Where to take baby in San Jose (or surroundings)?
August 7, 2021 2:59 AM Subscribe
I have a one year old who I feel is going kinda stir crazy being cooped up inside due to Covid. We do take him regularly for neighborhood walks and parks but I've been too freaked to take him where there's any semblance of a crowd, and never indoors.
That said, I do want to show him more of the world and let him have new experiences. We are in San Jose, CA and would appreciate if anyone has any ideas of outdoor places that allow for a LOT of social distancing that would be interesting for a one year old! Willing to drive ~1 hour.
That said, I do want to show him more of the world and let him have new experiences. We are in San Jose, CA and would appreciate if anyone has any ideas of outdoor places that allow for a LOT of social distancing that would be interesting for a one year old! Willing to drive ~1 hour.
My nephew loved Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz at that age. There's also a butterfly grove there that monarchs visit in the fall (though unfortunately monarchs are now struggling to survive).
posted by pinochiette at 8:15 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by pinochiette at 8:15 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
Oh so fun - adventuring with baby is the best. Recommendations that are within an hour:
1. Beach! Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay are both within an hour. Beaches are awesome for social distancing. Bring sand toys, don't bother swimming. Alameda Beach will be warmer (water and weather) - skip Crown Beach and park along the loooong strip of beach just beside it. Social distancing galore, nice for playing and swimming.
2. Golden Gate Park is exactly an hour from you. Bring a picnic and sit outside the Conservatory of Flowers. Also perfect for social distancing. Botanical gardens would also give you ample room to run and be socially distanced.
3. Ardenwood covers a large area. Perfect for wandering.
4. Playgrounds at off-hours: you have a lot of playgrounds near you that are awesome including Ortega and a little further away Sabercat playground or Imagine Playground. Babies are (often) up early and that would be an ideal time to hit those parks without running into other kids/people. I find that in general, no one is up before 10 on the weekends.
5. The East Bay Regional Parks also has several swimming locations not too far from you including Cull Canyon and Don Castro. On the weekends they will be too crowded for you, but on weekdays they will be quieter, particularly once school starts in two weeks.
6. Oakland Museum is an hour from you and they have a large outdoor garden for exploring. There are also indoor exhibits that you would have to assess your comfort around, but it is ticketed resulting in very low numbers of people being inside and easy to social distance.
7. Fairyland is also in Oakland and is basically crack for babies and toddlers. It is ALL outside and ticketed, but you'd have to assess your comfort level as there will be more kids and people there than any of the above locations, and kids just are not great with social distancing. If it's any consolation though, there have not been any reports of an outbreak at Fairyland (unlike say, Disney).
In the future there are several Instagram mommy bloggers in the South Bay that post interesting places to go and will respond to your questions, and 510 families website has lots of things to do in the East Bay with kids.
Have fun!
posted by Toddles at 9:13 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
1. Beach! Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay are both within an hour. Beaches are awesome for social distancing. Bring sand toys, don't bother swimming. Alameda Beach will be warmer (water and weather) - skip Crown Beach and park along the loooong strip of beach just beside it. Social distancing galore, nice for playing and swimming.
2. Golden Gate Park is exactly an hour from you. Bring a picnic and sit outside the Conservatory of Flowers. Also perfect for social distancing. Botanical gardens would also give you ample room to run and be socially distanced.
3. Ardenwood covers a large area. Perfect for wandering.
4. Playgrounds at off-hours: you have a lot of playgrounds near you that are awesome including Ortega and a little further away Sabercat playground or Imagine Playground. Babies are (often) up early and that would be an ideal time to hit those parks without running into other kids/people. I find that in general, no one is up before 10 on the weekends.
5. The East Bay Regional Parks also has several swimming locations not too far from you including Cull Canyon and Don Castro. On the weekends they will be too crowded for you, but on weekdays they will be quieter, particularly once school starts in two weeks.
6. Oakland Museum is an hour from you and they have a large outdoor garden for exploring. There are also indoor exhibits that you would have to assess your comfort around, but it is ticketed resulting in very low numbers of people being inside and easy to social distance.
7. Fairyland is also in Oakland and is basically crack for babies and toddlers. It is ALL outside and ticketed, but you'd have to assess your comfort level as there will be more kids and people there than any of the above locations, and kids just are not great with social distancing. If it's any consolation though, there have not been any reports of an outbreak at Fairyland (unlike say, Disney).
In the future there are several Instagram mommy bloggers in the South Bay that post interesting places to go and will respond to your questions, and 510 families website has lots of things to do in the East Bay with kids.
Have fun!
posted by Toddles at 9:13 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
Ardenwood Farm is amazing. Check out Hidden Villa too and see what their current status is.
Sanborn County Park (tadpoles and newts!) and Hakone Gardens (buy fish food when you buy your ticket and feed the giant koi!) are awesome - both are better for babywearing than strollers though.
Henry Cowell - stroller friendly on the interpretive path or the paved Pipeline Road. Roaring Camp is right next door if your little one likes trains.
Gardens like Filoli or the Japanese Friendship Garden by Happy Hollow or the tiny but amazing Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto.
Fountains like the one by the library in Los Gatos. The ones at the Rose Garden and in downtown Willow Glen are also great but often much more crowded.
Everything is less crowded during the week if you can swing that.
posted by bananacabana at 9:45 AM on August 7, 2021 [2 favorites]
Sanborn County Park (tadpoles and newts!) and Hakone Gardens (buy fish food when you buy your ticket and feed the giant koi!) are awesome - both are better for babywearing than strollers though.
Henry Cowell - stroller friendly on the interpretive path or the paved Pipeline Road. Roaring Camp is right next door if your little one likes trains.
Gardens like Filoli or the Japanese Friendship Garden by Happy Hollow or the tiny but amazing Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto.
Fountains like the one by the library in Los Gatos. The ones at the Rose Garden and in downtown Willow Glen are also great but often much more crowded.
Everything is less crowded during the week if you can swing that.
posted by bananacabana at 9:45 AM on August 7, 2021 [2 favorites]
Venice Beach in Half Moon Bay has really shallow, warm inlets and wide spaces to explore. The only place where distancing might be hard is the trail to the parking lot. (I don't actually know much about one year olds. But, three and five year olds go nuts for it. And it's nice for adults.)
posted by eotvos at 10:26 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by eotvos at 10:26 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]
One year olds love anything new, especially if they experience it with someone they know. I took my son to a zoo at that age when we were visiting friends in a city; he was most delighted by the squirrels. You can go to state parks, or to the nearest green area near you, around the block. It's all new to your baby. Go places you'd like to visit; your baby will enjoy it more when you are engaged. If you think your one year old needs stimulation, add music, dance, put down a blanket outside and do tumbling. Music is wonderful on its own, also enhances brain development.
posted by theora55 at 11:31 AM on August 7, 2021
posted by theora55 at 11:31 AM on August 7, 2021
Coyote Point is good for little ones - there's a great playground (if covid exposure is a concern, visit during the week for fewer kids - it gets packed on weekends), but also a rocky beach and walking trails, including close views of airplanes on final approach to SFO and a small marina with a pier on the Bay.
posted by kdar at 9:40 AM on August 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by kdar at 9:40 AM on August 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
There's an installation at the Tech Museum at Park and Market that is a motorized ball machine that is amazing to watch. Does anyone local know if it is still running and if it is on at all hours?
posted by SandiBeech at 9:18 AM on August 9, 2021
posted by SandiBeech at 9:18 AM on August 9, 2021
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posted by parmanparman at 5:24 AM on August 7, 2021 [1 favorite]