Just wanted to review the new "Kid's Murph" pizza. Obviously this is a take-n-bake joint, so not for a time when you want an outing...But we saw the sign for the new Kid's pizza and decided it would be a fun activity with friends. We had 3 friends over, in addition to my 2 kids (all under 10 YO). We got them each their own pizza. The Kid's Murph comes with 1 pizza dough (pre-rolled), sauce, cheese and pepperoni, which they assemble in to pizzas. Additional toppings can be had for .50 each. It comes in a cute little pizza box, with a temporary tattoo.

The kids had loads of fun making their own pizzas. They each got to pick their own toppings. All 5 popped in the oven at once, and cooked in about 10 minutes. I got a Veggie DeLite and it was delish. Kid's Pizzas seemed the perfect size, no leftovers and no complaints. A fun and useful activity!

Cost for the Murph was $4 for the first pizza, and $3 each additional ($3 add'l pizza was the promotion they were running), $8 for the Large Delite. We also picked up the $4 cookie dough. Kids liked it, I didn't.

My one suggestion would be that they actually stock the ready Kid's Murph pizzas, as they advertise. There is a sign up that they are stocked in the cooler, but I've been there 3 times in the last couple weeks and I've never seen them stocked. If I were picking up a pizza and I saw them in the cooler I would probably grab one, but wouldn't if I had to wait extra time for them to prepare them.

As other reviews noted, this is over-the-top Thomas, and not parent-geared. It is, however, geared towards children. It's big, crowded and loud with people traveling from miles around to visit Thomas. Be prepared for crowds.

Roaring Camp itself is a calm, lovely, wooded area. Duck ponds and picnic areas are lovely for families. The Thomas event features the forest train trip, about 1/2 hour of train riding for a variety of costs. Try to get on the mailing list for a discount. There is an additional charge for parking if you park in the event area. You can try parking for free in surrounding areas, but I can't vouch for safety when walking to the camp.

Even if you don't purchase train tickets, you can enter the event for free. And there are tons of Thomas-related activities for your kids, including: Bounce Houses (a favorite for my 2 kids), Hay maze, Coloring pages, Temp-Tattoos, Face painting, Puppet Shows, Bubbles, Toy trains, Showings of Thomas shows. They also have a "passport" that kids use to collect stamps from around the park, and return for a prize.

Though it's not a relaxing day for parents (except for the calm train ride) I can't honestly complain about anything. It's a yearly must-do for our family and I highly recommend it to anyone local.

This is the best Farmer's Market in the county for families with kids. It's lively and fun. You will find your typical market faire in produce and food offerings for adults. For kids, there is a large area set up with crayons, paper, legos, etc. There is also occasionally face painting and artists with small items for the kids. The market frequently has local musicians performing. Shaved Ice is available for refreshment on hot days. There is also a stand featuring fresh juice smoothies, and they have some wonderful options for children.
I really enjoy visiting this market with my 3 and 6 year old children.

We visit the Japanese Tea Garden with our 3 & 6 year-olds every time we visit Golden Gate Park. I recommend going in the Spring to see more of the beauty the garden has to offer. It is beautiful and calming, and an adult alone could likely stay for hours in this calm and peaceful haven. With children, you will probably spend about an hour, so take that into consideration when paying the entrance fee. Kids will enjoy running around ponds, and over bridges. Our kids especially loved the sketchy 3/4 circle arch. We have lots of memorable photos from this beautiful garden.

The tea area has also changed from times past, and now offers a wide selection. For most options, be prepared to spend $$. It is still fairly reasonable to get tea and cookies though.

Somewhat costly, but it's a beautiful, worthwhile tradition for our family.

We have visited the De Young Museum with our two children (3 & 6) for a number of special exhibits including the King Tut exhibit, Picasso, and Orsay Museum. (Special exhibits are a separate charge from your normal museum entrance fee) We have also visited the regular exhibits with the children.

This is not a museum that is geared toward children, so bear that in mind when bringing young toddlers. We, however, are always bringing the kids along for adventures like these when we hope to educate or culture them :). Our kids are home schooled, so we do what we can to expose them to art and science. However, our 3 year old needed to be monitored well and was bored easily.
If you have a grammar school age child, please take them to see the large, mural-sized map of the world in the large exhibit near the cafe, it's wonderful.

There are two areas that I recommend as a break area for kids: 1) The sculpture garden outside, and 2) The little-known observation deck at the top of the museum. Head to the extreme right of the museum, past admission desks, and take the elevator to the top. Wonderful views of the city and a great diversion.

The special exhibits hosted by the museum are absolutely wonderful. An audio tour is offered for a charge, and might keep boredom at bay for small children. I hate to recommend gift stores ;) but the gift stores at the exit always have books about the exhibits geared towards young children, and we've always found excellent resources there to follow up our visit.

Come prepared, and you can have a great time with your young kids!