Parks and Playgrounds, Sports Activities, Outdoor Activities, Rainy Day Activities, Events and Outings, Summer Camps, Spring Break Camps, Arts and Crafts, 4th of July, Beaches, Hiking, Picnics, Summer Activities, Zoos and Wildlife Centers, Enrichment, Parent-and-Child Classes, Gardening, Drop-in Activities, Snow Sports, Bicycling

Experience the magic of tall ships and our maritime heritage during the 2008 San Francisco Festival of Sail, which begins Wednesday, July 23 and runs through Sunday, July 27. Starting with the Grand Parade of Sail Wednesday at noon, the nautical fun takes place in three "villages" located along the San Francisco waterfront where you can visit a variety of sailing vessels. Events include the parade, ship boardings, excursions, mock naval battles, educational programs, and the Velocity Circus' Pirate Academy.

Apparently more and more parents in Marin are sending their children to pricey private summer day camps like Camp Galileo and Steve and Kate's Camp. Of course these camps often offer innovative features and activities made possible by the higher prices. Read what local towns are doing to compete in the Marin IJ:

Towns' summer camps try to compete with private programs - Worried about competition from an increasing number of private day camps, San Anselmo Recreation Coordinator Dana Gibson decided to make the town's programs more

When it's way too hot, like it has been this week, I'm always trying to figure out things to do and places to go that will keep me and the kids cool. Playtime Safari in Novato is a 4,000-square-foot indoor play space for kids 0-6 that has air conditioning, and they are open 4 to 6 pm on Wednesday. You can read more about Playtime Safar in our article here. Another indoor play space is the recently opened Playdate Cafe in San Anselmo. This is a really fun and unique place that has a cafe for the moms (and kids) and a play space with a pirate ship and medieval castle. For more info, read our feature on Playdate Cafe.

Saturday, July 5

• The Point Reyes Farmer's Market takes place Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm at Toby's Feed Barn. The market features the best this region has to offer: the freshest locally grown organic produce, baked goods, artisan cheeses, olive oils, grass-fed beef products, homemade preserves, oysters, bee products, flowers, locally produced wool clothing, and body care products. The market also features live music, cooking demonstrations and book signings by renowned chefs, and much more. For more info, go to www.marinorganic.org/p_reyes.php.

• Marin County Fair, 11 am to 11 pm, Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael. Exhibits, live music, carnival rides, and more. See our article for more information.

• Experience Tule Elk at the Point Reyes National Seashore. Docents with binoculars and spotting scopes will be on hand at the Tomales Point trailhead at Windy Gap (about 1 mile up Tomales Point Trail) from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm, weekends and holidays, weather permitting. Free. More information: (415) 464-5145 or www.nps.gov/pore.

• On Shaky Ground: Explore the San Andreas Fault and the 1906 Earthquake on the Point Reyes Earthquake Trail on this one-hour ranger-guided walk. It's an easy .6 mile (1 km) walk. 2 to 3 pm. Free. More information: www.nps.gov/pore or (415) 464-5100 x2 x5

Happy 4th of July! Here's a another great kid-friendly recipe from What's Cooking's Michelle Stern, perfect for your Independence Day barbecue or any other day, for that matter. What's Cooking offers cooking classes, parties, and gifts for children and families. Visit What's Cooking at www.whatscooking.info.

BBQ Drumsticks with Brown-Sugar Sauce

My husband is my best critic in the kitchen - he loves bold flavors and raved about this sauce. We used Trader Joe's organic ketchup which doesn't include any high fructose corn syrup--I think it made all the difference.

1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs cider vinegar
3 pounds chicken legs
salt and pepper to taste

With the 4th nearing and the kids out of school and at home, the age-old question of “What to do?” gets asked more frequently. FamilyFun.com, the website for Family Fun magazine, has a wealth of great ideas for seasonal family activities. Among their offerings for the 4th of July are craft ideas, including festive fans, Fouth of July twirlers and liberty shakers; patriotic games including the egg and spoon race and popcorn relay; 4th of July parade-wear suggestions; and picnic recipe ideas. Some of the recipes include are frozen yogurt pops, frozen Uncle Sams, pineapple coconut sherbet, and kids' strawberry daiquiris to name a few.

This Friday, June 27, the Lucy store in the Corte Madera Town Center presents a special event with Darcy Novo Albrecht of Chicks-n-Chickens. Darcy, a Bay Area mom and founder of Chicks-n-Chickens, will present two Lullaby Exercises "mommy and me" dance classes and demonstrations, the first from 11:30 to noon and the second from 1:30 to 2 pm. In this new kind of workout, new moms can get in some exercise and sooth their babies at the same time. Recommended for moms with babies 8 weeks to 1 year in age.

Today, June 18, is Kids’ Day at the Sonoma-Marin Fair! Everyone gets into the fair for the kids’ price of $9. Radio Disney takes the Kiwanis stage to rock it for kids with the KMKY X-Treme Team. The day also includes live music, games, and prizes from 1 to 3 pm. Kids’ Day is sponsored by V. Dolan Trucking. Also sponsoring Kids’ Day is Lazer Radio and LeMejor, who will be on-hand with a booth of prizes during and after the Radio Disney Show. Also enjoy free carnival rides and other fun kid-friendly attractions. The fair will be running from June 18-June 22. Location: Petaluma Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma. Admission: $14 Adults, $9 ages 4-12, $8 Seniors and 3 and under are free. Time: Noon to midnight (gates close at 10 pm). For more info, go to their website.

This weekend, June 14 and 15, San Francisco's de Young Museum is free to everyone, in celebration of the opening of their new exhibition, Chihuly at the de Young! The free weekend is sponsored by Target. In addition to the exhibition and the museum's permanent collections, there will be numerous performances and activities for families throughout the weekend, including hands-on art activities, live music, stilt walkers, circus arts performances, and industrial and fire arts demonstrations  by The Crucible, an Oakland based non-profit educational facility, on their Educational Response Vehicle—a repurposed 1960 International Harvester fire truck.