San Francisco

We a lot of fun at the California Academy of Sciences' Penguins + Pajamas sleepover when we attended last summer—it's a fantastic experience. The next Penguis+Pajamas sleepover is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2012, and we're giving away tickets to a lucky Marin Mommies reader!

Experience your own "night at the museum" as you explore the exhibits after-hours, stargaze at the planetarium show, and enjoy a special live animal presentation. Before bedtime, settle in for story time with cookies and milk to learn about Pierre—the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin.

When the lights go out, unroll your sleeping bag in African Hall, next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast.

The Children's Theatre Association of San Francisco (CTA) presents its winter 2012 production Rumpelstiltskin. This live musical stage play for children ages 4–10 runs on Saturdays from January 7–February 11, 2012 at the historic Florence Gould Theater in the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco.

Rumpelstiltskin tells the classic story a poor young girl raised to be a princess, thanks to an odd little man and his magic. Later, she must guess his name or lose her most precious treasure.

The CTA was formed 75 years ago with the support of the Junior League of San Francisco, the San Francisco Board of Education, and the San Francisco Opera and Ballet with the goal of presenting live musical theater to the children of the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1981, it's been part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco's cultural programs for schools, presenting its productions to more than 6,000 elementary schoolchildren annually.

There are two performances each Saturday, at 10:30 am and 1 pm, and tickets are $12 each. For more information, and to order tickets online, visit www.ctasf.org or call (415) 248-2677. The Legion of Honor is located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park at 34th Avenue and Clement Street. For more information and directions to the museum, visit www.legionofhonor.org.

Congratulations to Colleen P. for winning the Nutcracker tickets for Tuesday's performance.

How would you like to go see the San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker this Tuesday night? We're excited to give away two (2) tickets for this special family performance, which begins at 7 pm (but you'll want to get there early to meet some costumed Nutcracker characters and get a free child's gift).

To enter to win, send an email to contests@marinmommies.com with "Nutcracker" in the subject line by noon (Pacific time) on Sunday, December 11. We'll select a random winner that afternoon. Our thanks go out to San Francisco Ballet for generously sponsoring this exciting giveaway. Read our giveaway rules and terms here.

Please note that this giveway is for the December 13, 7 pm performance only. The winner's tickets will be held at the War Memorial Opera House will call for pickup the evening of the performance.

Remember when we wrote about how much fun we had at the last California Academy of Sciences Penguins + Pajamas sleepover? Well, their next sleepover event is scheduled for Saturday, November 12, and we're giving away tickets to a lucky Marin Mommies reader!

Experience your own "night at the museum" as you explore the exhibits after-hours, stargaze at the planetarium show, and enjoy a special live animal presentation. Before bedtime, settle in for story time with cookies and milk to learn about Pierre—the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin.

When the lights go out, unroll your sleeping bag in African Hall, next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast.

Even though school's back in session, it's still summer. In fact, September usually sees the nicest weather of the year in San Francisco and other places along the coast. Take advantage of sunny September and head over to the Park Chalet at San Francisco's Ocean Beach to catch a fantastic family performance at the free Summer JAMBand Family Festival.

This Sunday, September 11, the whimsical and exuberant Octopretzel takes the stage at 3 pm, followed by Charity and the JAMBand at 4 pm. It all takes place on the family friendly Park Chalet's expansive lawn, where they'll be serving up tasty food, house brewed beers, and cocktails for you to enjoy during the show.

Octopretzel, a group of five Bay Area musicians and educators, performs folk-inspired music that crosses genres and cultures, incorporating a wide array of styles including bluegrass, rock-and-roll, klezmer, African drumming, lullabies, and more.

The Park Chalet is located across from San Francisco's Ocean Beach at 1000 Great Highway (at John F. Kennedy Drive). For more information, visit www.parkchalet.com.

What's the best way to experience San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences? Sleep over on one of their Penguins + Pajamas events, of course. You'll get what amounts to a private viewing of the Cal Academy's favorite attractions and exhibits, as well as speciall activities and presentations, a late-night snack, and breakfast in the Academy's café. Sound like fun?

My 8-year-old son and I had a chance to check out Penguins + Pajamas on their final "Summer of Slither" sleepover at the end of August. Backpacks, sleeping bags, and other overnight essentials in hand, we trekked to Golden Gate Park on a foggy Saturday evening, and, after parking in the park's Music Concourse Garage, lined up outside the Academy entrance with the rest of our fellow campers. Check in between 6 and 7:30 pm and select your sleeping area—you can choose from the aquarium, the swamp, African Hall, or the Islands of Evolution exhibit, then stow your gear in a tent in the museum's West Garden, and you're good to go.

The de Young Museum is offering Marin Mommies readers a special back-to-school family discount to see the special exhibition Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris on view at the museum through October 10. Bring your kids to see 120 works spanning the entire career of the world’s most influential artist—it’s art history up close and in person!

Receive a 20% discount on tickets for families by using coupon id PFAMILY when you purchase tickets on the de Young's website or in person at the museum box office. Tickets must be purchased by September 2, but are valid through the run of the show. Limit 6 tickets.

In honor its newest exhibit, Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is offering a special edition of its popular Penguins + Pajamas sleepover for kids ages 5 and older and their adult chaperones. These sleepovers feature an exclusive overnight stay at the Academy, special live animal presentations, access to all exhibits including Snakes & Lizards, a late night snack, and breakfast. Right now through August 20 you can save $20 by entering promo code PPAUG20 when you purchase your sleepover tickets online.

During your very own night at the museum, you can explore the entire Academy, take in an after-hours planetarium show and special animal presentations, and slither through Snakes & Lizards, where you’ll discover more than 60 reptiles from around the world with incredible adaptations like projectile tongues and remarkable camouflage. Before bedtime, whisper good night to Lemondrop the 15-foot-long albino python, and settle in for story time with cookies and milk to learn about Pierre—the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin.

Living in the Bay Area, we sometimes forget that some of the world's favorite tourist attractions are right in our backyard. So why let visiting Europeans and Midwesterners have all the fun? It's often fun to play tourist as a local, especially with kids in tow. We've found ourselves visiting places in the Bay Area that we ourselves haven't been to since we were kids. Recently, we decided to visit that tourist favorite, San Francisco's Chinatown.

The biggest and oldest settlement of its kind in the United States, San Francisco's Chinatown was established in the late 1840s, and today is roughly contained by Broadway to the north, Kearny Street to the east, Bush Street to the south, and Powell Street to the west. With hundreds of restaurants, shops, and other attractions, Chinatown is a worthwhile destination for a family day trip into the city. It's a way to explore both the past and present of San Francisco, and to experience the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of a different culture without going very far.