1. Meri Cherry Drop-in Art Shop

Meri Cherry (who hosts incredible art camps for kids) opened a brand new store in Encino this summer where anyone can just drop into and make art. No commitment, no appointment, just walk in and start creating. Belly up to the Making Table, which has revolving art materials for kids to create a new project each month. It’s not only a fun afternoon activity, it’s a great place to make gifts for parents and grandparents.

2. My Little Paris Cafe and Play

There’s nothing better than a kids’ play space that keeps the kiddos entertained while you sit back, relax, and enjoy a perfectly crafted latte. My Little Paris Cafe and Play in San Gabriel is just that place, with a French-themed menu and a huge play area filled with cool toys, mostly European and wooden, all brand new and scrupulously clean. There’s no better new place to play (and eat), and this delicious spot is a welcome addition to the landscape of play spaces for kids ages three to eight.

Follow the yellow brick road to the ruby slippers. Photo courtesy of the Academy Museum via Facebook

3. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

If there was one museum Los Angeles was missing, it was the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures—a museum dedicated to the art of film-making. Movies are LA history, and that makes it something to teach our children—who, incidentally, get free admission to the new museum! At the new, seven-story, 300,000-square-foot globe on Museum Row kids can see the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, learn about the history of film, and even practice accepting an Oscar. Plus, Fanny’s, the museum’s restaurant and cafe, is pretty darn amazing.

 
The new Fire! Science and Safety Exhibit at the California Science Center opened. Photo by Jamie Pham

4. New Fire! Science and Safety Exhibit at the California Science Center

This new permanent exhibit at one of our favorite local (free!) museums is designed to help kids understand the fire risks that are present in most homes and how to respond if a fire ignites. The part kids like best are the hands-on, interactive displays, like the one where kids can practice fire-fighting skills with a fire extinguisher!

5. New Dodgers Holiday with Ice

Dodger fans were very, very good this year (though not quite good enough for a repeat championship run) and Santa had a surprise: for the first time ever, there was an ice skating rink for the public to skate on out in center field. The usual holiday festival includes music and entertainment, Christmas light displays, holiday-themed snacks, and photos with Santa (and the elves). But this is the first year the Dodgers have built a whole ice rink in the outfield, and we hope this tradition is here to stay!

 
Just in case you feel the need for speed, you can now head to Burbank. Photo courtesy of K1speed.com

6. Burbank K1- Speed

Until now, you had to head to OC, the South Bay, or Ventura County to do some indoor go kart racing, so this new location in Burbank is a perfect outing for kids with a need for speed who happen to live closer to the center of the city. (Speaking of new sporty things coming to SoCal, stay tuned to hear about the first Topgolf that’s opening near LA; it’s coming to El Segundo in the spring!)

7. The new Apple store at The Grove 

Yes, there was an Apple Store at The Grove before, but the NEW one opened right before Thanksgiving this year, and it’s more than twice the size of the old store. And just like that, we have a new place to let kids play with iPhones so they don’t break ours!

 We hope this pop-up becomes an annual fixture. Photo courtesy of the South Coast Botanic Gardens

8. DiscOasis at the South Coast Botanic Gardens

Think Bee Gees, gold lame & sequins, disco, roller skates, and tube socks. Little kids, big kids, and grown-ups alike had a blast at this pop-up roller skating rink in the middle of the South Coast Botanic Garden that opened in the summer for a few months. We’re hoping this becomes an annual summer tradition, the way GLOW has become a new winter annual event.

9. Immersive art experiences popped up everywhere!

LA is having an immersive moment, and it's one of the few things we can thank the pandemic for: inspiring the proliferation of these amazing, touch-free, large-scale productions. They began popping up everywhere in 2021—in fact, there were two Van Gogh exhibits near LA. Walking into one of these larger-than-life pop-up shows is like diving into an artist's palette (and mind!) and we’ve had Van Gogh, Banksy, Michelangelo, and Monet—and more (including Klimt) are coming in 2022.

10. The Outback came to SoCal

The 15,000 square-foot habitat called The Australian Walkabout opened this summer at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Populated with wallabies, kangaroos, emus, and native birds, this is just one more reason to drive up the coast to this lovely little zoo.

 
Avengers assemble at Disney California Adventure. Photo courtesy of Disney

11. Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure

Avengers Campus finally got to open at Disney California Adventure on June 4. Avengers Headquarters is at the heart of the land, and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is a new interactive adventure where aspiring heroes wear 3D glasses and test drive the WEB Slinger vehicle. I mean, what else can we say, besides “Avengers Unite.”

12. Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash at Universal Studios

When theme parks reopened this summer, they were able to open everything that had been created in the last year, so some new rides debuted all over town. In this new ride, kids (and their grownups) ride in big cardboard boxes (as puppies) to take an adventure through New York City, where they end the ride by being adopted into their forever homes. The wait in line to get on the ride is half the fun, as it swings through the apartment building, where pets from the movie lounge. 

13. JPL tours went virtual

Because people weren’t allowed to visit in person, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory created a new virtual and fully interactive tour. Now anyone, anywhere in the world, can get a peek inside the Pasadena laboratory—even seeing some of the places visitors aren’t allowed in person. Getting a spot on one of the JPL in-person tours felt a lot like winning one of Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets. As in, nearly impossible. So this new virtual tour is like winning the lottery! 

Local, sustainable shrimp! Photo courtesy of TransparentSea via Facebook

14. TransparentSea: A new shrimp farm in Downey

This seems like an odd pick, but it’s pretty thrilling for seafood lovers who care about sourcing and the planet.  Our country is the largest shrimp importer in the world, and most of what we buy isn’t sustainably raised or caught. Also, it’s frozen for an average of 3-6 months before it even hits our stores. So it’s pretty cool that TransparentSea, one of the country's first urban shrimp farms, opened up right in our backyard. The fish here are never frozen, just trucked across town to your favorite fish market--or you can buy direct from the shrimp farm! A new, healthy, sustainable food source is always an exciting thing.

15. Lego Movie World

This new area of the theme park was scheduled to open (you guessed it) right as the world shut down; in fact, Legoland had already held a press preview. But it finally opened in May with three new rides, three new attractions, new shops, and new places to eat. The biggest draw is Emmet’s Flying Adventure, which allows young master builders to take a ride on Emmet’s Triple Decker Flying Couch, surrounded by a full-dome virtual screen. Although, Unikitty’s Disco Drop is catnip for bigger kids. Meanwhile, little kids beeline for Benny’s Play-Ship, the new space-themed playground structure.

16. Boat Cinema

This floating drive-in, a float-in if you like, opened this summer at Castaic Swim Lake. Go beyond the drive-in and watch movies on a big screen while lounging in small, family-sized boats. This is another seasonal event that we’re keeping an eye out for its (hopeful) return in the summer of 2022.

 
Ramen from Tokyo is a delight on chilly LA winter nights. Photo courtesy of Ramen Nagi USA, Facebook

17. Ramen Nagi

Do your kids love ramen? Mine do, and just in time for the surprisingly chilly winter we’ve been having, one of the biggest names in the Tokyo ramen scene has just opened the first SoCal location at the Westfield Mall in Century City. Order the Black King Squid Ink Ramen to the visual and gustatory delight of your kids.

18. All Season Brewing on La Brea

The latest addition to the LA brewing scene is All Season Brewing, which is in the historic former Firestone building on La Brea. This place looks awesome and has a cool retro Mid-Century style, an outdoor pet-friendly patio, food from Chicas Tacos, a wide selection of beer, and a full bar (the Moscow Mule made with housemade ginger beer is my favorite). After 7:30pm it shifts to 21+, so plan to visit in the early afternoon, perhaps after a visit to one of the Miracle Mile museums or the La Brea Tar Pits.

19. The Shops at Sportsmans Lodge

When the Sportsman’s Lodge in Studio City closed, it was a sad day for LA history buffs. The hotel had been around in some form since the 1880s. It was a fun place to go for dinner, for day passes to the pool, or to look for in one of the many movies or TV shows shot there. So it was with great trepidation that I visited the new shopping complex; but it turns out, it’s pretty great. There’s incredible shopping (the Erewhon alone is worth a visit, but the new Fred Segal and Reformation are lovely additions) and dining (Kismet Rotisserie will be your new favorite, while your kids will adore the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Shop and Tuesday’s Sweet Shoppe, which claims to have more candy options per square foot than any other store in LA), and more to come...

The Giltinis brought Major League Rugby to Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of the Giltinis Facebook page

20. The Giltinis

Are you an LA sports fan? Do you bleed Dodger blue, and fly the purple Lakers car flags every spring? Well, there’s a new LA team in town, and I can’t wait to catch a game. (I missed this first season; we still weren’t leaving the house much in the early part of the year, when the games were played.) The Giltinis brought Major League Rugby to Los Angeles, and they play at the LA Coliseum, where tickets are relatively cheap for a professional sporting event. Boasting vibrant pink uniforms and an all-out style of play, you’ll find me cheering the newest LA team on this winter.

21. Funbox Woodland Hills

The world’s biggest bounce park came to Woodland Hills this year, and it’s still in town through January 4, 2022, so you’ve got a few days left to check it out! However, the Arcadia location has upgraded to an indoor jumping and bounce spot with Instagram-worthy installations and birthday party hosting, and it’s sticking around!

Whew. For a year when more things seemed to close than open, quite a few cool things came to LA. Did we miss any of your favorite new openings? Let us know on Facebook!