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

Weekend Roundup 8/8

August 06, 2009

Weekend Roundup

Traveling with the kids is such a chore, but remember that you are creating memories for them.  It's what you signed up for when you had kids, so you might as well accept that a vacation with them is not actually a vacation for you.  I learned that lesson again when my family went camping last weekend at Pismo Beach.  Read our story here.

For the next few weekends we'll be in Connecticut.  "Summering in Connecticut" as I like to say, even though it's only for most of August.  We'll enjoy the hot sticky weather there, and then come back to Los Angeles to cool off.  It's a dry heat. 

While we're away I will continue to highlight activities and ideas for you and your preschoolers.  Here are a few gems for this weekend:

TONIGHT - Thursday August 6
Summer Twilight Thursdays continue at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge.  An Afro-Brazilian group sings, you recline on a blanket with a picnic dinner, the kids scamper about, chasing butterflies.  It's a pretty picture.

SATURDAY - August 8
Consider taking advantage of Katie's Cooking School's parent's night out.  Drop off at 6:30 - your kids make a yummy treat and get to play, then you pick them up at 10:30.  Everybody wins.

FRIDAY - SUNDAY

Free concerts continue in the evening at Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena

Check out this awesome list of water play areas around town, courtesy of LA Kidstuff

County Fairs:

We drove by the Ventura County Fair last weekend and if we weren't so exhausted we absolutely would have stopped.  It looked like a blast!

Weekend Roundup - BlogHer '09 edition

July 23, 2009

There are no lazy days of summer around here, I'm afraid.  July kicked off our bad back/sick/family visiting/travel season so my household has been rather, well, chaotic.  I remind myself that priority 1 = the children.  Priority "up there too, honey" is my husband.  Then work (for $) then work (for the love, which includes this site), then parties like the ones at BLOGHER '09 which I am really excited to be attending this weekend.  I just can't contain it.  The networking, the free stuff that I will share with you, and the things I will learn will all come back to benefit this space.  If you are attending, please let me know so we can jump up and down and try not to pee our pants together.

Meanwhile, back in the valley...

SATURDAY

Frugal Festival!  Meet the Bargain Babe in person!  Get chances to win free cash!  Get financial advice on the run!  Play outside!

Space Camp at Borders in Canoga Park to celebrate 40th Anniversary of Apollo moon landing. (I will be at BlogHer but otherwise I would not be missing this event that is so perfect for my four year old.  Sigh.)

Free movie at Warner Center Park:  Alvin and the Chipmunks, starts at dusk.

SUNDAY

Warner Center Park free concert!  Desperado, an Eagles tribute band, 6 to 8pm.

Summer Family Fun at Farmers Market LA 12-3PM, face painting and a circus!

Fireworks Shows That Are Awesome

June 30, 2009

June 30

Dodgers Game vs. Colorado Rockies
After the game on June 30th at 7:10 p.m.
pro:  you also get a baseball game  con:  the parking situation will drive you nuts

July 2 - 4

Hollywood Bowl
2301 North Highland Ave
7:30 p.m.
323.850.2000

pro:  music to go with your fireworks  con:  see above about parking

July 4

Calabasas High School
22855 W. Mulholland Hwy.
9:00 p.m.

pro:  not as insanely packed as some other shows

The 4th of July Celebration at Hansen Dam is in its 15th year and is a free fun- filled family oriented event which includes food, music, games, rides, prizes and other entertainment, which culminates with one of the most dramatic fireworks displays in the area. 11770 Foothill Blvd. Lake View Terrace, CA. 91342

Marina del Rey - Barges off Beaches and Harbor
near Admiralty and Fiji Way
9:15 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Rose Bowl Americafest
Noon - 9:30 p.m.
"Americafest presented by XBOX 360"

CBS Studio Center
4024 Radford Ave., Studio City, CA 91604
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Dennis P. Zine Fireworks Extravaganza
Don Sweeney & The SRO Big Band
This seventeen-piece ensemble of the some of the most sought-after musicians in the industry, will play an array of patriotic tunes, Big Band Era favorites and pop classics.

Event begins at 6 PM with a 26 minute fireworks show starting at 9:05 PM, set to live music.

Preschoolers Like to "Work" Too: Jobs Around the House for the Little One

May 12, 2009

Five jobs you can give your preschooler for imagination exercise:

1.  "Office."  What could be easier or more fun than to pretend he is "working" on a "project" or he has to "check his email just for a sec" before he can play with you?  I can't imagine where a child would hear such a line...  If you don't have old keyboards and phones and computers laying around the house, they are easy enough to obtain for free through Craigslist or Freecycle.  Wipe everything down with disinfectant, then let them play and pretend with pencils and paper and you can even dress them up in little office attire.

2.  Chef.  Even if they don't make something edible, children love to pretend they are cooking.  We have set up a makeshift stove on a plant stand using a plastic strainer and some small toys and a wooden spoon.  For the older children, have them help you roll out pizza dough and spread sauce and cheese on it, then point out what you are doing when you put the pizza in the oven and set the timer.  They will love to see the finished product and maybe they will even eat it.  Bonus if you use whole wheat dough and organic toppings.

3.  Astronaut.  Settle a child down inside a box that is bigger than her body and she can draw dials and monitors and cut a hole out for the window.  Dress her up in a costume and tell her to fly off and explore faraway planets and galaxies and report back to you what she has found and even draw pictures of what she saw.

4.  Gardener:  Whether you have a yard or not, helping plants grow is a job preschoolers are made for.  Their little hands are small and love to get dirty.  Have them water the plants or the garden, give them things to carry to and from your work area, and get them started early on weeding.  Not only do you have his imagination engaged when you talk about what the growing plant will look like with love and care, but you also have a helper!

5.  Professional organizer:  It's a growing population of professionals with a national association and a big job:  Americans are clutter hoarders.  People who are good at purging and keeping the level of stuff in their homes are few and far between and teach us all lessons.  Show your child how to sort his toys into bins, give him a clipboard and a list and a pencil to make check marks, and set him to it.  This will help instill good habits in him, and someday he can come back to dig you out of the warrens of clutter you are living in with your cats.  Read more...

Holiday Light Madness

by Kim Tracy Prince

December 23, 2008

When you are exhausted from working, school pickup, shopping, baking, wrapping presents, visiting, airport pickup, and that 25th trip to the grocery store, you need an easy activity to pass the time. Pop the family into their car seats and go for a drive, marveling at the glittery displays of Christmas cheer in neighborhoods around the valley. I've listed two popular light displays below,  Read more...

Holiday Hats

by Kim Tracy Prince

December 12, 2008

As in, hold on to them, because there's a lot going on this weekend. Thanks to reader Cari, I have a lot of holiday events to include in this special list: It's snowing in Simi! Every night at 7pm and extra times on weekends, snow falls at the Simi Valley Town Center. They also have roving bands of carolers, balloon artists, and other live entertainment every day. Christmas around  Read more...

Mrs. P's magic library

by Kim Tracy Prince

November 14, 2008

Wanna get a jump on kindergarten reading skills? It's National Young Reader's week, and there's a great website with recommended schedules for reading to your child and Okay, I know that's a tall order, since you can barely get your kid to wear pants, let alone pay attention when you're trying to teach him how to read. But for the times when you actually do have your preschooler's undivided  Read more...

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

by Kim Tracy Prince

July 11, 2008

Boy, the time flies, doesn't it? The 4 th of July is past, the super giant heatwave is over (at least, temporarily), and another weekend is upon us. There are a lot of events taking place this weekend, so close your eyes, spin around three times, and poke the screen. Wherever your finger lands, attend the closest event. (First click on the link below to see the whole post.)  Read more...

Escape To the Valley 3: Hipster's Revenge

by Kim Tracy Prince

July 10, 2008

This morning, your mechanic calls your cell phone and says yes sir, your car will be ready tomorrow and you can head on your way. So you still have another day to explore sunny Southern California. But you don't want to just do what tourists do you want an authentic experience. And oh yeah, your kids are still with you, so they'll need to be entertained, fed, and nurtured as well.  Read more...

Places To Make Friends

by Kim Tracy Prince

June 18, 2008

I relocated to Los Angeles when 24 and I only knew one person here. After a few years I managed to make some good friends. What I didn't know was that I wouldn't build a true community until I had children. By some great biological miracle, I gave birth to my first son during the same season as a gaggle of other women who really were just like me same age range, educational level,  Read more...

The Things They Draw Come True: Cool Picks For Father's Day

by Kim Tracy Prince

June 10, 2008

One of my husband's favorite activities to do with our children is drawing outside with sidewalk chalk. We live in a typical Valley ranch house with a sidewalk in the backyard and a cinder block wall. LOTS of surface area to decorate. He's teaching our 3-year-old how to spell, and our 1-year-old how to...well, how to NOT eat chalk. So imagine my chuckle of satisfaction when I discovered that  Read more...

Seize the Day: Top 99 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Your Kids Grow Up

by Kim Tracy Prince

May 29, 2008

They keep wanting to be fed, so they keep growing, despite your wish that they stay babies forever. And while the hours between naptime and bedtime seem to draaaag...the months pass so quickly you find yourself saying "how did he get to be five years old already?" Don't waste the chance to see city through your children's eyes while they're still children. Be a tourist in your own town. I'll  Read more...

Mozart, Moby, or Miles: Music Where You Least Expect It

by Kim Tracy Prince

May 16, 2008

A little-known destination for children of all ages to enjoy live music is the Encino Farmer's Market at One Generation Center on Victory Blvd. On one end of the market, a Bolivian trio plays Latin music with exotic-looking instruments like a harp and a mandolin. Our children dance and attract attention as they snack on homemade tamales and strawberry lemonade. On the other end, among the  Read more...