San Francisco
Free and low-cost things to do with kids in San Francisco
Plus every Mandarin and Chinese cultural event we can find.
Library storytimes, outdoor music, family swim, and playgroups — one week at a glance, updated twice a day. Look for the lantern.
Thursday, September 3
- 10:00 AM–10:45 AM — JAMaROO KidsSalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 4:00 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Friday, September 4
- 9:00 AM–10:15 AM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 0–3
- 12:00 PM–1:00 PM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 4–6
- 5:30 PM–7:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Saturday, September 5
- 10:00 AM–1:00 PM — Mandarin Playgroup
West Portal Playground - 12:00 PM–1:15 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 3:30 PM–5:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Tuesday, September 8
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Toddler TuesdaySalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 3:30 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Wednesday, September 9
- 5:30 PM–6:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Thursday, September 10
- 10:00 AM–10:45 AM — JAMaROO KidsSalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 4:00 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Friday, September 11
- 9:00 AM–10:15 AM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 0–3
- 12:00 PM–1:00 PM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 4–6
- 5:30 PM–7:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Saturday, September 12
- 12:00 PM–1:15 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 3:30 PM–5:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Sunday, September 13
- 10:00 AM–1:00 PM — Mandarin Playgroup Jackson Playground · Potrero Hill
Tuesday, September 15
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Toddler TuesdaySalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 3:30 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Wednesday, September 16
- 10:00 AM–10:30 AM — Family StorytimeSalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 5:30 PM–6:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Thursday, September 17
- 10:00 AM–10:45 AM — JAMaROO KidsSalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 4:00 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Friday, September 18
- 9:00 AM–10:15 AM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 0–3
- 12:00 PM–1:00 PM — Little Bears MusicThrive City Plaza · ages 4–6
- 5:30 PM–7:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Saturday, September 19
- 12:00 PM–1:15 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
- 3:30 PM–5:00 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Tuesday, September 22
- 10:00 AM–11:00 AM — Toddler TuesdaySalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 3:30 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Wednesday, September 23
- 5:30 PM–6:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Thursday, September 24
- 10:00 AM–10:45 AM — JAMaROO KidsSalesforce Park · Main Plaza
- 4:00 PM–5:30 PM — Rec / Family SwimNorth Beach Pool · warm pool, 86°F
Mandarin or Chinese cultural
Library storytime
Family swim
Free music
We keep this calendar as accurate as we can, but recurring events get cancelled or moved without much notice — especially around holidays. Check with the venue before you go. Spotted something wrong? Tell us at [email protected].
Playdates, but in Mandarin
80+ San Francisco families at rotating playgrounds, where kids hear and speak Mandarin naturally. All levels welcome.
Join the communityAbout this calendar
We're a group of San Francisco parents, and we built this because we were tired of checking four different websites every week to work out what to do with our kids. It pulls together library storytimes, free outdoor music, family swim sessions, and our own playgroups into one week view. It updates twice a day.
Where the Chinese and Mandarin events come from
The lantern marks anything in Mandarin or connected to Chinese culture — the Chinatown branch library's Chinese storytimes, Lunar New Year events at branches around the city, and our own Mandarin playgroups. These are scattered across different organizations and genuinely hard to find in one place, which is part of why we started keeping this list.
What does it cost?
Most of it is free. Library storytimes, Salesforce Park programming, Thrive City music classes, and our playgroups cost nothing. San Francisco Rec & Park family swim charges a small admission, with scholarships available. We link every event to its organizer so you can check before you go.
Who runs it
Mandarin Playgroup is a free, parent-led community of 80+ San Francisco families. We meet at rotating public playgrounds so kids hear and speak Mandarin naturally — with each other, not just with adults. All levels welcome.