Pizza, Pizza

WED-SUN 4/30-5/4

Kids are notoriously picky about what they eat, but even the most finicky can't turn down pizza. At the exhibit "Pizza -- Any Way You Slice It," youngsters can satisfy their cravings by learning how to make a pie in a child-size kitchen, where they can choose toppings and cozy up to a soft, 10-foot pizza sculpture. Kids may think they're just chowing down, but unbeknownst to them they're also learning math concepts such as counting, measuring, and fractions. Visit the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, 180 Woz (at Locust), San Jose. Call (408) 298-5437. -- Lisa Hom

The Slammer
Tour Alcatraz after hours

SUN 5/4

Are the kids acting up these days -- throwing tantrums, refusing to turn off Teletubbies at bedtime? Maybe it's time for some tough love. What better way to straighten out the rambunctious tykes than a night out on "The Rock"?

During the Blue and Gold Fleet's children's tour of the infamous prison, "What Lies Beneath: The Alcatraz Dungeons," youngsters can roam the cells under cover of dusk, see a slide show, and explore the mysteries of the island's 150-year-old underground citadel. The presentation spans 200 years of the jail's history, though many of the darker details are omitted to make this a family-friendly event appropriate for children over 8 (or younger kids who are particularly hardened by life on the outside). A few hours behind bars should be enough to transform ne'er-do-wells into little angels. The ferry leaves Pier 41 at 4:20 p.m. and returns at 7:15 p.m. Admission is free-$20.75; call 561-4926. -- Jack Karp

Salt Airs

SAT 5/3

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park presents a Sea Music Festival so big, it's like a Renaissance Faire for oceangoing folks. The fest is packed with music of many kinds, none of it landlubberly: About 20 acts are scheduled, including fiddler Alasdair Fraser and concertina player Louis Killen. Naturally, it's anchors aweigh with the chanteys -- there's a "Roving Chanteyman" in addition to the regularly scheduled evening chantey sing. The Georgia Sea Island Singers, famous for traditional African-American Gullah-language songs, hold forth with yet more chanteys. Nonmusical fun also abounds: crafts for kids aboard the historic Eureka, an audience-participation sail-raising, and lots of demonstrations, like the maritime rescue re-enactment. Many activities take place aboard the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha. Clamber aboard from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hyde Street Pier (at Jefferson), S.F. Admission is free-$5; call 561-7100 or visit www.nps.gov/safr/seafest.html. -- Hiya Swanhuyser