Hey Kids! is a weekly feature looking at what’s coming up for families and kids of all ages.
KidPower Park is a relatively new playground that I visited for the first time this week. Tucked in the middle of Hoff Street, this hidden oasis is near 16th Street BART. It’s got a serene vibe with few visitors, but I think that will change when Dolores Park Playground gets shipwrecked during renovation.
A babbling fountain defines the central picnic area edged by palm trees and metal tropical flower art. Even on a wet day my one year-old and I loved sitting here eating a scone. A few toddlers and older kids appreciated the play structures and swings. Parents can have fun, too. Inside the climbing structure are hammocks, and the space agey sit-n-spin chair accommodates short (or flexible) adults. There’s also a community garden and a mosaic mural of children overlooking the park.
Now for something not in the Mission, stepping away for a bigger picture…
NY Times follows Haiti’s children adrift in a world of chaos and the 10 Americans who tried to take 33 kids out of the country. 9 year-old kid reporter Grace McManus of Scholastic Kids Press Corp interviewed CBS anchorman Harry Smith the day after he returned from Haiti. Watch the video via SFGate.
Potion Making workshop at Gravel & Gold on Sunday, Feb. 7
Upcoming events: (subject to change, confirm time)
A Curious Cinema: Group Hunting on Ice
Screening of “Group Hunting On the Spring Ice” (1963, 33 min.), a Canadian documentary on Netsilik Eskimo life. The film offers a breathtaking view of kinship, patience, and ingenuity in an environment that is one of the most challenging to human life on earth. Afterwards tanner JT Beggs will lead you through the process of tanning and stretching a hide followed by some simple projects in leather. Simple hot vegetarian meal will be served. For ages 6 to 106. Space limited; RSVP info@studioforurbanprojects.org. Fri., Feb. 5. 5:30pm. $10-$30 sliding scale. Studio for Urban Projects, 3579 17th St. (at Dolores)
Less Adolescent (2009, 85 min)
SF Indie Fest presents the US premiere of Australian director Lee Galea’s film. When 18-year-old Emmanuel’s mother dies, he feels like the whole world has fallen apart. But when his estranged father Vic accidentally reveals a shameful secret, Emmanuel is thrust into a family he never knew he had. Set in Melbourne’s western suburbs, Galea’s thought-provoking, engaging, and quirky drama offers a fresh take on universal themes of secrets versus honesty, friendship versus family. Fri., Feb. 5 at 7:15pm and Sat., Feb. 6 at 2:45pm. $9.99. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. (near Valencia)
The Cypress String Quartet Call & Response: Behind the Music
CSQ discusses and deconstructs works by Mozart and Schubert, and introduces excerpts from Elena Ruehr’s new composition “Bel Canto”. Sat., Feb. 6. 11am. Free. Community Music Center, 544 Capp St. (btw 20th and 21st)
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Music, dance, art, storytelling, poetry and more in the neighborhood. Sat., Feb. 6. 1pm-4pm. Free. Family art activity at Red Poppy Art House. The fun continues 7pm-12midnight.
Science Workshop at Paxton Gate's Curiousities for Kids on Saturday, Feb. 6
Science workshop with James M.
Get up close and personal with the chow going down your trap. Create slides of three different food groups and investigate at the cellular level with aid of an optical microscope. Sat., Feb. 6. 2pm-4pm. Free. Paxton Gate’s Curiosities for Kids, 766 Valencia St. (near 19th)
Family Movie Night
Bring the family to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and help out a public school. Pizza, pupusas, popcorn, and popsicles will be for sale. Sat., Feb. 6. 5:30pm-8:30pm. Free (donations gratefully accepted). Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School Cafeteria, 3125 Cesar Chavez Street (near Harrison)
Sirron Norris Studio & Gallery Opening
Families are invited to a milk and cookies/ wine and cheese reception for artist/educator Sirron Norris’ new space where cartooning classes for youth will start in mid-February. Come check out the 3-D interactive video game where you can walk around in a Norris painting, a diorama of San Francisco-Style buildings made of recycled materials, and affordable items starting at $5. Enter the world of “cartoon literalism” where Victorion, defender of the Mission battles organic free-range condos and the cuteness of cuddly animals masks complex relationships. Cookies by Anthony’s Cookies. Sat., Feb. 6. 5pm-11pm. Free. 1406 B Valencia St. (at 25th St)
Potion Making with Dori Midnight
Come make your own healing elixir for what ails you or your deepest heart’s desire with local beloved Witch, Dori Midnight. She’ll lead you through a little visualization to get focused on exactly what is called for, then choose from many flower and gem elixirs such as: Love Potion, Sweetness and Light, Fairy Magic, and more to create our own personalized blends. Each potion maker will get to take home a 1 ounce bottle of potion, which you can drop on your tongue with delight! Open to witches and creatures of all ages and magical skills. Families welcome! Sun., Feb. 7. 4pm. $20-$30 sliding scale. Gravel and Gold, 3266 21st St. (at Bartlett St.)
Brunch with Kugelplex
Food! Klezmer! Dancing! Kugelplex will be joined by old-world vocalist diva Jewlia Eisenberg and Yiddish-dance maven Bruce Bierman for a wild afternoon of dancing and East-coast-style brunch. Sun., Feb. 7. 1pm-3pm. $10-$20 ($20 suggested for brunch). Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St. (at 23rd)
The Wave
MYT’s Teen Troupe presents the world premiere of “The Wave”, a musical by Ron Jones. A 1967 classroom experiment in fascism that shook a school!
Show runs continues through Feb. 7. $7-$10. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (near 22nd St.)
The Bright River
A hip-hop retelling of Dante’s Inferno by a traditional storyteller with a live soundtrack performed by some of the best hip-hop and klezmer musicians in the Bay Area. A deep-rooted love story, a profound meditation on mass transit, and a passionate commentary on the current war in Iraq. The show tours the Afterlife with a unique blend of theatre, Jewish folklore, and beatboxing. Written by Tim Barsky, directed by Jessica Heidt. Show run continues through Feb. 20. $15-$35. Brava Theater, 2781 24th St. (at York)
The Greatest Bubble Show On Earth
Float into bubble bliss with Louis Pearl, the Amazing Bubble Man. Show run continues through Apr. 3. All shows at 11am. $7-10. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (near 22nd St.)
