One sweet night! Tonight in Los Altos, take part in the Valentine Sweets Tour around downtown between 6-8 p.m. The all ages, free event features music, Valentine card making, and dessert tasting. Over 45 shops and restaurants will be open late for the celebration.

Imaginate! The newest exhibit at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley - Imaginate - aims to add creativity to science. The exhibit opens Feb. 4 and runs through April 29, and features some of the Hall's most popular activities, in…

Our adventure into space begins this week, as enrollment for Chabot Space & Science Camp opens Feb. 1. This camp promises to be the ultimate experience for aspiring scientists, engineers, inventors, and space explorers entering 3rd to 7th grade.

There are 10 unique, hands-on science and technology classes to chose between, including Coasters and Contraptions, Music and Technology, and Climate Quest. It's an opportunity to get behind-the-scenes at Chabot Space & Science Center, with all the fun and engaging activities for which Galileo…

Oceans Aglow! Take the kids on an evening hike, as the sun sets over the Marin Headlands. NatureBridge is offering an easy hike for all ages, in search of bioluminescent plankton twinkling in the sand, and ending with a bonfire and s'mores. The hike is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 28. Pre-registration is required.

Grab some popcorn and sit back with kid-friendly, short films! The Bay Area International Children's Film Festival is happening in Alameda this weekend. Both days are filled with…

**We've had a request to repost last year's Valentine's Day card idea. Soon we'll post another idea for this year, but in the meantime, last year's photo card is back, due to popular demand.**

This year our household Valentine list was over 75. My daughter is in 
a class of 20, but my son needed over 50 to cover two preschool
 parties. (One on a Thursday and another on a Monday, to ensure all 
kids make it to one party, regardless of how many days a week of
 preschool…

Celebrate Chinese New Year at Chabot! Chabot Space & Science Center is helping to ring in the Year of the Dragon with hands-on, traditional Chinese activities and crafts. The fun is included with admission, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy constellations without getting wet from the rain! Randall Museum in San Francisco is hosting a drop-in science event featuring an inflatable planetarium. Learn about the stars and hear stories about the night's sky on Jan. 21 at 10:30 a.m. for only $4…

We know that Galileo campers are innovative all year round, not just during the summer. We've heard about the GSQ Fashion Designer who created her own unique Halloween costume, the Chefologist who cooks at home for his family, or the Nebula who created a clever way to retrieve her lost ball, and countless other takes of innovation.

We love these stories and want to hear more - so much that we're kicking off a new contest! Now, when you share a story about your child, the Galileo Innovator, on…

Ring in the Lunar New Year! The Children's Library in Palo Alto is hosting a Lunar New Year Spectacular from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 14. The free event features of variety of activities, including craft, a magician, a lion dance, kung fu demonstration, and a Mandarin story time. Food trucks will be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring various Asian dishes.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto! Create an artistic robot during the MakeArt Workshop Jan. 14 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. at…

Ready for an awesome summer? Enrollment for Summer 2012 is now open! Sign up for Camp Galileo (pre-k - rising 5th graders) or Galileo Summer Quest (rising 5th – 8th graders) today to guarantee a summer full of Galileo fun and
innovation.

Enroll now to take advantage of these amazing savings:

Sign up by March 1 and save $20 per week;
Save $20 off your camper’s second week of camp, $40 off the third week and $60 off the fourth week and beyond;
Take 50%…

We have very exciting news! Some would say astronomical news! We're partnering with Chabot Space & Science Center to create a fabulous, one-of-a-kind camp experience! Beginning this summer, campers entering third through seventh grades can take part in the Chabot Space & Science Camp, combining Chabot's world class facility in Oakland with our enthusiasm for learning, innovating, and our experience delivering a high quality camp experience that includes work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The partnership will provide the ultimate camp experience for aspiring scientists, engineers, inventors, and space explorers. Campers will get a behind-the-scenes look…

It's migration time! The California gray whale is migrating south to Baja California, passing right by great viewing spots along the coast. Every weekend through April, docents will be out at Point Reyes National Seashore Lighthouse Observation Deck from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer questions about gray whales. A Journey of the Whales talk will be led by a park ranger on weekends at 1:30 p.m. beginning at the Lighthouse Visitor Center. The half-hour, free program includes information about the gray whale habitat, and adaptations, with some time to search the waters for…

Has science ever been so cute? These fun (and adorable) projects are science lessons for Nebulas.

Look up at the red moon!  A brief lunar eclipse will happen just before dawn on Dec. 10, estimated to be at 6:05 a.m. PST. Get the kids out of bed early to catch the last total lunar eclipse until 2014. Instead of turning dark, dusty air in our atmosphere will cause an orange to red hue over the moon. It may be early, but it’s a rare and unique way to start the day.

Become a certified field scientist at BioBlitz! Anyone can become an official…

This picture holds a big hint. If you can figure out what is on top of the shirts, you may have the answer to one of our new 2012 themes!

It’s not merely paint, brushes, and paper, but a fascinating lesson on art and artistic qualities. Plus, it’s always fun to throw on a smock and experiment with color.

Nebulas (campers who are pre-k or turning age five by Dec. 1) help out with our 2012 curriculum testing too!

It’s cold enough that many people are day dreaming about summer, but instead of day dreaming, we’re working hard on our summer plans. The Summer 2012 curriculum will soon be revealed, after many months of hard work and planning, including testing from a group of top camp experts: our campers themselves! In the next few days leading up to our exciting reveal of 2012 themes, we’ll post photos from our testing sessions that may include small hints of our awesome summer plans. Just try to guess what we’ve got planned!

Looking to get out, but avoid the holiday hustle? Bank of America’s Museums on Us is this weekend, granting free admission to anyone holding a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch card. It’s only at participating museums, but luckily the Bay Area has many, kid-friendly options, including: The Tech Museum, Chabot Space and Science Center, the de Young Museum, and the Children’s Creativity Museum.  The full list, and more details are available on the BofA website.

Make handmade holiday cards! The San Francisco Children’s Art Center has a cardmaking…

Ready to take tinkering to the next level? Tech Liminal in downtown Oakland is holding a Workshop Weekend Dec. 10-11, giving kids and adults the chance to learn new skills from experienced makers. Classes include: soldering, spontaneous magic, basic electroluminescent wire, flow wand levitation, and much more. Kids would love to learn how to impress their friends with a rainbow holographic levitating stick.

In Tech Liminal’s own words:

Have you heard about Workshop Weekend? You can learn to sew with electronics, create a musical instrument, and play with glowing electroluminescent…

Ever have a childhood fantasy of surviving in the wild? Take the Plants and People Tour for Kids at UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden to learn how California Indians used plants for everything from food to games. The tour will cover customs and skills used by the native Californians, and include a take-home project inspired by native crafts. The workshop is Nov. 19, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Preregistration is recommended; cost is $15 for each adult and child pair, $12 members, $5 each additional person.

‘Tis the season for ice skating outdoors. Outdoor rinks are…

Our search for a phenomenal 2012 seasonal Home Office team is officially underway! Each January, the year-round Home Office staff are joined by seasonal team members in our Recruiting and Customer Service departments who play an integral role in preparing for the upcoming summer (our eleventh!), and bring even more spirit to life at Galileo headquarters.

In addition to all the great things you know about Galileo from working at camp, Galileo Learning was recognized in 2011 as the No. 1 “Best Place to Work in the Bay Area”…

One of our new classes at The Tech Summer Camps this summer is Product Design Studio. It fits perfectly with the Galileo Innovation Approach, as the philosophy of the class really encourages campers to rethink and redesign (or invent!) everyday products. In its inaugural week, campers started off the class with a warm-up challenge: improve the peanut butter (and/or jelly) jar.

Typically, customers end up with smeared peanut butter…

Camp Galileo Lafayette is definitely moving along full speed. The hallways are filled with smiling campers and the sounds of team cheers. Like our campers, the staff is bonding closer together, innovating new things themselves. Chalk covers the floors with chicken-walks, giant footsteps and hopscotch. We’re on our way to creating memories—both for our campers and our staff—that will last a lifetime.

It’s hard to describe the magic that happens at camp. It’s a chance for campers to reinvent themselves. Children who are reluctant to raise their hand in…

Our Summer Snapshot contest is back for another summer, and this time, we’re giving away our biggest prize ever! As part of our ten-year celebration, we’ve got a perfect 10 of a prize. Can you guess what it is? Drum roll, please…It’s 10 free weeks of camp for one lucky winning family! Spread the winnings out over two years, ten years, or more because it’s 10 weeks of camp!

We want to see your innovators in action! To enter, post a picture on our Facebook page of…

As our Chefologists know, cooking is like science. It involves testing, a little risk taking, and a lot of hoping for a successful outcome. The Galileo Summer Quest Chefology Major teaches campers skills that will serve them for life, including knife skills, menu planning, recipe reading and adjustment, and for Quasars, an introduction to the local food movement. While the GSQ Major is designed for rising 5th-8th graders, it’s never too early to get comfortable cooking in the kitchen at home. My daughter has no interest in learning…