Hidden Villa: A Perfect Playdate

One week when my son, his friend and I went on an outing, there was a change of plans mid-stream. On the way up to the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Marin, the car started to make a terrible noise.

So, thinking it wasn't a great idea to go a long way with two five-year-olds, I turned around and headed back down I-280 to .

Probably all parents already know how great Hidden Villa is. We have been there several times and it never gets old. 

What I discovered this time is that it is also a great place to bring playmates. I look for places that can maximize things to do in a small space so that it is easy to quickly change location if I anticipate boredom or a potential meltdown of some kind.

I am finding that playdates are a tricky thing with a young child. Who hasn’t seen the situation where one child is ready to be on the receiving end of sharing a toy and the other child is quite un-ready to be on the giving end? 

When playdates are at my house, seems that sooner or later, the children would get bored and I would find myself looking for a new venue close by. After this past visit, I am placing Hidden Villa in my top five for “places that allow me to be flexible.” 

And, a bonus,  is close by if the kids start to lag with disinterest.

Spring is a great time to go to either Shoup or Hidden Villa because the water is running in the streams in both. Right now, because summer hasn't gotten much of a start, there's water in Adobe Creek even in Shoup Park. Some kids don’t like to get wet–so rain boots might be in order. And, a change of clothes is likely a must if water play is planned.

While they play, I enjoy taking video and pictures of our son and his friends that I then email off to the child's parents to show what we are up to–and the cute pictures that they make. What parent doesn’t appreciate this? Let's face it – we all want more pictures of our children, but don't always have the time to take them.  (Then the parents e-mail them on to grandparents who probably enjoy them more then the parents.)  As our son has gotten older I take audio recordings of their conversations–they can be so darned funny. I e-mail those off, too.

Editor's Note: Hidden Villa is closed for summer camp season, with the exception of four weekends. It is open this weekend, July 2-3, July 16-17, July 23-24, and August 6-7. Hidden Villa returns to its Tuesday-Sunday open schedule on August 23.

Links for flexible playdate planning:

Hidden Villa

List of Los Altos parks

Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

Rinconada Park in Palo Alto

Palo Alto Childrens Library

Palo Alto Childrens Theater