Photo by Sharon Danks
While my family gears up to head out of the Bay Area for our spring break, many other families are pouring in to see what the area has to offer - and there's so much! Be sure to spend some time in the East Bay, where opportunities for family fun abound: my three tips this week all come from the FANTASTIC East Bay family website 510 Families. Check them out for more ideas and goings-ons - and have a blast!
1. If you're visiting the West Coast from anywhere else in the country, chances are your already earlier risers will be raring to go even earlier than usual, which makes for a long wait til 10 or 11, when most things open. Albany Bowl to the rescue: this family-friendly bowling center opens at 9 a.m.! And I love the family-oriented details; you can even tell your bowling computer which bowlers need bumpers, and each time it's their turn, the bumpers will lower - genius. The going rate is $4 / shoe rental and $5 / game, but if you're going early in the day, you're likely to time it with a special: check their page for details and other special events.
2. Keep this one on hand for a rainy day, although you may be tempted to go no matter the weather. The Junior Center for Art and Science is a wonderful non-profit for local schools, and every Tuesday and Friday they host Free Animal Discovery Sessions. Would your little one like to meet Gary, a 30-year-old desert tortoise? How about a bearded dragon? Some toads? You get the idea! In addition to petting (!) the creatures, staff is on hand to teach and answer questions, and there are even crayons and paper set out for some inspired nature sketching. Read more about a local family's visit here.
3. Wish we still lived in an era of free, gone-for-hours neighborhood play, before antibacterial wipes and safety-everything? Well, then: welcome to Berkeley's Adventure Playground. Written up as one of the country's top ten playspaces by National Geographic (and other publications as well), Adventure Playground gives children the space to play and build creatively, whether with hammer and nails or a zip line or some other tool for adventure. Admission is free, and children under seven must be kept within arm's reach. Don't forget sturdy, closed-toed shoes, and let the adventures begin! (There is a second, tamer park located nearby, as well as public restrooms - family vacation bonus!)
Accommodation tip: The Best Western Plus Bayside Hotel has affordable rates, views of Oakland's historic estuary, and easy access to the greater Bay Area.
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