Author Archive

Many restaurants are unfriendly to kids and parents, giving them the cold shoulder, dirty looks, and the seat closest to the bathroom, each and every time. Of course, no one likes eating by a bunch of jumpy screamers, but parents with more well-behaved kids may wonder why they too get a bad reception.Part of it comes down to simple economics, writes the San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Bauer in his Between Meals blog. Every kid who takes up a seat means a drop in the check. The owner of the Tavern at Lark Creek explains the dollars and cents of it: “The check average is a significant driver in all restaurants for budgetary planning purposes. We started to see more children in the restaurant which was a departure from the past. We have tried to be more child friendly and lower the price point there as well.

When you do 40 children a night on a busy night, that can impact you average check quite significantly. The average check for a child is $7.50; our average check for an adult is about $31.00.

40 children x $7.50

150 adults x $ 31.00

190 covers total net sales is $ 4,950.00 or $ 26.06 per cover.”

So maybe that’s why restauranteurs keep the food-encrusted high chairs over by the bathroom and give you such a dirty look when you ask for one.

Music, dance, and a look ahead to how you’re going to fill the summer.

Dan Zanes & Friends

The tousle-haired rock God of the swim diaper set does a show for families on the UC Berkeley campus.

When: Sat., 3/6, 11am & 4pm; Sun. 3/7, 3pm; Age 3+; $16-26.

Where: Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft Avenue (between Dana and Telegraph Avenues) on the UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, calperfs.berkeley.edu.

Disney on Ice

Disney characters glide around the rink in this show custom-made for elementary-school kids.

When: Fri., 3/5, 10:30am, 7:30pm; Sat. & Sun. 3/6-7, 10:30am, 3pm, 7:30pm; Age 2+; $16-70.

Where: Oakland Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way (at Hegenberger Road), Oakland; 800-745-3000; disney.go.com.

Summer Resource Fair

Find out where your kid can take summer soccer sessions or attend theater camp at this conglomeration of more than 200 providers, all eager to give you brochures.

When: Sat., 3/6, 10am-3pm; age 5+; Free.

Where: Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 Eighth Street (at Brannan Street), San Francisco, sfkids.org.

Panicking about where you’re going to stash your child for the upcoming spring and summer breaks? You oughtta be. Most of the more popular camps in the Bay Area fill up in March. But this year you have some inside information that you didn’t find on the playground: Sign Up for Camp.

Launched by a team of Bay Area parents who’ve been through the camp process themselves and know how confusing it is, signupforcamp.com is a directory of local camps that’s searchable by ZIP code, date, or age. Need a camp from June 14th to 18th for your Pre-K kid? Sign Up for Camp has 147 of them, each with the camp’s hours, cost, dates, and contact information in a helpful grid that makes it oh-so-easy to compare. So much easier than Googling and making phone calls, particularly since many camps barely have a website, much less dates and rates on them.

Another helpful feature: users can create a free calendar for their children, which can be shared with other users. Wouldn’t your kid like to go to summer camp with some of the kids in her class? I thought so.

Visit signupforcamp.com for more information. The site has also launched in Philadelphia as well as the Bay Area, with more cities set to roll out in 2010.

Nothing but wall-to-wall festivals in town this weekend.

Chinese New Year Parade

The dragons dance through the crowded streets of Chinatown in this colorful annual spectacle, beloved by children, who abhor the crowds but adore the music, colorful decorations, and fireworks.

When: Sat., 2/27, 6pm (parade lasts for about 2 and 1/2 hours); All ages; Free.

Where: Parade winds around Market, Geary, Post, and Kearny; chineseparade.com.

Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt

This annual hunt always occurs the same night as the Chinese New Year parade, sending teams of people across Chinatown and the Financial District in search of clues.

When: Sat., 2/27, 4:30-9:30pm; Age 8+; $18-40.

Where: Treasure hunters meet at Justin Herman Plaza, Market Street (at Embarcadero Street), San Francisco; sftreasurehunts.com.

Purim Palooza

Celebrate the riotous and colorful Jewish holiday with costumes, games, hamantashen, face painting, and music.

When: Sun., 2/28, 9:30am-2pm; All Ages; Free (bring a can of food for charity).

Where: Marin Jewish Community Center, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael, 415-444-8000; marinjcc.org.

Here’s the scenario: baby is thirsty, you give him some milk in a sippy, he drinks for a second of blissful, blissful silence, until “Waaaah!” He’s turned the cup upside down and can’t get anything else out. For the 11 millionth time.

The innovative Bot sippy cup has a cool feature: a weighted stainless steel ball inside a flexible straw. Whenever the kid tips the cup, the same gravity that makes the liquid fall to one side also moves the straw. Ergo, every sip brings up a drink, ergo, you get 15 more seconds of peace and quiet before he empties the cup and starts screaming again.

The Bot is made by Burlingame’s ZoLi, an eco-minded company whose products are free from BPA, phthalates, PVC, latex and chloride. ZoLi’s packaging is made from recycled products and uses soy-based inks, for earth-friendlier degrading. The Bot is non-breakable and the lid and handle are just one part, to cut down on wandering cup pieces.

ZoLi also makes an intriguing child’s nail trimmer, the Buzz B., which uses a gentle whirling sander to grind nails down instead of a clipper that can slip and cut baby’s little cuticles. The Buzz B. is unfortunately out of stock on ZoLi’s site, but the Bot is available, in green or orange.

ZoLi’s Bot sippy cup, $12

As the short winter melts into early spring, the opportunities for outdoor fun keep flowering.

Free King Tut Weekend

The de Young Museum’s blockbuster Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit is free all weekend; the lines will be huge when the box office opens at 9 a.m. to distribute the free tickets. The de Young’s permanent collection is also free.

When: Sat. & Sun., 2/20-21, 8:30am-4pm; Age 3+; Free.

Where: de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Drive (at Music Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park), San Francisco; 415-750-3600; tutsanfrancisco.org.

Tulipmania

Thousands of tulips in just about every color of the rainbow decorate the pier at this annual event. Free tours are available at 10am daily.

When: Sat.-Sun., 2/20-28, 10am-5pm; Age 4+; Free.

Where: Pier 39, Embarcadero Street (at Grant Street), San Francisco; 415-705-5500; pier39.com.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with Chinese lion and folk dancing, seasonal crafts, and a Chinese zodiac tour around the zoo.

When: Sun., 2/21, 10am-3pm; All Ages; Free-$15 (guests born in the year of the tiger get free admission).

Where: San Francisco Zoo, Great Highway (between Sloat and Skyline), San Francisco; 415-753-7201; sfzoo.org.

Can’t make it to that Kenyan safari now that you’ve gone and had yourself some little ‘uns? The next best thing is just a few miles away: Safari West, 400 animal-filled acres right in the middle of Wine Country. It’s not a zoo, it’s not one of those drive-through-lion-country tours that you see from behind your car window. This is a real, live nature preserve, with hundreds of exotic species: lemurs, giraffes, antelopes, monkeys, ostriches, even cheetahs!

Most visitors opt for a jeep tour; try to get the seats at the top, because they give you a bird’s eye view of the place. Animals are well cared-for, with healthy, shiny coats, and are quite tame; don’t be surprised if they wander right up to the jeep to say hello. There are other kinds of tours as well, such as the behind-the-scenes tours where visitors get to see how the animals are kept, and can even hand-feed exotic birds and giraffes.

If the scenery thrills you, stay overnight: there are a range of lodging options, from basic family tents to a two-bedroom cottage that sleeps six. Many of Safari West’s animals are nocturnal, so expect to hear birds calling and lemurs chattering. And early morning is the best time to see many animals, when they’re awake and alert, not sleepy in the midday heat.

Safari West is located at 3118 Porter Creek Road (at Vineyard Spring Lane) in Santa Rosa; call 707-579-2551 or visit safariwest.com.

The Olympics, Chinese New Year, old-timey music; there’s a lot going on in town this weekend.

Reach for the Rings Olympic Celebration and Skating Exhibition

Get the little ones stoked for the winter Olympics at this demo of the amazing things that can be done on ice, including figure skating, hockey, and curling. Guests will also get to try out the ice themselves.

When: Sat., 2/13, 6:30-8:30pm; Age 5+; $7.

Where:  Yerba Buena Ice, 750 Folsom Street (at ), San Francisco; 415-820-3521; skatebowl.com.

Chinese New Year Festival

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with New Year’s crafts (red envelopes, paper lanterns, calligraphy), watch lion dancers, make dumplings, and learn about the Chinese zodiac.

When: Mon., 2/15, 9am-4pm; $7-14.

Where: Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road (at Fort Baker), Sausalito; 415-339-3900; baykidsmuseum.org.

Pet Adoption Day

Get to meet doggies that need a home at this event, where the animal rescue organization Muttville brings their calm, senior dogs to meet potential new families.

When: Sun., 2/14, 11am-3pm; Age 3+; Free.

Where: Ameoba Music, 1855 Haight Street (at Stanyan Street); 415-831-1200; muttville.org.

The San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival

Ten days of old-time music shows, many at venues friendly to kids. There are two shows pitched specifically at children, both on Saturday at the Randall Museum in San Francisco.

When: Thu.-Sun., 2/12-21; See website for schedule (special children’s shows are at 1pm and 3pm, Sat. 2/13); Age 4+; See website for ticket prices.

Where: Various venues including the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt Way), San Francisco; sfbluegrass.org.

Redwood City’s Counsyl has a new testing kit for prospective parents: They each spit in a tube, mail it back to Counsyl, and the company screens for more than 400 genetic mutations, including those for sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs, and cystic fibrosis. If each sample shows a marker for a mutation, the parents can consider their options, which include IVF and testing of the resultant embryos. The Counsyl Universal Genetic Test is $350.

Geneticists point out that the test has its limits–there are many diseases not covered, and some are so complex that couples may go through IVF (an expensive and arduous process) for nothing. Possessing a genetic marker for a disease doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop it. But since previous genetic tests required a blood sample and are generally looking only for a specific disease (such as one that affects a family member), this is a significant stride forward. Is it worth $350? Nervous parents-to-be, your guess is as good as mine.

One thing’s for sure, the test is easy to get. Unlike blood-sample genetic screenings, which require a trip to a clinic, Counsyl is available online.

It’s warming up out there, the almond trees are blooming, and finally the rain has stopped. Let’s take advantage of it while we can.

Giants FanFest

The yearly party is a free chance to ogle players, get autographs and dugout tours, and generally soak up the sporty atmosphere.

When: Sat., 2/6, 10am-3pm; Age 3+; Free.

Where: AT&T Park, 24 Willy Mays Plaza (at King Street), San Franciscp; sanfranciscogiants.mlb.com.

Crissy Field Center’s Grand gREen Opening

Explore the new green building with a party including tours of the sustainability features, live music, food tastings, and eco giveaways.

When: Sat., 2/6, 11am-3pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Crissy Field, 1199 East Beach (at Mason Street), San Francisco; 415-561-7752; parksconservancy.org.

Every Child Belongs: Inclusion and ADA Law Workshop for Parents

Parents of children with disabilities can learn what their rights are under IDEA and ADA law, as well as who can help. Pre-registration is required, write to mdickerson@childrenscouncil.org.

When: Fri., 2/5, 9:30am-noon; Adults only; Free.

Where: Children’s Council of San Francisco, 445 Church Street (at 16th Street), San Francisco, 415-343-3309; childrenscouncil.org.

Children’s Authors and Illustrators Festival

Meet the men and women who make your favorite children’s books, with guests like Elisa Kleven (the Paper Princess series) and Tim Myers (Takuki’s Gift).

When: Sat., 2/6, 10am-3:30pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Orion Elementary School, 815 Allerton Street (at Alden Street), Redwood City, rcsd.k12.ca.us.