SFKids.org July 2009 Newsletter
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Summer is in full swing and San Francisco has been enjoying a real summer for a change. Take
advantage of the great weather and get the kids out of the house to some of the great parks and  pools in the City and around the Bay. The economy has hit the camps hard this year so many camps still have spots. Call and ask about discounts or special offers.
We love to hear from other parents with ideas about kid-friendly restaurants, activities, and more. We're also always looking for writers to write feature articles so if you have something you'd like to submit we'd love to hear from you.
-Kim, Chris, Robin, Nina, & Jan, SFkids.org staff |
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4th of July Bay Area Style |
| Many people are feeling a bit more patriotic these days and what better time to celebrate that spirit than during the 4th of July.
Our Calendar has tons of fireworks displays, fairs & festivals, in addition to all the regular fun stuff we always have to do around here. 
What's open on 4th of July?
Many regular programs and organizations are taking the day off for the 4th of July, but some are open for some family fun.
Here is a list of a few SFkids staff favorites: Alameda County Fair, Alcatraz Island Tours, California Academy of Sciences, Children's Fairyland, Exploratorium, Ghirardelli Square, Marin County Fair, Musee Mecanique, Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Zoo, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Sonoma County Fair.
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SFkids.org Events Calendar Highlights |
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The Daddy Shift, Interview with SF dad Jeremy Adam Smith |
 Psychologist and SF dad Jeff Cookston interviews Jeremy Adam Smith (also an SF dad), author of the newly published book The Daddy Shift which explores how stay-at-home fathers, breadwinning moms, and shared parenting are transforming the American family.
"Much like any holiday, Father's Day offers a time to reflect on the meaning of fatherhood. What benefits do fathers offer families? How involved are they? And who are today's fathers? Current research suggests fathers today are quite diverse. A small group of fathers are not involved in their children's lives." (read more) |
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It's Not Too Late to Find a Summer Camp |
 Many summer camps still have space! Don't presume any camp is full.
Some camps we know have spaces include:
See our Camps Page to browse around and find a great camp for your kids.
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Mom Camp |
With some camps costing up to $300 per week, in the current economy some families with flexible schedules have decided to forego camp altogether. Read  about how SFkids.org Calendar Editor juggles her part-time job and her new job as director and camp counselor of Mom Camp.
"Which camp will your daughter go to this summer?" my friend asked me about a week ago. "In this economy?" I replied. "We're doing Mom Camp this summer!" In defiance of strict San Francisco parent law my family eschewed children's day camps this summer season in favor of something radical and exhausting. Entertaining the kids my own damn self. (read more) |
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Recreation and Park Department Highlights |
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Summer Camp spots are still available, too. |
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Fairs and Festivals |
San Mateo and Santa Cruz also have fairs in late August, and September. Check our Calendar for dates.
Street Fairs and Festivals
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Summer Movies Galore |
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There are many outdoor cinema events as well as low-cost movie options this summer for families.
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Camping with Children 101 |
 If you haven't been camping with your kids, there's lots of time for summer and early fall camping. Taking kids, even little ones, can be a little daunting even for experienced campers, but Laure Latham has a great list of resources and tips for camping with kids in her article Camping with Children 101.
"With summer's warm days and late twilights, it's clearly time to think about going camping. Not only is camping the cheapest vacation option (from $10 to $25/site per night depending on facilities), but as Mindful Mama's Karen Werner reminds us, camping is also eco-chic , meaning good for the planet." (read more)
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Free Summer Lunch |
 DCYF provides free healthy lunches and snacks to everyone ages 18 years and younger, regardless of income, at over 100 sites throughout the City. See a list of sites on SFkids.org or the Summer Lunch Brochure (in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian in addition to English).
June 22 through August 14, Monday through Friday
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Sunday Streets |
Upcoming Dates Include:
Sunday July 19: New route for 2009 through the Mission, engaging new neighborhoods in the Sunday Streets movement.
Sunday, August 9 & Sunday Sept. 6: New Great Highway Route. Connecting Golden Gate Park to the San Francisco Zoo, along Ocean Beach.
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Soda Free Summer |
 Did you know?
-- Soda is the #1 source of sugar in the American diet.
--30% of all calories consumed daily are from sweetened beverages.
-- U.S. teens consume twice as much soda as milk.
-- Drinking just one 20-ounce bottle of soda each day for a year can result in gaining 25 extra pounds.
Encourage your kids to try a Soda Free Summer, the website has printable resources in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese in addition to English. |
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San Francisco Public Library Summer Reading Programs for Kids and Teens |
 This year's SF Public Library Summer Reading Program (for infants to 12-year-olds) is better than ever. Check out their Blog for information about how to sign up, what the prizes are, weekly craft ideas, and more. Green Teen Summer Read
Teens 13-18 can take part in San Francisco Public Library's Cool It! Green Teen Summer Read program. Each 15 hours of volunteering or reading that you complete will qualify you for eco-friendly prizes and a chance at winning a bike, an iTouch, Macbook, or other fantastic grand prizes. See teensummerread.wordpress.com for more info. |
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SF Farmers Markets |
More and more farmers markets are popping up all over town. See the SFkids Food Page for a complete list.
New Markets include:
--Castro Farmers Market, Noe between Market and Beaver streets. Wednesdays 4 to 8pm. Open May through October. 
--Fillmore Farmers Market, Fillmore Center Plaza, O'Farrell at Fillmore, offers jazz and seasonal fruits and vegetables every Saturday, 9am to 1pm.
-- Island Earth Farmers Market, 101 4th Street (in the Metreon). The only indoor farmers market in SF. Open Monday through Saturday 10:30am to 8pm, Sundays 10:30am to 7pm.
--Stonestown Farmer's Market, West side parking lot near Macy's, off Buckingham Way. Sundays 9am-1pm. Open Year-Round The Department of Public Health offers a chart of Farmers Markets in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Read more... | |
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and 
Sign-ups for Summer Classes started June 13 including 
this summer. July 21 features Wall-E, and August 16 features Monsters, Inc.
