We reserved the Busy Bee space for a 3-year old's birthday party, and it was perfect. The place is…read morevery clean, has a ton of activity options for small kids. There is a separate room to serve snacks, drinks, and cake; bathroom is clean and convenient.

I hosted a birthday party for a toddler at Busy Bee. Would definitely recommend! A couple of things…read morethat stood out: - Booking/ planning/ prepping all went without a hitch - The play area is great, fun, and spacious. The party room where you would have food/ drinks is right nearby, so it's super easy to monitor kids and transition from one are to another (unlike other places where party room is more disconnected from play) - the center is located in a large shopping area. Which meant easy parking for guests and tons of options to order snacks/ food etc nearby so you wouldn't have to lugg stuff from home - I called several similar places in East Bay, and Busy Bee was by far the most uncomplicated wrt managing guest lists, number of attendees etc. Most importantly: kids LOVED it and were super tuckered out after that!

We had my son's 5th birthday party at Bay Play and it was such a great experience from start to…read morefinish. The staff was incredibly nice, organized, and helpful, which made the whole party feel stress-free. The facility was very clean and there was so much variety for the kids to do -- climbing wall, arcade games, obstacle course, giant jumping pad, and plenty of space to run around and play. Every kid had an amazing time, and multiple parents told me afterward that they would love to have their own child's birthday party there. Highly recommend for a fun and easy birthday party!

We needed somewhere for my kiddo and nephew to go on a rainy winter break day and luckily Bay Play…read morewas one of the few kid spots open on New Year's Day. Off the bat, I want to say this is one of the more affordable indoor playgrounds I've been to (some I've gone to will charge for adults?!) and there was no time limit (some places give you a time limit of how long you can play for) so that was a plus. They do require you to purchase their socks (can't be grippy socks from anywhere else) but even with the socks and day pass, I want to say it was only $35? The kids loved running around the swing ropes, the indoor playground with slide, and the big bouncy thingy under the bouldering wall. My only concern about the bouncy thingy by the bouldering wall is there aren't any safety rails or things around it and I can't tell if it's safer with or without it but I definitely needed to stay close by in case he bounced off the entire cushion thingy. If you have highly sensitive little ones or neurodivergent kiddos, this place may be a tad overstimulating with the arcade right smack dab in the middle. Like other reviewers had mentioned, it would be nice if the arcade was slightly away from the physical play so that kids aren't distracted/overstimulated by the arcade screens. We did eventually end our outing at the arcades (spent another $40 on the game card...sigh) but luckily we won a big jackpot from one of the games to make it all worth it! Of note, you can't really wear your shoes in the bathroom which is kinda gross so bear that in mind. All in all, definitely one of the better indoor playgrounds in the Bay Area!

I'm so glad Alameda has an indoor playground. Both my kids have been enjoying since 6 months to 5…read moreyears old+ Can get busy on rainy days so definitely call to make sure they are accepting open play. It's not huge so it's easy to keep an eye on your kids but lots of variety. Love all the benches and comfy seating for caretakers. There's even a paid massage chair. You need trampoline grippy socks but we've invested pairs sold here and used them plenty. Some favorite areas for the kids are bounce house, kitchen area, ball pit, and slide. There's a clean kitchen area to eat your food. I haven't come or hosted a birthday party but there's a room in the back for one.

This place is fantastic, such a great addition to the east bay. I came here for the first time…read moreyesterday with my 4 year old and 8 year old and they both loved it. Especially my 4 year old which I think is probably more of their target audience, kids below 6. There are a lot of physical activities like a slide ( more suited for kids under age 5), a ball pit, swings, rock climbing wall, and a whole jump house in the back. There is also a painting station and sensory room to calm down and take a break. They have a lot of chairs and couches throughout the place so if you have some work to get done there is definitely room to do so while your kids place. All in all, my kids and I enjoyed this place had we'll definitely be back again.

First time visiting this place and what fun it was! The place is bigger than we expected and had a…read morelot of machines. They are grouped by era of pinball machines. So the front room has the oldest machines and subsequent rooms get progressively newer machines. For the 1 time fee you get unlimited play (so no digging for quarters), there are in and out privileges so you can play, leave to eat etc, and return to play some more. The staff is very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. Only a few machines weren't working, but they had signs so you knew, but almost all of them were working and available to play. Also each machine had a sign that gave some history regarding the art design/layout, or how the particular machine was unique/different etc. I tried to read more of the descriptions but got too caught up in just playing them that I didn't read and learn as much as I should have. Next time I come back I will try to read a bit more. The info provided was actually pretty interesting but I got dazzled by all the blinking lights and sounds. So fun! Speaking of sound- there is enough space between each machine that you aren't drowned out by the other machines or players. There are several rooms of machines so people can spread out. The only thing I would have changed is it is very dark inside (I am guessing to keep the place cool) so it was a little hard to see the action with my aged eyes. Younger people won't have any problems. I am guessing also this place must look amazing at night. We were there mid afternoon. The room with the older machines was nice and bright which was nice. The newer machines are in darker rooms to add to the mood? As we were there on a Friday afternoon, not too many kids/teenagers, but don't know what the clientele would be after school. Street parking is pretty good and there is off street metered parking around the corner. This is a fun place and I will come back and bring visitors.

Finally made the pilgrimage to Pacific Pinball Museum and it did not disappoint! Three rooms filled…read morewith pinball games from the 1950s to now and you can play them all for as long as you want. My son and I made a point of playing every game and I quite enjoyed playing some of the oldest ones. You can go in and out with your bracelet so we had lunch in the great neighborhood and then went back. Highly recommended!

My son and immediate family had such a fun time this visit at fairyland. I haven't been since I was…read morelittle so it was definitely full circle bringing my child. This place has been around since my parents were little and they've been there too! Pretty neat. I used my wic card and valid photo Id for 5$ tickets, I couldn't tell you exactly how many is the cap but there were 5 adults and the kids were free I believe. We went as soon as it opened and the park was not overly packed at all it was really nice. I plan on getting out with my kiddo whenever I get the chance as I saw many mothers just hanging out with lunch for their kiddo for the day and I just loved that idea. Everything was open for the most part except two attractions which didn't stop us from enjoying the visit all around. From what I've learned if you visit the park twice your third visit you get a year pass! I'd say that's pretty convenient being a low income single mother. Hope I helped convince you to go !

My daughter Head Start School sent us here for Week of The Young Child to have family day which it…read morewas my first time ever going in my life. I think fairyland is an awesome place to bring your children to let them run around & play. I did feel a bit overwhelmed because it was literally every head start in Oakland so it was tons of kids, but I would I bring my daughter & son back again. Also I really enjoyed their Cafe too! Although I do feel like 10.95 is alot for 4 slices of pizza but I understand. It was still delicious.

USS Hornet (CV-12) is the 4th Essex class aircraft carrier built in 1943 and served in the Pacific…read moretheater fighting some of the biggest battles of WWII. Later, after her modernization overhauls, she would serve as recovery ship for the Apollo 11 & 12 moon missions. Now in her retirement, she serves as an aviation and space museum in Alameda, CA. Of the 24 Essex carriers that were built, only 4 remain as museum ships today. We were lucky to visit on a great day with fantastic weather! You have to drive to this remote location on the island of Alameda, a former naval base, where there is ample parking. Being so far away from downtown SF keeps the crowds away, but is not that great for the museum because it doesn't get enough visitors to sustain them financially, so they rely a lot on volunteers and donations. I heard that there are plans to move the ship over near Fisherman's Wharf, which will increase the flow of visitors. I hope that they will bring her in for a nice facelift before that because the old girl is looking a little ragged these days. Let's see how you look when you're 82 years old! From the pier you have to climb a set of stairs and walk over a sloped gangway high over the the water into the hangar. Her hangar deck and flight deck are pretty spacious with not a lot of aircraft exhibits because they are hard to come by these days and Hornet could use a nice sponsor to help. Even so, the exhibits they do have are significant. The historical aircraft span from the WWII ones she carried into combat like the FM-2 Wildcat fighter and the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, to the jet age of the Vietnam War with the FJ-2 Fury, the F8U Crusader and F11F Tiger jet fighters and recent ones such as the F-14 Tomcat (of Top Gun fame), S-3 Viking sub hunter and the current F/A-18 Hornet. Below decks, you get to do the self-guided tour of the spaces occupied by the crew, from their sleeping racks to the mess decks to see how they lived day-to-day at sea for months. There are also additional docent led guided tours (at extra cost) that will take you up to the bridge in the island superstructure and also into the bowels of the ship's engine rooms. For me as a military history buff, this is what I like to do on vacations and I drag my poor wife along for the ride.

This is our 5th year attending the overnight on the USS Hornet with the Scouts. Every year we still…read morelearn or see something new. Each year Natalie is amazing getting us booked and answering every question we have. All the docents are so friendly and knowledgeable. Ross is one of our favorites every year, and Steve did a great job as our unit leader this year. The food was good and the portions were generious. The tours were great. Can't wait to see what we learn next year. If you haven't been I highly recommend just visiting, but the overnights are the best.

I cannot recommend Spirited Play Labs highly enough! We have been bringing our two daughters here…read morefor almost a year now, and it has truly become their favorite place to be. It is rare to find a space where children don't just play, but truly thrive. The facility is top-notch and equipped with every amenity the kids could possibly need to stay engaged and happy. It is also one of the few places where I can actually feel relaxed as a parent, knowing they are in a safe, thoughtfully designed environment. What really makes this place special, however, is the incredible staff. They are so caring, patient, and genuinely passionate about helping kids. A special shout-out to Jorga, who manages the place! Her leadership and dedication are evident in every detail, and she goes above and beyond to ensure every family feels welcome and supported. If you are looking for a professional, warm, and high-quality community for your children, this is it. We are so grateful to have found them

A magical place! My 6-year-old son is autistic and it was such a relief to be welcomed by a team…read morethat just gets it. The space is super clean and feels like a kid's dream. There's so much to do, climbing, building, exploring, getting wiggles out, and even a quiet room to chill. You can tell the folks behind it really thought through everything. The vibe, the décor, even the website feel so neurodiverse-affirming. They have tech to help build community around members too. We live in Novato so the distance makes a membership tough right now, but I'm hoping we can join in the summer when school isn't in the way. I'd love to see Spirited Play Labs expand to more places as this is the future IMO (please come to Novato, I'll help!). For families like ours, where typical play spaces can feel stressful or isolating, this place is a true gem, welcoming, thoughtful, and hopeful for the future. Thank you!!!

We had a birthday celebration for our daughter at the Village Kids Club, and it was a very nice…read moreexperience. The staff was helpful with set up and cleanup. The facilities and convenient, with lots of fun toys, bean bags, etc. for kids. There is plenty of space, tables, and chairs for some activities and for the food.

We held our child's birthday party here and it's a very nice venue for the kids! The staff wasn't…read morethe most attentive to the kids though. The website advertised "Actively supplies and instruction from our party helper is included." The supplies were provided but the staff just hung back and that was about it. The parents had to do most of the work. It was still a fun place and the kids enjoyed themselves, we just expected a bit more involvement and interaction from the staff.

One of the few places where you can spend almost the entire day with kids without constantly trying…read moreto figure out what to do next. The Bay Area Discovery Museum somehow manages to feel exciting without feeling overwhelming. There are indoor exhibits, outdoor play areas, sensory stations, bubble activities, climbing structures, toddler-friendly areas, and sand play with Golden Gate Bridge views. The layout makes it easy for kids to naturally move from one activity to another without parents constantly redirecting the day. The overall vibe feels chill, playful, interactive, and very exploration-focused instead of overly chaotic or overstimulating. Quick guide below. What really stood out to me was how thoughtfully designed the museum feels for both children and parents. Many activity areas are staffed, which makes the experience feel more interactive and supported instead of parents having to carry the entire outing themselves. One staff member even pulled out a little guitar during one activity, and suddenly kids and parents were all singing together like a tiny spontaneous flash mob It gave the whole place a really warm, community feel instead of feeling like just another children's museum. I also loved the dedicated toddler play areas where bigger kids can't just run through and take over, which made it feel much calmer and safer for little ones still learning to explore independently. ------ QUICK GUIDE What matters: * Free parking available * Designed mainly for kids ages 0-8 * Indoor + outdoor children's activities * Toddler-friendly play areas * Bubble + sensory activities * Sand play area * Large climbing/play structures * Golden Gate Bridge views * Bathrooms throughout * Stroller-friendly paths * Staff throughout activity areas * Open space to roam and explore * Great for both low-stimulation and high-energy kids * Easy place to spend several hours with children ------ Pro tip: if you accidentally forget diapers or wipes, they have diaper backpacks stocked near the bathrooms -- one of those small details that makes the whole place feel genuinely parent-friendly. Adding photos because it was hard to picture the overall layout before going.

This place is so cool! We're always on the hunt for an epic sandbox with a view, and Bay Area…read moreDiscovery Museum delivered. Such an amazing experience, and now that we've been once, we're already excited to plan our next trip to make it more of a full-day adventure. Coming from the East Bay, the drive was nice. Where the Bay Area Discovery Museum is located, you feel you're in a movie set. Gorgeous Bay views, just overall incredibly picturesque. A few notes when planning: check museum times (we ended up arriving close to their closing time, so our tickets were reduced in price which was nice), but we def could have been playing/exploring for longer. Also, there is a safe parking lot adjacent to the museum. We were greeted by friendly staff and given a map of the area. They outlined what could be fun for our kiddo's age range, and we honestly had such a fun time. From bubbles to music, water play to trains, an oversized fruit exhibit to pirate ship, there's so much to see and do, and ground to cover. We also noticed a cafe too with patrons grabbing coffee and whatnot. We have friends that have a membership which would be fun to consider for future. Can't wait for round two already!

We have used Astro junk for years. They have a great selection and always willing to work with you…read more We have used them for big church and family events all throughout the year. If you need jumpers, astro jump will make it happen!

We had a great experience for our daughters' 5th birthday party. They were on time for delivery and…read morepick up. Friendly and courteous and easy to book. Thanks!