That first year of your baby’s life goes by so fast. Odds are, you will spend a good chunk of this precious time cuddling, nesting and getting to know this new creature in the comfort of your own home. But you shouldn’t spend too much time locked up, especially when there is so much that the Bay Area has to offer! From petting sheep at the San Francisco Zoo and learning to swim at La Petite Baleen to treating them to their first ice cream cone, here are 30 things to do with you baby to make this the most memorable year ever!
1. Download the Mommy Nearest app to help you find the best places in the Bay Area for you and your baby!
2. Chill in the Tot Spot at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It’s specifically for babies and toddlers under 42 inches in height!
3. Claim a piece of floor space at one of our local bookstores or libraries for story time!
4. Treat your baby to their first scoop of ice cream at one of the legendary ice cream places in town such as Bi-Rite Cremery or Mitchells.
5. Sign up for a class at La Petite Baleen. Babies will learn breath control and balance in their Baby and Me classes (and yes, that means you’ll be in the pool, too).
La Petite Baleen
6. Up your bedtime story game with one of these San Francisco-centric books.
7. Get wild at the San Francisco Zoo. Pet sheep at the children’s zoo, ride the miniature train and check out the playground!
8. Golden Gate Park has so much to offer visitors of every age! Bring your infants to the Koret Children’s Playground, take a stroll along one of the smooth pathways or introduce them to the huge bison that live in the park.
9. Pop over to the California Academy of Sciences and show your little one the beauty of the fish and sea life that reside in the aquarium. Make sure to also stop by the Early Explorer’s Cove, a play space designed for those five and under.
10. Play at the oldest park in San Francisco, which was recently remodeled and reopened.
SF Recreation and Parks
11. Introduce your kids to baseball by taking them to a game at AT&T Park! See how you can easily navigate the stadium with this guide!
12. Take a trip to the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose for some hand’s on activities and play.
13. Be a tourist in your own city and visit the Bay Area’s best attractions. Make sure to snap a photo of your babe in front of the Golden Gate Bridge!
14. Just because you have a baby in your lap doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a movie. Take your little one to a theater that offers baby-friendly screenings like the Alamo Drafthouse and the Balboa’s Popcorn Palace.
15. Take a parent-tot music class at Blue Bear Music in Fort Mason, JAMaRoo in San Francisco or Diddaliddo in San Bruno.
Blue Bear Music
16. While your baby may not be ready for a three hour musical, they would definitely love the puppet shows at Children’s Fairyland and the Theatre for the Very Young performances at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre.
17. Swing into a local playground in San Francisco, the South Bay or the East Bay! Many have special sections dedicated to the smaller set with baby swings, sand boxes and soft flooring
18. Visit the pottery painting space Terra Mia and have a soft clay imprint of your baby’s tiny hands and feet preserved for posterity. After getting their itsy-bitsy prints, Terra Mia will fire the piece and you’ll have the chance to to paint it when you return.
19. Take a spin on one of the Bay Area’s antique carousels. Many have benches so you can safely sit with your baby in your lap as you ride.
20. Join one of the amazing kids’ clubs in the Bay Area, such as Peekadoodle Kidsclub or Recess Urban Recreation.
Recess Urban Recreation
21. Start introducing your kids to solid food at one of the Bay Area’s many restaurants that offer stellar kids’ menus.
22. Let your crawler explore their own baby-friendly areas at one of our local indoor play spaces. Our favorites include Play Haven and Peek-a-Boo Factory.
23. Sip wine at one of the area’s family-friendly wineries while your baby naps in the carrier.
24. Make new mom friends and get much needed support at places such as Natural Resources, DayOne Baby, Parents Place or Blossom Birth.
25. Plan a day trip to Habitot in Berkeley. The Infant Toddler Garden is for the tiniest visitors, and there’s also areas for pretend play, crafts and water play.
Leslie Harvey
26. Visit the DeYoung, Asian Art Museum, Legion of Honor and SFMOMA. They’re all stroller friendly and some even offer stroller tours!
27. It’s never too early to start looking into preschools! These are the most unique ones in the area.
28. If your child was born in San Francisco, get them something to signify their native status. May we suggest a Maptote onesie!
29. Sign up for a baby yoga class at places like Yoga Tree and It’s Yoga Kids.
30. You’ve made it through year one, and now you have to plan the oh-so-monumental first birthday! Be sure to get the perfect cake to make the party even more memorable.
