April 2018

 

40th Annual Downtown Spring Family Parade (Saturday, April 21)
http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/events/springparade.asp
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Watch the parade stroll down Castro street and the after party will be in Pioneer Park. The theme this year is the 1970’s — with classic 70s music, 70s cars, and lots of good fun.

First Friday Concerts Series
http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/events/plazaevents.asp
Enjoy a wonderful free concert the first Friday of the month April through September from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m at the Mountain View Civic Center Plaza.  There are always games and a park area for the kiddos, and food trucks and nearby restaurants to grab dinner (or pack a picnic)!

Stay N Play (April 6th and April 27th)
https://www.facebook.com/TrinityStayNPlay
This is a great place to let your toddlers explore new toys, try fun crafts, jump in their cool bouncy houses, and enjoy a great circle/song time with the amazing Miss Erin. The group meets every other Friday (9:30 to 11:30 am) at Trinity Church in Sunnyvale. It is very reasonable in price ($3 (cash preferred) per child 2 years and older).  The themes for the upcoming Stay N Plays this month are as follows:

April 6th: Easter Celebration
April 27th: Rainy Day

YMCA Spring Extravaganza (Saturday, April 14)
Enjoy spring-themed crafts and snacks on Saturday morning at the El Camino branch of the YMCA.  10:00 am – 12:00 pm

YMCA (El Camino Branch) Parent’s Day and Nights Out (April 7th and April 20th )
Being a parent is hard work, and if you are a member of the YMCA, you can take a little break from it all with their Parent’s Day and Nights Out.  Basically you drop off your loved ones for some pizza and fun at the YMCA (El Camino Branch), and the lovely workers ensure that they are well cared for while you and the spouse enjoy some time to yourself.   This month the Parent’s Day Out is April 7th (2:30 – 6:30 pm) whereas the Parent’s Night Out is April 20th (5:30 – 9:30 pm; for Night Out kids must be 3 and potty-trained).  The fee is $35 for one child and $25 for each additional child.

As a side note, the YMCA is just a great place of kids to explore new interests since many of the classes like guitar, martial arts, and ballet don’t require extra fees.
http://www.ymcasv.org/pdfs/ECyouthactivities.pdf

March Parenting Book Club (Friday, April 13th)
This month we’ll be discussing Wild Things. We’ll meet the 2nd Friday of every month at 8:30 pm at Olympus Cafe on Castro Street (note the new location!). The lineup for upcoming months is below:
April: Wild Things
May: How to Raise a Wild Child
June: The Boy Who Played with Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star

MV Library Schedule
The story schedule has changes again! Below is the new story time schedule with the new locations while the MV library is undergoing some major renovations.

Saturday Stories (Saturdays)
10:15 – 10:45
Location: The View Teen Center (263 Escuela Ave)
Ages 2 – 5 years
Every third Saturday is Bilingual (English/Spanish).
http://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24903

Time for Two’s (Tuesdays)
Tuesdays
Ages 24 m – 36 m
January 9 – March 6
10:15 – 10:45 am
Location: Center for Performing Arts (500 Castro Street)
http://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24909

Preschool Storytime (Tuesdays)
Spanish and English on alternating Wednesdays
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
January 10 – March 7
Location: Center for Performing Arts (500 Castro Street)
http://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24912

Mother Goose & More (Thursdays)
10:15-10:45 am and 11:30-12:00 pm
January 11 – March 1
Stories and rhymes for babies and toddlers
Location: Center for Performing Arts (500 Castro Street)
http://www.mountainview.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24906

Cheetah Cubs at Theurkauf Elementary (Wednesdays)
Are you in the North Shoreline area of Mountain View (near Theuerkauf Elementary)?  If so, there is a great, free preschool preparatory class on Wednesday mornings at 8:45 am at Theuerkauf Elementary for babies through preschool aged children.  Check in at the front office upon arriving to Theuerkauf Elementary’s school campus.  Every morning there is free play, circle/storytime, and a wonderful craft.  The teacher is great and is bilingual (Spanish and English), and tries to work Spanish songs and books into the curriculum.  Spring session starts 4/18/18.

Chinese Storytime (Wednesdays)
For Chinese-speakers, the Zhaoyu Cultural Foundation in Mountain View has a great children’s library.  They offer a wonderful music-based storytime for babies and toddlers on Wednesdays at 11 am.  You do need to reserve a spot before the class and will need a library card (free) to do so.

Storytimes on Castro Street: Books Inc. and Red Rock (Wednesdays)
Two great local businesses host regular story times on Castro Street, every Wednesday /Thurs morning at 10:00AM.
1st Thurs. of the month at Red Rock Coffee
2nd Wed. of the month at Books Inc. Mountain View
3rd Thurs. of the month at Red Rock Coffee
4th Wed. of the month Books Inc. Mountain View
Babies – 5 yrs. old
https://www.booksinc.net/event/wednesday-storytime-books-inc-mountain-view-0

Munchkin Monday at Sky High (Every Monday morning when local elementary schools are in session; not available on holidays)
Take your little ones to the trampoline mecca in Santa Clara on Monday mornings (resuming Jan 8th).  Their dedicated toddler time  is great because it just $6 per kid and also you don’t have to deal with larger and older kids accidentally squashing your little munchkin.
http://sjc.skyhighsports.com/pricing-and-specials/