Los Angeles

Breakfast with Santa in Los Angeles—Plus Holiday Teas with the Nutcracker and Mrs. Claus!

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Pick a festive pancake to dine on with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Photo courtesy of SkyPark at Santa's Village via Facebook

Share breakfast with Santa and more tasty treats at these spots where kids can dine with the man of the hour.

Santa has a broad face and a round little belly, that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly, but to keep it that way, Santa needs breakfast. Thankfully, in December, he often takes his sleigh down to SoCal for a breakfast with Santa for all the kiddos on the nice list. Make your little elves' Christmas season all the more magical and eat a meal with the man in the big red suit. Prefer another meal? We've got some seasonal and festive teas with the Nutcracker or Mrs. Claus, too. Many of these dining experiences fill up quickly and require reservations in advance, so plan and book ahead.  

Looking for more opportunities to meet Santa? He can often be found on a Polar Express train and other holiday trains, posing for a Santa picture, and at Christmas tree lighting celebrations. For all the most festive events around town this season, check our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families.

New Ball N’ Bounce Indoor Play Space Bounces into Encino

Submitted by Chelsee Lowe on

Kids want to climb the walls? Let them! Just not at your house...

After months of masked, social-distanced toddler playdates, this mother can’t quite articulate how refreshing a multi-family, indoor gathering feels. Especially since it's suddenly oddly chilly in LA! So when I saw that Ball N’ Bounce just opened in the Encino Commons complex on Ventura Boulevard, an indoor playdate is exactly what I planned.

Stepping foot inside the play space, our whole group of kids and adults instantly perked up. The vibrant colors of the interior are joyful, and there are so many things to climb on and experience that my toddler couldn’t wait to start playing. Read on for just what to expect in this new family gem in the San Fernando Valley.

And if you’re in search of other terrific destinations for indoor playdates, check out our review of My Little Paris in San Gabriel, and all our favorite LA indoor playgrounds in our Indoor Fun and Play Spaces Guide for Los Angeles and OC Kids.

Holiday Lighting Celebrations in Los Angeles: Christmas Tree Lightings, Menorah Lightings, and Fireworks!

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Is this really America's tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree? Check it out live and see! Photo courtesy of Citadel Center

Get ready to deck the Southland halls, walls, trees, skies, and more with Christmas tree lightings, menorah lightings, and fireworks! As the holidays get rolling, there are plenty of opportunities to snap photos with Santa, take in a boat parade, and marvel at some spectacular neighborhood holiday lights and Candy Cane Lanes, but the best way to kick it all off is with a good old-fashioned tree lighting (or menorah lighting) ceremony. Communities all over Los Angeles and Orange County have their own traditions—including caroling, cocoa, fireworks, and much more. Pick whichever of the locations below is nearest to you, and go rock around a Christmas tree!

We'll keep adding more below as communities make their plans. Check our events calendar and sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up with the latest info. For more holiday events and activities, check our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families.

Free in November: Veterans Day Parades, Fireworks, and More Free Things To Do in Los Angeles With Kids

Brian Steele's picture Submitted by Brian Steele on

Learn the history of Bob Baker's marionettes at this free exhibit at Forest Lawn. Photo courtesy of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater

The pumpkins are slowly rolling away from the patch, only to be replaced with Christmas trees. It's the most wonderful time of the year, but it can easily become the most expensive time of the year, too. Due to that shocking Thanksgiving turkey price tag (thanks, inflation), that upcoming black Friday haul, and the new hoodies the kids need for this chilly-for-LA weather, it may not be the month to splurge on extravagant outings. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make sweet family memories in November without swiping the credit card. This month has so much in store with Dia de los Muertos festivals, Veterans Day parades, and plenty of holiday tree lighting ceremonies—like this Christmas tree lighting in Beverly Hills that has Santa, songs, and fireworks—to kick off the holiday festivities.

Plus, we are always adding free events to our Los Angeles event calendar as they pop up, and we keep all our roundups of free outings for families in our Guide to Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids.

Cemetery Lane at Heritage Square Is a Candy-Filled Historical Haunt for All Ages

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The Victorian-era buildings at Heritage Square are the perfect backdrop for a haunted trick-or-treat outing.

For most of the year, Heritage Square is a living, open-air architectural museum that hosts guided tours of the buildings—and while they are purportedly haunted, visiting is not a spooky experience. However, when mid-October rolls around, Heritage Square transforms into Cemetery Lane. It’s a land of monsters, ghosts, games, and, of course, candy. The ghouls have a lighthearted approach to spooking, focused on handing out candy and not terrifying small children. Open until Halloween night, Heritage Square’s Cemetery Lane is a perfectly unique way to celebrate both Halloween and Los Angeles.

I took my two little girls, and our whole family had a wonderful time. This taste of LA will become part of my family's Halloween tradition for years to come. Here's why...

And if you're looking for more Halloween outings that are great for kids of all ages, check out our reviews of Haunt O' Ween and Nights of the Jack. You can find those reviews, and loads more fun activities for the spooky season, in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

Visiting the Getty Villa with Kids: What You Need to Know Before You Go

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Explore the herb garden at the Getty Villa in Malibu.

The Getty Villa in Malibu is one of the most beautiful spots in the whole greater Los Angeles area. The Villa is a re-creation of a Roman country house—and the original home of the Getty Museum, which has since moved to its tram-accessible perch above the 405. It's filled with a spectacular collection of ancient art and statues, spilling into gorgeous gardens, and is located right by the ocean for incredible views that make you think you've been magically transported to the middle of the Mediterranean.

If all of this makes it sound like a grown-ups-only space, that's not the case at all. With room to run and smell the herbs, fruits, and veggies growing in the garden; a magical pool to linger by; 3D art to entertain; a Percy Jackson-inspired self-guided tour; and so much more, this is one of my kids' favorite museums in town. Armed with these tips and tricks for when to visit, what to see, and even what to eat, the Getty Villa will quickly become your family's favorite local destination, too.

For guides to other favorite museums for kids in the LA area, including Kidspace in Pasadena and Pretend City in Irvine, check out our Museum Guide for Kids in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Haunt O' Ween Is the Perfect Blend of Spooky and Entertaining for All Ages

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on

From green screen witching to bouncy house boos, Haunt O' Ween has skele-fun for everyone.

If you want something where everyone in the family, from your tiniest toddler to your most sullen teen will have a Halloween blast, look no further than Haunt O'Ween! Grab the fam, hop in the car, and head to the hills, Woodland Hills to be exact. Ghosts, ghouls, and more Halloween oddities await you at this immersive family-friendly experience, along with candy, face painting, and other eerie-sistible family-friendly experiences. From green screen witchy fun to bouncy house boos, Haunt O' Ween has skele-fun for everyone. Pardon the puns, but I'm pretty punchy and feeling pleased with finding Halloween entertainment that my whole family adored. Read on to get the scoop on this fabulous haunt.

For more Halloween fun for kids of all ages—from the best not-so-scary Halloween events for preschoolers to super scary Halloween houses for big kids—check out our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

Haunted Houses, Horror Nights, and Scary Farms for Los Angeles Teens Who Like a Good Scare

Roberta B's picture Submitted by Roberta B on

The entrance to Midnight Falls at the world-famous Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. Photo courtesy of the Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group

Did someone say Haunted House? What goes on at theme parks in Los Angeles for Halloween is nothing like the wholesome thrill of a Tigger-clad child ringing doorbells for candy. It may seem like Los Angeles celebrates a night that's all about children with an awful lot of entertainment that is clearly not for children, but these frightful haunts, houses, and hayrides keep the Halloween fun going for older kids and teens. How to know which haunts are best for which ages? We've braved a few of them to share our reviews of just how scary is scary.

Looking for something not quite so scary, and a good deal cheaper? Check out the coolest free haunted houses and Halloween decorations in Los Angeles. And for perfectly tame Halloween activities for younger kids, we rounded up the best not-so-scary Halloween events for Los Angeles preschoolers. You'll find all this spooky fun, and more, in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

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