So it’s finally a beautiful day in San Francisco. The adults have left the perils of work far behind and the kids have succumbed to leisurely mindsets, with this almost-too-perfect combination of things, what’s there left to do? You want something fun for the whole family but you want to avoid the kitschy tourists and attractions and keep everyone safe. While your old haunts can surely be a space for nostalgia and comfort, you want something new and adventurous to make the time you spend with your family worthwhile. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! Just for you, we have the Top 13 Family Activities in the Bay Area!
Sears Point Racing Experience
For the first thing on our Top Family Activities list is none other than one of California’s top racing tracks! From Go Karting, to Safety Driving, to Formula 3 Racing, Simraceway Driving School is there to satisfy all your racing impulses. With attractions for people 13 yrs and up of all different backgrounds, Sim’s features “California’s fastest karts on California’s longest track!” and an impressive array of sports cars. So whether you’re looking to book for an event or just wanting to hang out and make memories with your family, Simraceway is the place for you!
Satisfy the need for speed for the Whole family
Nor-Cal Hobbies
So you liked the idea of sports cars and racing, but you’re not a fan of being inside the cars themselves. Well then do we have the solution for you! Nor-Cal Hobbies is the place to go for RC car racing. With rookie boot camps every Tuesday, you and your family can learn the ins and outs of RC racing from how to maneuver your car to its basic components. If you want a new adventure and spirited competition, but don’t want to break too much of a sweat, then check out Nor-Cal Hobbies!
Learn the ins & outs of RC cars
Play Well Marin Center
After a long week of school and working, sometimes you just want to kick back and do nothing, while other times you want to ignite the creative spirit inside you. Look no further than the Play-Well Marin Activity Center, where imagination meets reality! Whether you’re giving in to an episode of nostalgia or feeding your curiosity, Play-Well stocks over 20k pieces of Legos for you and your family to explore and have fun with! With their most recent inventories including EV3 Mindstorm, the New Star Wars, and much more, this place has just about everything you can want from Lego paradise! If you want to take it even a step further, why not take a trip to Legoland itself for youth group day camps!
Over 20k pieces of Legos!
Walt Disney Family Museum Workshops
If you and your family have been a long-time fan of Disney’s magic, then you’ll have to pay a visit to The Walt Disney Family Museum and take a gander at their many workshops! Here, you can explore the various aspects of Walt’s legacy. Instead of watching the magic unravel on-screen, you get to witness it and all the hard work that goes into Disney’s many creations firsthand! Watch your drawings come to life as workshops will give you insight into animation, storytelling, and innovation!
Animate the whole family!
Dandelion Chocolate Classes
Well this point speaks for itself. If you’re a local, you might have dropped by Dandelion Chocolate a couple of times for a quick drink and bite, you might have even bought some to bring home. But did you know that the fun doesn’t stop there? Dandelion hosts a 3-hour beginner’s class how HOW to make chocolate! Crazy, right? First you’ll learn the process of how cacao is grown and harvested, then you’ll take a crack at roasting, grinding, and all the other bits that go into chocolate-ing! After a fun-filled session, you’ll go home with a new skill and lots of chocolate in hand!
Who doesn’t love Chocolate?
Randall Museum Family Classes
Just because it’s the weekend, it doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. Check out the Randall Museum for multiple family workshops and classes! From woodworking to ceramics to art, your family will get the opportunity to learn, grow, and play together!
Weekend Science Fun!
Chabot Space Center Overnight Activities
Sometimes the hustle and bustle of city life just gets to you, and you need a short escape but don’t have time for a whole trip away, then check out the Chabot Space Center’s Odyssey Overnights! In this package, you and your family will get to engage in a fun and educational celestial slumber party. With hands-on science workshops, to planetarium shows, to telescope viewing, your group will avail of an all-inclusive package while expanding your STEM knowledge and having loads of fun!
Family under the stars!
Stowe Lake
Sure, everyone has walked around Golden Gate Park, but not everyone has paddled! Located at the heart of the park, the Stow Lake Boathouse gives you the opportunity to explore the area in a way you haven’t before. With row boat, electric boats, and pedal boat rentals, you and your family will glide through the serene waters visiting the various attraction of Stow Lake!
Hiller Aviation Museum Drone Plex
You may have heard of drones, you may have even seen a drone, but have you ever flown a drone? Besides that Seussian intro, visit the Hiller Aviation Museum to learn about all the complexities of drone flight and take the opportunity to pilot your own in their Drone Plex Flight Center! At the end of it, you even have the choice to purchase your own drone and take it home!
Drone Training & Flight Simulation!
LUNAR Rockets
As the biggest rocketry club in the entire country, LUNAR is the longest-standing organization! Conveniently located in Livermore, rocketry hobbyists of all ages get to gather for meetings, launches, and classes. For any adults out there this might strike a nostalgic chord, harping on those distant childhood memories of rocket launching. As one of the few remaining places to do that, LUNAR is the ideal place for you and your family to learn and explore this art! Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, this is surely an experience your family will remember.
Launch a Model Rocket!
Lawrence Hall of Science Ingenuity Challenges
While a visit to the toy store may be fun, it’s all the more gratifying to actually build your own toys! Fun for the family, kids will be able to design, build, and test their own inventions, with multiple staff on-site ready to help at The Lawrence Hall of Science. From simple marble machines, to intricate pinball games, to fully-functioning prosthetic hands, check out their Ingenuity Challenges!
Design, build, and test your own inventions!
Tech Museum of Innovation Build Your Own Robot
A long time ago robots seemed like things of a distant future, in recent days they appeared like products of large companies with the latest cutting-edge tech, but today they are for just about anyone who has an interest. If building and programming a robot sounds like your thing, check out the Social Robots exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation! Fun and exciting for the whole family, you’ll get to use real sensors, controllers, and actuators to build a robot out of your own creative imagination!
Design, build and program a real robot!
Reason Future Tech Escape Rooms
If you’re looking for a combination of all the things on this list; fun, educational, high-tech, and all-ages, then come on down to Reason for a family fun day doing escape rooms! They feature challenging puzzles integrated with some of the latest advancements in tech like VR, drones, robot arms, and more! Put your creative problem-solving skills to the test in either the alien satellite crash site adventure or nuclear reactor disarmament adventure. It’s a great way for the whole family to put their brains together and explore the fantastic world of escape rooms! Sounds, fun? Here is more about Locking up your family in an Escape Room!
Test drive the future with the whole family!
When all is said and done, it’s easy to get carried away with lists and logistics and planning. So remember to take a moment to remember what’s really important; your family and the time you spend with them. It’s not so much about what you’re doing than who you’re doing it with. We hope this list has given you some new ideas for the next best outing for your family!