Share your feedback·Privacy·Terms·© 2026 The Ember List

The Ember List · San Jose, CA

Things to do with kids in San Jose, CA

Find things to do with kids in San Jose, CA, from story times and classes to family festivals and puppet shows.

← Home

We reviewed 550+ Bay Area event sources to pick the 26 best kids & family events in San Jose, CA between August 15 and August 21. Updated daily.

to see a personalized list by location, interest, and age group.

Highlights for August 15 – August 22

  1. Math Festival & Backpack Giveaway (Seven Trees, San Jose)

    Families can play a variety of math games and earn a ticket for a chance to receive a free backpack of school supplies. Saturday, August 15, 12–2pm. Free. Ages 0–17; no registration required.

  2. STEM Fun: Builders Club (Vineland, Community Room, San Jose)

    Kids design and race marble runs and create structures with Picasso Tiles, boosting engineering skills. Sunday, August 16, 1:30–2:30pm. Free. Ages 5–12; supplies provided.

  3. Summerween Crafts and Fun! (Mt. Pleasant, San Jose)

    Children enjoy summer‑themed Halloween crafts, a spooky scavenger hunt, and games like witch‑hat ring toss. Monday, August 17, 10–11am. Free. Ages 0–10; supplies included.

  4. Wee Explore Outdoors: Sand and Water Play (Educational Park, San Jose)

    Outdoor play area offers sand tables, water tables and art stations for young children to explore. Wednesday, August 18, 10:30–11:30am. Free. Ages 2–5; weather permitting.

  5. Science Heroes: Digging It! (Bascom, upstairs community room, San Jose)

    Six hands‑on science experiments are introduced with short stories, letting kids help as volunteers. Wednesday, August 19, 4–4:45pm. Free. Ages 5–12; registration required.

  6. Robotics Adventure Workshop 3 (Berryessa, Community Room, San Jose)

    Kids program robot cars to navigate mazes and obstacles while learning basic coding and sensor concepts. Thursday, August 20, 5–6pm. Free. Ages 5–12; no registration required.

  7. Little Explorers Petting Zoo (Berryessa, Outside Grass Area, San Jose)

    Families can pet and groom rabbits, chickens, ducks, alpacas, goats and more at the library’s outdoor petting zoo. Saturday, August 22, 10am–12pm. Free. All ages; first‑come, first‑served.

Our best picks: kids & family events in San Jose, CA — August 15–21

Sunday, August 16

📖
RECURRENT

Monthly STEM Workshop

1 PM – 2 PM·Cambrian, 1st Floor Community Room, San Jose

Join us for our monthly STEM Workshop presented by teen volunteers in Girls Empowered in Math and Science (GEMS)! This one-hour workshop includes a brief presentation explaining the concepts involved in the activities. Each month has a different theme! Free. No registration required. Recommended for elementary school s…

Add to calendarDetails →
✨
RECURRENT

STEM Fun: Builders Club

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM·Vineland, Community Room, San Jose

Let's build! How do we build it? How tall can we build it? How well-balanced can we make it? Test your engineering skills and build a Marble Run structure. You can race your friends to see whose marble can make it through the course the fastest. You can also engineer awesome structures with our Picasso Tiles. Build cus…

Add to calendarDetails →
📖
RECURRENT

Reading to Children

2 PM – 3 PM·Evergreen, Children's Area, San Jose

Participating in the Reading to Children program is a great way for children to develop their imagination and spark a love for books, reading, and learning. It can also help them reach academic success. Children will enjoy one-on-one or small group interaction with our adult volunteer. They are also welcome to practice…

Add to calendarDetails →
📖
RECURRENT

Teen Boot Camp 3: AI/ML and Cybersecurity for Real-World Applications

2 PM – 6 PM·King Library, Room 213, Second Floor, San Jose

SJSU University Library and San José Public Library are hosting an AI/ML and Cybersecurity for Real-World Application boot camp led by Anish Roy and Dr. Navrati Saxena. This 16-hour boot camp is designed for middle and high school students, with a special focus on supporting underrepresented groups in tech. Content Are…

Add to calendarDetails →
🎭
RECURRENT

Family Storytime + Stay & Play

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM·Evergreen, Community Room, San Jose

Storytime is designed to accommodate a mix of ages and invites the entire family to participate in early literacy activities such as stories, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and movement activities. Storytime is a fun and interactive experience for the whole family that promotes the joys of reading and learning for all age…

Add to calendarDetails →

Get your personalized event picks for free

  • Personalized event feed based on your interests, city, and age groups.
  • Weekly event picks delivered to your email inbox.
  • Search and filter the full event catalog.
or

Monday, August 17

✨

Summerween Crafts and Fun!

10 AM – 11 AM·Mt. Pleasant, Parking is available in the neighborhood., San Jose

Join us for some not-too-spooky Summerween Crafts and educational STEM Fun! Go on a Spooky Scavenger Hunt! Try our Witch Hat Ring Toss! Float a Parachuting Ghost! Experience our Creepy Crawly Sensory bins! Pin the Tail on a Zombie! Make a Jack-o'-melon! What is Summerween? A playful, summer-themed version of Halloween…

Add to calendarDetails →
✨

Fuse Bead Crafternoon

3 PM – 5 PM·Biblioteca Latinoamericana, Community Room, San Jose

Design and create small artworks using fuse beads (also known as Perler beads)! In this workshop participants will create their own artwork using colorful fusion beads. This program introduces simple designs, pattern-building, and color planning. Participants can follow ready-made templates or create their own designs.…

Add to calendarDetails →
🖼️

Wee Love Art: Faith Ringgold

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM·Village Square, Community Room, San Jose

Join us for artsy fun as we learn about different artists and art styles that have made a major impact on creative thinking in our world. This month’s artist will be Faith Ringgold and her painted story quilts made popular by her beloved picture books. Walk-ins are welcome! ADA Accommodation Requests

Add to calendarDetails →
✨
RECURRENT

Make It Mondays: Sea Otter Puppets

4 PM – 5 PM·Seven Trees, San Jose

Join us every Monday for arts and crafts at the library! Each week will feature a different activity that focuses on building creativity, social-emotional, and school readiness skills through art. All supplies will be provided! ADA Accommodation Requests

Add to calendarDetails →

Tuesday, August 18

🖼️
RECURRENT

Educational Park Art Club

4 PM – 5 PM·Educational Park, San Jose

Join us every Tuesday for an art activity! Recommended for ages 5-12, but families are welcome. All supplies are provided. This program will take place in the Community Room. August Events: August 04 - Lisa Congdon (Composition) August 11 - Ansel Adams (Photography) August 18 - Georges Seurat (Pointillism) August 25 -…

Add to calendarDetails →
📖
RECURRENT

Teens Reach: Help Us BTS

4 PM – 6 PM·King Library, TeenHQ/First Floor Mezzanine, San Jose

Calling all teens between the ages of 13 and 18 looking for simple volunteer opportunities. Our TeenHQ Theater is getting fancier. We are building a stage and need your help. Come in clothes you don’t care about getting dirty and help us continue to paint, build and sculpt the set for Beowulf and the Bard. Also, assist…

Add to calendarDetails →
🚂
RECURRENT

After-School STEaM at Almaden

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM·Almaden, Program Room, San Jose

Drop in on Tuesday afternoons in at 4:30 p.m. for a new STEaM adventure every week. Active engagement with STEaM promotes academic success. Topic list is subject to change, please check back or call the branch for up-to-date details. Suggested ages vary, please refer to individual program descriptions. Free, with limit…

Add to calendarDetails →
✨
RECURRENT

Everyone Can Create: Beginning Stop Motion Animation

5 PM – 6 PM·Cambrian, 1st Floor Community Room, San Jose

Children ages 8-14 are invited to this fun, in-person introduction to stop motion animation. Participants will use the Stop Motion Studio app to make simple stop motion animations using paper. Participants will have an opportunity to showcase their work at the end of the session . iPad devices will be provided to all p…

Add to calendarDetails →

Wednesday, August 19

🥾
RECURRENT

Wee Explore Outdoors: Sand and Water Play

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM·Educational Park, San Jose

Enjoy activities that provide learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers; weather permitting. The outdoor play space features: Music and socializing Water and sand tables Toys to encourage creative play An area for open-ended art Appropriate for ages 2 years to 5 years. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday,…

Add to calendarDetails →
🧒
RECURRENT

Playdates for Children and Their Caregivers

11 AM – 12:30 PM·Seven Trees, San Jose

Join us every Wednesday for weekly playdates. Kids get to practice early social skills like sharing, taking turns, imitation of play, and joint attention while caregivers get a chance to connect. Don't miss out on this chance to celebrate the joys of play while connecting with other families in the community. It's a wo…

Add to calendarDetails →
🔬

Science Heroes: Digging It!

4 PM – 4:45 PM·Bascom, upstairs community room, San Jose

Science Heroes will lead participants in 6 fun and exciting science experiments, with audience volunteers as helpers! Each experiment is introduced by a short, engaging story that helps to relate the science concept we're exploring to everyday life. Kids get involved in the story by adding movement and sound effects at…

Add to calendarDetails →
🖼️
RECURRENT

Any Ability Art Activity

4 PM – 5 PM·Cambrian, Community Room, San Jose

In the Any Ability Art Activity, you can expect: Art opportunities for any child of any ability. Children will have an hour to complete their very own masterpiece using a variety of materials. There will be a consideration of sensory issues and fine motor skills development for the project. Please dress accordingly. Th…

Add to calendarDetails →

Thursday, August 20

✨

Storytime with Valley Water

10:30 AM – 11 AM·Bascom, Community Room (2nd floor), San Jose

Join Valley Water for an interactive storytime all about water! Children and families will read, sing, clap, and move along with Valley Water’s water-themed adaptations of classic tales such as The Little Red Hen and The Three Little Pigs . Through engaging stories, participants will learn about topics including water…

Add to calendarDetails →
🥾
RECURRENT

Wee Play Outdoors / Patio de Juego y Aprendizaje

11 AM – 12 PM·Biblioteca Latinoamericana, Patio near Children's Area. , San Jose

Tentative: Depending on weather: Please call (408) 294-1237 to confirm the program is taking place. Enjoy a variety of activities that provide learning opportunities for young children and their caregivers. The outdoor playscape features: A water table An art area A bubble area The outdoor play space is located behind…

Add to calendarDetails →
✨
RECURRENT

STEM Club

4 PM – 5 PM·Educational Park, San Jose

Drop in every Thursday afternoon for a new STEM adventure! Intended for ages 5-10, but all families are welcome. August 06 - Paperchain Challenge August 13 - Oobleck August 20 - Straw Rockets August 27 - 3D Design Challenge F ree. No registration is required. ADA Accommodation Requests

Add to calendarDetails →
📖

Robotics Adventure Workshop 3

5 PM – 6 PM·Berryessa, Community Room, San Jose

Discover the exciting world of robotics through hands-on learning and creative problem-solving. Can a robot find its way out of a maze? How does a robot “see” obstacles and make decisions? In this interactive workshop, students will program robot cars to complete engaging challenges while exploring coding, sensors, eng…

Add to calendarDetails →

Friday, August 21

🧒

August Kids Can Cook: Yogurt Cake

2:30 PM – 4 PM·Mt. Pleasant, San Jose

Join us for our Summer Kids Can Cook program starting Friday, August 7th. Each Friday, a new recipe will be presented, and all participants will have hands-on practice in learning and recreating each recipe. Each program will be held on the Friday of each month. FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS. LIMITED 12 PARTICIPANTS .…

Add to calendarDetails →
🎉

Back to School Celebration: Boswick The Clown

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM·Village Square, Community Room, San Jose

Join Boswick the Clown, a former circus clown, for his fun and entertaining reading circus. Go on an imaginary journey to the Reading Circus where children get to perform all the things they might find in books about the circus. Expect to learn and have some great laughs. Free. No registration required. ADA Accommodati…

Add to calendarDetails →
🧒

STEM: Mathema Adventures: A D&D-Inspired Math Games Program for Kids

4 PM – 5 PM·Berryessa, Community Room, San Jose

Join us for a Dungeons & Dragons session that will be built around the magical world of Mathema, where math problems are as numerous as the creatures you will encounter in this interactive and immersive adventure that will help young patrons practice math. Each session will cover different grade-level math concepts. Du…

Add to calendarDetails →
✨
RECURRENT

Bilingual Hindi-English Storytime द्विभाषी हिंदी-अंग्रेजी स्टोरीटाइम

4 PM – 5 PM·Edenvale, Community Room, San Jose

Bilingual Hindi-English Family storytime is geared for mix of ages and invites the entire family to participate in early literacy activities such as stories, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and movement activities. Free. No registration required. द्विभाषी हिंदी-अंग्रेजी पारिवारिक कहानी समय सभी आयु वर्ग के लोगों के लिए है औ…

Add to calendarDetails →

Saturday, August 22

✨

Little Explorers Petting Zoo

10 AM – 12 PM·Berryessa, Outside Grass Area, San Jose

Hosted by the Berryessa Branch Library. Here’s a chance for you to get up close and personal with farm animals such as rabbits, chickens, ducks, a pig, alpacas, goats, and sheep! You’ll get to pet and groom them. Afterward, browse through our library’s collection of books to learn even more about them. The Petting Zoo…

Add to calendarDetails →

Explore more

  • Things to do this weekend in San Jose, CA
  • Things to do in San Jose, CA
  • Free things to do in San Jose, CA
  • Live music & concerts events in San Jose, CA
  • Festivals & street fairs events in San Jose, CA
  • Crafting & hands-on events in San Jose, CA
  • Kids & family events in Oakland, CA
  • Kids & family events in Fremont, CA
  • Kids & family events in Berkeley, CA
  • Kids & family events in the Bay Area
Public listing of Kids & family events near San Jose, updated daily from local venues, parks, museums, and community organizations. Sign in for picks tuned to your family →