Activities

Dance, sing, listen, or tinker, the holiday season is upon us.

11th Annual San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest

A grand total of 22 hip hop dance companies to blow your mind.

When: Program A, Fri., 11/20, 8pm & Sun., 11/22, 2pm; Program B, Sat., 11/21, 8pm & Sun, 11/22, 7pm; Age 8+; $35 for one program; $62 for both.

Where: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street (at Bay Street), San Francisco; 415-392-4400; sfhiphopdancefest.com.

Pier 39 Tree Lighting Celebration

Costumes characters from Disney and live entertainers caper from 2 to 4pm, and at 5:30 the giant Christmas tree blazes to life.

When: Sun., 11/22, 2-5pm; All ages; Free.

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

Tinkering

Every invention, Coyote Point reminds us, came to be due to tinkering. This newest exhibit shows viewers how an innovation springs from a good idea and lots of tries. of innovation.

When: Exhibit opens Sat., 11/21, 10am; Age 3+; Free-$7.

Where: Coyote Point Museum, 1651 Coyote Point Drive (at Airport Boulevard), San Mateo; 650-342-7755; coyoteptmuseum.org.

Fresh Trade Agreement

A good choice for hipper middle and high schoolers, this party includes live music, DJs, b-boy battles, custom-built bikes, and vendors of streetwear and accessories.

When: Sat., 11/21, 11am-5pm; Age 7+; $10 ($7 with two canned goods).

Where: CellSpace/Crucible Steel Gallery, 2050 Bryant Street (at 18th Street), San Francisco; fresh-trade.org.

It’s possible to make a perfectly good gingerbread house out of a foil-covered milk carton, some frosting, some candy, and some well-positioned graham crackers. But sometimes you want a gingerbread extravaganza that draws a “Wow!” from every kid who sees it.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum’s extremely popular Gingerbread Architecture parties will give you the candy house of your dreams. For $25 per gingerbread house kit, the Discovery Museum hands out real gingerbread (not graham crackers!), frosting, a rainbow of candy, and a space to craft your masterpiece in. The room smells of frosting and sugar, and rings with the happy laughter of children alternately eating and glueing on candy onto their house. While it’s drying, kids and parents play at the museum; by the time they’re ready to head home, their masterpiece is ready.

Gingerbread Architecture sells out early every year; make your reservations early by visiting baykidsmuseum.org. The Bay Area Discovery Museum is located at 557 McReynolds Road (at Fort Baker), Sausalito; call 415-339-3900.

Next weekend it’s going to be all turkey sandwiches all the time. Enjoy your family-free hours this weekend.

Pixar Party at the Cartoon Art Museum

A very rare chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at what Pixar does, with artists and insiders displaying cels and discussing how the studio made movies like Up and Toy Story. All proceeds benefit the museum.

When: Sat., 11/14, 1-4 p.m.; Age 6+; $100 per family of four (no tickets sold at the door; all families must have a reservation).

Where: Cartoon Art Museum Benefit, 655 Mission Street (at New Montgomery Street), San Francisco; 415-227-8666 Ext: 300; cartoonartlivejournal.com.

San Francisco Green Festival

Three days of organic food, recycling, eco-consciousness, and random acts of urban renewal at this festival. Tree Frog Treks brings its reptiles to the party each day of the festival from noon to 2 p.m. and kids will get a lot out of the hands-on off-site greening activities.

When: Fri., 11/13, noon-7 p.m., Sat., 11/14, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun., 11/15, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Age 3+; Free-$15

Where: Various locations including the Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 Eighth Street (at Brannan Street), San Francisco; greenfestivals.org.

The Sippy Cups

The popular kids’ band plays at a snazzy, retrolicious venue with the most important ingredient for parental enjoyment: a full bar.

When: Sun., 11/15, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; Age 4+; $17.

Where: Bimbo’s 365 Club, 1025 Columbus Avenue (at Chestnut Street), San Francisco; 415-474-0365; bimbos365club.com.

Gobble Gobble Turkey Dance Party

Exuberant kids’ band Candy and the Sweet Tooths gets the kids up and moving at this family dance.

When: Sat., 11/15, 3 p.m.; All Ages;$18.

Where: Fort Mason Officer’s Club, Upper Fort Mason (at Franklin Street), San Francisco; candyandthesweettooths.com.

In just six weeks, the Saturday Morning Rock Out class squishes the coolest parts of being in a band into one mesmerizing class for kids aged four to seven. At the first class the kids mess around with instruments and pick a band name, at the second class they pick what spots they’re to hold in the band, and then they move on to writing a song, practicing, and performing for a live audience of enthusiastic parents at the end-of-class CD release party.

The Rock Out course is taught by members of local bands, Brian, Lynn, and Pace, all of whom have a wonderful rapport with children and are encouraging of everyone’s ideas and energy so that even the smallest and shyest of the kids get comfortable shouting out lyrics and ideas for album cover art. It’s an uplifting and cool experience for kids, but more than that, it’s their first chance to work collaboratively on a project, a skill they’ll need very much in school and beyond.

The Rock Out course is in mid-session right now; there will be more classes in 2010. Special for l’il percussionists: the Sunday Morning Drum Out, a one-hour class focusing on rhythm for kids aged 4 to 8. For more information, see owies.org.

Now that Halloween is just a memory and a bunch of crackly candy wrappers in a bucket, you can really have some fun.

Mission Indie-Mart

Say no to sweatshop labor and corporate sameness at this fleamarket, where over 40 local designers, retailers, and crafters offer quirky wares for kids and adults. There’s hot barbecue for sale too.

When: Sun., 11/8; noon-6pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Thee Parkside, 1600 17th Street (at Wisconsin Street), San Francisco; indie-mart.com.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Four children step into an antique wardrobe and fall into an adventure in a magical fairyland in this adaptation with young actors.

When: Ongoing through 9/15; Sat. 1pm; Sun. 1:30 & 3:30pm; Age 4+; $10 adults, $7 children under 13.

Where: Young Performers Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Building C, Marina Boulevard (at Buchanan Street); 415-346-5550; ypt.org.

Animal Secrets

Learn how bats find their way through dark caves and if chipmunks really sleep in a tree like Chip and Dale at this exhibition that pokes into the private lives of familiar animals.

When: Ongoing through 5/9/10; Age 0-8; Free with paid admission (Free-$18).

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

SFUSD Public School Enrollment Fair

The biggie, with representatives from every San Francisco public school and all the forms parents need for the 2010 application process.

When: Sat., 11/7, 9am-2:30pm; Age 2+; Free.

Where: Concourse Exhibition Center, 620 Seventh Street (at Brannan Street), San Francisco; portal.sfsu.edu.

Fantastic Fridays
Crissy Field Center naturalists take little ones on an exploration of the outdoors using the senses. This week: cuddle up to trees with a hike and leaf rubbings.

When: Ongoing each Friday including 11/6; Age 18 months-4 years; $12-15

Where: Crissy Field Center, 603 Mason Street (at Halleck Street), San Francisco; 415-561-7752; crissyfield.org.

Halloween is on a Saturday this year! Get your costume on and go go go!

Dia de los Muertos Procession and Festival of the Altars

The parade is too spooky for little kids, but older ones will enjoy the rattling bones, creepy makeup, and the thrill of being out with adults at night; the colorful altars celebrating the lives of those passed on are great cultural eye-candy.

When: Mon., 11/2, 7pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Parade starts at 7pm from 24th and Bryant Streets in San Francisco and continues to 26th and Bryant Streets, where the Festival of the Altars starts at 8:30 p.m.; 415-722-8911; dayofthedeadsf.org.

Potrero Hill Halloween Parade and Costume Contest

An early-evening Halloween party with a movie, prizes for best costume, and a parade down to 18th Street.

When: Sat., 10/31, 4-7pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Axis Cafe, 1201 Eighth Street (at Irwin Street), San Francisco; 415-279-1899; axis-cafe.com.

Exploratorium Halloween

A grand Halloween party with a visit from the Neverwas, a Victorian mansion on wheels, and creature features like giant insects and hissing cockroaches.

When: Sat., 10/31, 3-8pm; Free-$14.

Where: Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon Street (at Jefferson Street), San Francisco; 415-561-0360; exploratorium.edu.

Dia de los Muertos Family Concert

A special concert for families with classical music from Latino conductors and pre-concert festivities like sugar skull-decorating and a display of family altars.

When: Sun., 11/1, 1pm; Age 4+; $15-65.

Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue (at Grove Street), 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.

Ferry tours of the Bay are an absolutely fantastic way to appreciate our dramatic coastline and crystal-blue waters, but at $15-35 a head, they add up quickly. From now through March 10, 2010, the Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry offers a boat ride with all the gorgeousness at a much friendlier price: a mere $5.

Here’s the deal: Hop aboard the ferry at the Tiburon dock, take a ride out to Angel Island and then ride back. If you stay onboard (rather than getting off at Angel Island) until the boat returns to Tiburon, your trip is a mere $5 for everyone age 5 and older (kids under 5 sail free). Tell the boat operator you’re there for Captain Maggie’s Special, named after Maggie McDonogh, owner of the family-fun ferry company. You’ll get million-dollar scenery for half the price of a movie.

The round-trip from Tiburon to Angel Island and back takes about a half-hour; don’t forget to bundle up, because the combination of wind and sea-spray can freeze you right to the bone. But the visuals are unforgettable. The Tiburon dock is at 21 Main Street (at Lecante Drive), Tiburon; ferries leave hourly on weekends and twice a day on weekdays; for a schedule of departures or more information call 415-435-2131 or visit angelislandferry.com.

A Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D

The spooky holiday classic screens in eye-popping 3D during its week-long engagement at the Castro Theatre.

When: Fri. 10/23 through Thu. 11/5; 7pm, 8:45pm (Sat., Sun. & Wed. shows at 1:30pm, 3:25pm, and 5:10pm); Age 6+; $7.50-10.

Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street (at Market Street), San Francisco; 415-621-6120; castrotheatre.com.

Scare Grove

A Halloween carnival specially aimed at families, with a haunted house, hay rides, bounce houses, rides, and treats.

When: Fri., 10/23, 4-9pm; Age 2+; $5 for an all-access pass.

Where: Sigmund Stern Grove, Sloat Avenue (at 19th Avenue), San Francisco; sfgov.org.

Creepy Crawly Week

Get weirded out by science with an exhibit of scary animals, a scavenger hunt for spooky creatures, and naturalist lessons in which you get to meet (and sometimes touch!) frightening critters.

When: Sat., 10/24 through Sun. 11/1; Age 3+; Free with paid admission (Free-$25).

Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive (at JFK Drive) in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, 415-379-8000; calacademy.org.

Jack o’ Lantern Jamboree

Come in costume to this annual Halloween party, which boasts roaming costumed characters, jump houses, pumpkin crafts, face painting, and the festive, make-believe atmosphere of Fairyland.

When: Sat. & Sun., 10/24-25, 10am-5pm; All ages; $10 per person.

Where: Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue (at Lake Merritt), Oakland, 510-452-2259, fairyland.org.

Though the new movie adaptation of classic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are wasn’t really made for children (thanks for that, Spike Jonze!), plenty went to see the movie on its opening weekend. Did the movie’s gloomy, existential tone and bummed-out Wild Things leave your kids with some lingering questions about Sendak, his work, maybe even life itself? Head to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, where the exhibit “There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak” gives fan a wealth of background on the author that will aid in decoding the movie and Sendak’s other books.

For one thing, the Wild Things were based on Sendak’s Jewish immigrant relatives, many of whom were inalterably damaged by the loss of relatives in Poland during the Holocaust. Video interviews with Sendak, articles, pictures, and other artifacts show the pathos that lay just behind Sendak’s humor, giving it that relatable spark and a certain grimness that still appeals. Plus, just looking at original pen-and-ink drawings for Where the Wild Things Are and other stories is thrillingly cool.

“There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak” runs through January 19, 2010 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street (between Third and Fourth streets), San Francisco. Call 415-655-7800 or visit the cjm.org.

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

Acres and acres of fall fun, with horsey rides, pumpkin-carving contests, pie-eating contests, and delicious things to eat. The traffic is a mess; leave time before and after the event to deal with it.

When: Sat. 10/17-18, 9am-5pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Main Street between Miramonte and Spruce Streets, Half Moon Bay, 650-726-9652, miramarevents.com.

Goblin Jamboree

The super-cool kids’ museum dresses up for the holidays and throws a party with a train ride, live performers, pony rides, and a petting zoo.

When: Sat. & Sun., 10/17-18, 10am-4pm; All ages; $12-14 (Free for kids under 1).

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

Outrageous Outgrowns

A vast money-saving fiesta of tens of thousands of gently used clothes, shoes, toys, books, strollers, cribs, and other baby gear.

When: Fri.-Sun. 10/16-18; 9am-5pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road (at Old Tully Road), San Jose; outrageousoutgrowns.com.

San Francisco Symphony Celebrates Disney

The symphony marks the opening of the Presidio’s Walt Disney Family Museum with a concert with songs from Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

When: Fri., 10/16, 8pm; Age 7+; $15-70.

Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue (at Turk Street), San Francisco, 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.