Recent Kids Activities - 2009 August

Hi All,

Just so that you know what kind of events you might see coming up in this blow, here is a variety of things that happenned in the last few months which we enjoyed with our son (at some of these events, we were accompanied by some of our friends, but as currently I do not have permission from any one of them to include references to their names, so I will better omit such information for now - but pls. leave me a comment if you are OK for me to include your/your kids names in this blog or later posts to this blog):

2009

August

• 1-2: Day out with Thomas:
  
  @Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton (on way to Santa Cruz)
  Cost - Around $65 for 3 of us + $7 parking.
  Kids take a ride on "Real" Thomas train with open bogies and get a chance to meet Sir Topham Hat and lots of other fun activities including jumper, face painting, etc.
  For Aakarsh, this was a dream come true event - he just loves Thomas and anything linked to it - no wonder we have the imaginarium train table + endless engines + cabooses + tracks and many other specific Thomas train sets for him.





• 9: Kite Flying (like back home in India/Pak) with "manjha thread" and kites cutting "ai-bo" / "bo-kaata" competition on occassion of Pakistan Independence Day:
  @Baylands Park in Sunnyvale.
  Cost - $5 park entrance + $10 for kites (approximately).
  This was more fun for Aakarsh's dad (myself) than Aakarsh himself.





• 15: Swimming:
  @Summerwood in Santa Clara
  Cost - Free
  One of those days when we (myself and couple of my friends) get together and put our kids into the pool and let them learn swimming while making them play chasing games (petty floaters thrown into the pool 5 - 6 ft. away from the kids). This is all-time hit - meaning, our kids always enjoy this - for us (I mean Dads) it is enjoyment time too - but depends on the "catch of the day" - well if you did not get this - either you are too young or too old for the topic.





• 16: Indian Independence day parade and Fair:
  
  @Fremont (near Walnut & Fremont)
  Cost - $5
  Meet Neha Dhupia upclose (well that's what I enjoyed - she looks so good in person compared to her appearances in movies - But Aakarsh had his part of fun dancing to the latest Bollywood songs being performed on stage, free give-aways and the different kulfis, thumbs-up, etc to eat.)
  In addition to this, he also enjoyed the nice colorful parade itself.





• 22: San Mateo County Fair:
  
  @Event Center in San Mateo
  Cost - $10 (sign-up for "more info" request from AAA to get 1 free entry for my wife + kids free anyways)
  Aakarsh enjoyed the stage performances by acrobats and clowns, the kids rides, petting zoo (with baby deer, kangaroo, cock, mini pigs, goats, donkey AND Alpaca), the country band, free give-aways and corn.





• 26: Movie in the park:
  @Foster City
  Cost - Free
  Foster city organizes this every year - for 3 back-to-back weeks. We came to know about this only this year - and could not catch the first 2 Wed. when they showed the "Kung-fu Panda" and "Journey to the center of the Earth". But we were able to make it to the last one this summer - "Grease" - yes, it is an old movie - but the point was not to watch the movie - but to have a family outing and "something different" - Foster city is cold by night even in peak summer - so cuddling together in the park, with hot chocolate in hands and hot freshly popped corn - was an experience.





• 29: Circus Bella:
  
  
  @Fort Mason in SanFrancisco
  Cost - Free
  Aakarsh enjoyed the performers and thereafter the typical German/European stage performance for kids (held after the circus show was over). Later we took a walk down from Fort Mason all the way to Pier 39/Fisherman's wharf and on the way discovered some new areas of SanFrancisco we had never known before - the nice hiden vista point to take perfect pictures of Golden Gate Bridge and the nice warm and shallow beach. Aakarsh enjoyed the street performers near Fisherman's Wharf, the famous Bushman scaring the unwary passer-bys and above all, the Sea Lions.





• 29: Fireworks - August Fireworks:
  @Great America in Santa Clara
  Cost - Free (yes, for fireworks, the entrance to Great America parking lot is also free)
  Great America Park had restarted the Saturday night fireworks all through August this year and 29th August was the last of these - even though Aakarsh had slept while we were driving back from SanFrancisco (after watching the Circus Bella, etc. detailed above) he woke-up right at the sound of first firework and then enjoyed the rest 10 - 15 minutes - very nice.