# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in San Francisco Bay Area: the parent guide > The Bay Area’s toddler stops spread across three hubs: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. - Last checked: 2026-10-29 - 13 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Leaping Lemur Café (Inside the San Francisco Zoo) - The zoo’s main café, with grill food and flatbreads and indoor and outdoor seating, open every day. - Price level: $ - Good for: Lunch without leaving the zoo. - Skip if: you want a sit-down meal outside the zoo. - Website: https://www.sfzoo.org/dining-shopping/ ### Academy Café (Inside the California Academy of Sciences) - The museum’s grab-and-go café, with the Terrace Restaurant next door. - Price level: $$ - Good for: Lunch on a museum day. - Skip if: you want something quick and cheap. - Website: https://www.calacademy.org/plan-your-visit ## Indoor play and rainy days ### San Francisco Public Library (Citywide) - Free story times, music and Saturday playtimes at the Main Library and neighborhood branches. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free morning anywhere in the city. - Skip if: you need weekend afternoons; most programs are mornings. - Website: https://sfpl.org/events ### San José Public Library (San Jose) - Free story times and family events at more than 20 branches. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free South Bay morning. - Skip if: you’re on the Peninsula; try San Mateo County Libraries. - Website: https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events ## Parks and outdoor play ### Children’s Fairyland (Oakland, 699 Bellevue Avenue) - A storybook park on Lake Merritt with small rides, puppet shows and farm animals, built for kids under 8. On 510 Fridays, Oakland residents walk up for $5 a child. - Price level: $ - Tickets: kids 1–17 $18; adults $20; under 1 - Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–4pm - Good for: A morning with kids 1 to 6. - Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://fairyland.org/ (checked 2026-10-29) - Website: https://fairyland.org/ ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (Sunset District, Sloat Blvd. at the Great Highway) - A big oceanside zoo with a miniature steam train and a carousel, open every day of the year. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Daily 10am–5pm; last entry 4pm - Good for: A full day by Ocean Beach. - Skip if: you want a short visit; it’s spread out. - Website: https://www.sfzoo.org/ ### Oakland Zoo (Oakland hills, 9777 Golf Links Road) - A hillside zoo with a gondola up to the California Trail and a children’s zoo near the entrance. Prices change by date, so buy ahead. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Entry 9:30am–2pm; zoo closes at 4pm - Good for: A stroller day in the East Bay. - Skip if: you arrive after 2pm; entry closes then. - Website: https://www.oaklandzoo.org/ ### Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito, 557 McReynolds Road) - A museum for kids under 10 at Fort Baker, under the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a toddler-only area and a lot of outdoor play. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 1 and up $25; adults $25; under 1 - Hours: Wed–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 9am–4pm, Sun 10am–4pm - Good for: A half day in Marin with kids 1 to 6. - Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/ (checked 2026-10-29) - Website: https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/ ### Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (Downtown San Jose, 180 Woz Way) - The big purple museum by Guadalupe River Park, with hands-on play spaces for babies through grade school. Weekday hours end at 1pm during the school year. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 1–17 $22; adults $22; under 1 - Hours: School year: Tue–Fri 9:30am–1pm, Sat–Sun 9:30am–4:30pm - Good for: A rainy San Jose morning. - Skip if: it’s a weekday afternoon or Monday. - Price source: https://www.cdm.org/ (checked 2026-10-29) - Website: https://www.cdm.org/ ### Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose, 748 Story Road) - A small zoo and amusement park for little kids, with gentle rides and a puppet theater. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Typically 10am–4pm; check the day on the site - Good for: A South Bay morning with kids under 7. - Skip if: you want a big zoo. - Website: https://happyhollow.org/hours-directions/ ### Exploratorium (Embarcadero, Pier 15) - The waterfront science museum, full of hands-on exhibits. Most are pitched at older kids, but toddlers love the water and light tables. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm (10am–noon members only); closed Mon - Good for: A rainy day downtown with a preschooler. - Skip if: it’s Monday; it’s closed. - Website: https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit ### California Academy of Sciences (Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive) - An aquarium, a four-story rainforest and a penguin colony under one roof. The planetarium doesn’t admit kids under 4. - Price level: $$$ - Hours: Mon–Sat 9:30am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm - Good for: A long rainy day in the park. - Skip if: your budget is tight. - Website: https://www.calacademy.org/plan-your-visit ### Chabot Space & Science Center (Oakland hills, 10000 Skyline Blvd.) - A space museum among the redwoods with telescopes, a planetarium and hands-on exhibits. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 2–12 $19; adults $24 - Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pm - Good for: A space-mad preschooler. - Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://chabotspace.org/calendar/spooky-science/ (checked 2026-10-29) - Website: https://chabotspace.org/ ## Free things to do - San Francisco Public Library - San José Public Library ## Best for under 3s - **Children’s Fairyland**: Free for kids under 1, and the rides are tiny. - **Bay Area Discovery Museum**: A space just for toddlers. - **Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose**: Free for kids under 1. - **San Francisco Zoo & Gardens**: Kids under 2 get in free. ## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Bounce** (Oakland Public Library): Wednesdays at 10:30am · Main Library Children's Room. Wednesday mornings in the Main Library Children’s Room. https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/68decfa9a3ce0fa7a6b9aa0a - **Baby Bounce** (Oakland Public Library): Wednesdays at 11:45am · Temescal Branch. Late-morning Baby Bounce on Telegraph Avenue. https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a72478f9006f7535314eb46 - **Baby Lapsit Storytime** (San José Public Library): Thursdays at 11am · Seven Trees. Thursday lapsit for babies and a grown-up. https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6ab2adbb8cf597003f95a299 - **Baby Bounce With Stay and Play** (San Mateo County Libraries): Tuesdays at 10:30am · Belmont. Songs and rhymes, then open play. https://smcl.bibliocommons.com/events/6aa04a52c1e2e42c4a9d8c90 - **Baby Storytime (0-12 months) + Stay and Play** (Santa Clara County Library District): Thursdays at 10:30am · Cupertino Library. For babies 0–12 months, with stay-and-play after. https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a8627110c0e3a002aeadee0 - **Baby Songs & Play** (Contra Costa County Library): Tuesdays at 12pm · Walnut Creek. Tuesday songs and play for babies. https://ccclib.bibliocommons.com/events/6a6d221ff4e5db3d00c5b142 ### Babies get in free - **Children’s Fairyland**: under 1. https://fairyland.org/ - **Bay Area Discovery Museum**: under 1. https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/ - **Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose**: under 1. https://www.cdm.org/ ## Library storytimes - **San Francisco Public Library**: Most weekday mornings, plus Saturday playtimes. Free story times and playtimes at the Main Library and branches. https://sfpl.org/events - **Oakland Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Free story times at the Main Library and neighborhood branches. https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/events - **San José Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Free baby, toddler and family story times across the city. https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events ## Happening this week - **Boo at the Zoo, San Francisco Zoo** (Sat 10am–3pm) at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. Included with zoo admission (weekends: kids 2–11 $24, adults $34; SF residents $21/$31; under 2 free). https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_san_francisco_zoo - **Goblin Jamboree at the Bay Area Discovery Museum** (Sat 9am–4pm) at Bay Area Discovery Museum. $30 per ticket; members $5; EBT/SNAP/WIC $10 in person. https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/#e-goblin_jamboree_at_the_bay_area_discover - **Halloween Jam: Mad Magic! at Children’s Fairyland** (Sat 12–7pm) at Children’s Fairyland. Ticketed; see the event page for prices. https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/#e-halloween_jam_mad_magic_at_childrens_fai - **Halloween Parade and Trick-or-Treating (Oakland Main Library)** (Sat 1–3pm) at Main Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/#e-halloween_parade_and_trick_or_treating_o - **Bernal Community Día de los Muertos** (Sun 1–3pm) at Bernal Heights Branch Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/#e-bernal_community_dia_de_los_muertos Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in San Francisco Bay Area: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in San Francisco Bay Area for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is the Bay Area good for toddlers? Yes. Children’s Fairyland, the Bay Area Discovery Museum and the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose are all built for kids under 8. ### What’s free for little kids in the Bay Area? Library story times and playtimes in every county. Most museums and zoos let babies under 1 or 2 in free. ### What can we do in San Francisco Bay Area on a rainy or cold day with a toddler? Go indoors: San Francisco Public Library and San José Public Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time. ### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in San Francisco Bay Area? Children’s Fairyland: Free for kids under 1, and the rides are tiny. Bay Area Discovery Museum: A space just for toddlers. Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose and San Francisco Zoo & Gardens are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (under 1). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in San Francisco Bay Area? San Francisco Public Library: Most weekday mornings, plus Saturday playtimes. Oakland Public Library: Weekday mornings. San José Public Library: Weekday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Bay Area weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/bay-area/). ### How do you choose the places in the San Francisco Bay Area guide? Every one of the 13 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 4 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 29, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/). ### How much is the Bay Area Discovery Museum for a toddler, and who gets in free? Under 1; kids 1 and up: $25; adults: $25. We checked this on [its official site](https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/) on Oct 29, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.