Photo taken May 22nd, 2013 Central Park, San Ramon For more parks in the area with water features, see… Ten Fun East Bay Parks with Free Water Play Structures Continue reading »
Category Archives: Parks
Play: Alamo Creek Park, Dublin
Love this park! It has a huge field for play, paths for bike riding, an awesome play structure, and a creek with ducks. Fun! Photos taken March 7th, 2013 Continue reading »
Shadow Cliffs: Pleasanton
Yesterday, my son had a school field trip to Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, a large park located in Pleasanton, near the Livermore border. The students have been learning about the life cycle through the study of trout. They went to Shadow Cliffs to release baby trout into the lake. But they also had a … Continue reading »
How many of you remember these?
Photos taken January 21st, 2013 Hap Magee Ranch Park, Danville, California Continue reading »
Play: Shannon Park, Dublin
Kids thrive when given free playtime outdoors after a day of school… Photos taken January 15th, 2013 Shannon Park, Dublin, California Continue reading »
Fun! Magic Mountain Playground, San Mateo
I have to rate this playground one the best in the entire San Francisco Bay Area. We’ve been here a few times over the years, and it’s always so much fun. If you have a kid who’s into knights, princesses, dragons, and/or castles, this park is a must-visit. The three-story slide is a highlight! Interested … Continue reading »
Building Forts! Adventure Playground, Berkeley
The Adventure Playground in Berkeley… the only place I know in the San Francisco Bay Area where kids are encouraged to get creative with saws, hammers & nails, and paints to build forts. And play on their creations! Photos from our school field trip to the playground yesterday… For more information, check out this post … Continue reading »
Cemetery Fun!
The other day, while playing at Dublin’s Heritage Park, my son suggested we head to the attached cemetery (Dublin Pioneer Cemetery) to look for monsters. Why not? We spent the next hour searching for, running away from, and battling monsters. Here’s a post I wrote last spring about letterboxing (treasure hunting) at this cemetery… Letterboxing: … Continue reading »
Silent Saturday: Trail Through Time, Rock City, Mount Diablo
Photos from a hike in Mount Diablo State Park earlier this week with my Nature Time playgroup. We hiked a section of the Trail Through Time, from the Rock City parking lot to (and up) Sentinel Rock, allowing the kids to climb and play on and in the limestone rock structures and caves as much … Continue reading »
Scrambling: Fun on the Rocks
I wish more city parks had rock structures like these for kids to scramble on. The following photos were taken earlier this week at Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, California. The boulders challenge kids in a way the regular play structures don’t. In order to climb these rocks, children have to use their minds to … Continue reading »
Great Park for Nature Play: Chabot Park, San Leandro
Yesterday, we attended a wedding reception in a park I’ve never been to… Chabot Park in San Leandro. What a great park for nature play! There were quite a few boys between the ages of three and six at the wedding, and they had a blast running up and down the hills, along the trails, … Continue reading »
Climbing the Wall…
An awesome way to burn some kid energy is to head out for some rock climbing… park style. For a list of our favorite parks in the San Francisco East Bay with fun rock wall features, see my post… Outdoor Climbing Walls. Photos taken at Val Vista Park, Pleasanton. Continue reading »
Water Play! Val Vista Park, Pleasanton
It was HOT earlier this week! Tuesday was a perfect afternoon to spend at one of our local parks with great water features… Val Vista Park in Pleasanton, California. For more parks in the San Francisco East Bay that have great water play areas, check out… Ten Fun East Bay Parks with Free Water Features Continue reading »
Kids ‘n Carousels
What is it with kids and carousels? I’ve given up trying to figure out what children love about them. I only know they do. Does your child have a favorite? Do you have a favorite memory of one from childhood? Please share! *** Links to carousels in the San Francisco Bay Area Creativity Carousel, San … Continue reading »
Wow! Adventure Playground, Berkeley
Bored of the usual playground facilities? Then check this one out! The Adventure Playground in Berkeley is a special place, unlike any other park we’ve experienced. The structures are all built by children (with parental and staff supervision), using provided tools (hammers, nails, saws, and paint). This place encourages serious creativity! It’s best for kids … Continue reading »
Hide and Seek!
What child could resist playing hide and seek in this redwood forest? Can you find them? At Roberts Regional Park, Oakland… http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts. *** You may also enjoy… Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland (anaturemom.com) Continue reading »
Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Part 1, Shorebird Park, Berkeley
We celebrated the Summer Solstice yesterday with two awesome nature outings. The first? Beach play with friends at Shorebird Park in Berkeley. I’ve been wanting to visit this park for a while now, as this is where the famous Adventure Playground (considered by National Geographic to be one of the top ten playgrounds in the … Continue reading »
Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
On our way back to the car from the San Francisco Botanical Garden (see post from yesterday), we took a little detour to visit Stow Lake. We first discovered the lake on a visit to Golden Gate Park a few weeks ago. Now, how did we “discover” a lake that’s been there since 1893? Let … Continue reading »
Walking with Friends, Inspiration Trail, Tilden … and Playtime at Orinda Community Park
On Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely 3-mile walk with friends on the Inspiration Trail in the Berkeley Hills. This is a trail that has grown with us through the years. My husband and I liked to hike here because of the gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay, the Marin Headlands, and the Golden … Continue reading »
Great Climbing Structures, Creekside Park, San Ramon
A friend recommended that I check out this park, and we finally made it there a few weeks ago. Creekside Park in San Ramon is a fun little park, with two play areas; one for little kids, one for older kids. This is one of the few parks around that might actually be challenging for … Continue reading »
Ten Fun East Bay Parks with Free Water Play Features
The weather is warming up, so it’s time to find fun outdoor activities for the kids that incorporate water play. Kids love to play in water… any kind of water! The play areas I’ve included in this list are all free and are located within local community parks. If the features aren’t already on in … Continue reading »
Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland
One of our favorite parks for play is Roberts Regional Park in the Oakland Hills. This park, nestled in the redwoods, has something for everyone. First, if you have a child, the play structure here is among the best in the Bay Area (and it’s barrier free / wheelchair accessible). But other than that, the … Continue reading »
Walk, Run, Bike, Scooter….Alamo Creek Trail, Dublin
I found the Alamo Creek Trail in the center of Dublin when my son was about four months old, and this great little trail has grown along with him. While he was a baby, I would put my son into the ERGObaby carrier and walk around, showing him the little things we saw along the … Continue reading »
Scooters at the Skate Park (Val Vista, Pleasanton)
Simple park play… ride scooters at the skate park! We like to go when the park is quiet, when the big kid skateboarders aren’t there. And safety always comes first.. notice my son has on a helmet and both elbow and knee pads. Photos from our outing yesterday to Val Vista Community Park in Pleasanton, … Continue reading »
Fun! Children’s Fairyland, Oakland
Children’s Fairyland is a storybook park that’s been around longer than Disneyland. In fact, it inspired Walt Disney to create his Magic Kingdom. Fortunately, Fairyland has maintained it’s small size and original charm since it opened in 1950. I have fond memories of visiting the park when I was a child, during visits to see … Continue reading »
Outdoor Climbing Walls
Climbing has become a new passion for my son in recent weeks. I signed him up for some classes at a local climbing gym this month, and, with only three lessons so far, I’m surprised at how much his climbing has improved. He would be ecstatic if we could go to the gym every day, … Continue reading »
Rock Climbing: At the Park
When we feel the need for a touch of Yosemite, but can’t get away for the weekend, we head, believe it or not, to our local park. Emerald Glen Park in Dublin has a great faux granite rock climbing area. Check out this picture. Doesn’t it look like the Sierras? Kids seem to especially enjoy … Continue reading »
