If it helps, I'm a software engineer in the south bay.
Thanks.
Some places to go:
- Coyote Point
- Happy Hollow
- City of Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
- Ride the train or light rail
- Ride a bus
- The ocean (Santa Cruz, the boardwalk)
- Farmers markets
- San Francisco is full of great places, playgrounds, etc.
- Vasona Park in Los Gatos, great playgrounds and a train ride
- Stulsaft Park in Redwood City, for water play
Gymboree is great, although they start younger than two.. not sure when they grow out of that, you may be close.
Talk to her a lot. Explain everything you're doing constantly in full sentences as you go around the house doing even the most mundane stuff. Not using baby talk, just matter of fact talk, and not in two-year-old language, just normal language.
And get her to explain stuff to you, too. This is really fun, hearing what they have to say about things. You could do little interviews with her on tape every six months, and make an archive of her perspective on things. Have fun!
We have tried Gymboree at 1.5, but she had already grown out of it. We will try the Vasona Park, Sutlsaft park and other activities you have mentioned.
Many thanks.
Walking on trails and going to parks and long scenic drives were the regular for us.
If you can get her outdoors and in nature all the more better, it opens the door for a lot of bonding and communication.
Find something you can do that gets her talking and asking questions.
Somebody else noted to keep away from the baby talk and I agree, talk to her like you would anybody else and most of all listen to her. My daughter likes going on walks because we can have our "conversation" time.
On days you can't go out I find that most kids Love boxes and if you give them a few that will entertain them for along time. You can build forts, robots or whatever else she can imagine.
Music is also good all children like to dance and you could have a "dance off" or a karaoke competition.