Habitot Children's Museum

There are so many reasons to love Habitot, and our family has had so much fun there over the years! The exhibits really bring out imaginative play, and I've gotten so many ideas for how to interact with my son in an engaging and educational way. I also love that they have subsidized or free admission for unhoused families, special needs kids, and other members of the community who can't afford full price. Definitely one of the best nonprofits in the East Bay!

Habitot has worked so diligently to stay engaged and serve its target audience throughout the last 1.5 years when all childrens museums have been effectively shut down. The joy they continue to bring to families in need that would otherwise not have access to much at all, has been inspiring. Keep up the good work!

My family and I love Habitot! They have great exhibits and activities that my kids both enjoy, even though they're different ages. The staff are knowledgeable, patient, and engaging - they always have great suggestions!

I've been a board member of Habitot for several years. The last 18 months, operating through the pandemic, have been extremely difficult for the museum, but with careful organizational management we stayed afloat and recently launched new pop-up museum experiences! I volunteered at one of Habitot's pop-up events in Berkeley. I spent four hours witnessing dozens of children and their caregivers learn, play, experiment, create and have fun. It felt great to be a part of this wonderful organization that, in times of such darkness, can bring so much joy and positivity to the community!

I strongly believe in Habitot's mission and love the work they do so much that I've continued donating to Habitot well beyond when our son aged out (he's 13 now). All children should have access to the materials, exhibits, and tools that Habitot provides.

My family had such a good time playing at Habitot's Pop-Up. It felt really good to be outside & both of my children loved the paint wall, the home made play-dough, & playing with water at the WaterWorks exhibit. What a lot of joy something so simple can give.

My child loved learning about what floats and how water works on an incline at the Habitot Pop-Up WaterWorks exhibit. They were soaked when we left, but it was well worth it because they were laughing and learning.

It was so nice after the pandemic to bring my child to the Pop-Up where they could interact in positive ways with new people. We played with waterways, which our toddler loved and doesn't get to do in our home since we don't have a backyard.

Habitot's pop-up event was such a wonderful way to explore something new with my toddler (2 years). The water play and the painting were the two favorites, particularly because he was free to explore on his own. They created such a safe space for creativity - amazing!

As an intern without any formal childcare experience, I am grateful to Habitot for teaching me so much about how to talk and play with children to cultivate a space for fun and growth. I witnessed first-hand the care and dedication Habitot puts into planning their camp curriculum and art and science activities. In both the museum and camp settings, it was clear that parents and children alike were able to engage in positive free play and interact with the exhibits in many versatile ways. For instance, at the art studio, I learned how Habitot embraces open-ended art projects, encouraging the process of a child's art, rather than the result. There was always an emphasis on facilitating imaginative play for the children, which I know had a lasting impact even after the children went home. The inclusive community Habitot has built is impressive! It was great to see staff build relationships with families through museum visits and other events, and see these families return regularly even during the short time I was an intern. I loved how Habitot had a multitude of instructional resources for parents and visitors scattered around the museum--these pamphlets, sheets were especially helpful to me as a first-time childcare worker. Without Habitot, I wouldn't have all the tools I have now to best nurture a child's development through play.

Our Early Intervention Services program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland has been fortunate to be a community partner with Habitot. As a community partner, we have been fortunate to offer our families free passes to Habitot. Many of our families have limited resources and are unable to afford to take their families to Habitot. After their visits, many parents commented about the friendliness of the staff, cleanliness of the site, informative handouts about development and having a safe place to play. Quite often, their children were not ready to leave.
We, also, work with many families who are involved in the child welfare system. I have given passes to parents who are working on reunifying with their children. Quite often during their weekly visits they go to a park, shopping mall or a fast food establishment. My families were very grateful to have a fun, safe place to take their children.
Our department, also, works with children with special needs or behavioral challenges. Many of the parents are reluctant to take their children to public places (parks, in-door play centers) because of their children's behaviors or developmental delays. I and several of my colleagues have accompanied these families to Habitot to support them during their first visit. One of my families commented that she was worried other parents or children would misinterpret her child's behavior and think he was "mean" and appreciated the positive interactions from parents and staff. In addition, to how much fun her child had and opportunities for social interaction.
Every year Habitot recognizes teachers for their wonderful work. I was fortunate to have two of my nominees selected. I attended the celebration and was quite impressed by the effort put into creating the celebratory event. Both of the teachers I nominated, had their families present and commented that it was such an honor to be recognized and appreciated for their work.
Habitot provides monthly birthday parties for families who are homeless or in transitional housing. One of my families was fortunate to benefit from this act of generosity for the child's first birthday party. This meant so much to the parent to have a beautiful and fun venue to celebrate the momentous occasion. Habitot provided a pizza lunch, birthday cake, goodie bags for the children and gift for her daughter.
Habitot is a wonderful gift for the community. It is a happy, fun and safe place with much to do and discover. They continue to give back to the community in many ways. Since sheltering in place, they have created activity bags for families. Our organization was fortunate to receive these bags on two occasions. Our families were very happy to receive them because there were activities they could do with their children and the children were excited to see what was in the bag. All supplies were included and they were easy to do without causing frustration or stress.
Habitot has always been my go to resource for families. I look forward to visiting them at their new location.

Habitot is a wonderful place for any and every growing and developing child. I used to take my daughter there every week and she absolutely loved the art studio. Also, the staff there is excellent and was able to foster her artistic growth from the variety of art projects and materials that are available on a weekly basis. While my 4 year old is having a blast in in the art studio, I can watch my 1 year old baby play in the infant/crawler area or explore freely in the grocery cart area and space station exhibition. There is always so much fun at Habitot and so much creativity and thought that goes into every exhibit. Ever since the pandemic, Habitot has been closed and my children and I miss it so dearly. I am so looking forward to its re-opening and will be one of the first to jump into a membership again.

Having Habitot in my children’s lives has been such a blessing. I started taking my children there since before they learned to walk. They have learned to let their imaginations and creativity run wild while painting, playing with play dough, slime, glitter, glue, watercolors and a myriad of other messy art activities that change daily. They have learned to form friendships through pretend play at the ever changing and imaginative exhibits such as the rocket ship exhibit, farm, recycling center, fire truck, car wash, veterinary clinic, pretend store and restaurant and other exhibits. My daughters have so much freedom to explore and be creative at Habitot and when they come away with faces painted like panda bears or shirts soaked from water play, I know they’ve had a good day. The staff at Habitot are warm, caring and very attentive and are eager to get to know and help each child that visits. Habitot is truly a magical place for toddlers. I cannot say enough good things about it and I hope it reopens soon!

I have an in home daycare and was hoping to liven the environment up a bit, to keep kids entertained during these crazy times and I contacted habitot about a sale they were having. I went and was able to get a bunch of new activities and games for the kids. Thanks habitot!
Cecy

My now 20 year old daughter spent many happy hours at Habitot when she was a toddler and preschooler. I also brought my preschool class to Habitot several times. It really is a magical place for play and discovery. Thank you Habitot!

Habitot has been extremely proactive in making sure the children in our program at the Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center have the learning supplies and creative tools to remain engaged throughout this pandemic! We are so grateful for their continual support and are excited to foster this partnership.

Habitot serves a vital role in the East Bay community. The organization does significant outreach work for low income families, and provides access to hands-on learning for young children that many would not have access to at home. Habitot also provides other services like a toy lending library, which is great for families who can't afford to purchase new toys, and birthday parties for homeless children, which enforce the principal that all people are valued members of the community. This is one of the few organizations where children from all backgrounds learn and play together.

The organization's founder, Gina, has always found a way to help those in need, even when they are unable to pay. She's really quite amazing and inspirational. Donors help to bridge the gap between what the community needs and what people can afford to pay.

Habitot was a fantastic place for my boys to spend afternoons, particularly from ages 2-5, exploring the interactive play experiences that Habitot offers, spending time playing their grandparents, parents, and babysitters, and learning so much from that fun time. Habitot is a treasure for the Bay Area.

The initial concept for starting a children's museum "Habitot" was for Gina's children. Believe me, my sister could have chosen anything to do and it would have been as great as Habitot is. We have been able to visit a few times, because we live out of state, and all the imaginative areas that were set up were always so fun, the grocery store, the doctor's office, the fire truck (especially for my son), the wind tunnel, and the amazing water world area. There is so much more that Habitot has and has done over the years. Gina has put her whole heart into building such a wonderful children's museum. Her care for the improvement of children's lives goes far beyond her museum. I am so proud of all the work she has done for her community over these past few decades.

Habitot has meant so much to our family (currently with three littles ages 3, 2, and 1). I pushed this place to the bottom of my list for a long time because of the word "museum" but then got the opportunity to attend a birthday party here and was immediately hooked and purchased a membership. For around the cost of bringing the four of us once a month I was able to purchase a membership that allows us unlimited entry, and since then we have been here 2-3 times a week. It's basically our preschool. Where do I even begin?

The space is just big enough that my toddlers can run around and have freedom without ever feeling unsafe or like they can't find me. The staff is consistent and friendly so that our girls have gotten to know them in the same way they might know teachers.

A few highlights:

The art room. Nora is the art teacher we normally see, and she is so kind and welcoming with my three girls. Kids are allowed to get as messy as they like and touch whatever they like. It's incredibly tactile, There is a giant painting wall, and once the children have filled it up Nora wipes it down (the water goes into a cleverly placed trough at the base) and they start again. My girls have learned so much by exploring the daily art projects, and my oldest is always so proud to show me which pieces on the drying rack are hers.

The water room is decorated with fabulous shimmering strips of fabric so that you feel you're in a little sea cave. Once inside kids can safely play with the very shallow water troughs and get as wet as they like with bubbles, chutes that wind through the room and make little waterfalls (and teach about gravity and uphill vs downhill), and marine life toys. Best of all, any spilled water drops to the floor which is entirely made of grates.

The wind tunnel is my baby's favorite spot. Once the yellow button is pressed the wind begins to blow and you can toss leaves or flower petals into the air and watch the wind dance with them.

There is a grocery store with child-sized carts, and a little diner where they can "cook," and sell things on the cash register, and serve food.

In the building-room they can construct surprisingly big castles with the giant foam blocks.

There is a small, and very safely contained three-level climbing wall.

There is a small infant-toddler garden room with toys for the youngest babies and a spot where fake carrots are growing and the kids can pull them up out of the ground and look at them. It's just so cleverly designed and brilliant.

There are two giant make-up mirrors with very easy-to-clean facepaint crayons where kids can do their own make-up creations.

Some sections of Habitot are occasionally updated, so I don't know how permanent these sections are, but there is currently a firetruck the kids can climb with buttons they can press to make things happen, and a whole recycling center with hand-crank conveyer-belts, and (our favorite) an animal hospital with an x-ray viewer that lights up and all kinds of (stuffed) animal creatures that can be petted, fed, and healed.

There are occasionally extra events for which there is never an extra charge. We've been shown worms from composting (and been able to take a tiny cup-composter home), and seen a dragon puppet show teaching about fire safety, just to name two. Every Wednesday (again, for no extra charge), a wonderful music teacher from Jamaroo comes and leads the kids for 30 minutes of singing, dancing, and storytelling. It's just the best.

Getting here can be tricky in terms of parking, navigating the building, dealing with trucks blocking the alleyway, or with elevators being broken, but once you are here it is just so worth it.

Above all else, I feel like Habitot staff members and leadership truly cares about families, and keeping the Habitot experience child-driven, and you can see that in everything they do, from the way that they intentionally don't offer wifi (because they want you engaging with the kids), to the way they don't reprimand kids for "mixing" the displays in creative play, to the encouraging and educational signs that are posted everywhere. The environment is so warm, and I have made one very good friend by coming and striking up conversations with other mothers. Habitot is a truly remarkable place, and for people like us (middle class—making too much to get assistance but not enough to afford preschool) it has been an irreplaceable blessing.

Habitot provides a great space for my almost two year old to explore, be creative, socialize, and play. The water area, imaginary restaurant/store, painting wall, and fire truck are his favorites. The staff is kind, helpful, and patient.

Habitot offers a fun and educational environment for kids up to about 1st grade. They have a nice variety of activities to keep kids interested, from a climbing structure to a fire truck to a fantastic water feature to an amazing art section. They even have a toy 'library' where you can borrow activities to do at home. We were able to go on a day designated for families who have children with special needs, and it was great to be able to play without the stress of worrying about how our daughter's behaviors might be perceived. She had a great time and loved the water especially.

Much needed opportunity for children to play as they see fit including in a very loud voice, or collecting more than one of a desired object like shopping carts. one child poured buckets of water into a filled container repeatedly to watch in all seriousness the overflow. Most other places he would have been corrected rather than allowed the experience

They do great work for kids with special needs and their families

Habitot is a magical place! Our toddlers love running around and experiencing all that the space has to offer. I have been bringing my daughter to Habitot since she was 1 year old and have never been disappointed. The exhibit with the fan and the fairy butterflies is wonderful for the little ones along with the closed-off area for the babies to play. Now that my daughter is 2.5 I just stand back and let her discover what she wants as she is ready! We are thrilled to have this as one of our local spots!

Habitot Children’s Museum is a marvelous community resource. For years I have taken my grandchildren there, as toddlers and also up to five years old. They love the diversity of activities available: art, face painting, train sets, water play and much, much more. And I love how Habitot reaches out to all parts of the community.

Habitot is a wonderful museum for children. It has many interactive stations and encourages parent / child interaction. The stations change so there is always something new to foster creativity and play time. I really appreciate their foster night and homeless birthday parties. It is encouraging to see an organization focus on these under served but deserving families.

Not only does Habitot provide a fun, educational space for kids under age 5, their mission extends to a number of programs for under-served and at-risk populations including children of refugees, incarcerated parents and the like. The programming ranges from sustainability to inclusivity and is always child-focused and child led.

Habitot is an amazing place for young children to learn and play. The exhibits are engaging and fun. It’s interesting to see how children of different ages interact with the exhibits differently. Habitot also works hard to be open to all children in the community and deliberately fosters activities to bring in children from groups that may be marginalized. It is a true community resource.

Habitot Children's Museum is a wonderful organization that meets and exceeds its mission to help children thrive and grow with play-based education vital to their early childhood development. As a nonprofit, they host extraordinary events for all communities within the East Bay in order to expand their reach and allow parents/caregivers access to resources and educational information that they otherwise would not be able to access or afford. For example, they host birthday parties for homeless families, free admission days for families facing financial difficulties, and events that exclusively close down the museum for kids with special needs, to name a few. Habitot's staff is passionate about helping families and children in their community and it truly shows through their long-standing efforts and exceptional events they work so hard to provide.

Habitot is a great place for children to play. My kids love the art studio, water play area, and the changing exhibits and always seem to find a new playmate while crawling around in the wiggle wall. In addition to enjoying the museum with my family, I have been volunteering with Habitot for over two years. As an Architect, I work with board members on the museum's goals to expand its exhibit space and educational programming. Making a new space a reality will allow Habitot to continue to serve the community for many years to come.

We have an awesome story of our son with special needs being able to bond with his typically developing peer at the habitot special needs day. It really does feel like a special time that we don't need to worry about what other parents or children are thinking or even answer questions. We can just enjoy ourselves. Wish this special needs time could be more frequent!

My first experience with this children's museum was when I was told about a free event they were sponsoring for families of kids with special needs. I had heard of the museum and wanted to go and that was the perfect opportunity to do so. I was initially surprised at how small the museum is, but that actually turned out to be a blessing, because I could relax more there than in bigger children's museums where I am constantly worried about my kids getting out of my sight. Because Habitot is small, I knew my two kids were always close, even if I couldn't see them. Plus there was only one way for them to get out and there was always a staff member watching that door. My kids had a blast and we stayed all afternoon. I was happily surprised that in addition to giving us free admission for the afternoon, there were also snacks provided during this special event. That was such a nice, welcoming touch and it was good so that families could connect when they were taking a break and getting the kids snacks. There were also volunteers that engaged my kids, one who stayed colored with my son for about 30 minutes. This was nice because it game me a chance to spend quality time just with my daughter. Finally, when we were leaving, each child was allowed to pick a book to take home. The book we found for my son was a song book that he absolutely loved and has become one of our most-read books. So the experience was a very nice, complete, satisfying one that lives on each time we read that book. Since then, we have gone back a few times on another special event day and with a group.

Habitot has been incredibly welcoming to my ASD toddler. We've had fun at the museum on days reserved for special needs families (he loves the painting white board that you can squeegee) and he had so much fun at the two summer camp sessions we signed him up for. The teachers were so welcoming and friendly - he developed trust with them right away and came home every day with evidence of creative endeavors and fun (glitter in hair!). Thank you, Habitot, for being a safe and welcoming place for every toddler to explore and be creative.

This place is so amazing. There special needs kids afternoons have been wonderful for my family. My kids get to play in a safe, enclosed environment with lots of Staff helpers around to help them engage and I get to meet and connect with other parents who really know what it’s like to raise a non nuerotyoical child.

We have been going to Habitot a lot this summer. My 3.5 year old son loves it and asks to go almost daily. He always finds something new to do even though we go there a couple of times a week. He loves the grocery area, the trains, the water area and he loves to yell into the wind tunnel. I enjoy watching him play, the staff are incredibly nice and supportive and it’s been nice meeting other families. I appreciate habitot and their programs so much

My little one loves Habitot, and I am deeply grateful for the special needs playdates. Having such a wonderful space with great staff at a time that's dedicated to our kiddos means they can explore without the usual tons of kids. Having that special time to gently broaden her horizons has been wonderful. Please keep it up! I also learned a ton from a workshop they held about IEPs, so thanks for that as well!

Such a wonderful place!! I was able to introduce my son to this space with only a few kids around since it was for a special event. My son takes a little time getting used to new spaces but he quickly took a liking to this place. There were so many things for him to do and explore that we weren't able to see it all in one go. The space is very clean and well kept. I would highly suggest bringing your little ones here. We will definitely be back to explore more of the spaces we didn't really get to on our first visit.

This museum is very sweet. It is quite small, but every ounce of space is used for something creative. My daughter's loved playing in the shopping area and cafe, swinging on the farm bench, and painting and playing with slime in the art room. The workers are kind and helpful. We hope to be back soon!

Our preschooler as learned so much at Habitot from the art room, to the water area and make believe cafe. The size is perfect to let my toddler room with my newborn in my arms. We have loved going!

Upon my first visit to Habitot, it was love at first sight both with the facilities and the staff. It is a fantastic creative, safe and unassuming place where your child can let go of their inhibitions and reach beyond. The entire space is thoughtfully designed with the children’s perspective in mind making it an even more inviting space. I am honored to be part of the board and look forward to seeing Habitot grow!

I interned at Habitot Children's Museum for a three-month period earlier this year, and throughout my internship I was constantly impressed by the staff and director's enthusiasm and dedication to supporting the museum's mission, providing resources as well as a safe, creative learning space for Bay Area families. Habitot is a unique organization in its steadfast commitment to its function as a community resource, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work directly with its staff and director.

Habitot is an organization that I donate to happily, knowing that the money will be utilized to the fullest extent and to support those most in need. Habitot has a powerful mission and does meaningful work in our community. I'm thrilled to support them!

Habitot is a community treasure in the Bay Area! It provides a wonderful space for young children & their caregivers to enjoy imaginative play and explorative learning. I’m a disabled grandma, yet have been able to care for my grandchildren by including Habitot as one of our “adventures” on a weekly basis for years. Now my “kiddos” feel at home there, familiar yet always surprised and entertained by their exhibits and activities. The staff are committed and caring, focused on celebrating diversity. We feel welcome. I’m truly grateful to have the joyful memories of helping my grandchildren bloom because Habitot has been so engaging with an incredible variety of things to do! Arts & crafts including a huge paint wall. Water play with tables, toys, cascading stream. Grocery store & cafe filled with foods, dishes, registers and tables to be served the latest yummy treat. Wind tunnel to delight airborne leaves & petals & snow in season. A special exhibit that changes, a full fire engine, hoses, gear & chance to learn “stop, drop & roll”... formerly a full rocket & space station, and a veterinary and hospital with animals & dolls. Face painting station. Climbing wall. Even quiet spaces for reading & relaxing. A garden for very young ones to climb, stand & play. Train tables & lunchroom. Now we have boxes of artwork and thousands of photos, and chance for them to “make a friend”. Habitot has made all the difference for me, enabling me to be the kind of “Grammy” I hoped for my loved ones. I sincerely recommend Habitot to share and enjoy with your family too!

We absolutely adore Habitot. We've been taking my son almost monthly since he was 2, and now my daughter. They both love the exhibits, and they are entertained for hours. It's our favorite rainy-day activity in the Bay Area. It certainly feels good to support the organization considering their incredible generosity towards disadvantaged groups.

Habitot is a fun and joyful place that fills a critical need in the East Bay by providing a safe and affirming place for all young children in our community to play and learn.

The Executive Director, Gina Moreland, and the great staff have focused on fostered a welcoming environment for all kids and their parents. This is reflected not just in the inviting physical space they have created, but also in the inclusive programming they have developed. Creating spaces that meet the specific needs of children experiencing homelessness, recent immigrant and refugee children, those with disabilities, and other groups of kids who can often be left out of the fun of play, are all enthusiastically welcomed at Habitot, and treated with dignity and love (as are their parents).

As a resident of Berkeley, although I'm not a parent, it's an honor to be able to support an organization so dedicated to helping all of our community's kids to learn and grow.

I run a summer camp and coming to Habitot has been great for our older campers. They spent a half-day volunteering- helping prepare the activities for the museum as well as had a tour and talked about Early Childhood Development (these are all 13/14 year-olds who are hoping to become counselors next year!). It was a fun and informative way for our oldest campers to learn some leadership and child development in a light-hearted and exciting way!

I have lived in the Bay Area for a long time and would often hear people talk about Habitot. Once I had kids I realized why it had such an amazing reputation. My two girls love visiting the museum and could play and learn for hours in end. They even had birthday parties there. As we continued to visit I learned about Habitot’s numerous inclusion programs for new parents, caregivers, and families with special needs. It’s not just a space to play, but also learn, and more importantly a safe space for the community to gather. It truly is a community resource. After meeting the founder, Gina Moreland, the mission to provide the community a safe space to help people explore their curiosity, creativity, and confidence really stood out. I happily joined the board and have been a proud supporter ever since!

I went to Habitot as a child and have so many fond memories of playing there. From playing with windmills in the wind tunnel to crawling like an earthworm in the fun crawl wall to painting my face in all sorts of ways, I always looked forward to birthday parties and outings at Habitot.
I was so happy to hear about a group of teens from a summer camp I work at going to volunteer at Habitot this summer as it brought back so many fond memories of my childhood.
Habitot is such a wonderful part of our community and I can't wait to bring my children here. Thank you so much for the wonderful memories :)

I have been taking my children to Habitot for over 10 years! Both my children have developmental disabilities and a number of challenges including anxiety and delays. Outings are extremely difficult for us and in fact there are very few places I can take both my children to together. One of our top goals is to have our kids socialize in a safe and fun environment. Habitot has been a safe haven for my family in this sense.
My son is now 12 but still loves playing at the museum. For my daughter who is 8, Habitot is the only place, I can let her play and explore freely, without worrying about her safety. Another great benefit of the museum has been connecting with other families. It can be very isolating to be a new mom. Add to that, being a mom of a special needs child! I hope to be able to take my children to the museum for more years to come. My son has even expressed interest in volunteering there when he is older, to give back.

Hello Gina Moreland, Executive Director,

I writing to share some pictures of my daughter AnnaBella Vaca. She spent many afternoons and late Thursday time at Habitot as a young child. I firmly believe that the play spaces helped to expose her to more pretend play and creativity.

This was the first place where she could paint on the wall! She begged for years to paint the walls in our home. As you can see this wall that was painted by AnnaBella at the age of 12 makes us all so very happy!

Bella is currently an 8th grade visual artist at Oakland School for the Arts.

Thanks for showing her more ways to pretend. Thanks for all of the goop and slime. And thanks most of all for an entire wall to paint on!!

Sincerely,
Christy & Ignacio Vaca

Pics at Habitot as well as Bella's art:


https://goo.gl/photos/C2AwSWbt8WMSvmfW7

Habitot is a wonderfully conceived educational and play-filled universe for my one year old. From the parenting handouts to the art studio to the toy lending library to the water area and rocketship, every square inch is dedicated to something enriching for children and families. We both love that he can practice interacting with other children there. It truly is a little learning laboratory. They also have parenting education programs, child classes, and outreach programs for underrserved communities. Habitot is a thoughtful community resource that is for ALL kids and families and keeps itself accessible through affordable admission and free programs. I know we will enjoy many years of learning through play at Habitot!

Habitot is amazing. The museum provides my baby with a safe, nurturing environment to learn while helping to inform me as a parent. The provide parenting articles, support groups, classes for parents and kids. A true resource for a new family.

Habitot is truly an unique and special space for families. I have seen diverse crowds over the years share laughs, get messy and develop their outlook on the world through exploring hands-on imaginative play which ties in real world experiences. The crowd attracts families of all shapes, sizes and makes-- allowing for an everlasting family memories.

As a visitor to the museum, one may hear families speaking a number of different languages and may see people from across the world, while this is true families of all walks benefit from the space's ability to hone child development skills and lose themselves in the fun of doing what is not expected. From shopping for a basket of fruits and veggies for a Habitot cooked meal to creating baby's first wall painting using recycled materials in the art studio, Habitot allows staff expertise, cultural sensitivity and appreciation for the beauty in the simple things shape the family visit.

The museum plans events for Chinese New Year, Black History Month, Christmas and also finds time to offer free and subsidized visits for households of families who are homeless, incarcerated, or teen-parents. This is a gem to the diverse atmosphere of the Bay Area and allows a safe space for the positive growth of our kids-- or The Future as I like to call them- through play and cultural awareness. We need this place!

Habitot is the go-to for me and my daughter. She's 2 1/2 now and we've been going for close to two years. In the beginning, it was the toddler section that was her favorite but now it's ... well, everything. From playing with the water to discovering her inner van Gogh to pretending to be an astronaut (or a car driver - I'm not sure) she has so much to choose from that she is constantly discovering. Every time when it's just her and me I ask, "Do you want to go to Habitot?" and she responds with a loud "PO!" (which is 'yes' in albanian). Is Habitot one of those hidden gems in the bay area? Po!

We love Habitot! I take my granddaughter to Habitot twice a week because its a place that she can play with her peers, fully use her imagination, and explore water, wind, and make amazing art projects. The staff are friendly and really enjoy being around children. On Fridays they have pizza for the price of $1.00 and my granddaughter really looks forward to the treat. What I so appreciate is that unlike other kid friendly places it is racially diverse and they have an affordable summer rate which makes the world of difference in our ability to visit. You will not be disappointment! I was talking with a family who came all the way from Modesto (80 miles) to Habitot and they were not disappointed!

One of the first places we discovered when we moved to Berkeley. Both of my children 1 & 3 love it! The staff is extraordinary. The wonderful lady in the art studio helped my son (1yr) paint for the first time by getting him a highchair and helped me with paint and a clean brush. This place is amazing!

My son had his two year old birthday party at Habitot and he was super delighted with all the exhibits at the museum!!! His favorite included the Waterworks exhibit, the Wind Tunnel , and the Wiggle wall!!! My nine year old daughter also had great fun doing face painting!!! Habitot is a great place for the entire family!!!

I began taking my kids to Habitot when my oldest was becoming a toddler over one; she is now 9. I have watched my girls grow with the museum and learn to explore that greater side of themselves. Whether it's through the fire truck exhibit or the water play, they joy I see in their eyes when at Habitot excites. Habitot reminds me of the importance to connect with your creativity and innovation. It has been an important part of my life as a parent and what fueled me to become more involved in the organization.

My almost 4 year old daughter and I love Habitot. We go there almost weekly. The staff is great there and they use their small space very well. Our favorite area is the art studio. My daughter can focus there for over an hour doing one creative project or another. Thank you Habitot!