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

This Weekend Around the Valley: July 11/12

July 09, 2009

My mommy is coming!  Yes, that's right, I'm getting some much-needed mama love from my own mama.  You're never too old to run to mommy for comfort! 

I'd rent her out if I could, because she's a very comforting presence.  Alas, she's not for hire.  For the rest of you, here are some fun things going on around these parts:

-Summer Safety Funfest, by First 5 LA.  Car seat training classes (and a free car seat while supplies last!), swim lessons, trucks to explore, rock climbing, face painting, and free lunch.  Saturday 9am - 1pm at Expo Park in Los Angeles (3980 Menlo Ave Los Angeles, CA 90037)

-Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Warner Center Park, Sunday 6pm - 8pm.  Another concert in the lovely park, most likely with less people than last weekend!  The band does a concert for the kids at Madrid Theater on Monday July 13 at 10AM, too.

-Pan-African People's Arkestra at Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena, July 12, 7pm.  An African American Jazz band performs the music they love to share for free.

-Public Art Party in Beverly Hills, Saturday July 11, 12pm to 6pm.  A walking tour of outdoor art in beautifully manicured Beverly Hills.





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Weekend Roundup - Art and Nature

April 30, 2009

Weekend Roundup: Let the Spring Events Begin!

April 23, 2009

There's a lot going on around these parts this weekend.  Saddle up!  Also, don't forget the Earth Day (Month) events listed here on Tuesday.

THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Santa Clarita Valley Cowboy Festival:  Have a little cowboy or girl in your family?  Head up the mountain for days and days of music, poetry, food, cowboy gear, and trip roping!  Behind the scenes tours of a movie studio!  Old west is best.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Santa Clarita Valley Kids Consignment Sale:  Just like the LA Kids Consignment Sale but...not.  It's smaller and newer and probably less of a zoo.  Great place to stock up on summer clothes and toys.  Who cares if it's secondhand if they're just going to destroy it anyway?

SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Burbank Arts Festival:  Seriously, click that link.  There's so much going on during this event that my eyes started to pop out and I got tired just reading it.  Chalk art?  A mud booth?  High school BANDS?!  It's fun on a silver platter, my friends.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books:  Simply put, this event brings together people who love books with people who create them.  For two days there will be author signings and readings, including many, many children's authors and performers.  I originally planned to attend this alone, but looking at the schedule I know I would want the children there.  Wish me luck.  Tickets are free, but parking is $9 at UCLA.

SATURDAY ONLY

Kester's World Music and Art Festival:  11AM to 5PM.  Music, games, art, food, more.  Kester Ave. Elementary School.  If this is your district, it's a good way to meet people in that community before your children get to that kindergarten. 

Bargain Babe speaks:  3:00PM - 4:30PM, Borders, Thousand Oaks.  Julia Scott of the Bargain Babe blog shares tips about cutting expenses and saving big!

9 More Things To Do Before Your Kid Is Stuck in School All the Time

by Kim Tracy Prince

January 27, 2009

Last May, I started a series called Seize the Day: Top 99 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Your Kids Grow Up. I only covered 10. It's about time for the next installment, because at this rate, it will take 8 years to get through it (here's hoping this site will still be around then!). When I took the preschool tour in December, one of my questions to the teachers was  Read more...

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...

Nutcracker Winner and Review

by Kim Tracy Prince

December 19, 2008

Thank you to everyone who entered our Nutcracker ticket giveaway. The winner, Isamery R., attended yesterday's matinee with her husband, daughter, and a friend's daughter. Here is her personal review: " The show was so beautiful. The costumes were amazing. B. was so excited when her song from her ballet recital played. There were two intermissions which I thought was weird. It felt as if we  Read more...

Give Local Gifts That Keep On Giving

by Kim Tracy Prince

December 16, 2008

Instead of another molded plastic toy from China, why not give your friends' kids a membership to a local activity? It's a gift of memories and time, and the parents will enjoy it too. Better yet, you don't have to go anywhere to buy them, because they can be purchased online. Museum Memberships: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County : One year membership for 2 adults and  Read more...

Weekend Roundup

by Kim Tracy Prince

June 19, 2008

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing opportunities for things to do with your kids around here? No? Well, you must not be looking hard enough. In my research for this blog, I'm starting to feel my head stretching to fit the information into my brain. There's no way I would remember all these things by myself. Thank goodness for the Weekend Roundup. Here  Read more...

The Budding Art Critic

by Kim Tracy Prince

June 02, 2008

In an effort to make ourselves feel better about the amount of television our children watch, we limit the quality of the shows to programs that have an educational content or social instruction. Because of that, our children are getting used to classic art and music, and we couldn't be happier when Kyle says his favorite song is "yellow Mozart," or "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" on a yellow CD.  Read more...