Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in san diego, CA

Ditchin' the Boob Tube

by Terese Farmen

June 08, 2009

For the last couple of weeks, my family has been living without our usual things like books, knick knacks, candles, favorite movies as we are transitioning between homes. We've had the great fortune of not having access to our television for the last week because of painting necessities in the living room and discovered how wonderful life is without it.

Experts recommend that children not spend more than 1-2 hours a day in front of the television (and for good reason), and I am not really sure even that is good for children. During this time when we had no television to help with the "babysitting" while busy doing dishes or making dinner, we pleasantly discovered that our daughter went to town with her imagination.

She came into the kitchen and helped measure ingredients. She made recommendations for the next grocery shopping excursion. She made smoothies for the family. She introduced us to a host of invisible and cotton-stuffed new friends. She pulled out her Activity workbooks. She pretended to read from various books while displaying pictures. She described in more detail what her school day consisted of and she made more eye contact.

Best of all, she fell asleep each night in about 5 minutes flat.

Not having TV gave us an opportunity to really bond and communicate. I think I am going to continue to find reasons why we can't watch television and enjoy these rare moments, "watching" as our family grows even more connected.

The 411 on Sandy Diego Happenings Away From the Beach

by Terese Farmen

February 06, 2009

San Diego is never short of fun, family things to do over a weekend. Without having to research special activities or events, or scour through countless calendar postings on various websites, we are spoiled by our plentiful beaches, fun tourist attractions and whale watching opportunities. We even have the benefit of lovely outdoor malls, gorgeous playgrounds and of course, kid-friendly hiking  Read more...

The Haunted Dollhouse

by Jenny Ciampa

October 23, 2008

Placing furniture in rooms and reinacting family life with dolls certainly grows imagination. Watching my girl play with her dollhouse brings back fond memories of my childhood so playing dollhouse with her is like returning to being five. We were playing with her dollhouse the other day when she said, "Mama, let's make my dollhouse a Halloween house." In other words, let's decorate  Read more...

Polka Dot Ghosts and Witches Brew

by Jenny Ciampa

October 16, 2008

The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park is an imagination station. Puppets of all kinds perform on stage to entertain and spark creative thinking in the minds of little people. Halloween is one of those opportunities to embrace this thought process and this puppet theater is just the place to do it. Every Wednesday through Friday, shows begin at 10 and 11:30.  Read more...

Pretend Play at the Children's Museum

by Jenny Ciampa

October 02, 2008

What would childhood be without pretend play? I know one word I would choose to answer that question:Boring. My entire childhood was centered on pretend play and as I watch and interact with my daughter, I realize, so is hers. While at the New Children's Museum , where imagination runs rampant, we ventured downstairs to the Cricket Wireless Level and discovered the Performance Stage.  Read more...

October, A Month that feeds the imagination

by Jenny Ciampa

October 01, 2008

We have officially entered October, my favorite month. I love the fall, even if we aren?t seeing too many signs of it yet, and Halloween with a child to me is well, super creativeespecially because my girl loves to make believe. What a better month to encourage imagination than the one with a holiday involving costumes, witches, ghosts and goblins. Here at Savvy Source I did a bit of  Read more...

Bowling for Lunch

by Jenny Ciampa

September 18, 2008

In the East Village of downtown lies the East Village Tavern and Bowl adorned with a skull and crossbones and glowing lanes. Don't let any of that turn you off when you are with your kids. In fact, let that fuel the games on mentality in you and your kiddos during the week. On game nights, game days and weekends this place is hoppin' with crowds out for a good time. But, if you head to  Read more...

Cafes for Meeting Friends & Staying Sane

by Jenny Ciampa

September 09, 2008

There are two places here in San Diego that deserve mention not only for their creative genius and friend making opportunities, but for their understanding of a parent's need for a break. These two places will enrich your child while they enrich your social, and personal, needs too. Java Mama -located in La Mesa, Java Mama is heaven. For $3.00, your kiddo can play in a supervised play  Read more...

Water and Sand, Sand and Water

by Jenny Ciampa

August 01, 2008

Can you believe it is August already Weren't we all just escaping to places real and imagined here at Savvy Source? Now it's time to unpack those bags (real or imagined) and spend some time Down by the Shore. So to start us off on this seaside journey, here are some of our favorite things water and sand. I know, I know, some of you are thinking favorite thing about sand-are you crazy? If  Read more...

Oh Playmate, Come Out and Play with Me

by Jenny Ciampa

June 18, 2008

[photo credit: stockx.chng} Finding other kids my daughter's age that she can play with is always a good thing. Let's be honest here, it's fantastic when your child has a playmate other than you for entertainment. There are huge benefits for all involved. One of our favorite places to meet friends is at story time at the Coronado Public Library . After story time, everyone congregates  Read more...

Top 5 Things to do in San Diego on a Rainy Day

by Jenny Ciampa

May 15, 2008

[photo credit: stockx.chng] It's raining, it's pouring, San Diego feels so boring. Aw, it's not that bad, but come on! This city wasn't designed with rain in mind. It rains like 42 days annually. San Diegans are meant to be outside, all of the time. Well, OK, not all of the time but what to do to burn energy? While sitting in a cozy chair sipping a latte at Java Mama in La Mesa, I  Read more...