The Mountain Play makes musical magic once again in its 100th anniversary production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. Featuring classic songs that you surely know by heart, including Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, Climb Ev'ry Mountain, and Edelweiss, this year's play is directed by Bay Area theater veteran Jay Manley and features a superb cast, especially the local kids in the roles of the Von Trapp children.

The Sound of Music tells the familiar story of Maria Rainer, sent from Salzburg's Nonnberg Abbey as governess to the seven children of widowed naval officer Georg von Trapp, all under the shadows of the 1938 Nazi takeover of Austria. The Sound of Music is probably most familiar in its 1965 movie form, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

Great tickets are still available for Mountain Play performances on May 26 and June 2, 8, 9, and 16. All shows begin at 2 pm.

Summer's almost here, and one of the season's time honored traditions for children is swimming lessons. Not only are swimming lessons a fun way to get some exercise and cool off on a hot summer day, but they're essential from a safety standpoint.

Below is our list of local Marin County providers of swimming lessons for children. Although many of the facilities listed are private clubs, unless otherwise indicated, all locations offer public lessons open to all. Most programs require pre-registration; follow the links or call to sign up or for more information. As always, if you have a favorite swim class or teacher that you think should be added to the list, let us know by leaving a comment or contacting us.

Kentfield:

• Bay Club Ross Valley
  235 Bon Air Road, Kentfield
  (415) 461-5431

Larkspur:

• Mt. Tam Racquet Club
  One Larkspur Plaza Drive, Larkspur
  (415) 924-6226 x55

Mill Valley:

• Mill Valley Community Center Pool
  180 Camino Alto
  (415) 383-1370

This puffed pancake is a favorite in our house for breakfast. We make this puffy, custardy pancake with apples since we usually happen to have some on hand, but it's equally good made with fresh berries, too. This big pancake is also called a "Dutch Baby", which my kids think is funny. The kids love to watch this pancake cook through the oven window, since the batter puffs up dramatically as it bakes.

It's actually quite easy to forget to put on your oven mitt when you're moving the hot pan in and out of the oven—I know this from painful experience—so always make sure you have one on you hand before you reach in to grab the skillet handle. Needless to say, this probably isn't a recipe for little ones to help with, other than with mixing the batter.

Here's what you'll need:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and beyond in our Family Events Calendar.

Friday, May 17

• Celebrate International Museum Day
  de Young Museum, San Francisco
  Friday, 9:30 am–8:45 pm
  Come celebrate International Museum Day at the de Young Museum with free general admission all day. See Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritsuis for only the $15 special exhibition fee! (It's $5 for youth 6–17 and free for kids 5 and under.) Stick around for the fun with Friday Nights at the de Young, with live music, hands-on art making, and more. For more information, visit their website.
• Hamilton Community Pool Opening Day
  Novato
  Friday, 11 am–6:30 pm
  The recently renovated Hamilton Pool offers a kiddie pool with slide and play equipment, as well as a BBQ and picnic area. Daily drop in admission is $4 for Novato resident children (ages 12 months to 15 years) and $5 for Novato resident adults (16 and older) with photo ID; non-residents pay is $7 (ages 12 months to 15 years) for children and $9 for adults. Location: 203 El Bonito Road. For more info, call (415) 883-7126 or visit their website.
• Pajama Night at Doodlebug Marin
  Doodlebug Marin, San Anselmo
  Friday, 6–9 pm
  Kids put on their pajamas and enjoy pizza, crafts, stories, face painting and more. Cost: $30 per child and $25 each additional family member. Reserve your spot by calling (415) 456-5989 or online here.
• Kids Musical Theatre presents Seussical, the Musical
  Dance Palace Community Center, Point Reyes Station
  Friday & Saturday, 7:30 pm, Sunday, 3 pm
  In this fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza, favorite Dr. Seuss characters are lovingly brought to life. The colorful characters transport viewers from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. This musical romp through the joys and sorrows of being a child is hilarious. Tickets: $9 general, $7 seniors, $5 youth at the door. For more info, visit their website.

Saturday, May 18

• Pixie Park Spring Fair
  Marin Art and Garden Center, Ross
  Saturday, 9 am–2 pm
  Bring the whole family to the 55th Annual Pixie Park Spring Fair Fundraiser. Children will enjoy pony rides, a petting zoo, obstacle courses and prize games. Plus family entertainment, delicious food, tasty drinks, and much, much more! The MAGC is located at 30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Ross. More info: www.pixiepark.org
• Marin Country Mart Farmers Market
  Marin Country Mart, Larkspur Landing
  Saturday, 9 am–2 pm
  Pony rides and a petting zoo for the kids from 10 am–2 pm adjacent to the farmer's market. The farmer's market takes place on the south site of the shopping center closest to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. For more info, visit their website.
• The 119th Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival
  Downtown Santa Rosa
  Saturday, 10 am
  This is one of Sonoma County's most honored traditions and one of the oldest and largest events of its kind in Northern California. There will be marching bands, award winning floats, roses, horse drawn carriages, clowns, roses, roses and more roses. Festival of family fun from 11 am–3 pm: Festival at Juilliard Park. The parade will start at Sonoma Avenue and E Street and proceed north on E Street, turning left onto 4th Street and proceed west on 4th Street then south onto Mendocino Avenue. For more info, visit their website.
• Maker Faire
  San Mateo County Events Center, San Mateo
  Saturday, 10 am–8 pm & Sunday, 10 am–6 pm
  With over 900 maker exhibits, Maker Faire is a family-friendly festical of creativity and innovation in technology, craft, science, fashion, art, food, and more! Featuring how-to workshops, inspiring presentations from Mythbusters' Adam Savage and others, and outrageous attractions. Tickets: $15–$55. Location: 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. For more information, visit their website.
• Field & Family Wildflower Walk
  Marin Headlands Visitor Center
  Saturday, 10:30 am–1:30 pm
  Spring is in bloom! Come join an experienced YMCA naturalist to explore all the beauty that spring has to offer here in the Marin Headlands. Moderate to strenuous hike 3–5 miles. Bring your own bagged lunch. Pre-registration required. Contact Point Bonita YMCA for details or to pre-register at (415) 331 9622 or doyobio@ymcasf.org. Cost: $10 adults, $5 children. Meet at the visitor center's restrooms at 10:30 am. For more info, visit their website.
• Guarding the Gate
  Angel Island State Park
  Saturday and Sunday, 11 am–4 pm
  Experience living history on Angel Island with re-enactors portraying soldiers and families from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, Phillipine–American War, World War I, and World War II. Enjoy demonstrations in the historic Bake House, cannon firings at Camp Reynolds, and living history and Battery Drew and Fort McDowell. Free. For more information call (415) 435-5537 or visit their website.

It's not every day that the circus comes to town, but it'll be here in Marin this Memorial Day weekend! American Crown Circus sets up its big top on the grounds of St. Vincent's School for Boys in Marinwood, just south of Novato, on May 24, 25, 26 and 27. American Crown Circus is a family run, bilingual circus that features acrobats, high wire acts, and clowns (but no exotic animals). Read about our visit to the circus last year here.

The circus is the major fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Novato Sunrise, which has brought a professional traveling tent circus to Marin every year since 1997. Profits from the circus support local community projects.

I usually try to buy organic produce for my family because I'm very concerned about the dangers of pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. I recently read an article that discusses the dangers of pesticides and how they can adversely affect people, especially during periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects.

The scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) are concerned, too, and they tested for pesticides on fruits and vegetables collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For 2013, the EWG has categorized produce into either the "Dirty Dozen Plus" or the "Clean 15"—the 14 fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic and the 15 with the lowest pesticide levels.

Some of the produce with the highest pesticide loads included family staples like apples (at number one, with 98% of conventional apples contaminated with pesticides), celery, strawberries, peaches, lettuce, grapes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Needless to say, you should always seek out the organic versions of these foods. It's a great argument for knowing where your food comes from and knowing your farmer.

As we approach summer and temperatures climb, it's the perfect time to not only enjoy a cold glass of iced tea, but to make your own sun tea, too. I've found myself drinking a lot of iced tea over the past few years (it probably has something to do with parental sleep deprivation). I usually buy bottles of Tejava tea, which I love because it's unsweeted and has a good strong tea flavor.

I decided to try making my own and maybe save a little money in the process. I remember my mom making sun tea way back when, and thought I'd give it a try. The results were really fantastic, so I thought I'd share them here. It's really easy to do, really inexpensive, and the kids actually had fun helping make it.

You'll need:

• A two-quart sealable glass jar.
• Four to six black tea bags
• Sprigs of fresh mint (optional)
• Water

Place tea bags and mint (if using) in a clean glass jar. Fill the jar with water and seal.

This June, Marin's own boys of summer return to downtown San Rafael's Albert Park for another season of professional minor league baseball! The 2013 San Rafael Pacifics season begins on Tuesday, June 11, and runs through August 25.

Albert Park's intimate setting is the perfect venue for old-fashioned, family-friendly, and affordable local baseball. We're so lucky to have this team here, and maybe they'll repeat their championship-winning 2012 season! General admission tickets are just $10, grandstand reserved and box seats are $20, and dugout seats are $25.

Kids 12 and under can join the Rookie Club, which offers a variety of benefits, including free admission to all Sunday home games and pre- and post-game activities like playing catch with the team during warm ups. Rookie Club membership costs $25 and includes a T-shirt, membership card, and discounts on team merchandise and Silbermann's ice cream (San Rafael's Silbermann's Ice Cream is the Rookie Club sponsor).

One of Marin County's most beloved and unique events is the famous Mountain Play—an outdoor theater experience high on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais that's been going strong for a century! This year's 100th-anniversary Mountain Play production is Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, the unforgettable story of spirited young governess Maria Rainer, Captain von Trapp and his seven children, and Austria on the eve of the Nazi takeover.

Featuring classic songs like Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, and My Favorite Things, the Mountain Play's production of The Sound of Music is directed by Jay Manley, and features Heather Buck as Maria, Ryan Drummond as Georg von Trapp, and Susan Zelinsky (Marin Paroo in last year's production of The Music Man) as Else Schraeder. Musical direction is by Mountain Play veteran Debra Chambliss.

Performances take place at 2 pm at Mt. Tam's Cushing Memorial Amphitheater on May 19 and 26, and June 2, 8, 9, and 16. General seating ticket prices range from $20–$40., and children 3 and under are free. Reserved seats are available for Mountain Play Fan Club members (starting at $56); higher membership levels include perks like reserved parking and special shuttle passes. Order tickets online here or by phone at (415) 383-1100.