Season's Greetings
Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Son tan ul chuka hamnidah, Merry Christmas,
Froehliche Weihnachten, Meli Kalikimaka
Happy Holidays from Everyone at SFkids.org

This month we offer reminders to keep you on your toes as well as ideas for holiday fun for all ages. Visit our homepage weekly for calendar highlights. Be sure to tell a friend.

• A World of Holiday Traditions: Discover holiday traditions from other cultures or adopt a new holiday tradition or recipe from your own family's heritage.

• Kwanzaa Crafts and Stories and History from Dr. Maulana Karenga Creator of Kwanzaa.

• Santa Tracking: He is faster than Superman on Dec. 24th but the folks at NASA have their satellites ready to track him through the world on this spectacular night.

• Call Santa and leave a message for him. He is very busy these days.

• Kid friendly holiday cooking ideas.

• Can't remember all the words to your favorite holiday carols? Here's a website with lyrics for carols from around the world.

world ornament • Our friends at Common Sense Media have compiled a list of holiday movies with information to help parents decide if they are appropriate or not for their children.
• Ever Wonder Where Holiday Traditions Come From? Do you know what the 12 Days of Christmas mean? Find out about all of the most popular holiday traditions.

• All Christmas music, every day! Listen to 96.5 KOIT for a bit of the holiday spirit.
• Embarcadero Center has a gift for you . . . free parking until Christmas! From now to December 24, shop or dine at any Embarcadero Center store or restaurant and receive free parking. While there, take the family ice skating, visit the farmers market, walk along the waterfront, view the Hyatt Regency Snow Village, or ride the cable car up California Street. See their website for valid hours.
• Don't have your tree yet? Go green this year by buying a living tree from Friends of the Urban Forest. The tree will be used to plant somewhere in the City after you are finished with it.

Money, Money, Money

Need some extra dough? SFkids has launched a new page to help families get information about taxes, credit, child support, free resources, money saving ideas, and more. View our Money page now or take a peek later from the Parent Resource area.

Toy Safety

Looking for healthy and appropriate toys? San Francisco Children's Council's Winter issue of Children's News offers toy suggestions for the appropriate age of your child. See our Safety page for information about holiday fire safety, more recalls and other holiday safety tips.

Take the Survey!

survey Help us shape SFkids.org by taking our short survey. The survey takes only a couple of minutes. This is a website for San Francisco families by San Francisco families. Click here to begin, deadline January 15.

Procrastinator Corner

A few friendly reminders to keep us all on track.
• It is that time to sign up for January and spring programs. Did you know December 16 is the early bird deadline SF Little League Registration? How about a hockey league or ice skating lesssons?
• For the young ones it's time for SF Rec & Park Tiny Tots and City College Child Observation classes.
• Need summer camping reservations? California State Parks and National Parks registration begins January 1, 2008 for July reservations.
• School Enrollment Reminder...applications for most schools (from preschool through high school) are due early in the year. The SFUSD enrollment deadline is January 11, 2008. Visit the SFUSD website for more information.

New Year's Eve Watch

New Year's Eve Family celebrations include Asian Art Museum Bell Ringing, Chabot Balloon Drop, or the City-hosted massive fireworks display to explode into 2008 at midnight on the waterfront. You can also create your own fun by making a bonfire on Ocean Beach or inviting families over for a fondue dinner. We also have created a New Year's Day cheat sheet of a few places open on January 1, 2008.

Giving Back

The holiday season is a good time to remind ourselves, and teach our kids, about the importance of giving back to our community. There are many ways to support others who need a little extra help or love during the holiday season.

• Visit our Volunteering Page for community service opportunities for the whole family.
• Sort canned food at the SF Food Bank or deliver extra food from holiday parties to shelters through the Food Runners program.
• Visit Volunteer Match for a listing of other family-friendly opportunities.

Winter Break Camps & Activities

Looking for something for the kids to do over break? See our Camps Page for listings of organizations offering camps over the winter break. sled kids

Or try these fun ideas:

• The Autobiography of Santa Claus

• A Book on Tape from the Library.
• Check out our calendar or Activities or Adventures pages for more ideas.

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Family Appreciation Day
Sunday, January 13, 2008

FREE admission to 35 museums and attractions around the City. Adults must accompany children and provide proof they live in San Francisco. Kids ride MUNI FREE from 10am to 4pm on January 13. Click here for details..

SFkids.org
Calendar Highlights
Our Family Events Calendar contains hundreds of listings of local family-friendly events; here are just a few highlights.

Weekend Hot Picks

Friday 12/14
• Black Nativity at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. Performance Thursdays through Sundays from now through December 30.
• Holiday Boat Parade at Fisherman's Wharf at 6pm. FREE
• Las Posadas at Community Music Center at 7pm. (also 12/15) FREE
• AquaTots for Kids Ages 2 to 5 at Aquarium of the Bay. Free with museum admission.

Saturday 12/15
• Union Street's 17th Annual Fantasy of Lights. FREE
• Winter Reading Programs at Glen Park and Portola Branch Libraries. FREE
• James Lick Middle School Movie Fun in Noe Valley. Choose from two movies: 3:30pm Ratatouille (Rated G) or 6pm Transformers (Rated PG13). $4 per person, per movie.
• Knit Happens! a teen knitting class for ages 12 to 18 at 2–4pm. FREE

Sunday 12/16
• Maternity Xchange Mobile Resale Shop at the Presidio Sports Basement.
• Really Rosie play at the New Conservatory Theatre Center. $10 for youth 18 and under.
• Horse-drawn Carriage Rides in Golden Gate Park now through December 31.
• Holiday caroling at Dolores Park FREE

More December Fun

• SF Library Holiday event listing
• 17th: Story Time at Dog Eared Books every Monday at 10:30am. FREE
• Find other Story Times at other local bookstores. FREE
• 20th Family Kwanzaa Night at Bayview/Anna E. Waden Library. FREE

• 20-22nd Wizard of Oz music performed by the SF Symphony. Discount for children.
• 25th What's open on Christmas Day!

• 28th Emerald Bowl football game.

• 29th Comics Club at the Bayview Library. FREE
• 29th: Hopdogs Pre-New Years Dance Party at ODC Commons. A pre new year's countdown complete with with party hats, favors and sparkling apple juice

SFkids Holiday Fun Picks!

• Bay Area Nutcracker Mania
• Holiday Teas for All
• Holiday TV Fare
• Ice Skating, San Francisco Style!
• Santa Sightings In and Near SF

Inside SFkids.org

• Looking for a class for your child?
• Looking to meet other parents? See our list of parent yahoo groups.
• San Francisco Free Museum Day List
• Search for activities by your childs age. See our age pages on the left side of the home page.

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