Posts Tagged ‘city college’

Tiny Laurel Hill Playground, located in the upscale Laurel Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, doesn’t look like much at first glance: a run-down set of tennis courts, a big sand pit, the kind of wooden play structures urban kids have grown to expect in our nice city parks. But the magic of the place is in what it doesn’t have: wind, plenty of places to sit, and madding crowds.

Laurel Hill Playground is set below street level, accessible by two slanting pathways, and is thus protected both from icy winds and passersby. It’s the kind of park where you can leave your purse open in the stroller, because the only ones here are other caregivers, and they’re not interested in stealing your extra diapers and snack packs. It’s also the kind of place you can sit and relax, because your kids can’t escape out into the neighborhood without being easily spotted. But where to sit? The park only has a couple of benches, which would be a downside if the enforced intimacy of the seating didn’t lead to so many friendly chats between parkgoers. Unlike most playgrounds, where moms and nannies tend to hang out in little knots around the kids in their charges on separate benches, here everyone sits together, and friendly, casual conversations tend to arise. This is where you’ll meet the neighborhood parents, and chat about the best brand of pacifiers, or share local gossip.

Parents of young children are particularly profuse in the morning hours because of the free toddler-oriented City College Child Observation Classes that meet here each weekday from 9am to noon, and nearby Laurel Hill Nursery School packs the place with preschoolers during the lunchtime hour. Older kids, who are typically bored by the small space and dinky climbing structures, are more likely to be found at nearby Rossi Playground.

Two final things Laurel Hill has going for it: a clean bathroom right off the play area, and Ron, the affable city employee who opens up the clubhouse at noon each day. Inside is play equipment, tables, mats, and a tiny office where Ron frequently doles out popsicles and ice cream to throngs of eager kids, as well as coffee in chipped communal mugs for parents.

Laurel Hill Playground is located at Euclid Avenue (at Collins Street) in San Francisco. Call 415-666-7007 or visit sfgov.org.

“Find a playgroup” is common advice for parents of young children sane, but if you’re not a member of a moms’ group, community group, or other facility, finding one can be troublesome. That’s where San Francisco’s City College Child Observation Classes fill the gap.

For over 20 years, San Francisco’s City College has offered these free classes at recreation centers and churches all over the city. Young ones tumble on recreation equipment as their parents and caregivers watch, chat, and join in for circle time, and sometimes discussion on childrearing topics, with certified instructors. To encourage cooperative play, age groups are segregated — there are a few for kids aged 0-7 months and 8-14 months, but the 15 months-and-up classes are the most common and popular. Children up to kindergarten age (6) are welcome, but attendance tends to drop off once children reach preschool age (3-5), though the afternoon groups do still net a few kids who have moved past the after-lunch-nap stage.

Particularly popular classes include the Monday-Friday sessions at Laurel Hill Playground, the Monday and Tuesday option at Eureka Valley Recreation Center in the Castro, and the Wednesday group at the Mission Recreation Center, all held from 9am-12pm.

Parents must register for these free classes; no drop-ins are allowed. Register by calling 415-452-5905 or 415-239-3172, or come to the class you’re interested in and register on-site with the instructor. You need pay no sign-up fees, nor are you obligated to attend class every session. Visit ccsf.edu for more information.