We all know that kids play with toys because it's fun, but did you know that toys also help children develop important cognitive, social and motor skills? They help socialize children, teaching them to share, compromise and cooperate with their peers. Many toys also foster creativity and imagination, critical thinking and problem-solving.
Starting today, the real experts -- kids -- can don a lab coat and embark on an important mission: to inspect toys from around the world in our new special exhibition Top Secret: Mission Toy. They'll use their investigative and playtime skills to check out dolls and balls and secret codes, find out why tops are tops, and how string can be a fascinating thing.
Check out the San Francisco Chronicle's interview with our Director of Exhibitions, Mary Jo Sutton, to find out about the drama of pretend play, why dolls helps kids negotiate power, and why when you make a kite you learn more than when you buy a pre-made one.
Valentine's Day is coming up! February 14 is next Thursday and as parents it becomes a little difficult to find time and, quite frankly, energy for some romantic moments with your spouse.
Valentine's Day may fall in the middle of the week but who says you have to celebrate your love on the 14th? You don't need a set date to celebrate your love for each other as long as you make time to do so. Go out the following Saturday or Sunday! Here are some ideas for a romantic grown-up night out:
Get a sitter: Grandma and Grandpa are just itching for some quality time.
Make a reservation: Easier to get at the more popular restaurants then the day of February 14.
Go to a movie: Take this time to watch a film that doesn't involve cartoon animals or sing-song costumed dancers. Try San Francisco's Sundance Kabuki Theater, and have some wine and cheese on the balcony.
Dinner at home: Have a romantic night in - in an empty and quiet house.
Play tourist: Take a day trip to the nearest tourist area and walk around, take in sights and eat some fun food. A walk through Golden Gate Park, wine tasting in Napa or a walk in downtown Sausalito.
If you do find the time to have a romantic day in the following days, weeks or even months—and we suggest that you do—you may find yourself experiencing the same things as these parents. They describe their own grown-up nights out on Parenting.com in this article,
Did you know that within the Amazonian, Andean and coastal regions of Peru there are more than 200 distinct ethnic groups and cultures?
The Peruvian Dancers will present an eclectic repertory from eight diverse natural regions of Peru this Saturday at 11 a.m. as part of our World On Stage series.
They will be performing with six live musicians! The dances include:
Huaylarsh, a vigorous dance for young people to flirt, play and liberate themselves, for a couple of weeks, of the responsibilities of the daily work.
Caporales is an Andean dance with strong African roots from the Yungas, Afro-Bolivian descendents of African slaves who arrived during colonial times.
Turcos de Cailloma is danced to thank the "pachamama" (mother earth) for the success of the harvest. This religious dance also has satirical connotations.
Over 1300 visitors enjoyed a (rainy!) celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, beatboxing to two sold-out performances by SoVoSo, creating Peace Flags in the Art Studios, and learning about his values in the Reading Room.
We made a short video of the day, set to the inspirational a capella sounds of SoVoSo singing live Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." View it here, or on our YouTube channel.
Happy New Year! Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year! The primary focus at this time is to ensure good luck, pay respects to ancestors, gods and spirits, and to wish good fortune for friends and family in the coming year. Have your kids wish a Happy Chinese New Year and good fortune to their friends, family and teachers.
This year marks the birthday Year of the Rat for people born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 & 2008. People born on the Year of the Rat are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. Read more about the Zodiac Rat here.
San Francisco has become the city with the best and biggest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia. The Parade that is put on each year is the one of the few remaining night illuminated parades in the country...so bundle up the kids! That weekend also hosts the Chinese New Year Street Fair on Saturday and Sunday all day around Chinatown.
For a more child-friendly celebration, come to the Bay Area Discovery Museum's Chinese New Year Festival on Monday, February 18 (President's Day). We will have a Dragon Lion Dance in Festival Plaza and fun arts and crafts in our Art Studios.
Free admission to the Museum from 1 – 5 p.m. this Saturday, February 9.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum provides a portion of our audience with free or subsidized educational services. In 2007, attendance at free community events and during monthly free hours exceeded 28,000 people. Click here for more information about our Community Partners programs.
A couple of hands-on activities to participate in with in our Art Studios on Saturday:
Tree Frog Treks (Ceramics Studio) Saturday, February 9 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Day Camps are set to go at the Museum! Enroll your kids in Discovery Days Spring Camp 2008.
Campers will participate in hands-on science and art activities. They will explore the Museum and will have supervised play at the exhibitions on site. Each thematically organized camp day will include two to three structured, age-appropriate activities and breaks for snacks and lunch.
Supporting Members can register early on Tuesday, February 5. Upgrade your membership today to get the early registration code. Email gmedley(at)badm.org or call 415-339-3932.
The Web is a great resource for parenting commentary and advice, and as mom to an almost-3-year-old and an almost-newborn (due in 23 days!), I'm on the Web all the time for both advice and "I'm not alone!" commentary.
Here's my shortlist:
Parent Hacks - tips from the real experts - other parents
Berkeley Parents Network - you may find the barrage of newsletters overwhelming if you sign up, but a lot of the great advice is archived on their Web site too, and it's all local!
Wondertime - I love this parenting magazine, and their Web site has lots of great play time ideas and crafts - it's a bit like the much-lamented Martha Stewart Kids - very high quality. And don't miss Catherine Newman's laugh-out-loud funny blog.
Babble - Parenting articles with a bit of snark, plus some great blogs, including my guilty pleasures Famecrawler (celeb babies!) and drool.icio.us (stylish clothes, toys, etc for modern babies)
Mommy Track'd - advice on simplifying the chaos for parents who work outside the home. Plus it's created by two Mill Valley moms!
Share your favorites in the comments - what am I missing?
January's poll has shown us that you, our readers, would like to hear from parents. So this is your chance to tell us a about an experience you and your child or family had at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Don't forget to send in a picture and a small bio paragraph of yourself.
We will pick a few and post them throughout February. Email entries to jherrera(at)badm.org.
We had dozens of truly adorable photos submitted for the Mission Toy photo contest of kids and their most prized and adored toys.
The winner was very difficult to pick, but we're thrilled to announce Natalie and her turtle Shelby was our winner! She's won a Museum goody bag and a Museum Passport membership.
