Posts Tagged ‘randall museum’

Ways to play, if you can brave the fog.

San Francisco Symphony in Dolores Park

Bring a picnic and a blanket and listen to Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Haydn numbers at this free performance.

When: Sun., 7/20, 2-5pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Dolores Park, 18th Street (at Dolores Street), 415-552-8000, sfsymphony.org.

Thumbelina

See a show about the old-school predecessor to Polly Pockets as the New Conservatory Theatre Center Teen Summer Stock company performs a play based on the Hans Christian Anderson story.

When: Thu.-Sat., 7/17-19; 11am; Age 3+; $10-15.
Where: New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Avenue (at Oak Street), 415-861-8972; nctcsf.org.

Sun, Wind, & Water Day

Explore the elements with hands-on events at this free annual festival. Make solar s’mores, create your own paddleboat, or join the water balloon-tossing contest.

When: Sat., 7/19, 10am-2pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt), San Francisco, 415-554-9600, randallmuseum.org.

Run the Bases at AT&T Park

Kids aged 14 and under can linger after each San Francisco Giants home game to dash around the big league bases. Participants get a free See’s candy as they leave.

When: Sun., 7/20, game starts at 1:05pm, kids run the bases after the game is over; Age 3-14; Free with admission to game, $17-72.
Where: AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (King and Fourth Streets), 877-JR-GIANTS, sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com.

The weather’s been shockingly nice for July, but the end-of-summer fog will descend sooner or later, making the playground uncomfy and leaving city parents without many indoor play options that don’t cost upwards of $20 an hour.

Pack up the kids and a picnic and bring them over to the Randall Museum, the smallest, sweetest, friendliest children’s museum in town. For the eight-and-under set, the features are many: a tiny menagerie with calm rabbits and ducks, stations where kids can build their own Lego towers and subject them to earthquake-like forces, a toddler play room, a vast and intricate model train set (only open Saturdays), a restored earthquake shack. Kids are allowed to handle almost everything, and comfy spots where parents can sit and watch their children careening about seem to be everywhere.

When you’re ready for a snack, sit outside at the picnic table or in the circular garden area. Young kids can drop crumbs with abandon; older ones will want to race each other through the tiny garden. If they still have energy after the museum, you can even take the winding walk up to the top of Randall Rock for one of the best panoramic views of the city.

In summertime the Randall offers only a few of its noted classes and programs, including the popular Parent-Child Woodworking course and instruction in jewelry-making and ceramics. But in the fall look for toddler art classes, the teen cinema-watching club, robotics classes, family arts-and-crafts workshops and more. Classes are low-cost, and admission to the museum is always free, making the Randall one heck of a tantalizing bargain.

The Randall Museum is located at 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt), San Francisco. Call 415-554-9600 or visit randallmuseum.org.

Get your art on with a culture-vulture weekend, or brave BART for a Berkeley fest.

Lines Ballet Family Day

In celebration of Long River High Sky, the dance collaboration between Lines Ballet and Chinese Shaolin Monks, this free outdoor festival plays host to ballet lessons, kung fu demos, and arts/crafts activities. Snacks and drinks are also provided free.

When: Sat., 5/31, 2pm (a matinee performance of the show follows at 3pm); Age 8+; Free (Ballet performance is $15-65).

Where: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. (at Fourth St.), San Francisco, 415-978-2787, linesballet.org.

Wild in the City

Nature isn’t just found in the wilderness–and this new Randall Museum exhibit explores the wild animals who make their homes right here in San Francisco. Kids will find out how to identify animal tracks, how animals hunt, and where to look for natural ecosystems.

When: Ongoing, opening Sat., 5/31 and continuing through 11/1; 10am-5pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt), San Francisco, 415-554-9600, randallmuseum.org.

Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival

Instill in your child the joy of (legally) defacing city surfaces with this powdery romp over the sidewalks of Berkeley. Participants are assigned a square of sidewalk; onlookers chow down on chocolate samples or check out the arts and crafts booths. The best drawing wins $250; runners-up get $50 gift certificates from the Elephant Pharmacy. Bring your own chalk or buy it at the festival.

When: Sat, 5/31, 10am-6pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto (North Shattuck Ave. around Rose St.), Berkeley, 510-548-5335, northshattuck.org.

Animal Extravaganza

The seriously knowledgeable (and approachably fun) naturalists of Tree Frog Treks haul out their reptile and amphibian friends for kids to marvel over and touch. Activities teach kids about biology and nature.

When: Fri., 5/30, 4pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Glen Park Branch Library, 2825 Diamond St. (at Bosworth St.), San Francisco, sfpl.org.

Leaping dancers, creeping bugs, reading kids and sippy cups: get out of the house this weekend.

Bug Day

The cutest, most-child-friendly museum in the city is even better today at its annual Bug Day, with special exhibits and activities to teach kids about all that creep and crawl. Kids can participate in maggot races, touch silkworms, walking sticks and millipedes, create insect art, and play amongst the Randall’s other cool regular toys, including the model train station open only on Saturdays.

When: Sat., 4/26, 10am-2pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt), 415-554-9600, randallmuseum.org.

Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros

This San Francisco version of the Latin American holiday celebrating children has morphed into a storytelling festival, with on-stage reading of kids’ books, music, dance performances, and a visit from the Bookmobile.

When: Sun., 4/27, 1-4pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Dolores Park, between 18th and 20th Streets and Church and Dolores Streets, sfkids.org.

Young Choreographer’s Festival

Bring budding dancers to this National Dance Week celebration, which stages shorts works from Bay Area choreographers aged 16 to 21. Following the hour-long festival, 30 dance companies and solo artists will perform until 5pm. The Bandshell stage is open-air; dress accordingly.

When: Sat., 4/26, 12pm-5pm; All ages; Free.

Where: The Golden Gate Park Bandshell at the Music Concourse between De Young Museum and Steinhart Aquarium (at Martin Luther King Jr Way), San Francisco, 415-640-2784, mfdpsf.org.

The Sippy Cups: A Rock & Roll Circus

Kids go absolutely apesh*t for this band, a bunch of cheerful adults who do kid-friendly versions of songs parents will recognize, such as The Velvet Underground’s “Who Loves the Sun” or Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” accompanied by puppets, juggling, acrobatics and the like. Parents will be thrilled with the venue, sleek Bimbo’s 365 Club. Alternadad author Neal Pollack emcees the show and will sign copies of his book.

When: Sun., 4/27, 1pm & 4pm; Ages 0-8; $17.

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