Kids Fun in San Francisco

When you want to have fun, San Francisco is the place to be. There are so many different things to do that you just can't go wrong with this city. Whether you like technology or a day at the beach, you can get it all in this area. It's great because you can expose your kids to a ton of different activities while keeping life fun and interesting. Here are just a few things you can do to have fun in San Francisco:
Go to the Bernal Heights Fiesta
Unfortunately, the Bernal Heights Fiesta isn't a year-round event, but it's worth marking on your calendar for each year you're in San Francisco. This annual event is held sometime in October most years, and it features tons of family-friendly activities. The money raises through this street festival goes to the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, and the Fiesta is largely run by volunteers.
Every year, this street festival welcomes 15,000 or more visitors from Bernal Heights and the entire Bay Area. The activities range from a petting zoo to fun games and events to watch. You can also enjoy great food in this family-friendly, alcohol-free environment. You can even pick up your Halloween pumpkins at the Fiesta, since there is an annual pumpkin patch there. The two stages of the street festival feature free live music events that the whole family will enjoy, and kids can also enjoy pony rides at the festival. It's definitely a must-see attraction for the whole family!
Pick Up Groceries at the Alemany Farmer's Market
In San Francisco, this Farmer's Market is known as the people's market. It features fresh local produce and amazingly affordable prices. This farmer's market was actually started during WWII as a way for people to share the extra produce from their Victory Gardens. Today, it still has connotations of responsible citizenship, as eating local, fresh foods is great for the environment and the local economy.
There's a great sense of community at the Alemany Farmer's Market, so you'll find your family wanting to go back again and again. Some of the families who sell there have been at it for two or three generations! Many who return to the market can remember going there with their parents or grandparents. It's a great place to forge new family memories.
Not sure how to make a morning at the Farmer's Market fun for the whole family? Have each child pick a new fruit or veggie to try at home. With older kids, you can even start teaching financial responsibility by shelling out a few dollars in cash and having the kids buy what they want with their own money!
Enjoy the University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden
While a botanical garden sounds more like an attraction for stuffy old ladies than children, this garden can actually be a lot of fun for kids. Children have a natural attraction and curiosity towards growing, living things, and they can fulfill that curiosity at the botanical garden. There, kids can find all sorts of fun things they wouldn't be able to grow in their own back yards!
One great part about the botanical garden is that it also allows kids to experience a variety of special events. There are flower-related crafting classes, self-guided walks that allow you to learn as much or as little as you want about the plants in the garden, and even special events just for kids, like the annual High Tea around Valentine's Day. It's definitely a fun place to develop imagination and let kids explore the world around them!
Jennifer Rasmussen 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 for fun in San Francisco, visit http://www.bayareaforkids.com