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Fun & Free Things to Do This Weekend with LA Kids: SpongeBob, Santa Claus and Moby Dick

11/14/12 - By Toby B

So I'm chatting with this friend and she's all "la la la, Thanksgiving next week," and I'm all "la la la, um, no it isn't," and then I'm all, looking at the calendar and I'm totally "no way! Thanksgiving's next week! How can that be?!" True, the writing has been on the wall, the trees quietly being lit, the jolly old elves popping out of chimneys and into the malls. And perhaps my favorite harbinger of the season, the appearance of the red cups at our favorite coffee joints (I, for one, will be getting my caffeine on this weekend). But doesn't it seem as if the turkey is getting short shrift in this arrangement? Or maybe that's just the way he wants it...

In the meantime, you can use this building-up-to-the-holidays time to blackmail strongarm encourage some good works in your children. This weekend, kids can help clean up the California coastline and participate in a fundraising walk. Perhaps they'll be so inspired they might even clean their rooms. (A mom can dream.)

We've got another newsletter giveaway this week. If you're reading this in our newsletter, look up, there it is!  If you're a subscriber reading this on the website, go check your email! If you're not a subscriber, I just don't know what to say to you. Except maybe: subscribe!  Then you, too, can participate in our super cool, subscriber-only giveaways!

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend...

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

ALL WEEKEND

Green Festival - Downtown
Mom and Dad can take in DIY sessions on urban beekeeping and bike repair, expert panels, documentary screenings, and an eco-fashion show while the kids enjoy yoga, arts & crafts, and music in the Green Kids Zone.

Moby Dick Reading on the Beach - Venice
Love reading Melville, but wish it weren’t such a solitary experience? Join with like-minded friends on Venice Beach as Moby Dick is read cover to cover.

Circus Vargas -Torrance
The Circus finishes its run in Torrance this weekend before moving on to Arcadia.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17

St. Jude Give Thanks. Walk. - Culver City
Westfield Culver City plays host to a 5K walk to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Santa's Arrival & Breakfast - Redondo Beach
He’s hee-ere. Santa Claus is swooping into the Southland, and he’s hungry! Kids are invited to join him for breakfast at the South Bay Galleria.

Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup - Pacific Palisades
Are your kids worried about having more in the Naughty column than the Nice one?  They can help tilt the odds back in their favor by pitching in the beach clean-up at Will Rogers State Beach.

Pottery Barn Kids: Doll Tea Party - Multiple Locations
Kids and their favorite doll or teddy are invited to tea at Pottery Barn Kids.

Tree Lighting Ceremony and Santa Arrival - Santa Monica
That Santa Claus, he sure gets around.  After breakfasting in Redondo, he makes his way to Santa Monica Place to usher in the holiday season with a festive tree lighting.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18

Tree Lighting at The Americana at Brand - Glendale
No one can put on a show like Santa Claus. His tree lighting at the Americana at Brand features magical elves, flying reindeer, dancing snowmen, snowfall, and a fireworks finale.

Mariachi Festival - Boyle Heights
It’s a day filled with Mariachi at, where else, Mariachi Plaza!

Andell Family Sundays - Clay Creations - Mid-Wilshire
This is your last chance to catch the Andell Family Sundays for 2012. (LACMA’s weekly family program will return in January 2013.)

Ted Jacobs & the Garden - Santa Monica
Ted Jacobs sets the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson and other American poets to music; families can hear the results at the biweekly kids concert at McCabe's Guitar Shop.

Family Flicks: Elephant Boy (NR) - Westwood
Kids can watch this black-and-white 1937 classic based on a story by Rudyard Kipling at the Hammer Museum.

Mythical Playground: India - Santa Monica
The heroes and goddesses of ancient India take center stage in this child-friendly show at the Broad Stage.

Baby Loves Disco Boogies in LA - Hollywood
Sunday is your last chance for 2012 to catch Baby Loves Disco before it boogies on out of LALA Land.

Family Jam: A Brass Band Turns Silver! - Westwood
The Paradigm Brass Band entertains with its New Orleans styling of funk, blues, and classical music; kids can make their own wind instruments and play along.

Spongebob Holiday Extravapants – The Grove
He may live in a pineapple under the sea, but Sunday evening SpongeBob and the cast from the show are making their way to the Grove for a live performance and a special screening of the new SpongeBob animated holiday special.

As always, there are many more activities listed on our daily events calendar.  Whatever you choose to do, have a wonderful weekend!