Marin Rainy Day Activities
/Ronnie's Awesome List presents a guest article by Maren Bannon, Co-Founder and CEO of littlelane.
I always thought rainy days were cozy... until I was pent up inside our house with our high-energy toddler. Fortunately there are many great rainy day activities in Marin, from drop-in classes to story times to indoor play spaces. Try out one of these spots on your next rainy day and everyone will leave happy!
Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito
Address: Fort Baker, Sausalito
Hours: Discovery Museum hours
Cost: $13.95 General Admission, $12.95 6 months – 1 year & 65 and above, Members: Free
Parking: Free parking lot
Cafe: yes
The Discovery Museum offers beautiful views of SF and the Golden Gate Bridge along with hours of entertainment for your little ones. Each building offers something different, from trains and boats to an art studio to padded play area just for tots under 42". They also offer a daily story time (free with admission). Bring your rain gear because you will be exposed to the elements during walks between buildings.
Address: 610 Coloma St. BLDG 6, Sausalito
Phone: (415) 377-9678
Hours: 9am-Noon, Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri & Sat
Cost: $10 Sausalito residents/$12 non-residents, up to 3 hours of play per child, Save 25% with our 12 admission pass
Parking: Plenty of Free Parking
Cafe: Offering free french roast coffee, natural teas, fun tattoos for kids, ballons as a gift to take home and wifi.
Ages: 7 and under
Whether it’s sunny and hot or cold and rainy, come inside for a safe and fun time! This fun-filled program features a full sized gymnasium filled with 4 inflatable jumpies and a whole lot more. 17x17ft toddler bouncy zone with obstacles and a 3ft slide and a 15ft tall ride the wave slide, 15x15ft Tropical bouncy and 15x15ft sports jumpy with basketball hoop. We also provide fun music, air hockey table, cars, toddler zone on tumbling mats and plenty of balls to play catch. Kids seeking a quieter setting can relax in our art room with reading tables, crayon books and three train tables with plenty of cool trains for everyone.
- FREE ART CLASS MONDAY and FRIDAY 10:30am-11:00am with paid admission.
- $2 MUSIC PROGRAMS TUESDAY and THURSDAY 11:00am-11:30am.
Hours: Marin library story time calendar
Cost: Free
Parking: Varies
Cafe: No
Libraries make a nice free, convenient rainy day activity. Visit the one nearest you or check out our Marin library story time calendar to take your little ones to enjoy some rhymes, songs and stories.
Marin Elite Gymnastics Academy (MEGA), San Rafael
Address: 72 Woodland Avenue, San Rafael
Phone: (415) 257-6342
Hours: MEGA Schedule
Parking: Lot
Cafe: No
What better way to get your toddlers energy out than play gym? MEGA has drop in gymnastics classes for ages 1 and up including trampoline, balance beam, bars, and fun colorful circuits on the floor.
The Village at Corte Madera, Northgate Mall, and Town Center Corte Madera
Address: 1618 Redwood Highway, Corte Madera, 5800 Northgate Mall, San Rafael, and 100 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Cost: Free
Parking: Lot
Cafe: Lots of food options!
Yes, these are both outdoor malls, but they do have covered walkways and many possibilities for entertaining (and feeding!) your tots. Barnes & Nobles has a large book section with toys and a train table. Pottery Barn Kids has cute kids toys in a cozy setting. The Village has family restrooms with a nursing room and changing tables (between Pottery Barn and Anthropologie). Northgate has a train, indoor play structure, and more.
San Anselmo Rec Department Toddler Tumbling
Address: 1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo
Hours: San Anselmo Toddler Tumbling hours
Cost: $17-19 per class
Parking: Lot
Cafe: No (but plenty of food options in strip mall next door)
This popular class in San Anselmo offers your little ones plenty of freedom for exploration and free play. And they will likely pick up some gymnastics skills too, as it is run by a formerly nationally ranked gymnast. Head next door after class for some lunch at Pizzalina or coffee at Peet's.
Need more ideas? These studios offer drop-in art classes perfect for rainy days: Studio 4 Art in Mill Valley and Novato. Or take a trip into the city and check out our favorite rainy day activities in San Francisco.
Maren Thomas Bannon is Co-Founder and CEO of littlelane, a website focused on local recommendations for parents in Marin and San Francisco. Her second, and more important, job involves talking tea cups, the chicken dance and making sure her very feisty almost two year old doesn’t sneak out of the playground, again. She lives in Marin with her husband and daughter. Connect with her on Twitter at @LittleLaneBaby, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
