Kiddie City

Hi. Brianne Miller, LCI’s Senior Counselor and Business Development Manager here.

It’s summertime, and the living is easy…unless you’re a parent, in which case you’ve got a few months of entertaining your kids ahead of you. Somehow I always equate summer with increased media outreach creativity. Why? Simply because I spend so much time thinking of exciting, fun, interesting (and perhaps educational) things for my kids to do. And that spills over into work.

Of course, this really comes in handy when we’re pitching a client who loves to target families. So my foray to the beach with pails and shovels turns into a beach cleanup outreach program that includes little gloves for young ones to help out. A dripping popsicle becomes “fruit slushies as neat treats.” Pulling my little one off a statue in the park is the inspiration for an interactive art pitch.

I should really remind clients that even when I’m not on the clock, they’re benefiting! In the meantime, perhaps the summer season will inspire you to get out into the San Francisco fog and enjoy a few “only in the Bay Area” Buzzworthy summertime treats that are kid-friendly:

10. Linda Mar State Beach (Pacifica) –- my home away from home. Well, actually, it’s very near my home so we consider it our backyard.
9. Coca-Cola playground at AT&T Park — it’s open even when the Giants aren’t playing. Nothing like sliding down a giant Coke bottle and running the bases.
8. Rodin sculpture at the Cantor Art Museum at Stanford — no, you can’t climb on it, but after you get your fill of culture, the kids can run around campus. Stop for an ice cream at Peninsula Creamery afterwards.
7. San Francisco Zoo — yes, it’s had its ups and downs, but it’s a great little zoo for families. Small, accessible, easy to do in a morning. Get there early to score street parking.
6. Union Square –- there’s ALWAYS something going on here. Street performers, real performances, people watching. If you have to buy the kids shoes (Macy’s is across the street), park in the convenient garage, get the shoes, and then let the little ones romp around the square.
5. Bay Area Discovery Museum — in an area full of great kids museums (Exploratorium, Zeum), this one stands out for its incredible pristine location right on the Bay. Bring a picnic and make a day of it.
4. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve — on the coast south of San Francisco in Montara, the tidepools are great for exploring.
3. Coyote Point’s Magic Playground — a three-story slide. Need I say more?
2. Max’s — with locations all over the Bay Area, a great place to please the kids (chicken fingers, mac ‘n’ cheese) and the adults (killer sandwiches and salads). Desserts to die for.
1. Fisherman’s Wharf — touristy, yes. Fascinating to kids, absolutely. And the best people watching around…