SIP-friendly Family Outdoor Fun
As you probably well know, SIP doesn’t mean you have to stay inside all day. In fact, outdoor exercise near home with your family is even encouraged! Here are a few fun activities to get some sunshine and exercise with your favorite little tykes:
- Kite flying in the kite flying area of Shoreline Park
- Creek walking in a stream near you (e.g., Stevenson Creek, San Antonio Park)
- Family bike ride to Rick’s Ice Cream (ice cream social-[distancing]!)
- Fruit picking (Webb Ranch U-Pick should probably open soon, and I know some friends in South Bay have been cherry picking near Morgan Hill)
- Gardening
- Bird watching. FYI, the massive flocks of pelicans are back at the bird preserve at Shoreline again!
- Tree climbing and fort building — classic pastimes
- Hiking, of course!
- Picnics (but bring your own picnic cloth — most picnic table areas are closed)
- Soccer, frisbee, tennis and other sports with your family
- Outdoor tea parties and reading parties (a daily ritual for us now!)
- No pool? No problem! Try a splash pad or even a bucket of water and some water squirters/water guns!
Run with your kids (and help feed other kids, too)
Menlo Church is having a virtual 5K walk/run to raise money to send 250,000 meals to children and families facing hunger in Zimbabwe, Senegal, Mali, and Malawi. You can run any 5k course at anytime during the weekend of Friday, June 26 – Sunday, June 28 • 5am to 5pm. The first 2100 participants receive FREE event registration and t-shirt. Get a team together with your friends and family across the country (or world) and see who can get the fastest 5k time. I’ve recently discovered Strava (okay, I am a good decade behind the times), and it is awesome for tracking runs! Shout out to Elizabeth H. for letting me know about this cool opportunity to get fit AND serve others!
https://act.riseagainsthunger.org/event/menlo-run-for-hope/e286377
Hike/Creek Info (Curtesy of Beth!)
Bear Creek Redwoods
Park in the main lot on the right side toward the back for most shade. A mostly paved, flat trail around the pond makes for good exploring with toddlers and easy access to the newly reopened restroom. Across the road, a wide gravel path zigzags uphill with lots of shade, if not much in the way of destination. Some distance from the trail junction there is a tumbled-down brick building, probably a former logging cookhouse, up the hill on the left side of the trail. Worth a look if you end up that far in.
Long Ridge
Park at the Peters Creek trail entrance on Skyline. Take the (exposed) trail down the hill to the junction, then take a left to continue to the shady creek (half a mile from the trailhead). You will cross Peters Creek over a bridge, then go under a downed tree. There are plenty of good places to play in the creek. If you want a long (for kids; 3.5 miles) well-shaded loop, take the Long Ridge trail up the hill when you get to the fork, then come back around to Peters Creek Trail and back up the hill to the car. No restrooms.
Mt. Madonna County Park
Park at the restroom by the hilltop picnic area adjacent to the fallow deer pen. Walk down to the main road and take a left up the hill. Take the trail toward the Miller house, about a tenth of a mile. There are ruins from the Millers’ summer home, with plenty of places to climb, jump off of, and look for lizards. For stream play, park instead at the pullout near trail junction 71. Hike Blackhawk trail until you reach a suitable place without too many mosquitoes. Watch for poison oak.
Sanborn County Park, Across from Castle Rock State Park
Park at the generously-sized pullout. There are lots of shaded, scramble-worthy rocks here, but also possibly lots of climbers. No restrooms.
Picchetti Ranch
Park in the lot to the right, then take the trail around the winery picnic area. Keep to the right over the creek and past the restrooms. Take Zinfandel trail three tenths of a mile to the “pond” (generally dry) where there are downed trees, sticks, some shade, and birds and lizards to watch. Walk around the lake and head back.
Kids Yoga Class Info (Curtesy of Brianna!)
Blossom Birth (in Palo Alto) is offering (virtual) kids yoga classes. It is geared for ages 3-9 and costs $10 per class.. They also have mom and toddler yoga class options (all virtual at present).
https://www.blossombirthandfamily.org/kids-yoga-class.html
(And don’t forget Cosmic Yoga if you want a dose of storytelling with your stretches:).
KiwiCrate Camps
For those of you with older kids looking for a ‘camp’ experience this summer, fear not! One local company has come up with an interesting solution: camp kits for home! They send you a crate with materials for crafts and projects (for a fee), and you can access all their supporting online content for free. We’ve received a few of their craft kits as gifts, and they were always great quality. Another shout out to Elizabeth H. — thanks for keeping me in-the-know!
Racism Resources
If you are like me, you are trying to find age-appropriate ways to discuss the current events facing our country. Below are several links and resources (sent to me by various friends — many thanks, guys!).
Lessons and stories for small children
https://www.dcareaeducators4socialjustice.org/black-lives-matter/resources/young-children#lessons
Parental education on racism
https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race
Free rental of ‘Just Mercy’ film
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/just-mercy-free-rental-warner-bros-1234623027/
Upcoming Sesame Street Racism Special
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/us/cnn-sesame-street-standing-up-to-racism/index.html?fbclid=IwAR06q200n2zi-RgweKD3kSrfseckljwJcjIYHJDSPKeqWUJ-8Q8HefHK7Ew
Advice on having conversations with your kids
https://www.handinhandparenting.org/article/helping-children-exposed-to-shocking-events/
Books on racism
Preschool / Kinder
A Normal Pig by K Fai Steele
Be Kind Pat Zietlow Miller
Strictly No Elephants
Those Shoes
All Are Welcome
The Day you Begin
Kinder – 2nd Grade
Malala’s Magic Pencil
Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
The Other Side Jaclyn Woodson
Tar Beach Faith Ringgold
Holes in the Sky Patricia Polako
Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
My Hair is a Garden
Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up
I AM MLK
I am Rosa Parks
I am Jackie Robinson
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade Video
https://youtu.be/AjWE-S_78vU
Sonia Sotomayor’s book Just Ask
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/sep/01/just-ask-says-sonia-sotomayor-she-knows-what-its/
NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
One friend found the chapter on race particularly helpful and insightful
Mountain View Library Story Time
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most local events are postponed. However, one great local resource are the Mountain View story times online. Check out the library Facebook page to see the lovely faces of Librarian Sharon and Miss Alex once again!
https://www.facebook.com/MVPLibrary/
Also, I need to give a special shout-out to this awesome COVID-19-themed special story time with both Librarian Sharon, Librarian Alex, and their friend, a paramedic! It is really well done and perfect for preschoolers!
Sesame Street Coronavirus Town Hall
To be honest, I haven’t watched all of this yet, but I’ve been a fan of Sesame Street for years. And years. And years.
Mountain View Camps
It sounds like some of the camps will be running this summer, such as the Deer Hallow Camp. This camp is always a big hit with some of the neighborhood kids, so check it out!
https://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/rec/deerhollowfarm/summer_camps.asp
Silicon Valley YMCA Virtual Resource Center
Missing doing classes with your favorite folks at the YMCA? Maybe try one of their Zoom classes — a great way to reconnect and stay fit! This virtual site also has so much more, including Project Cornerstone lesson plans, family activities and free exercise videos.
https://www.ymcasv.org/virtual-resource-center
Stay And Play Circle Time Videos
If you are missing the music and Malcolm from Stay N Play circle times, fear not. You can check out their videos online:
June Parenting Book Club
Untamed by Glennon Doyle (Okay, this covers a lot of territory beyond just motherhood, but it is insightful and thought-provoking, and has some interesting things to say to moms).
Next month (July): Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline by Catherine McNeil
MV Momma 
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