Union Square Plaza Winter Crafts, Kids Zone and Games 2026-27

On Now Until 17 Jan 2027

When

4 Nov 2026 – 17 Jan 2027

Where

Union Square Plaza

Cost

Free

Getting There

Muni F, J, K, L, M, N +19 more; BART Powell Street, 5 min walk · More ways

Checked 8 Nov 2026 on the organizer’s page.

If the Union Square crowd gets to be too much, the plaza has a free place to sit down and do something: foam blocks for little kids, ping pong and giant Jenga for bigger ones, and a craft table four days a week. None of it costs anything.

This is the free, no-ticket corner of Union Square: things to play with and a craft table, set up on the plaza beside the tree and the rink. It works well in the middle of a shopping trip, when the kids have had enough of store windows and the adults want to sit down for a bit. Here is what is there, which craft is on which day, and how to get in without a car.

What Is There

• Kids Zone: giant foam blocks, children’s toys and children’s books.
• Recess: tabletop games and craft supplies you can borrow and use in the park. The Alliance’s page says it is for all ages.
• Big Games: Pop-a-Shot, badminton, ping pong, foosball, corn hole and giant Jenga.
• Winter Crafts: a different make-it-yourself craft on most Thursdays to Sundays, led by local makers and studios (SCRAP SF, Maker Studio Kidz, Rebecca Saylor Studio, Coffee N Cream Press, Casey’s Craft Club, Spark Studio and SF Etsy sellers).

Dates and Times

• Games, Kids Zone and Recess: daily from Wednesday 4 November 2026, 10am to 6pm. Unconfirmed The page gives a start date for the daily games but no end date. Do this: Check the Alliance’s page before you plan a trip in mid-January. Source: Union Square Alliance, park programs · Checked 8 November 2026.
• Winter crafts: 5 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. Thursday and Friday 3 to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am to 2pm.
• No craft: the Alliance prints “No craft” for Thursday 26 November, Sunday 6 December, Saturday 12 December, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December, and Thursday 31 December and Friday 1 January.
• Before 4 November: the plaza was closed 21 October to 3 November 2026, and programs paused with it.

The Craft For Each Day, 2026-27

As printed by the Alliance, listed by week (Thursday to Sunday). The schedule is subject to change.

• 5 to 8 Nov

  Thu Beaded Corn
  Fri Charm Covered Mini Frames
  Sat Diwali Paper Lanterns
  Sun Nature Inspired Wands

• 12 to 15 Nov

  Thu Tea Light Jar Decorating
  Fri Watercolor Mini Paint by Numbers
  Sat Gelli Printing
  Sun Fall Stick Family Photos

• 19 to 22 Nov

  Thu Mini Wreaths
  Fri Holiday Inspired Yarn Wrapped Mini Wreaths
  Sat Gelli Printing
  Sun Thanksgiving Cards

• 26 to 29 Nov

  Thu No craft
  Fri Wooden Bead Bag Charms
  Sat Gelli Printing
  Sun Tree Inspired Bead Craft

• 3 to 6 Dec

  Thu Metallic Watercolor Postcards
  Fri Custom Photo Keychain
  Sat Paper Menorahs
  Sun No craft

• 10 to 13 Dec

  Thu Make Your Own Dreidel
  Fri Paper Globe Watercolor Ornaments or Lanterns
  Sat No craft
  Sun Mixed Media Bookmarks

• 17 to 20 Dec

  Thu Snow Globe Card
  Fri Botanical Bookmarks
  Sat Felt Ornaments
  Sun Wintery Macrame Wall Hanging

• 24 to 27 Dec

  Thu No craft
  Fri No craft
  Sat Felt Ornaments
  Sun DIY Mini Christmas Trees

• 31 Dec to 3 Jan

  Thu No craft
  Fri No craft
  Sat Textile Jewelry
  Sun Wish Themed Vision Boards

• 7 to 10 Jan

  Thu Paint an Intention Target for 2027
  Fri Word of the Year Felt Art
  Sat Textile Jewelry
  Sun DIY Photo Frames

• 14 to 17 Jan

  Thu Custom Photo Keychain
  Fri Landscape Mini Collage
  Sat Textile Jewelry
  Sun New Beginnings Collaborative Mural

Where Exactly

Union Square Plaza, the park between Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets, San Francisco 94108. The Great Tree and the ice rink at 333 Post Street share the same plaza.

Cost

Free. The Alliance lists the park programs as free. The ice rink is separate: $22, or $17 for ages 8 and under, skate rental included.

Getting There

• BART: Powell Street Station, 899 Market Street, then walk up Powell Street, about three blocks to the plaza.
• Cable car: the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines both start at Powell and Market. See our cable car guide for fares and where to board.
• Muni: the 38 Geary stops near Geary and Powell, and the F, J, K, L, M and N run to Powell Street Station underground. Our Muni, BART and cable car guide and the Muni one-pager cover the rest.
• Driving: we would not. The streets around the plaza are busy in the holidays. If you do drive, the parking details are in the Union Square tree guide.

What To Do Nearby

• Skate at the ice rink, or watch from the plaza edge.
• See the Macy’s and SF SPCA holiday windows, from 20 November (details in the tree guide).
• Chanukah in Union Square, 4 to 11 December: the Bill Graham Menorah is in the same plaza.
• After dark, Let’s Glow SF lights up buildings downtown on 4 to 13 December.

Accessibility

The plaza is an open park with paths. Unconfirmed The Alliance’s park programs page gives no accessibility details for the games or crafts, such as table heights, seating or step-free paths. Do this: Call the number on the Alliance’s page, 415.781.4456, if you need to know before you go. Source: Union Square Alliance, park programs · Checked 8 November 2026. Our accessibility page explains how we label access on this site.

With Kids

The Kids Zone is aimed at young children, and Recess is “for all ages” on the Alliance’s page. Unconfirmed The page does not give age limits, say whether crafts need an adult, or mention registration. Do this: Plan to stay with young children, and ask the staff at the craft table. Source: Union Square Alliance, park programs · Checked 8 November 2026.

Last Year

The Alliance’s 2025 holidays release listed winter crafts from 5 November to 18 January on select Thursdays through Sundays. That is last year’s pattern, not a promise for any day this year; this year’s schedule above is the one to follow.

Sources, read on 8 November 2026: Union Square Alliance, park programs and its 2025 holidays release. See also our Union Square tree guide and the holiday lights guide.

Getting There

• MUnion Square/Market St Station SouthboundMuni Metro T · 70 m, about 1 min walk
• MPowell St & Geary StPowell–Hyde cable car, Powell–Mason cable car · 89 m, about 1 min walk
• BPowell Street BART0.2 mi, about 5 min walk

Transit directions, including buses

Nearest Muni Metro, streetcar and cable car stops and BART stations, from SFMTA and BART published stop data. Distances are straight-line, and walking times are our estimate. Buses aren’t listed here.

Organizing this event? Add a “Listed on Project SF” badge to your site.

More in Union Square

Coming up Nearby

• Union Square Holiday Ice Rink Wed, Nov 4, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027 · Union Square
• Let’s Glow SF: Free Downtown Holiday Projection Festival (Dec 4–13, 2026) Fri, Dec 4–13 · Downtown San Francisco (six buildings)
• Bill Graham Menorah: Chanukah in Union Square 2026 Fri, Dec 4–11 · Union Square
• Polar Bear Skate at Union Square Ice Rink Fri, Jan 1 · Union Square Ice Rink

Places in the Neighborhood

• Fraenkel Gallery Art Galleries

Our Union Square guide →

Read More

• 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: What Happened
• 25 Free Things to Do in San Francisco with Kids

← All upcoming events

Getting there by Muni

Lines within a 5-minute walk: F J K L M N PH PM T 1X 2 5 +13 more

Nearest BART: Powell Street, about 5 min walk.

Straight-line distance from the venue; check SFMTA for times and service changes. From our Events by Muni data, November 2, 2026.

Source: Union Square Alliance (park programs) ↗ · Checked against the official source on November 8, 2026. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Dates, times, prices and venue checked against the official source on 8 Nov 2026.

Cite this page: Project SF, “Union Square Plaza Winter Crafts, Kids Zone and Games 2026-27”, projectsf.com/events/union-square-plaza-winter-crafts-kids-zone/ (updated 2026-11-08).

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