After rolling through the first half of summer, dipping our toes in the social waters and, for some, even venturing out of town, it feels like the right time to get back in step with local community offerings. Relish the re-emergence of live arts and performances, offered both indoors and outside; especially those tailor-made to entertain the little ones in the family.
Check out The Chronicle’s guide to some enlightening and downright enjoyable activities for all ages throughout the summer:
Music, dance and theater
Charity Kahn Family Music Hour
Get on your dancing shoes, with favorite JAMband requests at the ready, and join the fun at these regularly scheduled, live and interactive music performances at the Outer Sunset open-air market.
11 a.m. Sundays through Aug. 29 plus Sept. 19 and 26. Free. Outer Sunset Farmers Market and Mercantile, 37th Avenue between Ortega and Pacheco streets, S.F. jamjamjam.com
Kids Rock on the Square Series
Bring the family out to enjoy free, live kids music and entertainment happening on the Redwood City square with Lori & RJ on Aug. 15, as well as an inflatable play area and other activities.
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15. Free. Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. 650-780-7250. redwoodcity.org
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: Red Panda Acrobats Kids Show
With exceptional athletic skills, traditional Chinese music and a fast-paced family-focused program, the popular local ensemble brings ancient Chinese live acrobatic arts into the 21st century.
11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Friday, July 30. Free. Yerba Buena Gardens Children’s Garden, Mission Street between Third and Fourth streets, S.F. 415-543-1718. ybgfestival.org
Music is Magical Summer Concert Series
The weekly, free, family and sensory-friendly concerts are back at Palo Alto’s Magical Bridge Playground. The schedule includes John Henry’s Farm, James Henry House of Samba Kids, Angels on Stage, Soul Providers and others.
6-7:30 p.m. Fridays through Sept. 3. Free. Magical Bridge Playground, Palo Alto. magicalbridge.org
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The Musical
Local Bay Area Children’s Theatre ensemble returns to live performances with a show designed for the outdoors, written by best-selling kids author Mo Willems and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma.
10 a.m. and noon Saturdays. Through Aug. 21 at Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F.; 10 a.m. and noon Sundays, Aug. 8-29 at Cal Shakes Upper Grove, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. 510-296-4433. bactheatre.org
Alphabet Rockers Live
Founded by Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Shepherd, the Grammy-nominated, intergenerational music group creates family-friendly hip-hop that aims to inspire kids and families to stand up to hate.
6 p.m. Aug. 1. $13-$50, reservations required. Frost Amphitheater, 351 Lasuen St., Stanford. 650-724-2464 live.stanford.edu
Maritime Day 2021
A family-friendly event set on the Sausalito waterfront is scheduled to include live music, a wooden boat building demonstration by Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding, dinghy races, historic vessels, free boat rides aboard Galilee Harbor‘s SV Carodon, fish and chips and pie for purchase, flea market and artist booths, an Olde Tyme Jar Raffle, and great bird-watching potential.
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 7. Free admission. Galilee Harbor, 300 Napa St., Sausalito. 415-332-8554.
Redwood Symphony Outdoors Pops Concert
Eric K conducts members of the symphony in a family-friendly concert of popular classics, including film music from “Star Wars,” “E.T.” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
6 p.m. Aug. 8. Free. Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. 650-780-7250. redwoodcity.org
Summer on the Square: Ziva — Til the Morning Light
The San Francisco folk-infused R&B singer-songwriter will perform a family-friendly duo show with guitarist Spenser Steinman. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
4:30-6 p.m. Aug. 8. Free, registration required. Jessica Lynn Saal Town Square, Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. 650-223-8700. paloaltojcc.org
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: Circus Bella’s Humorous
A celebration of the world of discovery through the gift of wonder and laughter. Directed by Abigail Munn, the one hour performance features the a diverse troupe of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and clowns performing with live music from Rob Reich and the Circus Bella All-Star Band.
11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28. Free. Yerba Buena Gardens Children’s Garden, Mission Street between Third and Fourth streets, S.F. 415-543-1718. ybgfestival.org
Theatre for the Very Young Presents: Hickory Dickory Dock
A multi-sensory story theater experience by Corinna Rezzelle and Doyle Ott about time, chimes and rhymes for children aged two to five years old. Designed for the youngest audience members, the production presents a creative opportunity to play, sing, imagine and act out stories together.
9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sat.-Sun., Sept. 11-Oct. 24. $18-$20, under 1 free. Available online. Ticket includes morning admission to Children’s Fairyland. Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 510-452-2259. fairyland.org
Museums, exhibits and outdoor entertainment
Kids Air Fair
The Hiller Aviation Museum’s annual summer celebration of flight will feature local aviation professionals, and their aircraft/air service vehicles, onsite for show-and-tell time, as well as kid-friendly activities like balsa glider construction, paint-a-real-plane activities and paper helicopter construction crafts. In addition, the museum will open the doors of many of its aircraft for extended exploration opportunities.
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. Included with museum admission. $11-$18, under 5 free. Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos. 650-654-0200. hiller.org
Sonoma County Fair Summer Fun Fest
Fair organizers plan to present a live festival event featuring carnival rides; live music and kids entertainment, including comedic jugglers Scotty & Trink and Godfrey the magician; fair food; a monster truck rally and rodeo. See website for schedule details.
Noon-10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday; Noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. July 28-Aug. 8. $5-$25, available online. Sonoma County Event Center and Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 707-545-4200. sonomacountyfair.com
Summer Fundays at the Lawrence: Fun in the Sun
Observe, explore and learn about light and shadows through a series of hands-on solar science activities presented by the popular East Bay science museum.
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Through Aug. 15. $16, registration required. 1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley. 510-642-5132. lawrencehallofscience.org
Cartoonist Joe Wos at the Schulz Museum
Celebrate Snoopy and bring your pet to the museum for a personalized pet caricature by the MazeToons cartoonist on Wednesday, July 28. Next up, a live cartooning and storytelling performance, followed by a book signing with Wos, is set to take place in the museum courtyard on Thursday, July 29.
Pet caricatures 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. $5 suggested donation. Outdoor cartoon storytelling at 3 and 4 p.m. Thursday, July 29. Included with museum admission. Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. 707-579-4452. schulzmuseum.org
Beat the Heat Storytime at Ruth Bancroft Garden
The half-hour-long reading will feature the book “Hank’s Big Day: The Story of a Bug” written by Evan Kuhlman and Chuck Groenink.
9:30 a.m. Thursday, July 29. Free. Reservations required. Ruth Bancroft Garden, 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. 925-944-9352. ruthbancroftgarden.org
SFMOMA Mini Mural Festival
In 1940, Art in Action, an exhibition of live art making conceived by architect Timothy L. Pfleuger, was part of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. Artists involved included Diego Rivera, who at that event painted the “Pan American Unity” mural, which is currently on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The upcoming festival will feature three local organizations, hosting artists commissioned to paint murals live with music and other activities over the course of three weekends. Weekend one: Acción Latina with DJ Agana and Josué Rojas; Weekend two: NIAD Art Center; Weekend three: SOMA Pilipinas featured artists Franceska Gamez and Malaya Tuyay.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sundays, July 31-Aug 29. Free. SFMOMA, 151 Third St., S.F. 415-357-4000. sfmoma.org
MarinMOCA Family Day
The North Bay contemporary art museum is offering hands-on art making to children, and their parents, on the first Sunday of each month taught by professional artists in a variety of media, including painting, mixed-media and clay activities.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 1. Free, reservations required. Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 781 Hamilton Pkwy., Novato. 415-506-0137. marinmoca.org
Virtual Butterfly Walk
Join the botanical garden’s resident caterpillar expert, Sal Levinson, and butterfly guy Sarab Seth for an online, illustrated slideshow of butterflies found locally during the summer season. Learn about butterfly behavior, and then follow along on a virtual tour of the garden, suitable for all ages, in search of butterflies.
11 a.m.-noon Aug. 1. Free, $5 donation encouraged. Registration required. Online event. 510-664-7606. events.berkeley.edu
Secret Reading Spots in the Presidio Story Time and Virtual Presentation
As part of San Francisco Public Library’s “Summer Stride: Virtual Trailheads” program, join Presidio Community Engagement Specialist Rebekah Berkov for a story and virtual tour of some favorite nooks, in and around the Presidio, where kids can enjoy reading in nature-filled, outdoor surroundings.
11 a.m. Aug. 6. Free. Available to stream on the SFPL YouTube channel. presidio.gov
Summer Beach Cleanup and Sand Globe Art on Muir and Stinson beaches
Protect the ocean and our coastal habitats by helping to keep beaches in the Golden Gate National Parks clean. Bring a picnic lunch and stay for a hands-on sand globe/beach art workshop with environmental artist Zach Pine. See the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy website for more information about this and other events in their Summer Beach Series as well as to access a downloadable volunteer agreement form.
Beach cleanup 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; sand globe instruction and beach play time noon-1 p.m.; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 14 (Muir beach) and Aug. 28 (Stinson beach). Free. At Muir Beach Park, Muir Beach; and Stinson Beach Park near central lot, 10 Marine Way, Stinson Beach. zpcreatewithnature.com
Museum on Main Family Day: Life in Early Pleasanton
Step back and learn about historical Pleasanton through hands-on demonstrations, crafts and activities, including adobe brick making, dipping candles, leather stamping and pressing tortillas.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 14. Free. Museum on Main, 603 Main St., Pleasanton. 925-462-2766. museumonmain.org
California Academy of Sciences
New installations include “Giants of Land and Sea,” which explores Northern California’s ancient redwoods, marine mammals, earthquakes and fog, in an immersive exhibit; “Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines,” in the aquarium; “Sharks,” featuring ancient fossils, bones, film installation and life-size models of the iconic species in the rotating exhibits area; and “New Science,” a recent modular exhibit created in partnership with 500 Queer Scientists, which relates first-person stories of LGBTQ women and gender minorities working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Naturalist Center and little kids Curiosity Zones are also open again.
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reservations required. $35-$49. Golden Gate Park, 55 Music Concourse Drive, S.F. 415-379-8000. calacademy.org
San Francisco Botanical Garden: Bean Sprouts Family Days
Families are invited to stop by the children’s garden to make mulch castles, weed, plant, harvest and learn. Grab some tools at their welcome station, or bring your own, to work and play in the botanical garden’s “yes space” for kids.
10:30-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 12:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesdays; noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Garden open 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Free-$10. San Francisco Botanical Garden, 1199 Ninth Ave., S.F. 415-661-1316. sfbotanicalgarden.org
Children’s Creativity Museum and LeRoy King Carousel
Spark imagination and build creative confidence, as families are encouraged to create unique media projects and experiences through core exhibits facilitated by artists and educators; including an animation studio, music making and innovation stations, and an imagination lab for younger visitors.
Two hour sessions from 10 a.m.-noon; 12:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.; 3-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $15, registration required. Carousel open 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $5. 221 Fourth St., S.F. 415-820-3320. creativity.org
Children’s Fairyland
“The Leprechaun’s Gold” puppet show at 10 and 11 a.m., 2 and 3 p.m. Monday-Sunday, July 26-Aug. 1. Arts and crafts activities from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. Storyteller Jacqui June “The Literary Fairy” reads at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, July 31-Aug. 1. “Children’s Theatre: Ozma of Oz” will be performed at the Aesop’s Playhouse. 10 and 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31; 2 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1.
Park open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. daily. $13, reservations required. Shows included with park admission. Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 510-452-2259. fairyland.org
Exploratorium
Inspiring artists and scientists alike since 1969, the hands-on museum has reopened, with limited-capacity ticketing, for in-person visits. “Storytime Science for Kids: Energy and Motion” allows younger visitors to make a toy car with a rubber band motor to learn about kinetic science. Noon and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 25 and Saturday-Sunday, July 31-Aug.1. For those not quite ready to go live, there is “Storytime Science for Kids Online: Fluid Motion-Wind,” in which Vivian Altmann plans to read Ray Jaramillo’s “Gust, Gust Gust!,” followed by a pinwheel making craft activity. 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. Available to stream on the Exploratorium YouTube and Facebook channels. Free.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday; 6-10 p.m. Thursday (18 and older); Noon-5 p.m. Sunday. $20-$30. Reservations required. Pier 15, S.F. 415-528-4444. exploratorium.edu
Outdoor movies
Sunset Cinema at Villa Montalvo
“Ghostbusters” (1984. PG. 105 min.) on July 25. Three former parapsychology professors start up a ghost removal service and uncover a growing population of specters in the city in the film classic featuring an epic showdown with a giant Stay-Puft marshmallow man. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Rick Moranis.
“Coco” (2019. PG. 105 min.) on July 30. A heartwarming animated classic from Pixar in which a young musician confronts his family’s ancestral ban on music. Featuring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, and Benjamin Bratt. Arrive early to make colorful paper flowers as a family-friendly art activity.
7 p.m. Sunday, July 25 and Friday, July 30. Screenings start at 8:30 p.m. $13-$30, advance registration required. Montalvo Arts Center Great Lawn, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. 408-961-5800.montalvoarts.org
Redwood City Movies on the Square
Double-feature film screenings each Thursday night, with many family-friendly options scheduled, including “Toy Story 4” (2019. G. 100 min.), “Raya and the Last Dragon” (2021. PG. 114 min.), “Onward” (2020. PG. 102 min.), “Wonder Woman: 1984” (2021. PG-13. 151 min.) and others.
6 and 8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Through Sept. 2. Free. Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. 650-780-7250. redwoodcity.org
Marin Country Mart Movie Nights
Grab a snack and settle down for a weekly film screening, set in an outdoor courtyard. Each week will feature a Pixar short, followed by classic, family-friendly films including “Despicable Me” (2010. PG. 95 min.) on July 30; “Wall-E” (2008. G. 103 min.) Aug. 6; “Ratatouille” (2007. G. 118 min.) Aug. 13; “The Incredibles” (2004. PG. 116 min.) Aug. 20; “Finding Nemo” (2003. G. 100 min.) Aug. 27; “Monsters Inc.” (2001. G. 92 min.) Sept. 3.
6 p.m. Friday. Through Sept. 3. Free. Marin Country Mart, 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur. 415-448-5043. marincountrymart.com
Picnic Flix Summer Movie Series
Food vendors will be available starting at opening time to help craft the perfect movie time picnic spread, with “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989. PG. 101 min.) on Friday, July 30 and “Onward” (2020. PG. 102 min.) scheduled for Aug. 6.
Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Screenings begin between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. Free. Emerald Glen Park, 4201 Central Parkway, Dublin. 925-556-4500. dublin.ca.gov
Starlight Movies in the Park
With preshow games and craft activities for kids starting at 7 p.m., a screening of “Tom and Jerry” (2021. PG. 101 min.) will begin at sundown.
7 p.m. July 31. Free. Alameda Point Multi-Purpose Field, 1101 W. Redline Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7529. alamedaca.gov
Coyote Point Movie Nights
Curiodyssey and Coyote Point Park present outdoor family-friendly movie screenings on the last Saturday of the month. One hour prior to the films, the natural history/science museum will offer guided science experiments for kids. Upcoming films at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 31: “Raya and the Last Dragon” (2021. PG. 107 min.). 8 p.m. Aug. 28: “The Croods 2: A New Age” (2020. PG. 96 min.). 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25: “Soul” (2020. PG. 107 min.). 7 p.m. Oct. 30: “Cruella.” (2021. PG-13. 134 min.)
Film screenings begin approximately 30 minutes after sunset on the last Saturday of the month. Through Oct. Free. Registration required. Coyote Point Park, 1701 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo. 650-342-7755. curiodyssey.org