Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in greater los angeles, CA

Cheap or Free Summer Movies and Activities

June 23, 2009

AMC Summer Movie Camp - Every Wednesday at 10 AM participating AMC Theaters (the closest one for us is AMC Burbank 16) will charge only $1 per ticket and also offer cheaper concessions.  Each week features a different film - click here for the schedule.

Regal Entertainment Group's Free Family Film Festival happens every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 AM.  Click here and select California, then scroll down to theater location to see schedule of films.  Tickets are FREE! (our closest locations are the Commons at Calabasas, Santa Clarita and Simi Valley)

The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks is showing free movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10AM (doors open for the rush(?) at 9:00).

Starting July 18, the Valley Cultural Center will host movies outdoors at Warner Park in Woodland Hills.

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The Grove Summer Sessions:  Come join us as we host our Summer Session for kids, a 10 week entertainment and educational series with L.A.'s premier cultural and art institutions, every Tuesday beginning June 23 through August 25, from 2-4pm in The Park.  Each week, a different museum or cultural partner will be featured, provide free arts and crafts, entertainment and educational activities to stimulate young minds.

The Commons at Calabasas hosts Kids Club arts and crafts or music every Tuesday at 6pm.

Toddler Time at the Skirball

by Kim Tracy Prince

January 14, 2009

Now is the time that classes are going to be starting in all different fields all around Los Angeles. One of the most wonderful opportunities for enrichment happens at the Skirball Center, home of the locally famous Noah's Ark Exhibit. Toddler Time is a Thursday morning class that "focuses on the worlds of visual art and design through art projects that will nurture your toddler's  Read more...

Five Local Spots That Inspire Imagination

by Kim Tracy Prince

October 14, 2008

When the kids and I get home every evening at 5:45, the first thing we do is grab a handful of Otter Pops and head outside. I love to lay back on a blanket in the grass and engage them in a game of "what does that cloud" look like? This only works if there are actually clouds in the sky, which isn't very often. I guess it's a special game because it's rare, but that has inspired me to seek  Read more...

Saturday Crafts at Lakeshore Learning

by Kim Tracy Prince

September 17, 2008

Last weekend our family spent the day with some friends. They have two little boys and house full of toys, just like we do. But they had something extra cool - a super fancy kaleidoscope which was a huge hit with our preschooler. Turns out, the boys made them by hand at nearby Lakeshore Learning Materials. Lakeshore is a national provider of educational materials for home and classroom. You  Read more...

The Good Pirate

by Kim Tracy Prince

August 07, 2008

As I've said before, it's kind of a shame that boys aren't encouraged to indulge in princess fantasy, because there's a heck of a lot out there to support that: dress-up props, arts and crafts, dvd's, music, etc. No, we parents of only boys must actually use our imaginations a little bit and go beyond the princess to come up with role-playing games for our kids. Unfortunately,  Read more...

Little Picasso: Kids' Art Classes

by Kim Tracy Prince

May 13, 2008

A good place to start when looking for any kind of class for kids is the LA Parks and Recreation Department . Their website isn't the most user-friendly, so you might have to actually pick up the phone and call your local recreation center (at least the phone numbers can be found on the site). They offer six-week classes (summer registration is coming up in June) for low fees. Gymboree offers a  Read more...