take the kids Archives - Page 23 of 28

Line-Up on the Surf History, Surfing Museum

August 18, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

Santa Cruz, aka Surf City, was the first city in the United States to learn about surfing. In 1885 three Hawaiian princes took a break from boarding school in San Mateo and taught the locals how to surf.

The Surfing Museum in the old lighthouse in Santa Cruz lets you in on over 100 years of surfing history. The museum is free, but kindly asks for donations. Listed in decades, it takes you through the advancements of surfboards and the history of local surfers. You can see the board that was attacked by a white shark, including two of the teeth left in the board!

From here, if you start walking towards the boardwalk, you come across the memorial for surfers that have left the earth for good. Behind the memorials are some surfing rules by Sam Reid.

If you continue your walk there is another tribute in form of the surfing sculpture (“This monument is dedicated to all surfers – past, present, and future…”).

I had a fun time watching the young surfers (I assume this was a summer camp) trying out the waves.

Where is your favorite surf spot?

Sweeten Your Museum Visit, Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia

August 11, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

The first thing I learned about PEZ at the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia was that it is short for the German word for peppermint: PfeffErminZ and the company that creates these famous dispensers and treats is Austrian.

This tiny museum was a great visit. For $3 you get a tour with the owner who has a copiousness knowledge of PEZ.

The vending machines that give out PEZ took me down memory lane.The cutest dispensers, I think, are the mini Japanese editions – dispensers for four PEZ with all the famous characters, like Pikachu and Nintendo’s Mario.

The museum expanded to show classic toys, like Lincoln Logs and Mr. Potato Head and a section on Banned Toys, which was my favorite: The Atomic Energy Laboratory (with 4 samples of radioactive material!).

If you like Guinness Book World records you can view the World’s Largest PEZ Dispensing Machine.

Are you a PEZ collector?

Scream for Ice Cream

July 21, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

Apparently last Sunday (7/16/17) was National Ice Cream Day. Did you celebrate?

I didn’t either, but there is nothing wrong with being late to the party. Except for the free scoops you might have scored at some ice cream chains. So keep the third Sunday of July marked for next year.

The most traditional ice cream in the area is It’s-it. A special ice cream sandwich were the ice cream is between two oatmeal cookies and then dipped in chocolate. It was created in 1928 at Playland At The Beach, San Francisco’s now gone seaside amusement park.

For all die-hard fans of the treat I recommend going directly to the factory store:

865 Burlway Road, Burlingame, CA

It is open Monday – Friday from 10 am – 5:30 pm

Here you can pick all your favorite flavors (vanilla, chocolate, mint, strawberry and cappuccino) mix-and-match. You might even score some flavors that are not available in stores (pumpkin or green tea), plus some cool merchandise.

Do you have a favorite flavor?

If it is vanilla July 23rd is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day – Let’s celebrate!

Walk into Space Exploration, NASA Ames Research Center

July 14, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

Mountain View is not only a huge part of Silicon Valley, it also has the NASA Ames Research Center. To show off what they are doing to the public there is the free NASA Ames Visitor Center. It is at the main gate of the NASA Research Center and is open Tuesday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday noon – 4 pm. Currently they have construction going on and you can only park behind the center.

If you ever wanted to see a moonstone or wondered how the researchers work in space (think nerdy tiny house) this is the place for you! There was also a great photo opportunity to pose as a couple of astronauts.

The friendly guy at the counter offered to show any of the movies, e.g. several about Mars, or a tour of the International Space Station, for me since it was slow and no one else was around, but I had to decline because I was pressed for time. Maybe something to come back for?

Have you seen any of the movies at the NASA Ames Visitor Center?

Garden for all Senses, Charles Street Gardens

July 7, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

The Charles Street Gardens in Sunnyvale opens its doors each Tuesday from 11 am – 1 pm. This is not only interesting for the curious gardener like me – always a pleasure to see what and how other people grow vegetables and more – but here the children’s garden is a special treat.

Kids are encouraged to feel, smell and touch the plants in a few raised garden beds.

The chickens that live in the coop next to it are a bonus.

Charles Street Gardens chicken, Sunnyvale

Do you garden with all your senses?

Start your Travel with Art, San Francisco airport

June 23, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

I noticed before that the San Francisco airport has a lot of interesting art on display. Did you know that there is a museum located at the international terminal? It is only open till 4:30, so we missed the opportunity to go in last time we flew. But don’t worry there are different exhibits all around the airport.

We saw the funky shoes from around the world, a quick glance at Ancient Rome and examples of arts and crafts. For a complete list of the different exhibits you can check out the museum’s website.

There is also the SFMOMA store for your after art shopping fix.

Have you noticed the art at SFO?

Play a Game in the Park, Monopoly in the park

June 16, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

There are so many great parks around the Bay Area and they offer many possibilities for games. You could play bocce in Cuesta Park in Mountain View, or pickle ball in Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. I’m sure there a many places for chess and horseshoes.

But the most amazing, and might I add Guinness World Record Book worthy, is the Monopoly in the park. You can find this attraction across from the Children’s Discovery Museum in San José. To play it you will have to book it and pay the rental fee. But I’m sure everyone will have fun

Another option, that is free, is to play a game of Senet, the Egyptian game that is said to be the model for backgammon. At the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose they have a great outdoor park with a Peace Garden, a Labyrinth and a Senet game.

Do you know of a great outdoor game?

Entrance to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose

Walk in the Egyptian, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

June 9, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San José has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western North America. The entrance is framed by goats similar to the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor.

When entering I had to adjust my eyes; the light was dim which gives it an eerie atmosphere. The exhibits are going off in four different directions on multiple levels and are organized by themes, (burial practices, gods and religion, kings and pharaohs, daily life, trade, and neighbors) rather than time periods, so you can pick your favorite direction.

A lot of school groups were there at the same time. This allowed me to listen in to some of the guides’ presentations. I enjoyed the story of the senet game, which was so popular that no one bothered to write down the rules!

The most spectacular exhibit is the replica of a tomb. Not necessarily wheelchair accessible, it guides you into an entrance room and further down a staircase into the tomb.

To keep the kids engaged they have a passport program in which they can collect stamps.

Have you walked like an Egyptian before?

Experience code:ART, Palo Alto

June 2, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

I love how devoted Palo Alto is to public art. Their latest installment will only last through this weekend code:ART.

Eight installations starting at City Hall are meant to involve the audience and inspire the dialogue of passerbys.

Advertised as a laboratory for urban experimentation the artists reimagine public spaces through interactive sound, light and motion installations.

The Murmur Wall, the first installation at City Hall, displays search terms from Palo Alto on multiple LED screens connected with lights. On the website: http://www.murmurwall.net/Whisper you can enter your own “whispers” that will be displayed instantly. This will be the only piece that will remain after June 3rd. Since it is LED lights I bet it is better viewed at night.

The sound installation of Tomo Saito is active twice a day at 2 pm and 6 pm. It is a concert made by the people that sit down in the chairs.

Across the street you can be part of the art making and let Palo Alto know what your dream city will look like.

My favorite piece is the Sensory Garden. In an alley next to Bell’s books the artists try to evoke all of your senses. You can touch moss, smell herbs, admire the chalk mural or rattle some cow bells.

Will you check out code:ART?

Let Everyone Play, Magical Bridge Playground

May 26, 2017February 1, 2025Silvia

Since 2015 Silicon Valley has a truly inclusive playground in Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park; the Magical Bridge Playground. The design is uplifting, you see all children embracing the fun. There are different climbing and sliding options, a fully accessible tree house for role play, multiple installations to experience sounds, and a nice shady picnic area.

This is by far the coolest playground I have ever seen – and mind you I’ve seen a few. The great news is that they are expanding. The Magical Bridge Foundation plans to open up another magical playground in Redwood City late 2017/ early 2018. Please consider to donate!

Have you been to the Magical Bridge Playground?