new moms, RookieMoms.com.

Classes for the Kids

You'll discover everything from gymnastics and yoga to swimming and foreign language classes in our Little Kids Class Guide >

How to get started with baseball or softball, lacrosse, or swimming.

In your new neighborhood

Look over at the sidebar and see if we have a “Parent's Guide” to your specific location –>

This list was compiled with help from our fantastic Facebook community. You should join us over there, too.