Marina Green050

Acres of grass next to the San Francisco Bay make the Marina Green a scenic spot for field sports, running, kite flying, in-line skating and a modest amount of bike riding. You won't find a playground here, but the small Parcourse at the southeast corner of the Green is close enough for some kids.

The lengthy walk out to the Wave Organ (located at the end of the breakwater beyond the St. Francis and Golden Gate Yacht Clubs) is worth the trip, though some disagree. Built by artists with help from the Exploratorium it is basically a set of pipes running along the waterfront and into the bay.

We've seen kids who love the strange sounds it makes, and others who find it decidedly less mystical ("like a toilet flushing.") Whatever.

The lush Green, which offers spectacular views of the bay and Marin Headlands, invites lawn picnics. It runs up against Crissy Field, a sandy park that wends along the shore right up to the foot of Golden Gate Bridge. When your children aren't focusing on the waves at their feet (and this is a wading beach, not a swimming one), they can watch the sails of boats and windsurfers streaming by.