Doll Karen

Doll Karen

Bay Area Kids Rainy Day Fun Places

The inclement weather of the Bay Area makes parks and zoos the perfect destination for outdoor fun.  But just because the skies are gray and the rain is pouring, it doesn't mean that the whole family has to spend the weekend at home.  Thanks to these three great museums in the Bay Area, kids can stay happy and entertained on the rainiest of days.

Children's Discovery Museum

Were you aware that the Bay Area is home to two world-class museums for children? One of these is the Children's Discovery Museum.  Located in a large purple building at San Jose, the Children's Discovery Museum is a must-see for children aged 7 or younger. Inside, kids get the chance to stretch their imaginations as they pretend to drive a fire engine, run a switchboard, sort mail at the post office, or work at a doctor's office.  Once they've had enough of imaginative play, kids can explore exhibits on electricity, play with bubbles, or make cornhusk dolls at the arts and crafts area. As for toddlers and preschoolers, there's a brand new area made just for them called the Wonder Cabinet. Inside, children can explore the Woodland Puppet Forest, cook up experiments at the Sand Science Laboratory, and see where the Crawl-Through Tunnel ends.

Museum of Children's Art

Most kids wouldn't last five minutes in a regular art museum; they'd get bored looking at squiggles made by adults.  But they would definitely love it at Oakland's Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA). This is the only art museum in the Bay Area that displays works by children and for children.  But aside from viewing what other kids have created, MOCHA keeps the kids creative and happy with their drop-in art classes. For just $8, kids and their parents can busy themselves creating art works around a weekly theme.  Materials are provided by the museum, and you don't have to worry about cleaning up after! Just make sure you and your child are wearing clothes that you wouldn't mind getting dirtied.  MOCHA also has art activities designed for the entire family, Saturday story time, camps, and field trips.  And if your child's birthday occurs during fickle weather, you can hold the birthday party at the MOCHA where not even the rain can dampen a child's day.

Habitot Children's Museum

If you don't want to drive all the way to San Jose to visit a children's museum, there's one right at Berkeley that's just as fantastic. Habitot Children's museum is a great place to let the kids loose and explore because there's so much for them to see and do.  The museum has a train table with miniature BART trains that they can run, a little grocery and café where kids can "buy" fruits and vegetables, a crafts area where they can paint on their faces, and much more!  Your children will be begging to go back by the time you leave.

About the Author

Karen Merring writes for Bay Area For Kids, the premier resources guide exclusively for parents living in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about things to do on rainy days for Bay Area kids, visit http://www.bayareaforkids.com

Quick! Need The Name Of Horror Movie Starring Karen Black with Crazy Voo-Doo Doll Trying To Kill Her ...?

I remember watching this scary movie back in the early or mid seventies and really want to see it again.

Name that movie please ... (smiling)

My eternal or however long I live thanks to all who answer ... just give me time to get back and read the answers.
Leah :

Thanks! I don't remember the other two ... (smiling)

Trilogy of Terror? There are 3 parts, I think this was the first one.

Karen's "paper doll" technique