Bay Area Discovery Museum Blog

For over 20 years, the Bay Area Discovery Museum has celebrated this Mexican tradition honoring those who have passed. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on Nov 1st and 2nd, the first being reserved for the angelitos, or children, and the second for all other departed souls.  Traditionally, families visit, clean, and decorate the graves of family and friends.  Altars are also set up in the home to remember and celebrate. On November 7th from 4 - 6 p.m., the Museum will be joining Pickleweed Park's event in San Rafael. This is a great community event: colorful, lively and always fun. Along with other community organizations, we will be creating an altar at Pickleweed, and we invite our visitors to bring in photos, trinkets, or other items to honor and remember someone in your life.  Some items frequently found on an altar include:

• A picture of the person
• Special mementos such as an item the departed liked
• Flowers such as marigolds
• Candles- to light the path home
• Water- to quench thirst after the journey home
• Food such as pan de muerto (special bread)
• Caleveras de azucar-- sugar skulls
• Calacas- skeletons

If you would like to include something on the altar, please bring your item to the Art Studio by Friday, November 6.  Or even better .... join us on the 7th!

Here are some good links for... continue reading

We invite you to join the Bay Area Discovery Museum's online book club. After several parenting articles posted to our Facebook fan page generated some interesting discussion, we decided to start our own virtual book club. First book up: NurtureShock by local author and parent Po Bronson. The central premise of this book is that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked.  It's a pretty quick read, and we'll tackle it a chapter at a time - we know parents are super busy and it's hard to carve out time to read for yourself.  I'll start the discussion here, on our blog at http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/blog on Monday, November 2, to give everyone 2 weeks or so to acquire the book. Every couple of days I'll post a new blog about a chapter, and invite you to respond in the comments section here. This blog is mirrored on our Facebook page, so you can comment there as well. We invite you to support independent booksellers and buy the book at your neighborhood bookstore. Our friends at Books Inc. in Laurel Village in San Francisco are generously offering a 15% off discount off NurtureShock to our club. To get on the list for the discount, email your name and phone n... continue reading

We're still seeking volunteers to help run our games, activities & attractions at Goblin Jamboree - especially for Saturday! The only volunteer requirement is a desire to work with children of all ages and to have lots of Halloween fun! Volunteers receive a voucher for a free meal, a certificate of participation and an opportunity to enjoy the fun, either before or after their shift. Volunteer shifts are:
Saturday, October 17
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 18
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Noon to 4 p.m. Send an email to goblinvolunteers@yahoo.com to reserve your volunteer shift today!  continue reading

  Catch a sneak peek at this weekend's festivities with our new Goblin Jamboree Preview video! A few seats remain for the Sponsor Breakfast on Sunday, October 18. Seatings are at 8, 9 & 10 a.m. Register online by noon Tuesday to get a jump on the festival with early access to all the fun. Enjoy a delicious buffet courtesy of Paradise Foods and Peet’s Coffee & Tea. Don’t forget the spooktacular goody bags with treats that will delight both parents and children. 

Enter Dracula's Drawing to win prizes including a Disneyland family pass! Goblin Jamboree activities open to Sponsor Breakfast families at 8:30 a.m. and to all attendees at 10 a.m.  Take a pony ride - or three! - before breakfast! continue reading

  Named for one of the great warriors of Ireland, Culann’s Hounds will be playing an acoustic set of Irish dance tunes. Combining vocal harmonies with melodies on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, accordion and bohran, they produce an eclectic blend of modern and traditional Irish music. Join them for a high energy show with plenty of opportunity for singing, dancing a jig and perhaps some howling with the Hounds. Howl along this Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m. Tickets are Members $5; General Child $10; General Adult $12 (includes Museum admission). Buy tickets online.
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Get a jump on the fun with our annual Goblin Jamboree Sponsor Breakfast on Sunday, October 18. Breakfast attendees get exclusive access to all Goblin activities before the general public. Enjoy a pony ride - or three - before breakfast! At the Sponsor Breakfast, you’ll enjoy a delicious buffet courtesy of Paradise Foods and Peet’s Coffee & Tea. Have a portrait made of your little goblin and don’t forget the spooktacular goody bags with treats that will delight both parents and children. Enjoy private performances by Miss Kitty, Suzy Q and Jimbo Trout. Activities open to all Sponsor Breakfast families at 8:30 a.m. and to the general public at 10 a.m. Seatings are at 8, 9, or 10 a.m.

• Giving Ghost $200 per family 
(Family of 4) 

• Generous Ghoul $250 per family
 (Family of 5+)


• Spooktacular Spirit $350 per family 
(includes a special Kids Halloween Gift)
• Tricky Table $1,000 reserved table of 8
(includes a special Kids Halloween Gift)

Buy tickets online. continue reading

We're redesigning our Web site and are looking for some adorable kids (yours!) to feature on the homepage. To be considered, the photo needs to be a full-body shot of your child, head to feet, facing straight on to the camera, with the photographer taking the photo at the same height as the child (not looking down at the child). We'll cut the child out of the background, just like the sample photo in this post . If you'd like your kids to be considered, please send me your pictures at jcaleshu@badm.org. Please, send only 1 photo per child per family. By sending your photo, you agree that we may use your photo in any context at any time, without credit (we won't have room for a photo credit on the homepage...). Thanks! continue reading