Home for the Holidays in Pleasanton, Ca

We love this event! Christmas Tree Lane presents Home for the Holidays, featuring four events spanning over three days. One of our favorites, the Wonderland Family Stroll, where children take photos with Santa, shop for their parents in Santa's Secret Shop, and finish by taking a stroll through Winter Wonderland. Yes, the holidays are amongst us. Events will be held at the Palm Event Center in Pleasanton. Find more details, here.

Wonderland Family Stroll
Thursday evening. Bring the whole family and stroll through the enchanted forest of Christmas Tree Lane. Enjoy a holiday treat. Kids can shop for their parents in Santa's Secret Shop, and visit with Santa Claus! 

The Tinsel and Christmas Tea
Friday morning and afternoon. Features "almost high" teas. Walk through a magical indoor forest as you preview the sparkling Christmas trees and unique silent auction gift baskets. Purchase your chance-drawing tickets for the trees and spectacular china table setting. 

Silent Night Soiree
Friday evening. Featuring a silent auction of exquisite gift baskets, sit-down dinner, no-host cocktails and entertainment. Spend a relaxing evening with friends and delight in the sights and sounds of Christmas. 

Silver Bells Luncheon
Saturday Gourmet Luncheon. Enter the glittering wonderland of lights and colors. Visit the Merry Gentlemen to purchase tree tickets. Enjoy holiday fare and entertainment with friends around your table. Be the lucky winner of the exquisite china table setting, or your favorite tree - and the gifts under the tree!

This is the perfect holiday event for your family! Great holiday fun in Pleasanton.

Health Fair for Families in Livermore

Trick or Treat Safety Tips

Plan your route in advance: Parents should pick an area that the family is familiar with. Walk the route during the day to ensure there are no potholes, or unexpected bumps that will surprise your trick or treaters. Make sure the route you choose is well lit at night so you don’t have to approach dark, scary porch fronts.

Bring a flashlight or glow sticks: If your children are small, go out before it gets dark (and bring a flashlight just in case!). Glow lights or glow sticks are also a good option and fun for the kids to play with while enhancing their visibility for cars. 

Wear comfortable shoes: This doesn’t only mean shoes that won’t hurt their feet, but also shoes that are not too big or small, shoes that won’t slip off easily, and are realistic for walking. Avoid princess high-heels or large floppy boots. And on that note, try to find comfortable costumes too! Avoid costumes that drag on the ground, costumes that are made of itchy fabric, or that are just cheaply made.

Think practical when choosing goody bags: Although the Halloween themed bags will be the most popular amongst your children, think practically instead of cute.  Avoid bags that are too long and may drag on the ground, oversized bags that may bump into other trick or treaters, or heavy ones that you will end up carrying once it gets filled! Use totes that you can recycle for groceries, or a small pillowcase from your toddler’s bed. 

Pick costumes that are bathroom friendly: Especially for the little ones! You don’t want to struggle with tights, fancy shoes, or one-piece costumes. Also, make sure to use the bathroom before you leave the house; you don’t want any unexpected surprises! 

Do not eat candy while you walk: Walking in costumes will be challenging enough, so eating sticky candy and walking at the same time is just a no no. Save the candy for home so you can check it first! Look for old, worn, or torn wrappers, homemade treats, unwrapped candy, etc. Discard of any candy that looks like it has been tampered with. 

For more articles like this, view the entire issue of October Active Kids.

Events at Lindsay Museum in Walnut Creek

Autumn is Awesome. We really do appreciate Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek, and even more now that we have stumbled upon their many October events! Your children will engage and learn about everything from bats and insects, to owls and the great outdoors. Lindsay is such a great resource for children, and not to mention, a place for parents to learn as well! See their events below:
 
Mini-Monday: Interesting Insects
October 25th: 10am-noon  
Stories, arts & crafts, activities and animal encounters make this an exciting morning filled with many fun teacher-led activities for children ages 2-5 and their caregivers.  


Cool Class Alert: Terrific Tuesdays
Begins October 26th.
Eyes are for seeing and watching. And ears are for listening and flapping. See how Lindsay's animal ambassadors use their bodies in this series for 2.5-4 year olds. Visit http://bit.ly/preclasses for details

Cool Class Alert: Going Batty
Begins Oct. 27th.
Bats are incredible creatures and they are helpful in many ways. Kids 5-7 years old will learn about different bats and their unique adaptations. Visit http://bit.ly/kidclasses for details.

Halloween Weekend Parties at Pump it Up

Pump it Up in Pleasanton is offering Halloween weekend parties with FREE Glow Packages and 10 free goodie bags! Find out more here or book your party here. 

Bay Area Events for Kids - October

Oct. 7-12: Fleet Week, San Francisco
Oct. 9 & 10: Hot Rods on the Beach, Santa Cruz
Oct. 9 & 10: Art, Jazz & Wine Festival, Pleasant Hill
Oct. 15: Kids Clothing Swap, Vacaville
Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30: Scary Haunted House, Pleasant Hill
Oct. 16, 17, 23, 24: Matinee Haunted House, Pleasant Hill
Oct. 28: Kids Halloween Party- Red Wagon, Lafayette
Oct. 29: Kids Fall Festival - Play Café, Oakland


To find more October events, visit the Active Kids Calendar. Use this as your go-to guide for Bay Area fun as we update our calendar monthly!

Halloween Savings at Halloween Express in Walnut Creek

Halloween costumes are always pricey, especially when shopping for multiples! Save 20% off your Halloween shopping at Halloween Express in Walnut Creek, California. Halloween Express has tons of spooky costumes, silly costumes, princess costumes, and more. You will be sure to find something, especially with your 20% discount when you mention Active Kids. Happy Savings!

Top 20 iPhone Apps for Kids!

FREE 

1. First Words Sampler   

   

                        

2. Balloonimals LITE                                  

3. Toddler Teasers Shapes                         

4. 123 Tracer    

                                        

5. I Hear Ewe                                            

6. Tozzle LITE                                              

7. Doodle Buddy 

                                             

8. Mad Libs                                                       

9. BrianPOP                                              

    

            

$0.99

                             

10. Wheels on the Bus     

                               

11. Wacky Safari                                              

12. All-in-One Logic Game Box                            

13. AniMatch        

                                      

14. Sound Machine                                     

15. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox                   

$1.99

16. Whac-A-Mole 

17. Peekaboo Barn                                     

$2.99

18. Star Walk 

    

                                         

19. Super Why                                              

$3.99

20. Weet Woo          

                                    

Chic Mommy Jewelry from Hayjac

We love these personalized pieces from Hayjac, and good news is, they are offering a summer special for the next week! Spend $100 + and receive 20% off your order. The discount code is SUMMER20 and ends September 5th. 

Enter to Win our Back to School Giveaway!

Visit our Facebook to enter our Back to School Giveaway. We have some great packs, sacks, and labels from Yubo, Fleurville, Skip Hop, Mabel's Labels, Mimi the Sardine, Beatrix New York, and Dabbawalla. Comment on your favorite back to school goodie, letting us know why your child will like that item! We will choose multiple winners at the end of the month.

Free Kids' Meals at Tomatina in Dublin

For the month of August, get a free kids meal with an adult meal purchase every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at Tomatina in Dublin.

   

Magic Camp at Parti Palooza

Looking for fun kids' events in Livermore?? We love Parti Palooza. This is a great indoor play space that features multiple bounce structures, bowling, and on Tuesday, August 17th they will be hosting Magic Camp from 10am - 12pm. Bowl, climb, and jump all in one! 

Strider PREBike Winner!

Congrats to Heather Johanson of Pleasant Hill, the winner of the Strider PREBike Giveaway! And thank you to everyone who entered. If you didn't win, you can find out more about Strider PREBikes right here, http://www.stridersports.com/

Pay What You Want at Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek

We are excited for this! Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek is having a "Pay What You May Day" Saturday, August 21st. In other words, pay what you want (great opportunity for families with multiples!). Enjoy live animal presentations throughout the day with petting circles at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 3:45pm and feeding demonstrations at 11am and 2pm.  A great place for family fun in Walnut Creek!

Bay Area Family Photographer: Paula Walsh

Please enjoy our Bay Area Family Photographer Guide. We would first like to feature Paula with Paula Walsh Photography. Paula is based out of Pleasanton and is great at creating whimsical photos of families and children, and especially babies! Her elegant photos incorporate a sense innocence and simplicity that your entire family will enjoy.