5 Rainy Day Activities

You’ve seen a million lists like this one, but it never hurts to have some fresh ideas. When you’re stuck in the house and the natives are restless, give one of these a shot.

5 Rainy Day Activities

rainyday

1. Tupperware bowling. Line up your BPA-free lunch containers in the kitchen or hallway and give any type of ball a roll. See how many you can knock down. Kids love anything involving destruction and they can even help set up the “pins.” You can make a more challenging formation for older kids and keep track of spares and strikes, just like in a real game. No grimy shoes required.

2. A bath. Who doesn’t love a warm bubble bath on a cold day? With babies or toddlers, don’t be afraid to climb in with them – and let your little one choose a toy or two to submerge. Most plastic toys do just fine in water and some might need a bath anyway. Race tracks are particularly fun in water as are play kitchen utensils, pots and pans. With older kids, you may even get to read a magazine while sitting on the toilet seat.

Baby in bathtub

3. Baking. Anything is fun when kids get to “help.” Don’t make it a dish you need to present at a fancy dinner party. Search your pantry for something easy and kid-friendly. Banana bread, cookies with M&M’s, even lasagna for dinner (as long as little hands are nimble and super clean) are great options. Older children can help read measurements and set the oven timer. Little ones can pour and stir. Baking is a great hands-on activity and is sure to please when the timer dings.

4. This Is Your Life, starring your child(ren). Kids love to look at photos and videos from when they were babies. If you don’t have a baby book, start with any loose photos in a drawer, digital files, ultrasound pics, the invitation to your baby shower, and any videos Dad made — first steps, first words, first bike ride. Oldest children will benefit most (why do we run out of photographic energy with each respective child?!), but even the youngest ones will delight in seeing you pregnant (“I was in your tummy!”) and if you’re lucky, he or she can help you organize and perhaps even create a photo album or online photo book.

5. Magazine arts and crafts. Find some old magazines, catalogs, or newspaper advertisement inserts — maybe even an old book or two — and let them go to town with scissors and glue. Cutting and pasting pictures onto construction paper is fun for everyone. A holiday or birthday list is always enhanced by photos of coveted items, and creating a “book” can be fun, too, complete with cast of characters from the PB Kids catalog and reality television.

Whatever you choose do to on a rainy day, just rest assured the weather will turn soon enough, and know that your kids love the bonding time with Mom or Dad. Enjoy!

Browse babysitter and nanny profiles, and schedule interviews at the click of a button at www.UrbanSitter.com.

This Fall’s Must-Do Activities with Kids

fall activities for kids
photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Ahhh, Autumn. It’s many people’s favorite season, and for good reason — the nip in the air, the crisp leaves, the pumpkin-flavored espresso drinks — to name just a few. And for little ones, there’s loads of fun to be had. Why not take the whole family and indulge in one of these sure-to-please Fall diversions on your next free weekend?

1. Pumpkin Patch

Now, this one is a classic, tried and true. Children are just as pleased with a trip to the super market aisle or an off-the-freeway patch complete with jumpy house. But most counties have at least one big, fall-festival-like patch with a corn maze, hot cider stand, and maybe even a petting zoo.

These off-the-beaten-track spots offer a little something extra and really bring the experience home. Plus, the car ride builds anticipation. Check out these safe, no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas.

2. Apple Picking

If you venture out a little further into the country (or deep suburbs in some spots), you can usually find a place to pick apples when Fall rolls around.

A family farm is the typical backdrop and kids as young as one or two can join in the fun. Apple orchards are heaving with fruit this time of year and for a small fee, you can borrow a basket and pick as many you like (or want to pay for), as you meander amongst the trees and livestock. Have a taste or make apple cider at home! This is a fun, easy activity for families and makes for a great photo op as well. Some farms require an appointment, so do your research.

3. Pie Making

Once you’ve picked your apples (or purchased them at the grocery store), why not share the experience of making a home-made pie with your kids?

Whether you have Grandma’s tried and true recipe or one just downloaded, the kids will love the hands-on experience…and delectable result. You can even let the kids use cookie cutters to decorate the crust….easy as pie! And sure to fill your home with a delicious Fall aroma.

4. Jumping in Leaves

A classic straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting. But truly, leaf jumping never gets old for kids–or even dogs. Just use a standard rake to gather the leaves in your yard and let them go to town. Of course, you will have to deal with the end product — a mess of crispy leaf bits, but it’s worth it…right?

If you don’t have a yard full of leaves, head to your favorite park and do the same. In that case, the kids will have to gather the leaves themselves, but that in itself can be a great diversion.

Whatever you do this Fall, enjoy yourself! It’s a cozy season filled with rosy cheeks, full moons, and warm sweaters. Plus, before you know it, the madness of the holidays will be upon you. So get out there!

Find babysitters & nannies at UrbanSitter.com.

Sharpen School Skills with Fun, Educational Games & Activities

meg_son_drawingExperts estimate that kids spend the first 2.3 months of the school year learning what they’ve forgotten over the summer. Yikes!

Help your kids brush up on their skills, before the first school bell rings, with these effective learning tools that can easily pass as fun games and entertainment.

Smart Games to Prepare for the School Year

Alphabet Tracing Chart 

Free, printable alphabet handwriting worksheet in a fun Back-to-School theme.  Traceable worksheets help preschoolers through First Graders learn to write letters A to Z in upper and lower case.  The worksheet features a start dot on each letter to help kids remember where to start writing the letter. Tip: Laminate and use fine tip erasable markers for repeated use.

Traceable Alphabet
Photo: First-School

LEGO Math Practice

LEGO activities are a visual way for kids to do math. And for the LEGO enthusiast, this might just be the sure-fire way to encourage math practice. The printable worksheet is great for kids to work on addition and subtraction. For younger kids, simply use LEGOS to work on colors, sorting and counting.

LEGOS
Photo: The Kent Chronicles

Book Picks for Kids 2-12

Research has shown that the single most important thing that a parent can do to help their child acquire language, prepare for school, and instill a love of learning is to read to them (Russ et al., 2007).  If you need a few new books to add to your repertoire, check out Cool Mom Picks Roundup. They have compiled an awesome list of their editors’ own children’s favorite books, including picks for ages 2-12.

kids-favorite-books-ages-2-12-cool-mom-picks_zps2a1d71ac
Photo: Cool Mom Picks

Melissa & Doug Letter Puzzle

Little kids can work on motor skills, letters and numbers with a simple puzzle that includes all 26 letters of the alphabet in uppercase and lowercase, along with 26 gorgeously detailed illustrations of various animals. $11.99 at Target.

Letter Puzzle
Photo: Melissa and Doug

 

Top 10 Educational Apps for Preschoolers

If you’re in the camp that believes in embracing the power of technology as a teaching tool, try out these educational apps for preschoolers. The list includes practice games for handwriting, letters and numbers for iPad and iPhone devices. Costs vary.

Apps
Photo: Handwriting Without Tears

Magazine Letter Printables for Literacy Station

You can avoid the time and mess of cutting letters out of magazines for your child to use for literacy exercises – such as finding the alphabet or creating words or phrases – with this super cool Magazine Letter Printable, just $7 from Etsy.

Magazine Letters
Photo: Olive Loaf Design

5 Games for Speaking, Listening and Thinking

Verbal games are great for developing speaking and listening skills, and thinking and reasoning abilities. They are ideal to play on a long car trip, or while your child’s hanging out in the kitchen while you make dinner. Try them with kids age 3 and up.

Childhood-101-Speaking-Listening-Thinking-Learning-Games-for-Kids
Photo: Childhood 101

All of these games and activities are great to leave with the babysitter. Find trusted babysitters and nannies at UrbanSitter.com.

Get Onboard with an Arm Full of DIY Bracelets!

bracelet trend via a beautiful mess
via A Beautiful Mess

Have you noticed that bracelets are all the rage these days? You can get current and also score big points with your child by arming your babysitter with these awesome DIY bracelet craft ideas. We’ve rounded up 10 DIY Bracelets that kids – little and big, girl and boy – will go wild to create and wear!

1. Popsicle Stick Bracelets

Thank you Molly Moo for providing the inspiration and showing us how to make popsicle sticks pliable enough to wrap around a glass into the shape of a bracelet. Once the sticks are dry, you can decorate them with wasabi tape (for instant gratification) or embroidery thread with the ends of the thread capped with beads for a dangly look.

Molly Moo bracelets
via Molly Moo

2. Felt Flower Bracelets

Though gorgeous, this craft require a bit more manual dexterity and involves more steps than some of the others. The bracelets are delightful for little kids to wear, but plan on your sitter, an older sibling or yourself doing much of work. You can download a free pattern for the felt flowers and you’ll need to purchase a roll of Velcro, along with felt. Merriment Design recommends something called Velcro Plant Ties, which is basically a roll of a thin strip of Velcro, which will serve as the base of your bracelet.

Felt Flower Bracelets via Merriment Design
Felt Flower Bracelets via Merriment Design

3. Straw Bracelets

Here’s a simple, sweet project perfect for tackling when you have really little kids involved. The bracelet is cute enough that older kids won’t mind that it’s as easy as cutting drinking straws into pieces (an adult can do the cutting for little ones) and stringing them onto pipe cleaners, which are then twisted to form a bracelet. You can get bigger kids more interested by encouraging them to create patterns with the different color pieces.

Straw Bracelets via Mother Huddle

4. Friendship Bracelets

Wow, these bring back memories! Remember making these when you were a kid, loading up your arms with them and gifting and trading them with friends? If the how-to isn’t too fresh in your mind, check out this great tutorial from Apartment Therapy.  It’ll be like riding a bike. Before you know it, you’ll be whipping out a few to bestow on your little one and maybe just helping her to start a new trend in the hood.

Friendship Bracelets via Apartment Therapy
Friendship Bracelets via Apartment Therapy

5. LEGO Bracelets

What’s just as popular with kids as bracelets? Why, LEGOSs, of course.  There is a small supply list for these, though be forewarned that the project requires a drill. Thanks to The Centsible Life for listing the requirements – (lots of) flat LEGO bricks, a drill and 3/32″ drill bit, embroidery thread (three colors per brick) and scissors. You or a handy sitter will need to prepare the bricks for your kids to string by stacking bricks and drilling a small hole on each end of the stack. Complete instructions included here.

LEGO Bracelets via Tip Junkie
LEGO Bracelets via Tip Junkie

6. Pom Pom Bracelets

Martha Stewart showcases Pom Pom bracelets as a winter holiday accessory, which would be lovely, but we think they’d also make for cheerful, colorful, summery arm candy. Buy pom-poms with holes in them, and help kids thread them onto clear stretchy beading cord. Tie off  the ends with several double knots.

Pom Pom Bracelets via Martha Stewart
Pom Pom Bracelets via Martha Stewart

7. Candy Bracelets

Imagine telling your kids you are about to provide a fun craft to make, candy to eat and a new piece of jewelry to wear! You’ll need to hit the candy and cereal isles to stock up on supplies for these yummy, wearable treats. Lila Luna used Cheerios, Froot Loops, Peach Rings and Gummy Lifesavers, but any candy or cereal with a hole in the middle will work. Simply help kids string them on length of yarn. It’s helpful to use a blunt, plastic needle for threading.

Candy Bracelets via Lil Luna

8. Wooden Bead Bracelets

Here’s a sweet, modern take on old-school wooden beads on a cord. You need nothing more than a bag of ¾” wooden beads,  1mm stretch cord (three colors are ideal, but you can certainly make these with more or less), and scissors to cut the elastic-like stretch cord. Playful Learning gives a simple tutorial:

  • Count out 10-12 beads
  • Measure 3 strands of stretch cord at 18”
  • Holding ends together, thread cord through the first bead.
  • Pull the ends through, wrap them around the bead, and pull back through
  • Pull taut to secure, leaving about 2” of cord length at the end
  • Using the remainder of the cord, repeat looping and pulling through on the remaining beads until all ten are lined up snugly.
  • Double knot and tightly tug the cord taut at the end and trim to about 1/4”

Wooden Bead Bracelets via Playful Learning

9. Super Easy Button Bracelet

A button bracelet is excellent for building fine motor skills. You can cater to your child’s age by using buttons with bigger holes for little kids and smaller buttons for older kids. Buttons with smaller holes will require a needle for threading the ribbon. You can find blunt needles that are safer for kids to use. Simply gather a collection of buttons and some ribbon to string through the holes. Weave the ribbon through the buttons, coming up from underneath the button, crossing over the top, and dipping back down again on the other side of the button. Once you have threaded on enough buttons for the length of your bracelet, tie the two ends of ribbon together and voila, a new bracelet!

Button Bracelets via Kids Activities
Button Bracelets via Kids Activities

10. Secret Message Ribbon Bracelets

Not your ordinary friendship bracelet, these lovelies have a secret message written on the inside. And just as nice, they take only minutes to make. You’ll need ribbon, self-adhesive Velcro (bought as precut circles or strips you cut yourself), tacky glue (optional), a white office label and a pen or marker to write your message. Instructions via Spoonful: Cut the ribbon into a piece long enough to wrap around your child’s wrist with extra for folding under the ends. Fold down one end of the ribbon and adhere one half of a Velcro piece, then flip over the ribbon, fold down the end, and attach the other half of the Velcro. Add a drop of glue under each piece of Velcro if needed (depends on the ribbon and Velcro used). Cut the label to fit (if necessary), write a message on it, then stick it to the inside of the bracelet.

Secret Message Ribbon Bracelets via Spoonful
Secret Message Ribbon Bracelets via Spoonful

Remember, there are plenty of crafty babysitters ready and willing to lead the charge if DIY is not your thing!  

Get Your Red, White and Blue On with Crafts + Recipes!

Fire up your family’s patriotism with these fun craft and recipe ideas for celebrating the Fourth of July! We’ve rounded up two easy 4th of July crafts and two deliciously festive recipes.

Patriotic Bike Streamers via AlphaMom
Patriotic Bike Streamers via AlphaMom

Craft: DIY Patriotic Streamers

Lead your own neighborhood parade in style! Tie some streamers and balloons to your stroller and help your kids decorate their bike or scooter with these DIY patriotic streamers we found on AlphaMom.

Supply list is simple:

1. a pair of toilet paper tubes
2. curling ribbon and/or crepe paper streamers
3. inexpensive water-based children’s poster paint in patriotic colors
4. star stickers
5. paint brushes
6. a stapler and/or normal household tape

To create:

  1. Have kids paint the tubes one color –the base coat. (Resist mixing colors since you’ll end up with purple or pink instead of the red white and blue theme!).
  2. Once base coat is dry, let them decorate the tube by painting on stars, stripes, flags, hearts, whatever else says 4th of July. And adding stickers, too.
  3. Once everything is dry, staple and/or tape the streamers or curling ribbon in strips to the end of the tubes. Curl the ribbons.
  4. Slip the decorated tubes of streamers over the ends of your child’s handle bars, and voila, patriotic streamers!

You’ll all have a blast circling the block in holiday style. Blow some horns, shake some noise makers and belt out our national anthem to your heart’s content. Your kids will never forget it.

Patriotic Streamers for Bikes and Scooters via AlphaMom
Patriotic Streamers for Bikes and Scooters via AlphaMom

Recipe: Fruity Yogurt “Bomb Pops”

Homemade Bomb Pops from Healthnut Foodie
Homemade Bomb Pops from Healthnut Foodie

Remember those brilliant red, white and blue popsicles you likely devoured as a child?  They scream patriotism!  Make your own healthy version with yogurt, blueberries and strawberries:

Homemade Bomb Pops (Recipe care of Healthnut Foodie)

Makes 16 small or 8 large popsicles

For the red layer:  Puree 1 pint hulled strawberries with 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt.  Fill popsicle molds 1/3 of the way full with strawberry/yogurt mixture.  Transfer molds to freezer and freeze for about 30 minutes, to prevent the layers from mixing.  (There is no need to put the sticks in at this time.)  Rinse blender.

For the white layer:  When 30 minutes have lapsed, remove popsicle molds from freezer.  Reserve 3/4 cup of the yogurt for the blue layer.  Use remaining vanilla yogurt to fill molds 2/3 of the way full.  Return popsicles to freezer just long enough to prepare the blue layer.

For the blue layer:  Puree 1 1/2 cups blueberries with remaining 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt.  Remove popsicles from freezer and fill with blueberry puree.  Add sticks to popsicles and return to freezer.  Freeze for at least 2 hours.  Serve and enjoy!

Or, you could always throw caution to the wind (after all, it is a holiday!) and go for the ones you used to eat as a kid.  You can find them at Walmart.

 

Sparkler Printable from Delightfully Noted
Sparkler Printable from Delightfully Noted

Craft: Sparkler Printables

Light up the night with sparkler favors. Thanks to this free printable, you can turn any ordinary box of sparklers into fun, festive favors for any family or friend gathering. Download the sparkler printables here, and be sure to print them on heavy card stock. Cut a slit above and below the solid blue block and slide a few sparklers through. ** Of course, never leave children unattended with sparklers, and be sure to explain the dangers of fire and the importance of being careful of sparklers before you light them. **

Recipe: Refreshing Watermelon Sundaes

 

Red White and Blue Sundaes from Watermelon.org
Red White and Blue Sundaes from Watermelon.org

Red White & Blue Watermelon Sundaes

Recipe adapted by Babble from watermelon.org

Use a melon scooper to make watermelon balls (or could use frozen yogurt or raspberry sorbet)
4 cups watermelon balls
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sweetened whipped cream or thick plain or vanilla yogurt
Red, white and blue star sprinkles

Gently mix together the watermelon and blueberries. Divide among 4 sundae bowls. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt and sprinkle with red ,white and blue sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Keep your party going this July 4th by joining your community at a family-friendly holiday parade, fireworks show or festival. Stay tuned for our July 4th Even Guide for ideas and info!

Find mom-trusted babysitters at UrbanSitter.com.

7 Pumpkin Projects for Little Ones

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve taken your kids to a pumpkin patch, farmer’s market or even a grocery store this weekend, and are now living with a menagerie of pumpkins, little and big. Do you realize you’re sitting on a goldmine of kid craft potential?!

Bring your pumpkins to the table, gather your craft supplies, call a friend or two to make a fun play date out of it, and get down to business! Not the crafty type or invited more than a few friends? Call in a sitter to help!

Here are 7 of our favorite pumpkin projects:

Gourd Family: Stack miniature pumpkins to build a replica of your own family.  The gourd people on MarthaStewart.com are made by gluing natural materials, such as acorns, nuts, leaves, and flowers… which means you can start your project by taking a nature walk to gather supplies.

Giggly Ghoul: They’ll be giggling so hard, they’ll have a hard time finishing this one. Talk about bang for your buck – insert two thumbtacks for eyes,  carve out a mouth and insert removable teeth. How can these not have you in stitches?!

Fall Leaves + Pumpkin = Perfect decoration for the table, foyer or front porch: Gather gorgeous fall leaves and dry them under a book for several days. Brush decoupage glue on a pumpkin (white is especially nice). Arrange the leaves on the pumpkin’s surface, cutting small slits along the edges of the leaves as you go, so they’ll fit the pumpkin’s contours. Coat the decorated surface in decoupage glue.

Message on a Pumpkin: Put on your thinking caps and come up with a fun message to write/paint/glue on your pumpkins. How about your family name (with a pumpkin for each letter), or a spooky Halloween shout-out like “Boo,” “Beware,” or “Who Goes There?!” You can cater to your kids’ ages and abilities, keeping it simple with glitter glue or stepping it up by glue-gunning buttons, acorns or candy to spell out your message.

Give Thanks: How about making a festive vessel for a bouquet of fall flowers? Clean out the insides of your pumpkin (save the seeds for snack time), and insert a handful of fall flowers or branches. You can make it a spooky treat (and a bigger project) by first painting the pumpkin, then giving it a face. Don’t carve out too much, as you’ll want to fill it with a bit of water if you hope to make it last.

Talking Pumpkin: This one will get the neighborhood trick-or-treaters talking! Carve a face for your pumpkin, scary or silly will work. Instead of making a removable top, cut a hole in the bottom. Once cleaned and carved, sit your masterpiece atop a baby monitor. Voila, you have a talking pumpkin!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Wait, don’t throw out that muck! Make a toasty snack of pumpkin seeds. It’s as simple as digging through the strings and pulp – what better job for a crew of little hands – and cleaning off the seeds. Spread the pumpkin seeds on baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Yum!

Need a sitter for the pre- or post-Halloween weekend? Log on to UrbanSitter and search for a babysitter by date & time.

New Babysitter? Make It Fun!


Most parents are familiar with the crying at the door, big puppy-dog eyes, vice grip on your leg routine when attempting to leave their children with a new sitter.

Why not solve the babysitter anxiety issue with a pre-planned special activity reserved for that evening? Talk it up (but not too much) and be sure it’s not something you’ve done before. It can be a fun craft project, recipe, or a new toy kept hidden away until that night. Here are a few ideas…

1) Make Play Dough
This is easy enough and your kids will love the process as well as the result. Try the cook or no-cook kind.

Cooked Play Dough Recipe

2 cups flour
3 tbsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup boiling water
food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix oil, food coloring and boiling water in a separate container. Stir liquid mixture until cool enough to knead. Knead until smooth. If play-dough is too dry, add more water, a little at a time. If play-dough is too crumbly, knead in a small amount of oil. Store in an airtight container.

No-Cook Play Dough

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tbsp oil
1 and 1/2 cup water
Mix oil and food color together before adding to dry mixture. Mix until pliable. Keep in container or plastic bag.

2) Make Lemonade

Whether you want to actually put up a stand is debatable, but making and tasting the lemonade is always fun. Depending on the number of children, you’ll need anywhere from four to 16 lemons. You can figure four per child. You’ll also need cold water, sugar, and a pitcher.

If you have a citrus squeezer, it’s much easier. Kids can do the squeezing on their own, though toddlers might need a little help. Once you’ve got an ample amount of juice in the pitcher, add some cold water and then start with spoonfuls of sugar. Have the kids taste the lemonade after each sugar addition. Note how much sugar it takes to make it palatable. (This could serve as a good lesson on the perils of juice in general.) Once it’s satisfactory, give everyone a cup full of ice, and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Lovely on a hot summer day.

3) New Toy/Game/Art Supplies

As the weather warms up, croquet is fun and easy for little ones. Get an inexpensive set at your local toy store and have the sitter set it up on the grass or even at the park. Toddlers and school-age kids will get a kick out of trying to get the ball through the small wickets. Just don’t let them use the mallets on each other!

A new coloring book and crayons or markers can go a long way. Don’t you remember the smell and lovely pointy-ness of a new box of crayons? Pick out a coloring book featuring his or her favorite character (Dora, Mickey Mouse) and you won’t go wrong.

Kids love anything with water. In the summer, fill the baby pool up and let kids splash. Or try a Slip ‘N Slide. In winter, fill the tub with bubbles and new sand toys (they work just as well in water) and let them go to town. Just be sure to instruct your sitter to be extra-vigilant when playing with water.

A new sitter can be fun and a nice break from the norm. Embrace it!

And, remember to use UrbanSitter to find your next sitter — it’s easy and you can book sitters online in minutes!

Rainy Day Activities

Rainy days with children can definitely instill a feeling of panic. Gone are thoughts of going to the park or playing in the backyard. So, what’s a mom or dad to do? Here’s a list of places and activities that can ease your mind on cold and wet days — and hopefully keep your little ones from crawling the walls.

And remember, UrbanSitter is always available to rescue you when you just can’t take another game of CandyLand. Book a sitter and let her take the reigns!

MUSEUMS

SF MOMA

Yes, the art is sophisticated, but the colors are also brilliant and the sculptural installations (not all art is on walls?) are amazing for little eyes to behold. It’s a chance to teach your children to respect art (no touching) and other people (no yelling or running), but for those who can handle it, a museum such as this can spark a lifetime love of all things beautiful. Don’t miss the cafe and gift shop on the first floor.

Exploratorium

It’s been around for decades, but  this SF institution still offers amazing exhibits specifically for kids. Try the shadow box, echo chamber, or one of the many hands-on activities meant to be touched and tinkered with.

Lawrence Hall of Science

High up in the Berkeley hills, this museum offers much to touch and see, including an insect zoo, a 3-D projection of the planet where actual real-time weather patterns can be observed, and a room full of building blocks, ramps, and vehicles.

RETAIL STORES

toy store

Pair this one with a trip to the food court for lunch and your day is looking up. Of course, after your child man-handles the train table or doll stroller, you may want to buy something. Perhaps a new book, lunch box, or birthday gift? As long as your children are respectful, the staff is pleasant (and sympathetic).

book store

Same as above. There’s usually a train table as well as kid-sized tables and chairs where you can sit and enjoy the latest Olivia or David book with your little one. You can even grab a coffee or treat before (or bribe your child with it in order to leave) at the cafe inside.

pet store

Who doesn’t love gazing at rats, tropical fish, and lizards? If you get lucky, perhaps an employee will let your children “help” feed such a beast. Sometimes, too, there is a “Beauty Salon” on the premises where you can watch the animals get a good scrubbing and blow-out.

PLAY SPACES

Playland

Lots of jumpy houses, ride-on cars, arts and crafts, and a little counter that sells snacks: What could be better? Located in Sausalito, Playland is really easy to find and offers just what every kid (and parent) wants, for a fee that’s reasonable.

Studio Grow

With soft ramps, blocks, and tunnels, as well as arts and crafts and open spaces to run and jump, Studio Grow (several locations in the e.bay) is an oasis of cushy fun on a stormy day. Snacks and coffee are available.

U-ME

In Menlo Park, this is truly a kid wonderland with the usual soft spaces and climbing structures, but also a kid-size stage, art and reading room, and trampoline. Get a $5 printable coupon when you visit the website.

IN THE KITCHEN

play dough

If you just can’t bring yourself to lug out the umbrellas and rain boots and brave the elements, stay home and entertain your children with a new recipe or project. How about home-made play dough?  Yes, you can buy it, but the process is half the fun…right?

muffins

Your little one will love helping with these Apple Stuffin’ Muffins, and when they sneak a little apple sauce along the way, you won’t mind. It’s a great healthy snack for a rainy day.