UrbanBaby San Francisco

We’re riding, skating, lighting, and drumming our way through the weekend.

Golden Gate Express Model Train Exhibit

Take a miniaturized tour of San Francisco as tiny trains wend their way through San Francisco landmarks like Coit Tower and Chinatown’s dragon gates, set amongst the Conservatory of Flowers.

When: Tue.-Sun. beginning Thu., 11/20 and running through 4/19/09; 9am-4:30pm; Age 2+; Free-$5.

Where: Conservatory of Flowers, JFK Drive (at Conservatory Drive) in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; 415-666-7001, conservatoryofflowers.org.

Reindeer Romp and Ice Skating

A third ice rink opens in San Francisco for the holidays, and at this special skating party kids can meet reindeer and watch animals enjoying holiday treats.

When: Daily beginning Sat., 11/22 through 12/31, 11am-5pm; Age 3+; $12-25 (skate rental is an additional fee).

Where: San Francisco Zoo, Great Highway (between Sloat and Skyline), San Francisco, 415-753-8124, sfzoo.org.

Holiday Tree Lighting Party

Watch the big Pier 39 tree come to life at this celebration with Christmas-, Hanukkah- and Kwanzaa-related song and dance. Santa will be around for photos and requests, and kids can get their face painted and make holiday crafts.

When: Sun., 11/23, 1-6pm (tree-lighting is at 5:30pm); All ages; Free.

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

International Taiko Festival

Kids love to hear the thundering drums pound and boom. The Sunday afternoon concert is a good choice for smaller kids.

When: Sat., 11/22, 7pm; Sun., 11/23, 3pm; Age 2+; $38-49.

Where: Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft Avenue (at Dana Street) on the UC Berkeley campus, Berkeley, 415-928-2456, tickets.berkeley.edu.

Unless you live near a lake, river, or the ocean, a playground “water feature” usually has to suffice when your kids want to splash around. And that’s all fine and well, if making cakes out of wet sand is about all they’re interested in. But if you’re looking for a real watery adventure, Berkeley’s Codornices Park has one of the best real-life water features in the Bay Area: two spacious, safe forks of the Codornices Creek.

Take off your shoes. Look for little frogs and tiny water snakes. Wade through the creek, or relax on the banks, secure that your children will not be eaten by sharks or swept out to sea by a rogue wave. When the kids get sick of the water or someone falls in (whichever comes first), there’s a giant well-equipped playground with lightning-fast concrete slides, hiking trails, a lush baseball field, and a groovy tunnel that leads you under Euclid Avenue and into the Berkeley Rose Garden.

Codornices Park is located at 1201 Euclid Avenue (at Eunice Street) in Berkeley. Call 510-981-6700 or visit ci.berkeley.ca.us.

Little about Berkeley’s Japanese-goods store Thousand Cranes suggests it’ll be a good place to shop for baby gifts. The walls are lined with kimono, both vintage and new, and the rest of the floor space is co-opted by futons, bedding, and knick-knacks. But speaking of that bedding, Thousand Cranes has beautiful examples for babies: fine, softly-woven, thick and luscious woolen blankets, with zippered covers of beautiful Japanese silk. They are so fine and so soft that you’ll want to grope them.

These are not blankets you want to go ahead and let baby spit up on. At $80-100 a throw, and in the most brilliant and beautiful patterns you can imagine, these heirloom-quality blankies can be hung on the wall after they do their tours of duty keeping baby snuggly at night.

Thousand Cranes doesn’t do online sales. If you want a look at the blankets, you’ll have to visit the retail store: 1803 Fourth Street (at Hearst Avenue) in Berkeley; call 510-849-0501.

Go ahead, try to take a small child into an art gallery sometime. Reactions from the personnel tend to run the gamut from dirty looks to visible flinching, that is, if you’re not summarily kicked out the moment your child reaches out a hand to point at something.

In San Francisco, there is a kid-friendlier way to appreciate art: just stroll around the murals of the Mission District. Drawing from the muralist tradition of Mexican artists Diego Rivera and David Siquieros, Chicano artists in the Mission began to decorate alleyways in the 1970s. Later on, the Clarion Alley Mural Project encouraged artists to take up their brushes and decorate alleyways. Today, San Francisco has over 600 murals that make political statements, depict icons, and celebrate historic events, with the majority centered in the Mission District.

Precita Eyes offers tours of the Mural District each weekend, as well as by appointment for private groups. You can also get a map of the city’s murals from Precita Eyes, and plan your own tour. But if you’re in the neighborhood (the Mission between 16th, 18th, Guerrero and Mission Streets), take a stroll down Balmy and Clarion allies, the two best-known and most-elaborate mural corridors. After you’ve seen them, keep walking around and looking down side streets and small avenues: there’s barely a block in the Mission without at least a few colorful entries. The pee-stench aroma can get a little overwhelming, but it’s better than getting the fish-eye at some hoity-toity gallery.

Clarion Alley is located between 17th, 18th, Mission and Valencia Streets; Balmy Alley is located between 24th, 25th, Harrison, and Treat Streets.

Where is the November rain that’s supposed to be falling right now? Though some days have been gray and foggy, the sun breaks through most afternoons and turns our winter weather into an Indian Summer. Quick, before the weather turns damp again, get outside with your kids for a lovely walk through town. Need a little inspiration? Pick up Chronicle Books’ City Walks with Kids: San Francisco, and head off on any one of fifty different adventures.

You can waltz around Golden Gate Park, the Embarcadero, the Exploratorium and other hotspots, with items of interest to kids (playgrounds, food, weird things to climb on) clearly noted. The walks were clearly written by a mom, who understands that parents need to know about where the bathrooms are, and typical weather in the area. I also like that the walks are in the form of largeish cards. Who wants to drag a big book out with you sightseeing? No, take a couple of cards in your hulking mom-bag and leave the rest at home. City Walks with Kids: San Francisco is available at chroniclebooks.com.

If you have older kids or want more of a workout, try Stairway Walks in San Francisco by Adah Bakalinsky, a zippy octogenarian whose book has been a local bestseller for two decades. Bakalinsky lays out routes, public transportation information, and the sweet spots of dozens of San Francisco staircases, from well-known ones like the Coit Tower steps to hidden gems like the Saturn Street stairs. You never saw the city like this, and once you catch your breath it’ll be stolen away again when you see the views. Stairway Walks is available at wildernesspress.com.

Dueling Ice Rinks

As it is every year, the Holiday Ice Rink at Justin Herman Plaza is now open for whirling and twirling (and falling). But this year there’s another option: the Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square. Both are open the same hours daily until after New Year’s. Both cost $4-8.50 (skate rental $3.50-4). So I guess you’ll have to pick which thrills you more: the decorated windows of Macy’s, or the lighted-up buildings of the Embarcadero Center.

When: Justin Herman Rink is open daily through January 2, Sun.-Thu. 10am-10pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-11:30pm,.The Union Square Rink is open daily through January 4; Sun.-Thu. 10am-10pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-11:30pm. Admission to each rink is $4-8.50.

Where: Justin Herman Rink is located at Market Street and Embarcadero, 415-837-1931, embarcaderocenter.com. Union Square Rink is located at Stockton and Post, 415-781-2688, unionsquareicerink.com. Both rinks are in San Francisco.

Green Festival

A celebration of all things eco-minded, with music, and educational sessions, and a vast marketplace of earthy goods. The main draw for the young’uns is the Youth Unity Tent, three days of workshops, demos, and activities for kids from toddlers to teens.

When: Fri.-Sun., 11/14-16, 1-6pm Fri., 11am-6pm Sat., 11am-5pm Sun., Age 2+; $10-15 (Kids under 18 free).

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

Book Launch Party

Celebrate the publication of C is for California, a beautiful ABC board book of local interest to California kids, who probably already know that A is for Alcatraz and P is for poppy. The book was written by students at Claire Lilienthal and Alvarado Elementary schools, in cooperation with the Poets in the Schools Program.

When: Sun., 11/16, 12:30pm; Age 2+; Free.

Where: Red Hill Books,  401 Cortland Avenue (at Bennington Street), San Francisco, 415-648-5331, dogearedbooks.com/redhill.

Restore Bird Habitats with Golden Gate Audubon

Make the land safe for birds and other wildlife at Land’s End at this work party. Wear clothing that can get dirty, and comfortable shoes; tools, water and snacks are provided. Volunteers meet at the golf course access road west of the Palace of the Legion of Honor.

When: Sat., 11/15, 1-4pm; Age 8+; Free.

Where: Legion of Honor, 34th Avenue (at Clement Street), San Francisco, goldengateaudubon.org.

There are so many things to do at Tilden Regional Park that some East Bay parents find themselves visiting every weekend–and still not getting bored.

For big kids, there are dozens of miles of hiking and biking trails, including an easy trek around Jewel Lake that offers panoramic views of the Bay Area. But the thrills for young children, at least during the wintertime when swim-friendly (and super crowded) Lake Anza is closed, center around the historic Hershel Spillman carousel, the Little Farm, and the Little Train.

The carousel, equipped with several very small horses with leather straps, is a particularly fine choice for very young kids who must usually be held in the lap of a parent on one of those lame, stationary faux carriages. During the holiday season the ride is particularly merry, done up as the carousel is with holiday lights, and surrounded by decorated Christmas trees. At just $2 a ride, and with nearby reasonably priced snacks at the concession stand and a great lawn for picnicking, the carousel is a particularly low-priced, high-fun outing. The carousel runs weekends, from 11am-5pm.

The Little Farm, inhabited by friendly cows, chickens, sheep, rabbits, ducks, and goats, gives kids a chance to befriend the four-legged. Bring along some lettuce or celery (no other food is allowed) if you’d like to watch Farmer Stanley take care of the animals, he’s generally around during the morning hours Sunday-Thursday (the LIttle Farm itself is open every day from 8:30am-4:30pm). Admission is free.

Also free: The 15-inch Little Train, so tiny riders have to sit on top of it. The Little Train, a hobby of the Golden Gate Live Steamers club, runs Sundays between noon and 3pm. There is another, larger steam train, so if you miss the Little Train, you can ride the Steam Train for $2 from 11am to dusk both Saturday and Sunday.

Tilden Park can be accessed from Canon Drive, Shasta Road, or South Park Drive, all off Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Berkeley, and is open daily from 6am-10pm. Call 510-843-2137 or visit ebparks.org.

Today isn’t just any school holiday. It’s Veterans Day, a day meant to celebrate those who have served their country in the armed forces. Sure, you could just take the day off and spend it at the playground or the movies. But at a time when our country is actively at war, it makes sense to teach kids about the meaning of military service, and the great price some have paid for our freedoms.

If World War II is of interest to your family, you may want to check out the screening of The Berlin Airlift today at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The 58-minute film, introduced by its director, Robert Frye, explores the year-long period during which British and American soldiers provided relief and aid to West Berlin, after the Soviets blockaded the city in 1948. Call 415-760-3600 or visit famsf.org.

You could also take a visit to a local cemetery to honor compatriots who fell in the line of duty. Two nearby ones that explicitly honor veterans: The San Francisco National Cemetery, 1 Lincoln Avenue (in the Presidio), San Francisco, 650-589-7737 or cem.va.gov; and the Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, which is holding a special Veterans Day service at 11am, in front of the flags at the Star of the Sea Military Section, 1500 Mission Road (at Rue 19) in Colma, 650-756-2060 or holycrosscemeteries.com.

Or you could busy yourself caring for soldiers on active duty. Many organizations accept care packages for soldiers. Two of the most popular: Books for Soldiers, and Any Soldier.

Schools are closed on Tuesday for Veterans Day, leaving a lot of local parents trying to figure out what to do with the kids all day. An option that will at least leave your morning free: San Mateo’s Junior Gym Tot Drop. Parents with children aged 2 to 3.5 can leave them at the luxe, lauded, large facility from 8:30am to 12:30pm to play with Junior Gym’s excellent teachers. Diapers are OK, but parents should pack a snack for their children. The session costs $40.

The Tot Drop, regularly held on school holidays, is a great chance to check out the Junior Gym for local parents who haven’t taken a look at it yet. The place is stocked: lined with padded mats and filled with climbing/play equipment that is moved around each week, giving kids a fresh environment to explore on each visit. There’s a child-sized zip line; musical instruments; fun teachers who play music that doesn’t make parents’ ears bleed (no Raffi!). And if you sign a child up for a class, all the children in your family can go to the open gym periods that occur twice every weekday. If you’re a pay-as-you-go type, open gyms are $5 an hour for kids aged 0-8.

Junior Gym is located at 101 South B Street (at First Avenue) in San Mateo. Call 650-548-9901 or visit juniorgym.com.

Sometimes the hyper-cute prevailing clothing style for girls, with the socks that match the bow in the hair of the tiny schnauzer embroidered on the sweater AND the bow in your daughter’s hair, really makes me want to vomit. One handy antidote: the bohemian stylings of the fledgling Yahzi Rose clothing line.

Designed by Oakland mommy Kysha Mitchell, Yahzi Rose’s clothing and bath gear for kids echoes  international styles-kaftans, wraps–and are made from high-quality, gorgeous fabrics. Mitchell imports many of her fabrics from countries like Gambia and Senegal, where artists hand-dye them in brilliant, tie-dye-like or batik patterns. The result is comfy, unique line of clothing that gives kids aged 2-8 a cosmopolitan flair.

These Global Hoody bottoms are positively edible: constructed of cotton velour in an unusual shade of yellow-green and with wide, capri-length legs, the Hoody pants have a beautiful scarf-like flap at the top that wraps around the hip and flaps as the wearer walks, twirls or spins. Paired with the Global Hoody top, your kid will be soft as a kitten, and warm as toast.

Available at yahzirose.com.