Community Corner
The Grab-and-Go Kids Planner
Get up close with ducks, let your kids' ideas run free, learn to ride a horse, let your teen play games after school, and tour a real farm.
We’re glad you clicked on our new Grab & Go Kids Planner!
We've assembled a weekly calendar of kid-friendly activities and new places to try out with children.
Each week, we'll give you the info on the five best family activities or events that we found for the following week.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
You're time-pressed enough, so we're happy to do the research and find the best things to do and places to go, both locally and within reasonable driving distance.
Look for the kids’ planner each Wednesday, and help us build the planner with your own suggestions and tips— just add them to the comment box. Even if you disagree with our picks, let us know. We want to hear from you!
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Where: In Palo Alto Baylands Preserve, 2775 Embarcadero Rd., off Highway 101, near the Visitors Center.
Why Go: A fun, free activity for the whole family. Get up close and personal with ducks, skip rocks on the water, enjoy a picnic lunch or bring your bikes for a ride along the trail, which extends all the way to Shoreline in Mountain View. Not far from the Palo Alto Airport, it can be just as fun to watch the small planes take off and land overhead as it is to visit with the ducks. So let the little ones run wild, and enjoy a little nature.
Pricing: Free!
* THE ‘IDEA HOUSE’ INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT
Where/When: The Tech Museum, 201 S. Market St., San Jose. Weekly, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Why Go: A great activity for curious kids of all ages! Children can cultivate their inner inventor in this highly interactive program space with its range of interesting activities—create bug puppets, dance in a shadow garden, play a musical game with maracas, and more.
Pricing: General admission for nonmembers 3 and older is $10. Admission includes one ticket to an IMAX film.
Where/When: Springdown Equestrian Center, 725 Portola Rd., Portola Valley. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Why Go: If you have a child age 6 or older who is fascinated with horses, here is the perfect way to entertain him or her next week during Winter Break. Through the Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department, kids will spend an intense but fun week, up close with more than 50 different, well-trained horses. Although no prior experience is required, attendees will be grouped according to skill level and will learn to ride and improve their horsemanship skills, including care and maintenance of the horses and learning to anticipate how they think and feel.
Pricing: $425 for the week. After-care is also available for an additional charge.
Where/When: San Mateo County Library, 3140 Woodside Rd., Woodside. Today and every other Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Why Go: Want something fun and safe for your teen to do after school, on occasion? Teens are welcome to play Nintendo Wii and board games and enjoy a few snacks together in this free gathering, twice a month.
Pricing: Free!
Where/When: Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Rd., Los Altos Hills. Saturday. Morning Farm Tour at 11 a.m., Afternoon Farm Tour at 1 p.m.
Why Go: Taste a root, go face to snout with a pig and discover the connections between sweaters and sheep on a guided tour of Hidden Villas farm and educational garden. Fun for the whole family!
Pricing: $7 in advance or $10 at the gate. Free for 2 years old or younger. Tours are limited to 15 persons, so advance registration is required.
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