National Library Week: First observed in 1958, this national celebration, sponsored by the American Library Association, occurs each April.  For 2024, National Library Week is April 7-13.

During this week, the San Mateo Public Library Foundation is spotlighting the programming that the San Mateo Public Library offers. Among the various activities, there are quite a few kid- and family-friendly ones. Any time during the week, go on a self-paced scavenger hunt that involves visiting all three branches of the San Mateo Public Library (with a chance to win gift cards for complete and accurate submissions). On April 7, you can take your pre-K and early elementary school children to a lively concert featuring the Grammy-winning music duo 123 Andrés. And on April 13, bring the whole family to check out all the library-related programming and performances at a festival in San Mateo’s Central Park. More details can be found here: https://www.sanmateocelebrates.com/2024-events

After the week is over, visit the San Mateo Public Library to take advantage of its regular offerings.  Did you know that you could:

·       Attend book clubs and other meetups, as well as storytimes (including baby, toddler, family, and many more)

·       Take your kids to watch movies (including after school movie clubs and Saturday morning cartoons)

·       Sign up for crafting and other classes (where you can learn how to make things such as miniature book charms and origami boxes)

·       Borrow a California State Parks Pass and equipment (backpack kit and child carrier backpack kit)

·       Get assistance with your computer or electronic device from Tech Help

·       Use or borrow various equipment, such as sewing machines, induction stove kits, portable photo studios, and lots more

·       Reserve museum passes through Discover and Go

All of this is available for free, as long as you have a library card!

Free First Tuesday at the Conservatory of Flowers - San Francisco, April 2

Disney Cats & Dogs - San Francisco, April 2 – June 2

Free Admission at the SF Japanese Tea Garden - San Francisco, April 1-30

Spring in the Garden at Cal Academy - San Francisco, April 1 – 28

Habitot Children's Museum at Bay Street – Emeryville, April 1-30

Entwined - San Francisco, April 1 – 28

Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love at SF MOMA - San Francisco, April 1 – May 28

Mr. Roboto Exhibit - San Francisco, April 1-30

PEANUTS™ Celebration at Great America – Santa Clara, April 6-28

Fantastical Flowers at Gilroy Gardens – Gilroy, April 1-30

Cowabunga, Peanuts! – Santa Rosa, April 1-30

San Rafael Spring Carnival - San Rafael, April 4-7

Academy Day at Cal Academy - San Francisco, April 4

First Thursday at SFMOMA - San Francisco, April 4

Open: Art Lab - Berkley, April 4

Mobile Recreation Rec & Roll Event – San Mateo, April 5

Curiodyssey First Friday Nights - San Mateo, April 5

Penguins and Pajamas Sleepovers at Cal Academy – San Francisco, April 5

Free Telescope Viewing – Oakland, April 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27

Home Depot Kids Workshop – Bay Area, April 6

Teen Night at SF Symphony – San Francisco, April 6

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Film and Lunch – Napa, April 6

Holi SplashOMania – Fremont, April 6

Veterinary Hospital Tours at the Oakland Zoo – Oakland, April 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24

Fun on the Farm – San Ramon, April 6, 13, 20, 27

Family Farm Days at Slide Ranch – Muir Beach, April 6, 27

Pickup Kickball Fun Family Friendly – San Mateo, April 7

Spring Wildflower Hike at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve - Redwood City, April 5-7

San Francisco International Chocolate Salon - San Francisco, April 7

Family Storytelling Day at the Asian Art Museum – San Francisco, April 7

Holi Celebration at Bishop Ranch – San Ramon, April 7

Solar Eclipse Viewing at Chabot Space & Science Center – Oakland, April 8

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at The Lawrence – Berkeley, April 8

Exploratorium’s Solar Eclipse Event – San Francisco, April 8

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party in Hauke Park – Mill Valley, April 8

Film w/Live Orchestra: The Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Rings - SF, April 11-13

School of Rock – San Jose, April 12-24

Bohème Out of the Box – Burlingame, April 13

Wunderlich County Park 50th Anniversary Celebration – Woodside, April 13

Family Nature Adventures: Flowers – Oakland, April 13

Non Stop Bhangra Holi Festival of Colors – Oakland, April 13

Art Making for All Ages – Berkeley, April 13

Second Saturday on the Farm – Watsonville, April 13

Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival – San Francisco, April 13-21

Zoo Kids – Oakland, April 13,27

Love Our Earth Festival – East Palo Alto, April 13

8th Annual Airport Runway Run at San Carlos Airport – San Carlos, April 14

Art for All Family Day – Stanford, April 14

Marine Science Sundays – Sausalito, April 14, 28

Reading with Dogs at Pup Plaza – San Jose, April 18

Cirque du Soleil: Kooza – San Jose, April 18 – May 25

Parents Night Out – Belomont, April 19

The Spongebob Musical by Pleasanton Youth Theater Company – Pleasanton, April 19-28

Finding Nemo – San Jose, April 19-28

Bug Day 2024 at the Randall Museum - San Francisco, April 20

Big Truck Day at Los Gatos Parent Nursery School – Los Gatos, April 20

Earth Fest at the SF Zoo - San Francisco, April 20

Children of the Dragon – San Jose, April 20

Kids Night at the Museum – Santa Rosa, April 20

The Spongebob Musical – Pleasanton, April 19-28

Insect Discovery Lab – Mountain View, April 20

Earth Day Celebration at The Lawrence – Berkeley, April 21

Earth Day at Chabot Space & Science Center – Oakland, April 21

Charity & the JAMband Family Concert – San Francisco, April 21

Percussion Discussion – Walnut Creek, April 24-27

We Players Presents Adventures with Alice - San Francisco, April 24-28

Finding Nemo – Palo Alto, April 25 – May 12

Honk – San Jose, April 25-28

Cow Palace Spring Fair – Daly City, April 25-28

Family Nature Day – Tiburon, April 27

DogFest – San Francisco, April 27

Cal Sailing Open House – Berkeley, April 27

Recycle Right Day – San Jose, April 27

Pacific Coast Dream Machines – Half Moon Bay, April 28

Boardwalk Pride – Santa Cruz, April 27

The Three Little Pigs – Palo Alto, April 27, 28

Children's Day Celebration – Colma, April 30

On March 8, 2024, people all around the world will come together to celebrate International Women's Day and honor the incredible women of the past and present. One such woman who deserves recognition is Katie Williams Hoepke, the founder of the Mothers Club. 

Katie's passion for connecting mothers and creating supportive communities has had a lasting impact on many Bay Area families. As we continue to honor her legacy and strive toward inclusion, we are reminded of the power of friendship, support, and advice in building a strong and thriving community. 

In 1991, Katie created a mother's club around the Bay Area. She had been part of a similar group on the East Coast, but when she moved, she couldn't find anything like it. So, she put out an ad asking for moms who wanted to join a club and eventually helped create over 30 clubs. She wrote a book called "Mother's Club, Nurturing the Nurturers," and started building a community of moms who could support each other.

Katie discovered a sense of community, options, and opportunities by joining the Mothers Club. The club provided her with alternatives to her loneliness, challenges for her energy, and avenues for her talent and parenting education. Despite the obstacles she faced, Katie remained unwavering in her belief that the Mothers Club was a crucial concept that needed to be shared and expanded. With her determination and hard work, she authored a book and established Mothers Clubs, which now operate in many cities in the Bay Area. We are inspired by Katie's commitment to spreading the wonderfully supportive concept of the Mothers Club.

The San Mateo Mothers Club was founded, which later became the San Mateo Parents Club (SMPC) in January 2018. The SMPC is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, and its upcoming International Women's Day campaign, "Inspire Inclusion," is a testament to this commitment. With many women serving on the board, the SMPC is well-positioned to continue thriving and achieving its goals. As the club has grown and evolved, it has become more inclusive, and we are proud to highlight the contributions of all members, including parents, caretakers, and board members. The SMPC is a vital part of the San Mateo community, and we are confident that it will continue to be so in the years to come. 

Throughout the month, we will be showcasing the members of the board, who happen to all be women. We hope that by learning about these amazing individuals, you will gain a better understanding of the many important roles they uphold in helping the club succeed. Let us take a moment to recognize their accomplishments and celebrate their success. As we move forward, let us continue to encourage and uplift each other, while striving to promote inclusion and diversity in all that we do.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of members who have volunteered their time to serve on the SMPC Board.  This month, we will be highlighting a few of our Board Members by sharing their SMPC role and experiences.

Meet Karolina Trofimov!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. 

My name is Karolina. My husband and I have a daughter, Kaiya, who just turned 5, and two Furbabies. 

How did you get started at the San Mateo Parents Club?

When our daughter enrolled in preschool, I had heard about the San Mateo Parents Club. One of the moms was the president of the SMPC with three kids, and I was super duper impressed. I wanted to contribute. At that point, I had just changed my career path, and I've been on the board ever since. I've been on the board for a year and a half now. I'm the social media and advertising coordinator. 

What is your favorite SMPC event?

I like the new member mixers; that's one of the reasons why I wanted to join the club and contribute to its mission of bringing parents of young kiddos together. Life becomes very different when you become a parent, and finding your tribe is essential. The playdates are a great resource to discuss milestones and such. I run into some of the board members and parents I've met at preschool and now at kindergarten. We are a community! The club includes both parents, moms and dads are both welcome :) It's not like a breastfeeding support group or a mom's group. We planned some dad's nights out last year, which were successful since moms wanted their partners to socialize with other local dads. 

What is your favorite place to go with your kid?

My top three places to go with kiddos under 5 are CuriOdyssey, a small exploratorium meets zoo; the downtown library, which has a kids' play area and also hosts kids' crafts and events; and Gilroy Gardens, a long drive but a mini amusement park.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of members who have volunteered their time to serve on the SMPC Board.  This month, we will be highlighting a few of our Board Members by sharing their SMPC role and experiences.

Meet Olivia Allen-Price!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. 

I'm Olivia Allen-Price. I am mom to Sullivan,who just turned 3 on January 28. With my husband, Sam, we live in the sunnybrae neighborhood in San Mateo.

How did you get started in the San Mateo parents club (SMPC)?

I got involved with club actually through a playgroup, a woman that I had been talking to about potentially doing a nanny share, ended up not working out but she was like, “I'm in this playgroup, it's really helpful. There's a lot of other moms who are kind of going through the same stuff, you should come to one of our events and check it out.” So I showed up at this playgroup event and immediately just felt so much less alone. It was moms who had very young babies, I think my son, Sullivan, was about two months or so at a time. So we were all breaking in the middle of breastfeeding, babies are crying and they're split up, but in this environment where everyone really understands, and you don't really have to apologize, which sometimes I found myself having to do in other groups. It just felt like such a natural place to be. So I've really hung tight with that playgroup for probably the first year. They were a huge support for me, a lot of the moms in that group were second time moms. So it was really cool to just hear some words of wisdom from them because they had a slightly different point of view, having been through it all before, but at the same time, we're also in the same moment as I was. Obviously I ended up joining after that first play date went so well and have been regularly attending events with the group when I can and gotten a lot out of it.

And how long have you been on the board and what is your role?

This is my first time joining the board. I just got recruited at the Board Open House at the end of January. So I am  weeks into my board position, events coordinator along with Dana & Britta.

What has been your favorite SMPC event?

I had a blast at the Highlands pool party last year. I had not been to that pool before and there is a climbing wall that comes out of the deep end. My husband and I took turns climbing up the climbing wall and my son was watching us and cheering us on. It was a sweet family memory.It was also really great because it's a high turnout event, I got to meet a lot of other parents at that event.

What is your favorite place to go with your kid in the San Mateo County area?

Hands down CuriOdyssey. He loves CuriOdyssey. We are members. We go often. He just loves all the exhibits there. He loves seeing the animals plus it's really close to where we live. We often will bike over together, he can bike with us or we have a little kid seat he can ride on. So it's kind of a fun family activity, biking over there, spend a couple of hours and we can get back before lunch and nap. It's just like an awesome way to spend a weekend morning.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of members who have volunteered their time to serve on the SMPC Board. This month, we will be highlighting a few of our Board Members by sharing their SMPC role and experiences.

Meet Dana Wu!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. 

I'm Dana. I live with my husband, Matt, my daughter, Hannah, who’s 4 and my son, Nathan, who's 2. We live in San Mateo, near the village.

How did you get started in the San Mateo parents club?

I joined the San Mateo parents club when my daughter was four months, So right when she was born, I joined those playdates and I met some friends. 

Have you kept in touch with anybody that started around the same time you did?

The person who created our playgroup and made the playgroup. We're still friends and we now both have two around the same age. 

How did you get started on the board and what's your role?

I just joined. Went to my first meeting. It's because the events are fun for the San Mateo parents club, and I wanted to help make more events that my family & friends were going to anyway, we might as well be helping. I'm in the events team. So the three of us on the events team just met for the first time and brainstormed upcoming events for this year. 

What's your favorite event that the San Mateo Parents club has held?

The Lemos farm in the fall is very memorable and fun for the kids and the family. Also the Earth Day event, my kids really liked it. It was at the playground, we walked to it and they enjoyed that. There were some obstacle courses that she enjoyed.

Your favorite place to take your kids in the San Mateo County area? 

I like the beach. Halfmoon Bay has a lot of great beaches. During Christmas time we'll walk around the Ritz Carlton and they have a great Christmas tree that's overlooking the water. It's very beautiful. They have a huge gingerbread house inside that the kids like to look at. 

A few months ago, there was also the low tide at Maverick beach in Halfmoon Bay where you could do a lot of tide pools and that was the first time for us going there. It's a lot of walking for the kids but we walked all the way to the edge of the shore and they loved seeing all the crabs and all the sea life, the sea stars, so it was really fun.

Any closing words to the readers?

Members can reach out to me if they have questions or ideas for events that they want to see. They can always contact us at the events team and share their ideas.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny – Daly City, March 16

Panorama Easter Egg Decorating – San Mateo, March 23

Easter Bunny Photo Hops – San Mateo, March 23-30

Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt – Burlingame, March 23

Easter Bunny Arrives by Helicopter – San Carlos, March 30

Egg Adventure Hunt – Belmont, March 30

Eggstravaganza in Central Park – San Mateo, March 30

Easter Eggstravaganza @Springline – Menlo Park, March 30

PorchLight Bay Area's Easter Egg Hunt – Redwood City, March 30, 31

Free First Friday at the History Museum – Redwood City, March 1

Free Telescope Viewings – Oakland, March 1

Spring has Sprung – Livermore, March 1

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Celebration – San Jose, March 1

Happy Campers: A Trip Full of Emotions (Book reading)– Palo Alto, March 1

Habitot Children's Museum at Bay Street – Emeryville, March 1-31

Mr. Roboto Exhibit – San Francisco, March 1-31

Museum of 3D Illusions - San Francisco, March 1-31

Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love - San Francisco, March 1-31

Magnificent Magnolias - San Francisco, March 1-31

Home Depot Kids Workshop – Bay Area, March 2

Fremont Summer Camp Fair – Fremont, March 2

Special Needs Easter Playdate – Danville, March 2

The Reluctant Dragon by PYT – Mountain View, March 1-2

MakeArt Family Day – San Francisco, March 2

Science Fair Fest – San Francisco, March 2

Nature Tales Story Time at Edgewood – Redwood City, March 2

Journey of the Whales – Inverness, March 2

Storytime Science for Kids: March Mathness - San Francisco, March 2,9,16

Planetarium Shows at DeAnza College – Cupertino, March 2, 9, 16, 23

Family Farm Days at Slide Ranch – Muir Beach, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Open Cockpit Day – Oakland, March 3

Buki the Clown at Children’s Fairyland – Oakland, March 3

Sunday Storytime at Tilden – Berkeley, March 3

Lunar New Year 5K/10K Run/Walk – San Francisco, March 3

Farmyard Games – Fremont, March 3

Palo Alto Camp Fair – Palo Alto, March 3

Dinosaur World Live – Santa Rosa, March 6

Wild Kratts Live – San Francisco, March 6

Peter Pan by Children’s Theatre Association San Francisco – San Francisco, March 6

Pinocchio by Fantasy Forum – Walnut Creek, March 7-9

Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit – San Carlos, March 8-10

Music for Families with SF Symphony – San Francisco, March 9

Giant’s Fan Fest – San Francisco, March 9

Noe Music Kids – San Francisco, March 9

Kids Pasta Making Class – San Jose, March 9

North Bay Science Discovery Day – Santa Rosa, March 9

Family Nature Adventures: Bees – Oakland, March 9

International Women’s Day at The Lawrence – Berkeley, March 9

Carrier Con – Alameda, March 9

Nowruz Around the World – San Jose, March 9

Lakeshore's World of Discovery - San Jose, March 9

March Dad-ness! Daddy and Me Bowling – Oakland, March 9

Family Cycling Workshop - Castro Valley, March 9

Bay Area Garden Railroad – San Carlos, March 9

Goodie's Kid's Club: Build-A-Wooden Dump Truck – Mill Valley, March 9

E.T. Film with Orchestra – San Jose, March 9, 10

Paw Patrol Live – San Francisco, March 9, 10

Penguins and Pajamas Sleepovers at Cal Academy – San Francisco, March 9, 23

Zoo Kids – Oakland, March 9,23

Second Saturday on the Farm – Watsonville, March 9

Seussical by PYT – Mountain View, March 9-17

Apple Store Workshop: Make Your Own Emoji –  Bay Area, March 9-10, 15-17, 22

Storytime at the Foster Museum – Palo Alto, March 10

Family Chamber Music Concert – Mill Valley, March 10

Marine Science Sundays – Sausalito, March 10, 24

SF Jazz Family Matinee – San Francisco,  March 16

St. Patrick’s Day Parade – San Francisco, March 16

Holi Festival – Milpitas, March 16

Flower Bird Feeder – San Bruno, March 16

Family Bird Walk – Fremont, March 16

Family Fun at Happy Hollow – San Jose, March 16

The Ugly Duckling – Palo Alto, March 16, 17

Model Railroad Show – Walnut Creek, March 16, 17

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration – Dublin, March 16, 17

Celtic Celebration – Hayward, March 17

Flying Leprechaun Skydive – San Carlos, March 17

Mean Girls by Broadway San Jose – San Jose, March 19-24

Reading with Dogs at Pup Plaza – San Jose, March 21

Painting & Pizza Kids Workshop – Alameda, March 23

Boardwalk Fun Run – Santa Cruz, March 23

Spring Family Day at Palo Alto Art Center – Palo Alto, March 24

Bloom Shaboom – SF, March 24

Straw Rocket Workshop – San Carlos, March 24

Entwined - San Francisco, March 1 – April 28

Spring Cookie Decorating Party – Moraga, March 30

Spring Family Fun Day – Santa Rosa, March 30

TreasureFest 2024 - Treasure Island, SF, March 30-31

We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of members who have volunteered their time to serve on the SMPC Board.  This month, we will be highlighting a few of our Board Members by sharing their SMPC role and experiences.

Meet Wenjia Zhao!

As the Treasurer for the SMPC, could you tell us what exactly you do?

I help the club track and manage its expenses, handle reimbursements and payments, and monitor its budget. I also file taxes, prepare financial reports, and handle other financial paperwork with banks and payment processors.

How long have you been an SMPC member, and how long have you been on the Board?   What initially drew you to join the SMPC, and then to volunteer for this Board position?  

I joined SMPC as a member in February 2023, so it’s just been a little over a year. I joined it originally just to get involved with kid and parent friendly events. I really enjoyed the events and wanted to help out. I saw a recruitment email for the board in August 2023 and officially joined a month later. 

What city do you live in?  How many kids do you have and how old are they?  

I live in San Mateo city, near Hillsdale. I have a toddler son who’s turning 2 in April!

Where are some of your favorite places (in San Mateo or elsewhere in the Bay Area) to take your son? 

My son loves running around and touching everything, so we enjoy places with toddler-proof interactive exhibits like CuriOdyssey and Palo Alto Junior Museum. We also enjoy going to Laurie Meadows park and our home park, Paddock, when the weather is good. In the summer when it gets really hot we would go fountain hopping at Stanford to cool off as well.

What is your favorite SMPC event you've attended and why?

Highlands Pool Party! It was our first time at the Highlands Recreation Center, and we really liked the shallow kiddie pool. Plus the food at the party was really tasty.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of members who have volunteered their time to serve on the SMPC Board.  This month, we will be highlighting a few of our Board Members by sharing their SMPC role and experiences. 

Meet Erin Livingston!      

As the Playgroups and Parent Pairings Coordinator, could you tell us what you do? 

For playgroups, I set up new groups in Facebook as needed and recruit for new members. I also try to encourage conversation or meetups, especially in the groups that are just getting started. For Parent Pairings, I match up to 70 members at a time with mentors or buddies. The matches last for 6 months and are 1:1 or small group, with monthly prompts to inspire connection. 

How long have you been an SMPC member, and how long have you been on the Board?   What initially drew you to join the SMPC, and then to volunteer for this Board position?  

I've been a member for close to 4 years - I joined when my son was around 3 months old. I joined SMPC because I wanted to meet others who were in a similar stage of motherhood. It's so nice to have others who are going through the same things at the same time, whether that's breastfeeding an infant, potty training a toddler, or making decisions about schools later on. This is my second year on the board. I've really benefited from SMPC, especially during the early days of covid when socially-distanced park playdates were some of my only social gatherings! I wanted to contribute more to creating that community. 

What city do you live in?  How many kids do you have and how old are they?  

My husband and I live in the Sunnybrae neighborhood of San Mateo and our son just turned 4! We love to meet neighbors so feel free to reach out if you live nearby. 

Where are some of your favorite places (in San Mateo or elsewhere in the Bay Area) to take your son? 

We often walk to downtown San Mateo to get coffee at Blue Bottle, then swing by Central Park and maybe the Japanese Tea Garden. We also like to hike at Edgewood Park Natural Preserve. I recommend a membership to CuriOdyssey since that's an easy local option that includes Magic Mountain playground. If we are feeling more ambitious, we sometimes go to Tunnel Tops Park or Golden Gate Park in SF. 

What is your favorite SMPC event you've attended and why? 

My favorite event is actually ongoing...it's our book club! I've been a regular for years now and love meeting up with friends who also love to read every 3 weeks.