San Mateo Parents Club

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!

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April Kids/Family Fun Events

1 Apr 2024 9:48 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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

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SMPC-International Women's Day

8 Mar 2024 12:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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.

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Get to Know Your Board: Karolina Trofimov

8 Mar 2024 11:35 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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.

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Get to Know Your Board: Olivia Allen-Price

5 Mar 2024 11:31 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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.

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Get to Know Your Board: Dana Wu

4 Mar 2024 8:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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.