Adults and toddlers (ages one-and-a-half to five years) explore the ins and outs of woods, lakes, creeks and beaches - and enjoy picknicking with new friends.

The guided nature outings include a toddler-friendly "hike" to discover such delights as roly-polies, spittlebugs, and the great blue heron. The program includes four adventures each month, each adventure at a different location.

Back to Nature Birthday Parties are also offered through this group. Call for more information.

Adults and toddlers (ages one-and-a-half to five years) explore the ins and outs of woods, lakes, creeks and beaches - and enjoy picknicking with new friends.

The guided nature outings include a toddler-friendly "hike" to discover such delights as roly-polies, spittlebugs, and the great blue heron. The program includes four adventures each month, each adventure at a different location.

Back to Nature Birthday Parties are also offered through this group. Call for more information.

Since 1975, Anderson's Swim School has been teaching children and adults to swim in their warm, 90 degree indoor pool facility. Anderson's offer private lessons for beginners and semi-private lessons for advanced students.

Pool Parties Indoor swim parties are a fun and easy way to celebrate any occasion. Relax while the kids splash it up in Anderson's heated indoor pool under the watchful eye of a lifeguard. $150 for pool plus $5 per swimmer. Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Anderson's provide water noodles, kick boards, fins, life jackets and a lifeguard.

Angel Eyes Lifeguards watches over kids (and adults!) during back yard pool parties or swimming events. The company is now in its 17th year of professional service.

The staff is Red Cross certified in Lifeguarding and CPR. Members are also first-aid qualified, as well as responsible, mature, and friendly.

Lifeguards arrive professionally dressed, safety equipment in hand.

This is a pretty cool experience; you and your children get to walk through clear acrylic tunnels lying underneath the Bay. The unusual perspective gives you a close-up view of marine life, including the sharks, eels, fish, and other creatures that live in the San Francisco Bay. The aquarium also offers birthday parties and sleepovers.

You begin with a walk through an aquarium display featuring more color than you might expect to find beneath the Bay: bright orange fish and steel blue ones, anemones in sherbet hues of pink, green, purple, and yellow, and anchovies flashing by in a circle of silver. This area also boasts Bay babies - with small rays and sharks, and bottom dwellers busy burying themselves in the sand.

Next, an elevator and interpretive naturalist take you down to the main exhibit as you "dive" from the surface to beneath the Bay, where you can either ride on the moving walkway through the tunnel, or chase your kids as they try to follow one of the many sharks swimming above. When you've had your fill of sea stars, wolf eels and kelp forest, take the elevator back to the surface, where sand and a boardwalk lead to three touch pools. Here, kids get a chance to touch small sharks, bat rays, and sea stars, and ask questions of the knowledgeable guides posted poolside.


During summer and holidays only the Water Discovery Lab is open to all visitors. The Water Discovery Lab helps children and adults learn more about our rivers, bays, oceans and the animals that live in these waters through hands-on experiments, arts and crafts and marine conservation films.

The last leg of the tour is a trip through a small gift shop stocked with plenty of inexpensive ($5-$10), ocean-themed souvenirs.

Birthday Parties: Parties are for children ages four and up, and are held Fri-Sun, anytime between 11am-4pm for two hours. Birthday parties are held in a private, decorated event room, and the Aquarium supplies the plates, utensils, napkins, and cups. You are invited to bring food and refreshments to the party. You can choose one of three themes: Sea Star, Tropical Fish, or Shark Party. A party costs $500 (includes naturalist to run the event, a private decorated event room, guided tour for your entire group and up to 20 goodie bags for the kids/ maximum 35 people).

Sleepover: Birthday sleepovers are available for children ages six and up and can be held seven days a week. Spend a night sleeping in the tunnels exhibit under the sea stars or sharks. Learn about the wonders of the Bay from experienced Naturalists who lead the group in educational activities and interactive discussions. Watch the nocturnal behavior of marine animals and be lulled to sleep listening to the sounds of the Bay. Scout specific programming is available. A sleepover costs $55 per person and includes naturalists, pizza snack and continental style breakfast at the Aquarium (minimum 25 people/ maximum 45 people).

Family Membership, which includes unlimited admission to the Aquarium for one year, is $65 and covers two adults and two children (ages 3-11).

Cardinal Fencing Club a facility that features ten full-length fencing strips, which meet USFA and FIE guidlines for length.

The club offers beginner camps, seasonal training camps, birthday parties, group classes for beginners, recreational fencing, private lessons for competitors of all ages, and open fencing.

Beginner Fencing Camp is a five-day session designed to introduce youngsters to the sport of fencing. Kids get specific training with games, footwork, and partner drills. All equipment is provided.

Deer Hill Ranch is a nonprofit experiential
education center located in Lafayette,
California. It works to help improve self-esteem and increase communication skills in young children, and offers an outreach effort for at-risk youth, among other programs.

Deer Hill Ranch is essentially a working ranch, and every visit here is by appointment only - it's a popular destination for school or scout field trips for children ages four and up.

Visitors are given a complete tour of the Ranch. You can meet and mingle with the animals - Shetland ponies, pigs, goats, sheep, lambs, chickens, ducks - and learn how to properly handle, care for, feed, and groom them. Some of the barns are set up as "learning stations." For example, the tack barn is where the children learn how yarn is made. You get to compare various samples of fleece, clean and card the fleece, and see how the fleece is spun into yarn.

Parties: Children lucky enough to have their birthday parties here are given the same hands-on learning opportunity. A party lasts about two hours. Including pony rides adds an additional 45 minutes to the celebration.

Summer Camp: Activities during each week long camp session range from farm and nature activities for Little Explorers (ages 4-9), to ropes activities for Friends Adventure Camp (ages 10-12) and Leadership Challenge (ages 13-18). Camp seesions start June 16 and end the week of August 18. Fees for half-day Little Explorers are $270/week and for Friends Adventure Camp are $320/week. All-day Leadership Challenge fees are $200/week.

Dragonfly Designs brings the creativity of beading to a location of the client's choice with age appropriate beading parties for children, teens, and adults.

The company also offers age appropriate after school jewelry making classes in its South San Francisco location for children and teens.

Included in the two-hour party are invitations, beaded jewelry projects, and a party pouch to hold the newly made treasures. Custom theme charms are also available.

Elegant Eventz offers children's theme parties. Services and features include decor, food, favors, games, makeovers,face painting, and costumed characters.

Family Fun Airbrush Tattoos (FFAT ) is a family-owned and operated temporary airbrush tattoo company. FFAT services private parties throughout the Bay Area and surrounding areas such as grad nights, bar/bat mitzvahs, birthdays, and other events.

Here's a tour with all the right bells and whistles. See what the city looks like from the seats of this shiny, red classic 1955 Mack Fire Engine. Before you jump on board for a 75 minute tour which includes The Presidio, Ft. Point, crossing the golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, and Union Street, you'll be asked to put on a fire jacket to keep you warm and for the great photos you will take at the photo stop at Ft. Baker on the North side of the Bridge.

The truck, manned by a husband-and-wife team who live in the century-old SF Victorian Firehouse, will take you from the Cannery (2801 Leavenworth) over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back. The Old Firehouse also houses a museum and gift shop (open by appointment) and while there you can learn about fire safety and the history of the SFFD.

The tour departs from The Cannery at Beach Street, at the foot of Columbus Avenue. Reservations are recommended.

Parties: The fire engine is available for birthday parties. The cost of leaving from any San Francisco location is $ 450 for one hour. To charter the Fire Engine for a private party leaving from The Cannery is $ 450 for the 75 minute tour

If you're looking for an entertainment company that can provide a Disney princess for your toddler's birthday one day, then a fire dance show for your teenager's graduation bash the next? Erin Glover, founder of Firepixie Entertainment, and her band of crazy characters can do all that - and even more. In addition to providing your honored guest with an unforgettable character, choose other entertaining options such as balloon animal-making, magic shows, games, face painting, light shows, tea parties, make-overs, to name a few. Firepixie Entertainment travels all over the Bay Area, so don't let the Fremont-based location deter you.

If you're looking for an entertainment company that can provide a Disney princess for your toddler's birthday one day, then a fire dance show for your teenager's graduation bash the next? Erin Glover, founder of Firepixie Entertainment, and her band of crazy characters can do all that - and even more. In addition to providing your honored guest with an unforgettable character, choose other entertaining options such as balloon animal-making, magic shows, games, face painting, light shows, tea parties, make-overs, to name a few. Firepixie Entertainment travels all over the Bay Area, so don't let the Fremont-based location deter you.

Terry Tenzing, owner of Friendly Pony Parties, offers farm camps, pony camps, and private day camp opportunities at Pastorino's Farm in Half Moon Bay.

As the Peninsula becomes increasingly built up, Hidden Villa becomes more and more a child's - and adult's - paradise. Sixteen hundred acres of wilderness preserve and organic farm provide a fabulous place for all to learn and explore.

Founded in 1924 by Frank and Josephine Duveneck, Hidden Villa today serves the public through environmental education programs, summer and family camps, educational and ornamental gardens, multicultural performances, family activities, and miles of scenic hiking trails.

As you enter the property, head up the road to the main parking lot, which is in a good central location to access most of Hidden Villa's attractions. Visitors can stroll by the international hostel, a children's organic garden used for teaching and food production, and the Tin Barn, home to dairy cows and sheep.

On the property, visitors will also find the Duveneck House, built in 1930 and now housing the administrative offices, several other historic structures, the White Barn, with goats, and the pig and poultry area, with enormous pigs bound to amaze and delight. Finally, for the energetic and adventuresome, trails abound, leading along creeks, into the hills, and throughout this beautiful property.

Hidden Villa offers a special Birthday Party Package which includes a private farm tour, reserved picnic tables, and pre-printed invitations with a farm theme. Offered most weekends. Advance reservations required.

The Insect Discovery Lab brings live exotic insects to classrooms, libraries, and birthday parties for hands-on exploration.

Insects include walking sticks, giant millipedes, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and other arthropods. The lab staff teaches the audience about each animal, where they come from, and how they survive. This information is tied into rain forest conservation.

Participants have the opportunity to hold and touch the animals to get an up-close and personal experience.

Please note: The Insect Discovery Lab is not open to the public. However, if you would like to arrange a private tour of our facility, please call two weeks in advance.

It's Yoga Kids offers yoga classes for
kids - toddlers to teens - adults, and families including prenatal, mom & baby, and special needs. The studio also offers customized parties, teacher training programs, and on-site workshops.

The JCCSF is a community center, known for its programs for children and families. All are welcome - one need not be Jewish to participate in the programs. Programs are fee based, with financial assistance available for most programs. The JCCSF boasts three preschool sites, after-school child care, day camp and specialty camps, swim lessons, sports classes, and teams, plus classes in art, ceramics, dance, yoga, gymnastics, academic enrichment, languages, and more.

Classes are held on a "semester" basis. For more information, please visit the website or call the office.

Art & Ceramics: For children ages two and above. Subjects include painting, drawing, cartooning, hand-building and wheel-throwing ceramics, and parent-child classes.

Aquatics: Parent-child classes begin at six months. Red Cross Levels I - VII begin at age three. Swim team is also available.

Dance: For children ages three and above. All types of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, creative, and more.

Gymnastics & Movement: They begin with babies in their Kindergym and Kindercrawl programs. Then it's on to parent-child classes, including Gym Buddies, Gym & Swim Buddies, Tumbler Express, Yoga Garden, and more. Older children can participate in classes that include gymnastics, capoeira, or yoga.

Sports: Classes and teams offered for children ages three and above. Sports include baseball, soccer, futsal, basketball, flag football, volleyball, and lacrosse. They offer several "girls only" classes. Teams include basketball (team and JCCSF league), baseball/tball, swim team, soccer, and micro-soccer.

Music: For babies through adults. They offer parent-child classes, beginning music appreciation, guitar, piano, and violin.

Birthday Parties: The JCCSF offers to help people throw a birthday party. Themes include swimming pool parties, dance (you pick the style), art, and ceramics. Party space is also available for rent.

Academic Enrichment: Language, SAT prep, math, essay writing, and chess are just some of the many academic enrichment courses offered.

Summer Camps:The JCCSF Rabin Summer Camps offer fun and diverse programs for children grades K-9. Families can choose from the traditional Camp Kochav day camp, sports clinics, and a variety of specialty camps including Teen Adventures, Visual and Performing Arts, Sail & Swim, GADS Camp for girls, Nature Navigators, and more. Visit the summer camp website for more information.

Just Imagine offers whimsical costume parties for children of all ages. The company carries an extensive line of costumes, invitations, favors, and more.

Kids Cuts and Kicks is a family hair salon where kids sit in cars or planes while they get their hair done. Afterward, they can play in the "Just For Kicks" play area. Parents can also have their hair styled, play video games, read the paper, sip coffee, or take advantage of the free wireless internet.

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum is a wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on native California wildlife and natural history. Founded in 1955, it treats more than 6,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year. Children get to see live animals, play with interactive exhibits, and take advantage of the wealth of classes and benefits the museum offers.

Classes: Classes for preschool age on up introduce kids to nature, wildlife, and science. Check the website for class listings. You can register for them online.

Parties: Celebrate your child's special day in a museum classroom where kids will meet live animals, learn interesting animal facts, and create a craft that goes with the party theme. Parties are teacher-led, curriculum directed, and educationally focused. You bring the refreshments, and goodie bags. Package start at $190 for 1 1/2 hours for kids ages 2-8.

Little Bug Lounge is a boutique that has everything from hand-crafted furniture to clothes to hip accessories, and creative games. It doubles as a hang-out for kids to hear stories, do sing-a-longs, write letters to Santa, or participate in crafts. The store also hosts moms' events.

The boutique hosts parties, with themes from carnivals to safari. Check the website for more information.

Little Party Animals offers a variety of party entertainment. The company features a "story lady," face painting, balloon twisting, a petting zoo, pony rides, and bouncy houses. They have a facility or will come to you.

Mar Vista offers pony rides, trail rides, pony parties, and lessons in both English and Western style. The stable also hosts a school break and summer camp for kids ages seven and older.

Miette Confiserie, a Hayes Valley candy store, sells a wide array of sugary treats (old fashioned treats to organic cotton candy) and hosts themed birthday teas that range from ballerina bashes and sack races.

Noah's Ark Animal Workshop is a traveling "stuff-n-fluff" activity for children's birthday parties, preschools, day care facilities, scouting groups, and more.

Children choose the animals for their party and participate in stuffing them. Each animal includes stuffing, a rainbow wish star, a birth certificate, a medallion of authenticity, and a take-home bag. Outfits and accessories are optional.

The Oakland Zoo, located inside Knowland park, is fairly small in size, which can be an advantage when you're with very young children. Home to more than 300 animals and a Children's Petting Zoo, the zoo is designed to recreate conditions that the animals might actually live in so you won't see any cages.

The most interesting area may be where the always entertaining monkeys, apes, and chimps hang out, just inside the zoo. But the Children's Zoo introduces you to river otters, bobcats, pythons, iguanas, and alligators, and you can pet and feed sheep and goats. Little kids might also be interested in riding around the zoo on a miniature train called the CP Huntington. There's a carousel, and a sky ride, too. The rides are open daily, from 11am-4pm, and cost an additional $1 to $2.

Parties: Zoo Birthday Party Packages at the Safari Cafe are available. Call the Zoo's Group Services for more information at 510.632.9525, ex 181 or email paula@oaklandzoo.org.

Membership: Family membership is $80/year and up. Benefits include free admission into the Park and Zoo year-round, plus free admission into over 125 zoos nationwide, newsletters, special invitations, Gift Shop discounts, and more.

The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo offers a range of rotating hands-on exhibits on topics ranging from geography to forests, an indoor PlaySpot for children up to age five, and an outdoor zoo featuring raccoons, reptiles, bobcats and a variety of native and exotic animals.

While small in scale compared to the San Francisco Zoo, this local attraction offers an opportunity to see roughly 50 animals in an intimate setting.

Classes: The Museum offers fabulous after school science classes and workshops for children ages three to 12. Topics can include excavation, robot building, and animals, among others. Check the Enjoy! catalog or website at www.paenjoy.org for specific lisitings.

Parties: Birthday parties are available on Saturdays and Sundays for groups of up to 15 children (including siblings). Themes offered include Zoo Animal Extravaganza for children at least kindergarten age, Crazy Kinetics for children in kindergarten and up, and Kitchen Chemistry for children in at least second grade. Each party includes invitations, a 1- hour science presentation and use of the facility for an additional hour. Parties cost $195 for Palo Alto residents and $225 for non-residents.

Pastorino's Farm hosts pony-riding camps and farm camps at its location on highway 92 in Half Moon Bay. Pastorino's also offers a traveling pony party and petting zoo business and parties on the farm.

Peekadoodle Kidsclub is a family club that offers a class curriculum designed specifically for children under five; a large, multi-purpose indoor playground; and parent resources such as a fitness center, lounge, cafe, and validated parking.

The kid-focused design of Peekadoodle Kidsclub replicates in miniature fashion various neighborhoods, activities, and landmarks found throughout San Francisco.

Peekadoodle Kidscamp offers daycamp drop-off for campers who are three to five years old and potty-trained. Themed weeks include Superheros, City By The Bay, and Wilderness Wonders. The camp runs Mon-Thu from 9am-1pm and is open to both members and non-members.

The club hosts personalized parties that include a customized cake, goodie bags, and refreshments. Party themes include Rockstar Rampage, Fairytale Princess, and Bouncing off the Walls. Party activities feature playtime in the indoor PlaySpace, a structured activity led by two or more staff members, and a birthday celebration. Parties are available to members and non-members.

Point Reyes Outdoors offers professinally guided sea kayaking and hiking activities for children and families. Choose from many activities such as birthday party outings, tide pool adventures, kids' overnight camping trips, family camps, adventure days, and more.

Kids can have their parties hosted by Princesses, Ballerinas, Mermaids and Winged Fairies. Party themes include, The Lil’ Ladies Tea Party, The Fairy Princess Party, The Fashion Fun Party, The Make-Over Party, Pirate King, or Warrior Prince Party.

Razzberry Lips provides a variety of makeover parties at the Westgate Mall. It also has a large selection of the accessories for girls.

Richardson Bay Audubon Center is a wildlife sanctuary comprised of 900 acres of Bay waters and eleven acres of uplands. An easy, 3/4 mile loop trail leads to overlooks and two beaches. The site is also home to the Victorian Lyford House which displays artwork by artist John James Audubon.

There are many activities to engage children and adults at the Center. Adults can participate in environmental education workshops, Bay Shore Studies docent programs, and other meaningful volunteer projects.

Children can attend Audubon Adventures day camp, school science programs, birthday parties, and family events. Visitors are invited to participate in lectures, guided walks, and special events.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Day Camp fir Little Kids in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Zoo is Northern California's largest zoological park and conservation center. Nestled against the Pacific Ocean, the Zoo provides a comfortable climate all year round. Visitors can enjoy Zoo activities, a playground, refreshments, and shopping as they encounter more than 245 different animal species in naturalistic habitats.

Zoo highlights include a three-acre African Savanna with giraffe, zebra, and ostrich; five species of lemur; an Australian WalkAbout, scheduled public feedings of penguins, lions, and tigers; a Gorilla Preserve; Grizzly Gulch, the historic Little Puffer steam train, a Dentzel Carousel, and a Family Farm.

Parties: The Zoo can accommodate up to 50 children and adults in its new indoor Birthday Party Room in the Leaping Lemur Cafe. Prices are as follows: Basic Package is $375 (up to 12 people; additional guests are $12 per person), and the Plus Package is $425 (up to 12 people; additional guests are $14 per person). All guests enjoy admission, a chocolate or vanilla-themed cake, ice cream, and more. A slumber party option costs $1250 for up to 20 people. To make a reservation call 415.753.7114, or email birthdayparties@sfzoo.org.

The Zoo offers half-day summer camp for kids entering pre-K through Kindergarten, and a full-day program for children entering 1st through 7th grades. Each child may register for one or two different weeks.

Teens (14 to 17) can become Zoo Teaching Assistants and help out with Zoo School. Program fee is $140.

Zoo Camp is a great way for kids to learn about animals in an outdoor setting. Zoo walks, animal-themed crafts and games are all part of the fun. Younger children focus on animals' habitats and their adaptations for survival. Older children explore animal behavior in wild ways that will sharpen their observation skills and deepen their appreciation of the diversity of life on earth. GoCityKids sent in a young camper to see what he thought and