KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For 25 years, one of my core missions with KidsOutAndAbout has been to make invisible things visible, to celebrate what local communities offer families. Everyone is busy, and local treasures are easy to miss. Our job is to point, spotlight, nudge, and say Look here. Try this. Bring the kids. But there’s another kind of invisibility worth fixing:
The people who create these experiences rarely get to see their full impact. They track tickets sold and kids enrolled, but may never hear that your child talked about their field trip for six months, found courage on their stage, or simply felt welcome exactly when they needed it. That’s why our annual Top 20 Places to Take Kids survey matters. Each summer, we ask readers to vote for their favorite local places to take kids.
The results help families see what other families love. The ranking and comments help local organizations see that their work matters. So your three minutes becomes both a recommendation and a thank-you. The survey is simple: Click on your three favorite local destinations. Then also, optionally, nominate favorites in special categories—like arts, sports, and STEM education—and leave comments that we’ll pass along to the people who make these experiences
happen. So please click here to vote in the 2026 edition of the survey. Help families find the places they’ll love, and help the people behind those places know they’re making a difference. The survey will be open until June 20.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
P.S. If you're interested, check out the 2025 list here to see
who won last year. |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Give your child the gift of a second language! Alliance Française San Francisco, a local nonprofit, offers enriching French programs for children and teens: lively After-School French classes (online), engaging Teen Classes with AP French Exam Prep (online), fun Saturday Classes for ages 4–10 (onsite), and exciting Bilingual French Summer Camps. Our expert instructors use proven communicative methods in a welcoming, multicultural environment — because learning French is more than a language, it's a passport to the world. Supporting our community since 1889. Financial aid available. Use code KIDS50 for $50 off your first registration. Enroll today at afsf.com
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It is our tradition of bringing the entire community together with unforgettable local experiences for the past Century! Our story begins in January of 1859, when local agriculturists and community leaders organized the Contra Costa County Agricultural, Historical & Mechanical Society, establishing the county's first county fair in October 11, 1859! Nearly 80 years later, in 1937 the 23rd District Agricultural Association assumed responsibility of this great undertaking, bringing us to today, nearly 90 years later and we're going stronger than ever!
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Meet our charismatic African penguin colony while an Academy biologist feeds them and answers your questions. Admiring from afar? Tune in to our penguins' daily feedings via live webcam.
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All skill levels are welcome to find inspiration from Tony Foster's watercolor wilderness Journeys within the galleries. Bring your own art supplies such as graphite pencils or watercolor sets, nature journals or sketch pads, or borrow our colored pencil provisions. Spend time in our meditative galleries looking closely at Foster's artwork masterpieces, and making your own!
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Potter the Otter invites kids on a healthy adventure with friends to catch the speedy Rainbow Racer and earn a place on the water polo team. Along the way, visitors explore fun, hands-on activities that highlight the power of drinking water, eating fruits and veggies, and staying active. From shopping for produce and building a balanced plate to splashing in Bubbling Brook and racing pedal boats, families can discover how healthy choices help everyone feel their best!
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Witness a feeding frenzy in real time while our expert educators share information about what it takes to feed the aquarium’s largest animals!
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The Walt Disney Family Museum continues its celebration of the 70th anniversary of Disneyland with the debut of Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story, an original special exhibition curated by award-winning producer and Disney Legend Don Hahn with museum Director of Collections and Exhibitions Marina Villar Delgado. Inspired by the 2025 book, The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland, published by Disney Editions and written by Hahn and historian Christopher Merritt, this treasure trove of Disney history will take guests behind the scenes of one of the most groundbreaking endeavors of the 20th century—the creation and opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story will be on view beginning Friday, November 14 in the museum’s Lower Lobby and Theater Galleries.
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The Cartoon Art Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary year with Sunday Funnies, a showcase of original artwork from the Cartoon Art Museum's permanent collection. This retrospective features classic comic strips from the dawn of the comics medium to the present day, from comic strip pioneers like San Francisco's Jimmy Swinnerton and Krazy Kat creator George Herriman to legendary cartoonists Walt Kelly (Pogo) and Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts) to contemporary classics like Stephan Pastis's Pearls Before Swine and Dana Simpson's Phoebe and Her Unicorn.
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Bay FC is a San Francisco Bay Area-based professional women’s soccer team competing in the NWSL since 2024, playing home matches at PayPal Park in San Jose.
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Join us as we explore books that highlight the unique traits of different types of life. Though we are all unique, we all belong in the community of living things!
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This behind-the-scenes tour will take you through a facility designed to accommodate all current and future animals at Oakland Zoo, from small birds to large tigers and grizzly bears. It features radiology and surgical suites, a small laboratory, a pharmacy, wide transportation docks, and LEED Gold certification.
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- Free Spring Mini Photo Session - Shoott - Broadway, New York, NY, May 15-17, 2026, See link for times
- Toddler Plus Storytime - Main Library - Children's Department, San Francisco, CA, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10:30am
- Family Storytime - Alameda Free Library - 788 Santa
Clara Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10:30am
- Family Storytime - Main Library - Children's Department, San Francisco, CA, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10:30am
- Boogie Music Fest 2026 - E. Campbell Avenue, Downtown Campbell, CA, May 16-17, 2026, 10am
- Sound Bites - STEM Activities for KIDS - California Historical Radio Society - Central Avenue, Alameda, CA, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10 am to
12 pm
- Family Storytime - Main Library, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 12:30pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the San Francisco area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, &
more. Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the San Francisco area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the San Francisco? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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