Looking for a fun, unique, and memorable birthday party? Marin's Mika's Drumming Magic offers exciting drum parties for people of all ages.
Mika provides instruments and excellent facilitation for groups of all ages, drawing on skills he's developed over 15 years of facilitating drum groups for schools, workshops, private and corporate clients. Drumming Magic drum parties are paced in a way that makes them fun and accessible for participants of all ages. Even participants who consider themselves non-musical are amazed with what they and the group create together!
Instruments can be made available for groups of up to 200 people. Sessions can last anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. A 45-minute session will work well for almost any party. Drum parties can occur both indoors and out, and don't require special permits since the drums are not amplified.
As a typical second-grader, my son is obsessed with all things LEGO. The little plastic bricks hold an undeniable appeal to kids of all ages, and a lot of grownups, too. For his recent birthday party we turned to Marin's Play-Well TEKnologies, who operate an awesome LEGO shop and drop-in LEGO activity center in San Anselmo. In our case, Play-Well came to our house for a very successful, fun, and memorable birthday bash.
Drew the LEGO guy, a friendly college student, showed up at our house before the party with a hand truck and several crates of LEGOs. We figured that he must have brought a couple thousand dollars worth of the plastic bricks and pieces, all of which were sorted by category or color. One bin held only the little LEGO people, one held basic building bricks, one held little weapons and decorations, and so on.
Do your children love to dance? Most kids do, so why not consider a dance birthday party when that time of the year rolls around. Both of my children (ages 5 and 8) recently went to birthday parties at Novato's Love2Dance dance studio. I attended both parties and have to say both of them were an absolute blast.
While Love2Dance is a serious dance studio—owner Tara-Caprice Broadwater is a former Golden State Warrior dancer with over two decades of dance experience—their birthday parties are for children with little or no dance experience who just want to have fun. Of course if you know how to dance, that makes things even better.
Does your child dream of having his or her birthday party in the midst of fascinating nature exhibits and 38,000 live animals? You're in luck, because the California Academy of Sciences, Northern California's premier natural history museum, now offers children’s birthday parties on Saturdays and Sundays! Your party of up to 40 guests can enjoy a private group tour of the Academy, interactive activities, birthday cupcakes, and more in a private party space that's yours to enjoy for two hours. It's guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience for your birthday child.
Each birthday party begins with snacks (and coffee for the grownups) from the Academy's acclaimed Moss Room restaurant in a private lounge decorated with festive environmentally-friendly party decorations. Next, an expert tour guide takes your group on a half-hour tour
Music Together of Marin's winter session starts on January 7 and runs through March 23. Music Together is an award-winning international music and movement enrichment program for children ages infant to 5 years. Classes meet once a week for 45 minutes of musical joy.
Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat and participate with confidence in the music of our culture. Central to the Music Together approach is that young children learn best from the role model of parents/caregivers who are actively making music. The program brings families together by providing a rich musical environment that can continue at home and throughout the context of daily life. Each session families receive new materials, including a CD and book, to use at home. Come preview a free class and become part of a growing musical community.
On our first day of Winter Break, my kids decided they wanted to return to Snoopy's Home Ice at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa. We decided to make it a sort of mini road trip and headed north to Sonoma County. The arena was a gift to the community from the late Santa Rosa resident and Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, and has been going strong since 1969.
I always consider an outing here a holiday tradition of sorts, especially since I grew up watching A Charlie Brown Christmas every year, and attended a few of the holiday ice shows over the years, too. It was always a treat to see Charles Schulz himself sitting in the audience, enjoying the show and chatting with people in the audience.
The Bus has arrived! Magic Bus Music Studio, Marin's newest early childhood music studio is now open in Novato at 1530 Center Road Suite 12, inside the Nautilus of Marin Building. The “Bus” offers Kindermusik classes, birthday parties, fundraising events and playgroup outings for families with children ages newborn to 4.
The Magic Bus Music Studio is owned by Melissa Ayotte, who has been teaching piano and Kindermusik in Marin for over 11 years. Joining Melissa is her long time friend and colleague Dee Dee Lawtonwho has also been teaching Kindermusik for over 11 years with “maestro programs” (in the top five percent world wide) in San Francisco and Napa. Dee Dee also offers instruction in flute and piano. For more information, call (415) 721-1929 or visit www.magicbusmusic.com.
Here are some of the programs offered this winter at Magic Bus Music Studio:
Birthdays at The Bus
For your 1-, 2-, or 3-year-old
Cost: $125 for up to 12 children
Start your child’s special day with 45 minutes of magical musical fun at the studio, where a licensed Kindermusik educator will delight your guests with live guitar and singing, lots of movement and dancing, playing with balls, hoops and parachute, and, of course, playing instruments! When the music ends, take your group right next door to Round Table for pizza, presents, and playtime! To make a reservation for your child’s 2011 Birthday Party call (415) 721-1929 or email m1@musicwithmelissa.com
Musical Playgroups
For children Newborn to 4 years old
Cost: only $10 per child
If you live in Novato or spend time there, especially around the holidays, you can't help but notice the beautiful horse-drawn carriages traversing the length of Grant Avenue, and making their way around town in search of the most magnificent holiday light displays. These classy but decidedly old-fashioned vehicles are owned and operated by Novato resident Gary Sello and his Indian Valley Carriage Company. If you're looking for a family outing in Marin that is truly unique, fun, and stress-free, then you should consider the offerings of Indian Valley Carriage.
Based in Novato's rural Indian Valley neighborhood, Gary and Indian Valley Carriage operate several different carriages, including a formal black and maroon vis-à-vis (where up to six passengers sit facing each other), a three-seat surrey (with a fringe on top!) that can carry four to six passengers, and a large covered wagon that seats up to twelve.
Have you been to the Marin Treks Natural History Museum yet? It's a great place to take the kids to learn about nature and the environment and to have some hands-on fun with their collection of live animals. Did you know they also offer awesome birthday parties, too?
Let Marin Treks make your child's next birthday party a day to remember! You can hold your party outdoors at a local park or trail or at their museum in Novato. Marin Treks' exciting hands-on birthday adventures allow the birthday girl or boy and their guests to hold and learn about the museum's amazing collection of live reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids. Discuss where they live, what they eat, how they avoid predators, and a whole lot more. The children are encouraged to ask as many questions as they can and then try to answer their own questions by carefully observing the animals, just like real scientists.
Looking for a fun, unique, and memorable birthday party? Marin's Mika's Drumming Magic offers exciting drum parties for people of all ages.
As a typical second-grader, my son is obsessed with all things LEGO. The little plastic bricks hold an undeniable appeal to kids of all ages, and a lot of grownups, too. For his recent birthday party we turned to Marin's 
Do your children love to dance? Most kids do, so why not consider a dance birthday party when that time of the year rolls around. Both of my children (ages 5 and 8) recently went to birthday parties at Novato's Love2Dance dance studio. I attended both parties and have to say both of them were an absolute blast.
Does your child dream of having his or her birthday party in the midst of fascinating nature exhibits and 38,000 live animals? You're in luck, because the California Academy of Sciences, Northern California's premier natural history museum, now offers 
On our first day of Winter Break, my kids decided they wanted to return to Snoopy's Home Ice at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa. We decided to make it a sort of mini road trip and headed north to Sonoma County. The arena was a gift to the community from the late Santa Rosa resident and Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, and has been going strong since 1969.
The Bus has arrived! Magic Bus Music Studio, Marin's newest early childhood music studio is now open in Novato at 1530 Center Road Suite 12, inside the Nautilus of Marin Building. The “Bus” offers Kindermusik classes, birthday parties, fundraising events and playgroup outings for families with children ages newborn to 4.
Have you been to the Marin Treks Natural History Museum yet? It's a great place to take the kids to learn about nature and the environment and to have some hands-on fun with their collection of live animals. Did you know they also offer awesome birthday parties, too?
