As summer draws to a close and older children head off to school, parents in San Jose begin looking for activities to occupy their toddler or pre-school aged children. Here is a look at some of the low- or no-cost options around San Jose for parents and caregivers with young children. Don’t spend the fall and winter stuck at home–pack your diaper bag, bring your stroller, and explore San Jose!
1. Mommy and Me on the Row. Every second Tuesday of the month from May through December, parents and children meet at Park Valencia (near Starbucks) from 10 a.m. until noon for child-friendly activities. Each month has a theme. September’s theme is “Into the Wild” and will feature Happy Birds. October is a Halloween theme and will take place on the 26th rather than the usual 2nd Tuesday. November features “Cooking for Kids,” and in December the focus is on giving back with a Second Harvest food drive. Visit http://www.santanarow.com/events/ongoing/ for more information.
2. Westgate Mall Mommy & Me and Daddies Too Kids Club. The second Wednesday of every month from 10 a.m. until noon Westgate Mall features games, music, and activities for children. It meets in Center Court, outside Ross. For more information go to http://shopsatwestgatemall.com/kidsclub.php.
3. Story Times and programming at the San Jose Public Library. Despite budget cuts, the San Jose Public Library continues to offer story times at no cost to patrons at all their open branches. If one story time doesn’t seem to appeal to your child, try a different story time at another branch. Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right story time style for your little one. Story time goes on hiatus during August and December, but the rest of the year it’s available on a weekly basis. Visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/gateways/kids/storytimes/index.htm to find story times near you. In addition to story times, the SJPL also offers a variety of events and programming for children, including arts and crafts, music and movement, music and dance classes, reading readiness, parent/child computer classes, and more. Visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/index.htm to search for activities for kids at a branch near you. Individual branches also publish monthly calendars with activities on them.
4. Story Times at retail stores. Barnes and Noble, Borders, and other retail stores offer free story time programming for children. On Tuesday mornings, Barnes & Noble in Blossom Hill, Borders at Santana Row, and Pottery Barn Kids at Valley Fair Mall all offer free story times. Visit www.borders.com or www.barnesandnoble.com and search for your closest store to view events. Children’s events at Valley Fair Mall can be found here: http://westfield.com/valleyfair/wfamily/.
5. Parks and playgrounds. San Jose offers a variety of children’s playgrounds and parks. Grab some snacks, sunscreen, bubbles, and balls, and head to one of them to let your little ones work out their energy. Some of my personal favorites include Vista Park in Blossom Valley, Jake’s Lot (Parma Park) in Almaden, Catalidi Park in Berryessa, and Hester Park in the Rose Garden (beside the library). Visit http://www.sjparks.org/Features/playgrounds.asp for a complete list of parks with playgrounds.
6. Indoor Play Areas. When rain and cold make playing outside impossible, there are plenty of indoor options. Valley Fair and Oakridge malls both feature indoor play areas where kids can burn off some energy while parents recharge their batteries. You might also try SwaRay in Sunnyvale. SwaRay is a themed party place with an indoor playground that also offers drop-in playtimes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to coffee, tea, cocoa, and WiFi for parents, SwaRay provides snacks and drinks for the kids for $5 each. http://www.swaray.com/Dropandplay.shtml
7. Play with your Food. The Round Table Pizzas on Camden and Stevens Creek also have play areas where kids can play while you enjoy pizza (www.roundtablepizza.com). You might also try The Jungle or The Jungle Island (http://www.thejunglefun.com/ and http://www.thejungleisland.com/), or, if you’re feeling brave, head to Chuck E. Cheese (http://www.chuckecheese.com/).
8. Bounce-a-pa-looza. Once your little one masters the art of jumping, you might want to check out some of the bounce house places around San Jose. LOL Parties, inside the Silver Creek Sports Complex, offers open play time from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday-Friday for $7 (http://www.lolparties.com/openplay.htm). Evening/weekend hours are also available. Other options include Bounce-a-Rama at The Great Mall in Milpitas (http://bounce-a-rama.com/), Bouncy-land at Oakridge Mall ( http://www.bouncy-land.com/), and Pump-it-Up (including Pump-it-Up Jr. in Sunnyvale) ( http://www.pumpitupparty.com/).
9. Try a class. Most children’s classes offer a free trial for parents (check Bay Area Parent for coupons if the location doesn’t automatically offer one). Some of our favorites include My Gym (http://www.my-gym.com/), The Little Gym (http://www.thelittlegym.com/), Gymboree (http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/), Aerial Tumbling and AcroGymnastics (http://www.atagymnastics.com/), and California Sports Centers (http://www.calsportscenter.com/home/openexplore.shtml). CSC also offers an “Open Explore” drop-in play time that is open to the public for $5.
10. San Jose’s Classic: The Children’s Discovery Museum. It’s hard to be the CDM for indoor fun. With the Wonder Cabinet upstairs for kids under 5, a bubble area, and special events, The Children’s Discovery Museum is always a favorite with parents and kids. Bring a change of clothes and small towel if water play will be part of your day! Consider a membership if you plan to visit often. www.cdm.org
11. Walk Like an Egyptian. Take your budding archaologist to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/) to explore ancient Egyptian artifacts right here in San Jose. This one is better for pre-schoolers than for toddlers.
12. Explore Art. Enjoy an exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art (http://www.sjmusart.org/), de Saisset Museum (reopening in October, http://www.scu.edu/deSaisset/), or Triton Museum of Art (http://www.tritonmuseum.org/). Check museum websites for special events, classes, and admission (Triton is free).
13. Check out The Tech. Silicon Valley’s Tech Museum allows your budding engineer to explore technology in a variety of hands-on exhibits (http://www.thetech.org/). Visit a San Jose Library or show your San Jose or Santa Clara County Library Card to get discount passes for The Tech (http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/youth/techpass.htm).
14. Junior Museum and Zoo. Drive up to Palo Alto to take in the free Junior Museum and Zoo (www.cityofpaloalto.org/jmz). Learn about electricity, see a bobcat, or more. The park next door makes the perfect spot for a picnic.
15. Take in a Flick. Take your tot to see a movie at Camera Cinema’s Diaper Days (http://www.cameracinemas.com/diaper.shtml), or, if that doesn’t fit your schedule, make your own “Diaper Days” at any theater. Any kid’s movie with a start time before noon is fair game!
16. Hit the Hollow. Happy Hollow Park and Zoo is back, and it’s better than ever. While admission and parking can be pricey, if you’re willing to walk a bit you can find free street parking nearby. Consider investing in a membership if you want to make Happy Hollow a regular part of your schedule. www.hhpz.org
17. Blast Off. The NASA Exploration Center features free exhibits, and is good for pre-school and school-aged kids with an interest in space. It includes an “immersive theater” that lets visitors experience a visit to Mars. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/exploration.html
18. Explore Downtown Willow Glen. Start your trip off at Hicklebee’s Children’s Books. Check the calendar to find special events (http://www.hicklebees.com/event) including story times and author visits. Then walk to Powell’s Sweets (http://www.powellsss.com/go/index.cfm). You can also check out Baby Buzz, Treehouse in the Glen, Cucini Bambini, and more. Check out www.willowglen.org for events. Round out the day with a trip to Lincoln Glen Park, and if the weather is warm, enjoy the water feature.
19. Hit the Farm. Emma Prusch Farm Park, off Story and King, features farm animals, a playground, and lots of grass for running. They also have pre-school programs and plentiful free parking. http://www.pruschfarmpark.org/ You might also enjoy Ardenwood Farms in Fremont (http://www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood) or Hidden Villa (http://www.hiddenvilla.org/).
20. Find a Playgroup. Tired of going to the park alone? Try Las Madres Neighborhood Playgroups, Inc., Silicon Valley’s own non-profit, volunteer-run organization with age-based playgroups throughout San Jose and the surrounding areas. www.lasmadres.org. You may also want to explore area MOMS (http://www.momsclubsanjose.org) or MOPS (www.mops.org) groups, or try meetup.com to find parents in your area. Forget any preconceived notions you have about playgroups and give it a try–it really is a great way to socialize for both you and your child. Try a few until you find one you like.
