Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this Weekend: Poppies, Beach House, and REDCAT Film Fest: April 26 - 27

4/24/14 - By Toby B

It’s spring, and you know what that means: spring cleaning! Out with the old, in with the new. You can get started with a classic clean, and join in the Earth Day tie-in beach cleanup on Santa Monica Beach. Get those sands sparkling (and what perfect timing: the Annenberg Community Beach House is holding its Anniversary shingdig this weekend as well).

That was inspiring!  Now it's time to clean up our own little neck of the woods and… oh dear. We have quite a lot of trash around here. No worries. Earth Day also marks the start of Sanitation Open House season. Kids can tour sanitation yards, attend recycling fairs, visit landfills, and perhaps commandeer a garbage truck to help Momma haul away a ton or two of refuse.

You know what's not going to end up in a landfill? Cloth diapers. You know who's going to end up in the Guinness Book of Records? Cloth diaperers (assuming enough of them get together this weekend). You know what else is going to end up in the record books? This weekend, because seriously,  there's so much amazing stuff going on that it will definitely be going down in history.

Don't believe me?  Keep reading for a taste of the awesomeness headed your way...

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

ALL WEEKEND

Last Weekends of the Month at the Skirball  - Bel Air
It’s all catsy, dogsy at the Skirball this weekend, with furry storytime, animal toy craft, pet portraits, and even animal adoptions.

Annual SpringFest - Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach's 32nd annual Spring Carnival & Community Festival features carnival rides and a Kids Zone, arts & crafts, and a food court with gourmet food trucks.
 
REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival - Downtown
Kids of all ages can enjoy short animated and live action films from around the world.
 
Pasadena Model Railroad Club Spring Open House  - Pasadena
Model railroaders wait months for the chance to view this club's fantastically lively and detailed display of trains.

Bunka Sai Japanese Cultural Festival - Torrance
It’s a weekend filled with Japanese culture and arts, with storytelling, a tea ceremony, judo, kendo, aikido, classical dance, ikebana, and bonsai.
 
Annenberg Community Beach House 5th Anniversary - Santa Monica
Those Beach House folk know how to throw a party! The Annenberg Community Beach House turns five, with dance lessons, beach games, and hands-on bubble making.

Snowflake - Costa Mesa
Acclaimed clown Gale LaJoye comes to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, with a show that’s moving, entertaining, and told without a word.
 
Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic - Long Beach
Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy are just three of the 65 Disney characters skating up at storm at the Long Beach Arena (expect a bunch of Disney princesses, too).
 
Bears (G) with Live El Capitan Show - Hollywood
We couldn’t bear it if you missed the latest flick from Disneynature. (Especially considering how much we loved it.)

Earth Day Expo - Griffith Park
Visitors to the L.A. Zoo can learn about conservation, sustainable living, and how to make Earth a better place to live.

Healthy Kids Day - Culver City
The Westchester & Culver Palms Family YMCAs get your blood pumpin’ with fun, healthy activities such as dance, exercise, games, sports, trail mix preparation, healthy food tips, and photo shoots.

California Poppy Festival - Lancaster
Orange, orange everywhere!  Lancaster celebrates California’s state flower.
 
Earth Day Celebration - Long Beach
About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, so what better place to celebrate Earth Day than the Aquarium of the Pacific?

SATURDAY APRIL 26
 
Heal the Bay Earth Day Celebration & Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup - Santa Monica
Kids can help save the environment and earn a reward! Participants in Saturday’s beach cleanup receive free admission to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium’s Earth Day celebration.

Wake Up with the Waves - Santa Monica
Tom Freund & Hug Trees rock Santa Monica Pier at the weekly, free kids' concert.
 
Burbank on Parade - Burbank
This year’s theme is Burbank: City of the Future. Does that mean we finally get our flying cars?  

Rock N Roll Kids Breakfast - Universal Citywalk
They had me at bacon: kids can enjoy a rockin’ breakfast as well as fun activities at the Hard Rock Café.

LA Sanitation East Valley Yard Open House - Sun Valley
Sanitation Yard Open House season begins! First up: the East Valley District Yard.
 
A Faery Hunt Presents Fairy Time in the Enchanted Garden - Palos Verdes Peninsula
Faery Fauni and Faery Godmother Careen take kids on an interactive walkabout in the enchanted gardens of South Coast Botanic Garden.

Santa Monica Mountains Science Fest - Agoura
Science is all around us; come find some in the Santa Monica Mountains.
 
The Great Cloth Diaper Change/ Free Cloth Diaper Class - Los Angeles
You (and your baby) can be part of a world record attempt at “most cloth diapers changed at one time.” And learn how to cloth diaper while you’re at it.
 
Soft Opening at KidZone West Hills - West Hills
KidZone’s (soft) opening fun includes zip lines, face painting, puppy shoes, and a DJ Dance party.
 
Shushybye Live at Lovitz - Universal Citywalk
Shushybye is where dreams are made for children, and the Lovitz Comedy Club is where the Shushies perform.

Ice Princess Tea Party - Long Beach
Do you wanna have an Ice Princess themed tea party?  Tea and scones for everyone!
 
Dino Fair - Santa Monica
The Growing Place's annual Dino Fair offers family fun of prehistoric proportions..

Earth Day Celebration and Concert - Manhattan Beach
Earth Day ain’t over yet! Manhattan Beach celebrates with music, games, and kids activities at Polliwog Park.

Kids Club - Cerritos
Los Cerritos Center’s Kids Club goes solar!
 
World Music for Kids - The Music of Veracruz - Santa Monica
The Broad Stage introduces kids to vibrant rhythms of Son Jarocho music, a blend of indigenous Mexican, African, and Arabic sounds.

Healthy Kids Day - Burbank
The Burbank Community YMCA celebrate Healthy Kids Day with free dental screenings, allergy and asthma screenings, and demos of summer classes.
 
13th Annual Festival of Childhood - Echo Park
Echo Parenting & Education’s Festival of Childhood is a free community celebration of art, play, and nonviolence.

Space Race Supermen - Pasadena
A Caltech grad student introduces a film about the Mercury Seven (the guys before the guys with the Right Stuff) and guides the discussion afterwards.
 
Family Night -  Downey
It’s robot night at the Columbia Memorial Space Center, complete with a Wall*E screening and classes programming EV3 robots.
 
SUNDAY APRIL 27

Spring Open House - Calabasas
California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of native California wildlife. Its annual free open house includes behind-the-scenes tours, wildlife education, and up-close encounters.
 
25th Annual Fiesta Broadway - Downtown
Fiesta Broadway is the nation's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration, drawing nearly 300,000 people to join in the festivities.

Annual L.A. Heritage Day - Downtown
Angelenos can experience Los Angeles and Southern California’s history through tours, free museums, children’s activities, presentations, and food.

Pregnancy Awareness Month's Signature LA Event - Santa Monica
Expectant and new parents can hear from experts (including Dr. Harvey Karp) while getting a little pampering and free swag at this free event.

Blast off to Summer  - Pacific Palisades
Palisadian-Post’s ‘Blast Off to Summer’ Block Party is a free community event with music, science, magic, interactive games, face painting, and arts and crafts.

Sundays in the ParkSimi Valley
This month’s family day is themed Shape Up, with lots of fun, simple ways to stay active and healthy.

Hammer Kids: Close Encounters: Renegade Tours - Westwood
How would you lead the tour? Kids try out the docent role, talking about and observing art at the Hammer Museum.

Kids Run the Bases - Dodgers Home Game  - Dodger Stadium
The Dodgers play the Rockies, and kids get a Hanley Ramirez replica jersey and end the afternoon by running the bases.

Zimmer Sunday Family Programs - Mid-Wilshire
I think that I shall never see/ A poem as lovely as the Zimmer Children's Museum’s observance of National Poetry Month.

As always, there are more activities listed on our daily events calendar, and if you don't already receive this post as a weekly email, you should totally subscribe. Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have an amazing time!