Tsk, tsk, tsk.

All those years of high school Spanish, and the only thing you can manage to say with any degree of confidence is hola.

If only you’d started studying at Language at Play. The lab takes advantage of your little one’s sponge-like ways by offering courses in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and French for kids ages 1 to 7.

Children attend classes once or twice a week. Which is plenty of time to ensure everything your tyke says makes her the apple of her Spanish teacher’s eye.

In other words, la niña de sus ojos.

Language at Play, Fort Mason Center, at Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, building c, room 190 (415-793-1028 or languageatplay.com). Fall classes begin October 22.

SAIL
The Alma
What: A three-hour program on San Fran’s maritime history aboard an 80-foot, two-masted ship.
Why: Sea with your own eyes.
When: Every Sat.-Nov. 17. Board at 12:30 p.m.; depart at 1 p.m.
Where: Hyde Street Pier, at Hyde & Jefferson Sts. (415-447-5000).

EXPERIMENT
Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson
What: Science and art exhibition explores light and color and how it affects our perception of the world.
Why: The future looks bright.
When: Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., b/t Mission & Howard Sts. (415-357-4000).