Fun Things For Kids To Do Around The Bay Area

Marilyn LoRusso, is the Owner and Funmaster of Kids Fun on the Go.   I met Marilyn a few weeks ago at my local Toastmasters Group and was fascinated by what she does. I asked her if she’d be willing to do an interview. She agreed!

Marilyn please tell us a bit about what Kids Fun on the Go is.
Based here in Marin County I bring fun kids classes to homes in Marin, Sonoma and parts of San Francisco.  A family provides the space (room in an apartment, house, office or any kid friendly space) and some of their friends. That’s when the FUN begins!  There are even ways a host family can receive the entire class series for FREE!

I offer classes in Baby Sign Language, Art, Yoga, Baby & Me and Baby & Me Fitness for children 2 months to 9 years of age and are in sessions of 4-6 weeks. I am a Certified Independent Instructor with the original Baby Signs® Programs, a Certified children’s yoga instructor, an experienced arts and crafts teacher, infant play teacher and all around Funmaster!  I have been a Speech and Language Pathologist, teacher and district manager at Gymboree Play and Music Centers, owned my own retail business at the Village at Corte Madera and have entertained thousands of children, as Princess Polka Dot, with magic, face painting, balloon art, songs, games and more!

So, bringing fun and joy to children and their families is my true passion!
I have created Kids Fun on the GO to answer the growing need for fun, safe, creative, interactive and affordable play options for parents and their little ones. And, to support that wonderful growing sense of community here in the Bay Area.

What do you love most about the Bay Area?
I am originally from the east coast and have been in the Bay Area for almost 30 years.  This is HOME to me! I love the beauty, weather, diversity, people, wine country, openness to new ideas, quaint towns, mountains, beaches, redwoods, wildlife, abundance of activities and proximity to San Francisco and the coast.  And, I met my husband Robert here in Marin County.  We live amongst all the beauty in Novato with our amazing cat, Asia.

What is your favorite place to hike in the Bay Area?
I love to hike the Tennessee Valley path to the ocean.  I love bringing unsuspecting out of towners on the path and keeping the ocean a surprise! It is so fun as we are winding down the path and all of a sudden a small sparkle of ocean appears on the horizon, then slowly becomes larger and larger.  I never tire of that and love finding insets of rock wall to relax in with a picnic lunch or snack once at the beach.  What a special place.

The Chimney Rock wildflower walk in Point Reyes during spring is sensational.  It’s an easy 2 mile loop displaying amazing wildflower shows.  One year I counted 27 different types of wildflowers!  It ends overlooking the ocean high on a bluff.  You can sometimes see whales, hawks and often see elephant seals down below sunning themselves on the small sandy beaches.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
I’m a big salad lover so I am always looking for tasty and fresh salads.  I love the apple/fennel salad at Toast restaurant in Novato.  It’s a fun, lively atmosphere and the salads are innovative and fresh. However, when I have to have my dose of Chicken Marsala, which I have tried all over Marin county, my favorite is La Toscana in San Rafael.   It is not always on the menu, but you can ask the chef to make it and they are more than happy to.

What is your favorite place to get coffee?
I am a tea drinker and absolutely love Teapod Organic Tea Bar in San Anselmo.  They are an innovative tea lounge serving fresh steeped teas and tea concoctions made from all organic loose teas and organic ingredients. They have amazing tea infusers which creates your drink in about a minute or you can choose to have a teapot.  It is so comfortable to hang out there with friends or your laptop and hookup to their free wifi.  They even have organic take away salads, drinks, desserts and often free live music events!  The owners Jaimie and Chris are so warm and inviting.  They have really created a modern and fun gathering place.  And they just had a baby!  You might see Maddox soon hanging out at the lounge greeting customers!

What is your favorite place to bike?
I hope you meant motorcycle!  My husband Robert and I love to take our Stratoliner motorcycle for day trips all around the North Bay.  Asia likes to stay home and sleep.  We ride through Calistoga, wine country (Napa and Sonoma),  Lake Sonoma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Ukiah, Clearlake, Blue Lakes and more.  But our favorite ride is through the Russian River area – Sebastopol, Guerneville, Occidental, Monte Rio, Duncan Mills, down the coast, through Bodega Bay, Tomales and Point Reyes.  We love stopping at all the quaint shops, beaches, coffee/tea shops, and parks (we take a lot of picnics!)  The joy and freedom we feel is unexplainable!  We truly experience the “staycation” 2-3 times a week!

Well, now you know more about me!  Thank you Sally Around the Bay for including me in your fun and informative Blog!

Thanks Marilyn! Can you tell us a little bit more about the class you offer. I know with winter coming parents of young children are probably looking for some new and fun things to do with their kids. ~Sally

Of course! Have you ever wondered what babies are thinking?

The Sign, Say and Play classes (6 months – 2 years) teach babies to use simple, easy-to-do gestures for communicating with their parents and caregivers.  The Baby Signs® Program helps children develop both language and cognitive skills. Studies show that babies who sign actually develop speech sooner and have larger vocabularies when they do start talking.  It can also reduce tears, tantrums and frustration!

Beebo the signing bear appears.  He is a 30” plush bear with sleeves I put my arms through to model the signs.  The little ones love him!  We sing songs, read books, have a parachute time with dancing and bubbles, have activities specialized to the theme signs of the day and more.  There are 5-6 signs taught each class.  Some of the class themes are mealtime, bedtime, bath time, getting dressed, pets and at the park.

In Baby & Me classes (2 – 7 months) parents and their little ones explore fun activities through sensory, auditory and visual stimulation.  Parents sing songs to their infants and many new songs are introduced with accompanying tactile play.  There is a tummy fun time which is often the favorite activity!  There are musical games, tactile play, parent discussions and a lot of bonding activities.  We even have a memorabilia/gift project at the end of each session.  It’s fun to discover what all these little ones can teach us!

In Baby & Me Fitness classes (non-mobile babies) moms can relax and have fun with their friends and their newborns during this easy fitness class designed especially for new moms and their babies.  We combine gentle core strengthening exercises, yoga and breathing techniques.  This class incorporates the non mobile baby into easy and fun exercises.

In the Art classes (2-6 years) we help inspire children’s imaginations and self expression with fun art activities.  Through painting, sculpture, drawing, collage and more, classes encourage confidence and support artistic potential.  Themed art series include 2 take home projects per class, play dough fun, songs, movement activity and more!

Yoga classes (3-5 years) (5-8 years) are specifically developed and modified appropriately by level, and are taught using the method of the It’s Yoga Vinyasa System.  This is a fun and dynamic system of practicing poses joined together by breath and flowing movement.  All classes include warm-up, action/play, winding down and relaxation.  Busy lifestyles are commonplace for today’s kids and yoga is a wonderful way to tone the body and relax the mind.  Beyond the well-known benefits such as increasing strength, flexibility and concentration, yoga is non-competitive, stimulates the imagination and is fun!

Here is a fun video about what Baby Signs® is!

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