About Bay Area Toddler
Bay Area Toddler is a free guide to activities for babies and toddlers around the San Francisco Bay Area. Storytimes from 16 library systems in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Not connected yet: San Francisco. Some city-run libraries (Alameda Free Library, Hayward, San Leandro, Livermore, Pleasanton, Richmond and others) aren't included yet. It gathers library storytimes, baby lapsits, Magical Bridge inclusive playgrounds, splash pads and toddler-friendly parks into one simple, phone-friendly page, so you can plan a morning around nap time without checking five library calendars.
It's made by a Mountain View parent of a toddler. There are no ads, no accounts and no tracking cookies. The site is not affiliated with any library, city or store.
How it works
- Every morning (and again around noon), a script reads the public event calendars of local libraries and keeps the sessions meant for babies and toddlers.
- Playgrounds come from magicalbridge.org and splash pads and tot lots from OpenStreetMap.
- Every listing links back to the original source. If a source is down, its listings are left out rather than guessed.
Right now the guide lists 515 storytimes (84 for babies), 57 parks and playgrounds and 86 cities.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bay Area Toddler?
Bay Area Toddler is a free website that lists this week's activities for babies and toddlers around the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties): library storytimes and baby lapsits, Magical Bridge inclusive playgrounds, splash pads and toddler-friendly parks. It is run by a local parent and is not affiliated with any library or city.
Where does the information come from?
Every event and place comes from a public source: the public event calendars of the libraries listed on this page (county and city library systems from San Francisco to Sonoma, Napa and Solano), magicalbridge.org, OpenStreetMap and Open-Meteo (weather and air quality). Each listing links back to its source. Nothing is invented. A few reference tables (library addresses, splash pad seasons, city centre points) are kept by hand, each with its source and the date it was checked.
How often is it updated?
The site is updated every morning (and again around noon) and whenever the code changes. Library calendars can change at short notice, so always check the library's event page before you go.
Are the storytimes free?
Yes. Public library storytimes are free. Some sessions ask you to register or pick up a ticket first; the library's event page linked from each listing has the details.
Which cities are covered?
Storytimes from 16 library systems in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Not connected yet: San Francisco. Some city-run libraries (Alameda Free Library, Hayward, San Leandro, Livermore, Pleasanton, Richmond and others) aren't included yet. Cities with storytimes right now, by county: San Mateo County: Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Woodside; Santa Clara County: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Saratoga, Sunnyvale; Alameda County: Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, Fremont, Hayward, Newark, Oakland, San Lorenzo, Union City; Contra Costa County: Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek; Marin County: Bolinas, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Inverness, Marin City, Novato, Point Reyes Station, San Rafael; Sonoma County: Cloverdale, Forestville, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Windsor; Napa County: American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, Yountville; Solano County: Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo. Other city pages list parks and splash pads only. More city libraries will be added as their calendars are connected.
What ages is it for?
Babies and toddlers from birth to about age 3, plus their parents and caregivers. Each session shows the ages the library gives, in months where it says so. The Babies page lists sessions meant for babies up to 24 months.
Sources & status
Status of each source at the last update (Nov 10, 3:57 PM PT).
| Source | Status | Items | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
8 | LibCal calendar (cid 8800) · baby/toddler audiences + storytime keywords |
| Santa Clara County Library District (all branches) events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
66 | BiblioCommons events API · audiences Babies/Toddlers · Los Altos, Woodland, Cupertino, Campbell, Saratoga, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Gilroy |
| Sunnyvale Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
11 | LibCal calendar (cid 13025) · baby/toddler categories + storytime keywords |
| Palo Alto City Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
12 | BiblioCommons events API · audiences Babies (under 2) / Toddlers (18 mo–3 yr) |
| San José Public Library (west/north branches) events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
33 | BiblioCommons events API · ages 0-5 + storytime keywords · West Valley, Calabazas, Alviso, Rose Garden, Bascom, Willow Glen |
| San Francisco Public Library events |
âš stale cache Nov 10 3:53 PM |
0 | sfpl.org events (audience Babies, Toddlers or Preschoolers; storytime topics) + SFPL's per-event iCalendar export for exact times Temporarily unavailable, showing the last good copy. |
| San Mateo County Libraries events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
84 | BiblioCommons events API · audience Preschoolers (0-5) / All Ages + storytime keywords · all branches |
| Redwood City Public Library events |
✗ failed Nov 10 3:53 PM |
– | Temporarily unavailable. |
| Menlo Park Library events |
✗ failed Nov 10 3:53 PM |
– | menlopark.gov event pages linked from the Library pages (each event's own date list) Temporarily unavailable. |
| San Mateo Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
8 | LibCal children's & family calendar (cid 16089) · baby/toddler audiences + storytime keywords |
| Burlingame Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
9 | LibCal calendar (cid 6897) · storytime keywords |
| Oakland Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
40 | BiblioCommons events API · audiences Babies / Toddlers (+ Birth to 5 / Families with storytime keywords) |
| Berkeley Public Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
11 | Communico calendar (libnet.info) · Early Childhood / baby & toddler ages + storytime keywords |
| Alameda County Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
40 | BiblioCommons events API · audience Babies & Toddlers (+ Preschoolers with storytime keywords) |
| Contra Costa County Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
64 | BiblioCommons events API · audiences Babies (Birth to 1 year) / Toddlers (1 to 3 years) |
| Marin County Free Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
27 | BiblioCommons events API · audiences Babies (0-1 yrs) / Toddlers (1-3 yrs) (+ Families with storytime keywords) |
| Sonoma County Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
39 | LibraryCalendar (events.sonomalibrary.org) · age group Baby - Preschool + storytime keywords |
| Napa County Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
12 | Communico calendar (libnet.info) · Baby/Toddler ages (+ Preschool / Family with storytime keywords) |
| Solano County Library events |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
52 | Communico calendar (libnet.info) · baby/toddler ages (+ Preschool / Family with storytime keywords) |
| Magical Bridge playgrounds + events parks |
✓ live Nov 10 11:16 AM |
11 | magicalbridge.org · 6 open Bay Area playgrounds · 5 events next 14 days |
| OpenStreetMap splash pads & toddler playgrounds parks |
✓ live Nov 10 3:57 PM |
51 | OpenStreetMap via Overpass (maps.mail.ru, overpass-api.de), one query per county + Nominatim reverse geocoding |
| Weather and air quality forecast (per city) weather |
✓ live Nov 10 3:53 PM |
92 | Open-Meteo forecast API (no key) · 92 city centres + air-quality API (US AQI, highest hour of each day, 5 days) |
Not covered yet (no source data): Kensington, Los Gatos, Occidental, Pinole, Rohnert Park, Stinson Beach.
Hand-checked reference tables
Kept by hand in the site's code, each row with its source and the date it was checked. Anything a source doesn't say is shown as "not confirmed".
- Library addresses (192 branches): from each library's BiblioCommons locations data, SFPL's locations page, Communico event pages (Berkeley, Napa, Solano), sonomalibrary.org branch pages and the official Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, Menlo Park, San Mateo and Burlingame library pages. Checked on Sep 27, 2026.
- Splash pad seasons: Redwood City (confirmed), Campbell (start date only), Sunnyvale (not confirmed), Palo Alto (not confirmed). Checked 2026-09-27.
- Age ranges: taken from each session's own title or description when it states ages; otherwise from the library's audience name when that name includes ages (Palo Alto, San José). Other audience tags are not converted. Checked 2026-09-27.
- Plan B (rainy or hot days): 192 indoor library locations with regular weekly hours, from the libraries' BiblioCommons locations data and official hours pages (SFPL, Berkeley, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, Menlo Park, San Mateo, Burlingame). Holiday closures aren't included. Checked on Sep 27, 2026.
- Book picks: board books with the publisher's age range, linked to searches in each library's catalog. Not confirmed: the catalog (Aspen Discovery) refused connections from our test network, so this standard search pattern could not be loaded on the checked date. Not confirmed: Berkeley's catalog (CARL•Connect) loads results with JavaScript, so we couldn't check this search link returns results. Not confirmed: Solano's catalog (Vega) builds searches with JavaScript, so this link opens the catalog home page and you search there. Checked 2026-09-27.
- City centre points and counties (weather, air quality, distances, nearby cities, county groups): OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Checked on Sep 27, 2026.
- Place facts (20 places: the busiest library branches and the Magical Bridge playgrounds): restrooms, changing table, parking, shade, fencing and stroller access, each from the library's BiblioCommons data, OpenStreetMap or magicalbridge.org, otherwise "not confirmed". Checked on Sep 27, 2026.
- Languages: a session is tagged with a language only when its title, the library's own tags, or its description says the session is in that language.
- Air quality and heat: US AQI and highs per city from Open-Meteo. Above AQI 100 ("unhealthy for sensitive groups", which includes young children) outdoor places get a warning and Plan B moves first; at 85°F or more, a hot slide and surface warning.
Report a problem
Every session, park and pick has a "âš‘ Report a problem" link (cancelled, moved, closed, gate broken or anything else). It opens your email app with a message to the site owner, with the item already filled in. Hand-kept details show the date they were last checked.
Privacy
We count visits with GoatCounter, which sets no cookies and stores no personal data. It records the page viewed, the referring site, browser, screen size and country (from the IP address, which is not stored), plus a few anonymous events: which filters are used (city, age in months, time of day), clicks on official-source and directions links (which site, not who), share buttons, and that the Sunday-email form was submitted (never what you typed). Links in our emails and campaign posts carry utm_ tags that say which channel sent the visit, never who you are. Your city, age and nap choices otherwise stay in your browser (localStorage) and are never sent to us.
The Sunday email form sends your email address, city and your child's age in months to our newsletter provider, Buttondown. We use them only to pick which plan to send you (city and age band), and you can unsubscribe from any email. The "tell me when my city is added" form sends your email and the city you type, used only for that one message. "Add to calendar" downloads a file straight to your device, and calendar subscriptions are plain files your calendar app fetches; we can't see who subscribes. "Send this week to…" uses your phone's own share sheet or copies a link; nothing is sent to us.