Some of my favorite Spots are ones chosen by mom/baby classes. They are worth noting for their cozy spaces under tree nooks and lots of places to run around, jump off little bridges, and really get into the flowers.

Presidio, El Polin Spring

Luca was only 6 months old when we visited this park for the first time, with a sweet parent/baby class. Just before crawling, we still had fun letting him play in the sandy gravel and sing with his friends and tell stories under the sweet canopy of trees.

We learned about developing your child’s twelve senses in the book Beyond The Rainbow Bridge (yes, we have more than the popular five, and anyone can argue how many we actually have… but it is more than the few we talk about so much!).

Legion of Honor

Aside from being a beautiful museum (seeing a Monet up close!), the setting of this place is just stunning. Find a trail, walk the campus, or even walk through the golf course to see some views of the Golden Gate.

SF Botanical Garden

Check out the music days, book readings at the local library in the park, and the best part: free days in the children’s section (for residents)! In the summer, these were several days a week, and also on weekends. Lots of places to explore, make art, learn about a topic of the week, play through organic sensory gardens, or just hop along broken trunks and sandpits.

Save some time for a picnic in one of the many meadows. And stick around for the piano in the park days - where anyone can play, or watch some scheduled performances.

(Just be sure to leave nothing valuable in the car. The park is NOTORIOUS for car break ins, and the police do not get involved, even if they see it happen). I just park outside on one of the main streets, as you are less likely to have something happen on the busier city roads in front of coffee shops.

One of our favorite treasures in San Francisco. (aside from the headache of dealing with a broken window and stolen diaper bag).

Sutro Tower Trails

Follow the fairy trail to see lots of hidden gardens along our favorite natural park in the city. Feel like you are all of a sudden a thousand miles away, rather than being in the center of a busy city.

Above Land’s End, Sutro Heights

This was kind of a secret nook that my husband remembered from his biking treks. It feels like such a hidden secret clearing with old brick buildings and gardens that felt like a relic in some ancient forest.

Dolores Park

Our home for the last five years. Seriously one of the most beautiful city parks in the world.

Shakespeare’s Garden

This was our first choice for Luca’s birthday, but honestly might be better as he gets older so we can play an actual family game of some kind. We actually just happened to walk in on a family having a big football match after Thanksgiving *before we had kids), and it has stuck in our minds as an ideal spot for spending time together.

To host a party here, it costs about $400 to reserve the space, $800 if you want the full day (due to various nap schedules at various ages). It is fine to just show up, but there is a good chance it will be otherwise rented out for a wedding on the weekends.

Glenn Canyon

A geological heaven, read the Cool, Grey City of Love for herstorical detail on a unique blend of rock formations. Lots of places to explore, including large fields, picnic tables, long windy trails