Things to do with a Toddler in the South Bay

Summer is here, school is out and there are tons of great things to do with kids in the South Bay. I live in Santa Clara and have a 4 year old (and a 19 month old), so we try to get out to do something every day. Here is a list of some of my favorite things to do with kids in the South Bay Area:

1. The Children's Discovery Musuem of San Jose. A great place to take kids of any age. The exhibits are great. They also have The Wonder Cabinet for kids under 4 years old. This is a great place to go for the little ones, where they don't get pushed around by bigger kids, yet they still get to do all the great hands-on stuff. There's also a "Crawl Space" inside the Wonder Cabinet for infants and crawler, so they don't get trampled by the toddlers! There's also an Art Studio too. Check website for calendar, I think they are closed most Mondays.

2. Happy Hollow Park and Zoo This place is great for young kids who don't need a whole lot of fancy things to entertain them. The rides are limitied and a bit old (I don't think they've changed much since I was a kid). There's also a park play area and a puppet show. The zoo is more updated, but deosn't have the typical zoo animals (no giraffes, elephants, or zebras), but there is a petting zoo area with goats, etc. Basically, for the $6 admission it is worth a few hours of fun, and you don't have to drive all the way to SF or Oakland to see some furry animals.

3. Palo Alto Jr. Museum & Zoo Another great local zoo to see some smaller animals. Right now they have a shark exhibit. The museum has some great hands-on exhibits for kids. The best part, the admission is free (donations are accepted and appreciated though)!

4. Deer Hollow Farm Located inside Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. You have to hike a bit to get to the farm. Take a jog stroller with you for the dirt trail, especially if you plan on continuing to hike the trails. Also, best to go in the morning during the hotter months. It can get really warm out there.

5. Bonfante Gardens (now called Gilroy Gardens) I love this place. It is located in Gilroy, so it is not as "local" as the other places and is hotter there during the summer. It is a great amusuement park for younger kids (under 7) and is set in a beautiful garden. It is always so clean there, and usually the only teenagers around are the ones working there (unlike at Great America). Fabulous place for toddlers! Check their website for days/hours of operation, they have a very modified schedule for fall and winter.

6. The Tech Museum of Innovation A great place for older toddlers and school aged childern (and dads too!). They have tons of great hands-on exhibits. The Imax theater is also a draw for families as well.

7. Emma Prusch Farm Park Has a nice little farm. Depending on the time of year, you can see a lot of aminals (babies too!) there. They recently added a large play structure. Lots of picnic areas. Huge grassy field and has a paved path to walk around.

8. If you like to hike and own a jog stroller, there are plenty of open space preserves and county parks to go to and most have shorter trails that are kid friendly. A few of my favorites are Sanborn County Park (16055 Sanborn Rd., Saratoga), Stevens Creek County Park (11401 Stevens Canyon Rd., Cupertino), Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (22694 Prospect Rd., Saratoga), Sunnyvale Baylands (901 E. Caribbean Drive, Sunnvale), Picchetti Ranch Open Space (13001 Montebello Rd., Cupertino), Castle Rock State Park (15000 Skyline Blvd., Los Gatos), and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve (Cristo Rey Drive, Mt. View). All of these parks have some sort of restroom. Bring hats, sunscreen, water, etc.

9. My favorite small neighborhood parks in Sunnyvale- Raynor Park, Ortega Park and Washington Park. Raynor Park is new, with an eclosed toddler area, some shade and a nice area for bigger kids. It also has lots of grass to run around. Cute dino theme there as well. Ortega Park has also recently been remodeled. It has an enclosed toddler area, a climbing wall, a great water feature, huge surrounding fields, and a large picnic area (with BBQs). Unfortuantely, shade in the park area is limited. Washington Park has plenty of shade, tennis courts, lots of grass, and also has an enclosed toddler area.

10. In Santa Clara, a great park to go to Everett Alvarez Park. It is a newer park with 2 big structures for the different age groups and is semi-enclosed.

11. Two big parks in Mountain View are Cuesta Park and Shoreline Park. Cuesta Park is right near El Camino Hospital. It has lots of play structures and walking trails. Plenty of grassy area to run around also. Just be careful when bringing food, there are some aggressive squirrels there! Shoreline park is huge and has lots to do. There is a lake, plenty of trails, and a golf course.

12. In Los Gatos, Vasona Lake County Park and Oak Meadow Parks are great. Vasona is a huge beautiful park with lakes. Oak Meadow is a smaller neighborhood park next to Vasona. You can ride the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and carosel there (depending on the season).

Here's a great website with more things to do with kids in the Bay Area: Bay Area Kid Fun