While it's easy to find hiking trails that are dog-friendly, or locate a dog park in Los Angeles, finding a dog-friendly beach is a bit more challenging. In fact, several cities—including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and most of the South Bay—restrict dogs from even walking on the beach. That can make it hard for those of us with dogs to enjoy a day at the beach; once you factor in traffic, you don't have much time by the sea before you have to run home to walk the dog! Luckily, there are a few beaches where your pup can join you on the sand and in the waves, and we've gathered our favorites here.

For more favorite local beaches, including Hidden Gem Beaches Near Los Angeles and the Best Beaches in LA and OC for Families, check out our Ultimate Family Beach Guide for Los Angeles and Orange County.

By now, you may have seen videos of a toy store with a magical world of play behind a hidden door—especially if you have friends in NYC, Boston, Dallas, or the other areas lucky enough to have a CAMP store. If your FOMO has been on fire, we have great news for families in LA: On April 23rd, the first West Coast CAMP store opened its doors at the Westfield Century City in Los Angeles! The new flagship destination opened with its signature Base CAMP immersive experience and partnered with RVshare to create a one-of-a-kind, camping-themed experience that kids of all ages will love.

Always on the hunt for the coolest and latest for Los Angeles families, I headed over to the new flagship store with my 3- and 6-year-olds to see what all the buzz was about. Read on to find out what we discovered through the magic door at the new CAMP store in Los Angeles and what you’ll want to know before you go. Spoiler alert: It’s uh-mazing!

Raise your hand if you've never explored the Eastern Sierra region. It's most of us, right? On our personal quest to visit all the National Parks in our state, my family and I have explored the otherworldly Joshua Tree, sailed to the Channel Islands, hiked through Sequoia and Kings Canyon, spotted California condors at Pinnacles, and of course, been mesmerized by the majesty of Yosemite. But all this traveling had been done on the west side of the Sierra Nevada, never on the east. We didn’t try the eastern route until recently, and now I want everyone to know how gorgeous this part of California is, and what a fun road trip the Eastern Sierras region is for the whole family.

Need more ideas for gorgeous family road trips in California? We've rounded up 25 Epic California Road Trip Ideas for Families, and have detailed guides to some of our favorite stops, like Lake Tahoe and Death Valley National Park.

We are blessed with a plethora of world-class wineries near Los Angeles. In nearly every direction you look, there are great opportunities for a day trip that includes kid-friendly wine tasting. Sure, you know of the long-established wine hotspots of Santa Barbara County like the Santa Ynez wineries and the up-and-comer sun-kissed Temecula wineries, but did you know there are great wineries in Malibu and even downtown LA? To help you find the most family-friendly places to enjoy a glass of vino while the kiddos frolic, we've gathered our favorite wineries near Los Angeles.

For a more in-depth look at the vineyard towns in Santa Barbara, check out our article on Santa Ynez Valley's Best Kid-friendly Wineries. Or, if your family is more into hops-based beverages, peruse our list of the Best Family-Friendly Beer Gardens in Los Angeles.

Get ready for cotton candy, popcorn, baby pigs, bumper cars, music, and all the hoopla of the LA County Fair beginning on May 5. The Fair's brand new dates line up with its 100th anniversary, Mother's Day, and the gorgeous late spring weather in Los Angeles. It's open throughout May, including Memorial Day weekend, so you can have your funnel cake and eat it, too, all in the comfort of cooler weather.

For more May events and fun, be sure to check out our picks for the Best Things To Do in Los Angeles in May and our roundup of the coolest Free Events and Activities in May.

If you're intrigued about the high-tech centers and arcades for virtual reality in Los Angeles that are popping up everywhere, but your own video game experience comes from the era of Atari or Nintendo, fear not. These new virtual reality games are really easy to get the hang of. Just put on your headset and jump into a virtual world where anything is possible—you can travel back in time, be an astronaut, or get stranded on a deserted island. These fully immersive centers for virtual reality in Los Angeles offer adventures for all ages and interests and are perfect for family outings, gaming afternoons with friends, and even birthday parties.

If you're looking for more family fun for all ages, check out our roundup of the Best Escape Rooms in Los Angeles. For even more ideas that will appeal to your bigger kids, we made a list of 20 Things To Do in Los Angeles with Tweens and Teens That They'll Actually Enjoy. Now go have some actual virtual fun.