Los Angeles

7 Single Parent Hacks for Entertaining Kids (and Staying Sane) Every Day of the Week

Submitted by Susan Leslie on Mon, 03/18/2019 - 1:00pm

March 21st is National Single Parent Day. Yes, that's a thing. It even has a hashtag #NationalSingleParentDay. Yipeee, let's celebrate you! The holiday was created in 1984 to "honor the sacrifices and diligent work of single parents across our country" with the hopes that it would become just as popular as Mother's Day or Father's Day. Okay, that's pretty cool. Except, you know, when you're single... there's no one to actually go out and get you roses or candy or take you to dinner or even draw you a bath...on National Single Parent Day, on Mother's Day, on Father's Day, or any other day... because, you're SINGLE. But you deserve to be celebrated—if not with roses then at least with a few helpful hacks to get through the week.

Easter Bunny Photo Ops and Events: Where To Find the Bunny in LA & OC

Submitted by Roberta B on Sun, 03/17/2019 - 6:28am

Hippity hoppity, hippity hoppity: your kids might not want to sit still, but at least the Easter Bunny will! There are plenty of spots to set up the perfect Easter photo in LA and Orange County in the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. We've lined up a whole Bunny Trail to hop down, ranging from mall photo ops to trains and spring festivals. Have fun catching up to Peter Cottontail in one of the following Southland locations.

Insider’s Guide to Haines, Alaska: 21 Top Things to Do with Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Sat, 03/16/2019 - 2:09pm

Alaska is a dream destination on many family travel bucket lists. The way most people experience the state is to hop on one of the many cruises that travel up the Inside Passage. Cruising is particularly suited for Alaska travel because the scenery from the ship is beautiful and the destinations are hard to reach otherwise. But, as with many things in travel, the easiest road often passes by the best destinations.

Haines, Alaska, is one of those gems that is often missed by family cruisers. If you have the option to take a cruise that stops in Haines, or can take an excursion to Haines (an option from Skagway), I highly recommend it. Or, if you want to plan your own Alaska trip, you could easily spend a week in Haines without running out of amazing things to do with the kids, from bear watching and fishing to exploring some really unique museums.

Why All the Butterflies, and What Are Good Spots To See Them?

Submitted by Li Starr on Fri, 03/15/2019 - 3:19pm

If you're one of the three remaining Angelenos who haven't yet noticed, run outside, quick, and take a look at the steady stream of butterflies flying north up your street! People all over social media are trying to photograph and video them, but the truth is it's tough to do; smart phones just aren't doing justice to this breathtaking phenomenon. So what's going on? Why is getting swarmed by magical winged creatures as easy as walking outside? We can explain—and we can offer some ideas of where to head, if the butterflies aren't outside your own front door.

Summer Camps with Transportation for LA Campers

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 03/15/2019 - 3:40am

As wonderful as summer can be, it is also a puzzle that must be solved, year after year. Will they go to camp? Day camp or sleepaway? If it's day camp, who will drive them and pick them up? Is there a camp by your office, and if so does that really sound like a fun place to spend summer vacation?

Wouldn't your kids prefer the beach or the mountains, enjoying fresh air, nature, and wide open space? Many LA camps offer this traditional, outdoor experience plus the bus ride to get there—some even include the ride for free! Check out the 9 camps below that give campers an adventure of swimming, surfing, horseback riding, hiking, and a variety of sports and performing arts—all without Mom or Dad needing to veer off the morning commute.

Weekend Fun for LA Kids: Patrick's, Purim, and Butterflies

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 03/14/2019 - 3:01am

Erin go Hamantaschen, it's a Patrick's Purim weekend! Carnivals and parades commemorate our freedom from snakes and evil empires, with bouncy slides, the wearing of the Green, and all around general rowdiness. Nature itself goes wild around LA this weekend, with off-the-growth-charts plants, preternaturally skilled creatures, and precocious performers.

Undoubtedly, it was all the revelry that attracted the crazed butterflies who have taken over our fair skies, which is surely not one of the signs of the Apocalypse. The fine folks at Kidspace and the Natural History Museum have managed to tame the beasties, so all is not lost.

Speaking of tame beasties, what is sure to be my new favorite exhibit is opening at the California Science Center this weekend. Who's a good museum? Who's a good museum?

Drink some green (root)beer, boo the evil Haman, and sit! speak! beg! (or just keep reading) for our best picks for the weekend....

10 Free Classes Kids Can Take at Stores and Businesses around LA

Submitted by Susan Leslie on Tue, 03/12/2019 - 11:03am

"I never run out of enriching activities for my kid," said no one EVER! Well, there are lots of classes in LA, some of which could send your bank account into cardiac arrest, but we have 10 classes your kid can do for FREE at local stores in your community. Okay, we say free; stores offer classes for free because, well, they think you just might consider a stroll down the aisles before you leave, and they're hoping a few items make their way into your basket. Stores are counting on your kid to scream, "I gotta have that!" before you leave. If you can manage to get the kids into the "free" activity and out again before the cash register rings, though, these free events are for you. (Oh, and you are a super parent!)

The Butterfly Pavilion Ushers in Spring at the Natural History Museum

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 03/11/2019 - 3:23pm

Everyone's all a-flutter at the Natural History Museum. The seasonal re-opening of the Butterfly Pavilion takes place this month, giving us six months of access to the unfettered joy that is an afternoon among the butterflies. The new, expanded pavilion which debuted in 2017 is still on the museum’s South Lawn, offering delightful flutterby time on the same site where the creepier Spider Pavilion sets up in autumn. From chrysalis to butterfly, the Butterfly Pavilion is full of magical moments, which is why it rates as one of our 100 things to do with LA kids before they grow up.

Celebrating Purim at Carnivals All Over Los Angeles

Submitted by Toby B on Sun, 03/10/2019 - 7:07pm

Not too sure what Purim is? Imagine something between Hebrew Halloween and Middle Eastern Mardi Gras, and you'll more or less have it. Jewish families know Purim as a time of uncharacteristically raucous rabbinical revelry, marked by costumes, noisemakers, interactive storytelling, triangular pastries, and enough drink (for the grown-ups) to muddy the lines between good and evil. Gentile families generally don't know it at all. But Purim is worth knowing. Its story has all the best elements: a party-hearty king, a beautiful and courageous queen, a resourceful good guy, and a bad guy so hateful that everyone drowns out his name with noisemakers at community carnivals all over town. Check out one of the events below for classic Purim activities, costume parades, and boisterous retellings of the Purim story.

And if you know of a celebration we've missed, please let us know!

Star Wars, Potter, and More New Theme Park Rides at Disney and Beyond

Submitted by Liz Alterman on Sat, 03/09/2019 - 2:38pm

Amusement parks are a spring break and family vacation staple. From coast to coast, amusement and water parks abound, offering fun and thrills to parents and children ranging from toddlers to teens alike.

While there's never any shortage of excitement, having an opportunity to check out new attractions only adds to the kids' enjoyment. Take a look at which popular destinations are introducing everything from state-of-the-art roller coasters to gentle kiddie rides, and which are celebrating the opening of entirely new sections of their already-enticing parks in 2019. We've rounded up new rides (including water park fun) from California's Disneyland to Orlando, Florida and even along the New Jersey Shore boardwalks and in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Texas.