Free Concert for Kids in Los Feliz This Afternoon

Dragonfly DuLou is hosting Dan Zanes, AKA "The King of the Family Music Scene," today at 4:00 pm. It's free!

Ideas for Rainy Day Play

We Angelenos really don't know what to do with ourselves when it rains. And it's especially perplexing for those of us with kids. Where do we take them?! They need to get their ya-yas out somehow. Indoor playgrounds are great but it's nice to mix things up once in a while.

How about a little art? Head over to LACMA, bring your kid's NexGen card (or apply for one), and absorb some culture. NexGen gets kids 17 and under plus their grown-up into LACMA for free to explore permanent collections and certain special exhibitions. Best of all, you can MAKE your OWN ART. The museum generously supplies paper and paint! Check out these masterpieces my 4-year-old created there. He knows more about art than I do (he references Lynda Benglis, whose work he saw at MOCA, and Jackson Pollack), thanks to his talented artist babysitter.

NexGen also entitles you to discounts on art classes and items in the museum shop. Pret-tay, pret-tay amazing! Also, I've got it on good authority that it is possible to find free, 2-hour parking around the museum. Free fun is always good!

Another idea is to go for a dip in a pool. Sound crazy?! Not so much . . . Echo Park Deep is a year-round, indoor city-run pool, located right off the 101 freeway near downtown. The facility offers myriad aquatic activities, including recreational swim, team sports, and lessons - all for reasonable rates.

Or, there's The Natural History Museum, an amazing educational resource for kids of all ages. Check out the new Dinosaur Hall, Spider Pavilion, Hall of Gems and Minerals, Insect Zoo, and more.

These ideas are just the beginning. There's more than to do indoors in our rain-soaked city than we realize. So, go on, get out, and Play in LA!

A Play Date BORDERing on Perfect

Credit for this play date idea goes to my mama friend, L. She is expert on all things downtown, as far as I'm concerned. And she is the one who introduced me to this fun eating/playing combo at The Border Grill and Bonaventure Hotel - both on Figueroa, connected by a fun little bridge that our kids love to race across to see who wins.

Usually first up is a meal at Border Grill. Happy Hour is pretty hard to beat - excellent options for grown-ups and kids alike, wait staff and management are delightful, and parking is validated (or, if you're feeling really adventurous, take the Metro - up the cool factor with the kids). Can't go wrong with kids bean and cheese tacos, poblano quesadillas & chopped salad for parents, and creative cocktails (with or w/o alcohol) like minty lime cooler or pomegranate lemonade.

Once our little ones have filled their tummies, run around and charmed the employees, gotten multiple tours of the kitchen, and used bathrooms where "you don't have to press the button for the soap, it just comes out automatically," we say our goodbyes, zip up a quick escalator (or elevator) and over the bridge that spans Figueroa, and land on the grassy area at the base of Bonaventure Hotel.

There the kids run their fannies off, plop down on their backs to take in impressive glass pneumatic-tube-like elevators that glide up and down (verrry Blade Runner-esque) the hotel's shiny exterior, and chat with the guys washing sidewalks with their super cool, ginormous water machines until they're almost too out of breath to talk.

Last but not least, we and our tuckered tikes mosey into the hotel and hop onto the elevators, which could be a ride at Disneyland for all they care. We go up and down a few times - as much as my motion sick stomach can take - and it is utterly thrilling. Honestly, the views are pretty awesome. On a clear day, you could definitely see the ocean.

Give this a whirl some day. You won't be disappointed!

Need something to do with the kids this weekend?

There's no shortage of interesting, fun, cultural and seasonal stuff to do around town - from ghost trains to spider pavilions, and everything in between! Feast your eyes on this hefty list and find the perfect event for you and your family. Enjoy!

Friday, October 21

Pomona: Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Patch (through 10/31), 10-5
Moorpark, Underwood Family Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (through 10/31), 9-6
Mission Hills, Forneris Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (through 10/31), weekends: 9-5, weekdays: 2-5
Los Angeles, LACMA: Storytelling, 2:00 - WITH NEXGEN MEMBERSHIP, MUSEUM ADMISSION FOR CHILD & GROWNUP IS FREE!
Santa Ana, Discovery Science Center: Bug Invasion 2 (through 10/31), 10-5
Woodland Hills: Winter Ice Rink Opens! (through 2/5/12) hours vary
Highland Park, La Casita Verde Preschool: Magical Halloween Party, 6-8 pm
Griffith Park: LA Live Steamers Ghost Train (and on 10/22 & 10/23, 10/28-31) 7-10 pm

Saturday, October 22

Los Angeles, Natural History Museum: Spider Pavilion (through 11/6), 10-5, Flashlight Tour: 5-8:30
Long Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific: Scarium of the Pacific (and on 10/23), 9-5
Pasadena, Kidspace: Pumpkin Festival (and on 10/23), 9:30-5
Los Angeles, Getty Center: Pacific Standard Time Family Festival, 10-6
Hollywood, Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Dia De Los Muertos, Kids' Art Center, 12-4
Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Dig It! Archaeology Adventures (Sunday too), 10-5
Downtown LA, Disney Concert Hall Children's Amphitheatre: World City: Los Centzontles & Facto Teatro, 11:00 am
Westchester: Halloween Town Fair, 11-5
Los Angeles, Vista Hermosa Park (an un-discovered slice of heaven right near downtown LA): Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (Sunday too) 1-3
La Canada Flintridge, Descanso Gardens: Harvest Festival, 10:30-3
Echo Park, Echo Parenting & Education Center: Pumpkins for Peace, 4:00 pm

Sunday, October 23


Los Angeles, Kadampa Meditation Center: Kids Meditation Class, 9:30-11
Larchmont: Family Fair, 12-5
Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Spellbinding Sundays, 12-2
CHECK LISTINGS ABOVE. SOME EVENTS RUN THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.

NEXGEN: Free LACMA Membership for 17 & Under + 1 Adult

NEXGEN is the best deal in town. I've heard about it for years and am finally making it happen. Signing up my 4-year-old so he can go and bring me for free! Art for the masses!

Just-Discovered Event in Agoura Hills

For all you San Fernando Valley dwellers, this sounds pretty cool:
Reyes Adobe Days
Saturday, 10/1 & Sunday, 10/2

Ack, What To Do With The Kids This Weekend?!!!

As usual, Los Angeles is brimming with a bounty of family fun* this weekend, which is the official start of fall festival frenzy. Is it a pumpkin patch you and your young ones seek? This city is bursting at the seams with them! Also on tap in the few days ahead: last weekend of swimming at the Annenberg Beach House; alternative vehicles in Santa Monica; Chinese Acrobats in Northridge; Animal Guys at Eaton Canyon; free drawing classes at a Hollywood gallery and so much more. Read on to find the perfect event for your family in your neck of the woods or just a short drive away.

* While I have tried to find all the wonderful events in LA for this upcoming weekend, my list below is by no means exhaustive, I just became exhausted! In other words, there are likely a gazillion other things going on but I started seeing double and had to call it a night.


Friday, September 30th

Santa Monica: Alt Car Expo (also on 10/1), 10:00 - 5:00 pm

Woodland Hills, Pierce College: Halloween Harvest Festival (thru 10/31), 10:00 am to 12:00 am (Fri-Sat) & 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Sun-Thu)

Pomona, Fairplex: LA County Fair (thru 10/2)

Northridge, Valley Performing Arts Center: National Acrobats of China, 8:00 pm


Saturday, October 1st

Altadena, Eaton Canyon Natural Area:
Family Nature Walk, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Nature Tails Story Hour (ages 3-5), 10:30 - 11:30 am
Animal Guys (ages 5 & up), 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Santa Monica, Pier: Wake Up With The Waves FREE Children's Concert Series, 9:00 - 11:00 am

Pasadena, Pacific Asia Museum: Silk Road Story Time, 10:30 am

Los Angeles, Petersen Automotive Museum: Discovery Day Halloween Special, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Manhattan Beach: Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, (also on 10/2) 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Arcadia, Los Angeles County Arboretum: Arboretum Adventures, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Moorpark, Underwood Family Farms: Fall Harvest Festival (thru 10/31), 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Montrose: Montrose Oktoberfest, Noon - 11:00 pm

Santa Monica, Annenberg Community Beach House: Last weekend of swimming for 2011 (also on 10/2), 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Westwood, Geffen Playhouse: Story Pirates, The Flagship Show (ages 4 & up), 2:00 pm

Sunday, October 2nd


Pacific Palisades, Beeplanet's Toddlerbaloo, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm


West Hollywood, Book Fair: The Kids' Stage, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm


Hollywood, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions): ASAP's (After School Arts Program) 2011 Re-Visions of LA Drawing Workshop (children of all ages), 1:00 - 4:00 pm

LACE event

Griffith Park, Autry National Center: American Indian Culture Day, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Los Angeles, Skirball Cultural Center: Make a Little Magic Workshop for Families (ages 7 & up), 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Family-Friendly Activities for This Weekend

LA is going to be a-buzz with many festivals and events this weekend. Here's a sampling of the coolest ones I could find:

Harvest Festival - Long Beach Convention Center, Friday-Sunday, 9/23 & 9/24 (10a-6p), 9/25 (10a-5p)

LAFD Hollywood Museum - free on Saturdays, 10a-4p

LAFD Harbor Museum - free on Saturdays, 10a-3p

Story Theater - Santa Monica, Saturday, 9/24, 10a, 11a, 12p

Celebrity Story Time (Benefit for Milk & Bookies) - Culver City, Saturday & Sunday, 9/24 & 9/25, 1-4

Baja Splash Cultural Festival - Long Beach Aquarium, Saturday & Sunday, 9/23 & 9/24, 9a-5p

Watts Towers Day of the Drum and Jazz Festivals - free on Saturday & Sunday, 9/24 & 9/25, 11a-5p

Abbot KinneyFestival - Sunday, 9/25, 10a-6p. I'm sure the security has improved since the shooting that took place there in 2008, FYI. Not wanting to scare, just inform.

Tarfest Music and Art Festival - free at La Brea Tar Pits, Sunday, 9/25, 12-6

Certified Farmers' Markets

A Grand Little Playground Downtown

Right in the heart of LA's downtown concrete jungle of high-rise office buildings and apartments, bustling city streets and general city chaos lies a sweet little fenced-in, clean, sand-free playground.

It's within the boundaries of Grand Hope Park, across from FIDM's (Fashion Institute of Design & Management) Los Angeles campus, and located 3 blocks from the 7th and Figueroa Metro stop on the red line.

Here's what mama friend L has to say about the playground, which she and her son have come to know very well:

"This is the most ethnically diverse playground I have been to in LA.  Even better, the parents are really interesting.  Many are expats from all over who moved into downtown for one reason or another. And they are friendly! One tough thing about visiting Grand Hope playground is the parking.  Meters are $3/hour - and that's if you can find one.  However, directly across the street is Ralphs supermarket, which offers a 90-minute validation - no purchase required.  It has a huge deli and prepared food section - helpful for that last-minute snack or lunch. It's not exactly health food but acceptable in a pinch. Grand Hope also has a huge open grassy area plus a fountain/water feature; kids always seem to love those. I am currently investigating kid-friendly restaurants within close proximity - will report back."

nice playground equipment and spongey ground

cute riding toys

Free Kids Concert TODAY at The Americana on Brand in Glendale

Every Tuesday at The Americana on Brand you can catch a free kids concert from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Today Twinkle Time is performing.

I've never seen them but I just checked out their Web site and they look like a very vibrant group - intense, colorful, music is super poppy. My son might be a little put off by their masks and costumes and high-energy vibe. But kids who are used to that kind of thing will probably get into it. Worth a try - the show's free! So there's nothing to lose.

Give the Library Some Love

And it will love you back!

Click here to be directed to the Los Angeles Public Library locations and hours. There you will be able to scroll down and find your nearest branch and all sorts of interesting and FREE! activities for children and adults.

Always Appreciate a Good Playground

Is it just me or is there really a shortage of good playgrounds in this city? This is a constant conundrum for L & me. We have our limited faves but are always on the lookout for more around town that suit our needs. L really prefers a playground sans sand; highly desired are the ones with the spongey surface - and no darn wood chips. Unfortunately, those are few and far between. So, inevitably we have to settle for second best.

Today was one of those instances of finding a playground happy medium: not crowded, shady, clever climbing structures, very little sand, but lots of wood chips. The kids had a blast. They tried every structure: swings, spider web climbing maze with a trampoline center, monkey bars, slides, spinny things (for lack of knowing their proper name), and grass for running and kicking a ball.

And it was all in a quiet neighborhood off of Cordova in Pasadena, at a place called Grant Park. There's even a covered picnic table area with charcoal grills, baseball diamond and tennis courts, and tons of free parking. Hooray for an awesome discovery - thanks to another dear mom friend, Y.

~ C

Wide Open Space

If your child needs to let loose and run like the wind, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place than The Meadow in Silver Lake.

Located directly next to the reservoir on Silver Lake Boulevard, it is one of the best locations to run, fly a kite, or just sit and chill with a picnic. Although, our one complaint is that the ground is consistently soggy. Not sure what that's about. But it's nothing a good lawn chair can't cure. Besides, we're usually too busy romping around to sit still anyway.

My little one always enjoys a good bike ride along the path that winds through the grassy expanse.

~ C