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Things To Do in LA this Weekend with Kids: Underwater Parks, Bricks LA, and Cool Camellias

1/9/20 - By Toby B

For a year called 2020 things are looking pretty blurry right now. Though I suppose that is to be expected underwater—which is where we are in spirit as we celebrate Underwater Parks Day. Three local aquariums honor the beauty fathoms below. (You might get so inspired you'll want to sing about it!)

If under the sea is not your thing, how about polar opposites? Unseasonable snowfalls? Blooming blossoms? Or just all things wild and scenic?

Or perhaps you like your wonders to be of human design? We can build 'em. We can smash 'em up. And then we can write home about it.

We can talk up this weekend til we're blue in the face, but the bottom line is this: it's a new year, and anything is possible.

Keep reading to see your way clear to our best picks for the weekend.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

A pageant sculptor helps volunteer cast members into their poses at a rehearsal. Photo courtesy of Laguna Beach Festival of Arts
A pageant sculptor helps volunteer cast members into their poses at a rehearsal. Photo courtesy of Laguna Beach Festival of Arts

Things To Do All Weekend

Bricks LA: LEGO Fan Event

Pasadena
Kids and adults alike can marvel at what a little imagination and a lot of brick can do at Bricks LA, LEGO fan event. READ MORE

Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival

Monterey Park
Monterey Park's Lunar New Year Festival takes place in the downtown business district, featuring 5 blocks of booths, rides, and entertainment and drawing tens of thousands of visitors. The 2025 Festival celebrates Year of the Snake. READ MORE

Blue Man Group On Tour

Costa Mesa
The Blue Man Group's Orange County performances feature the group's signature drumming, colorful moments of creativity, and quirky comedy in an all new show. READ MORE

Long Beach Comic Expo

Long Beach
 Long Beach Comic Expo announced a return date of February 11 & 12, 2023. No further info has been given. Long Beach Comic Expo is a celebration of comic books and pop culture that showcases writers, artists, illustrators, and creators of all types of pop cultures.  READ MORE

Kiddee Matinees

Hollywood
On Saturdays and Sundays, families can catch a matinee screening of a kid-friendly movie at the New Beverly Cinema.   READ MORE

Pageant of the Masters Volunteer/ Casting Call

Laguna Beach
Ever wonder what it would be like to step into a famous piece of art? If you can stand still for 90 seconds, you could experience just that by volunteering for the renowned Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, “where art comes to life!”  READ MORE

Cartoon Club

Hollywood
Cartoon Club celebrates the art and history of animation with Saturday morning screenings of rare cartoon gems. December's event is holiday themed! READ MORE

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Hollywood
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... some of us parents saw the original Star Wars in its first run.  Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker nears the end of its run at the El Capitan. READ MORE
Celebrate underwater parks day at an LA aquarium
Celebrate underwater parks day at an LA aquarium

Things To Do Saturday, January 11

Underwater Parks Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Long Beach
Some of Southern California's greatest parks are underwater! At the Aquarium of the Pacific's Underwater Parks Day celebration, guests can learn more about Southern California’s network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and celebrate our local ocean habitats. READ MORE

Morning Tide Pool Walks

San Pedro
The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium takes families on a tour of the Point Fermin tide pools. See an informative slideshow, then take a naturalist-led ramble on the rocks to see animals in their natural habitat.  Prefer afternoons? The aquarium has free afternoon tide pool walks on select days as well.  READ MORE

Underwater Parks Day 2024- Heal the Bay Aquarium

Santa Monica
Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium holds its annual Underwater Parks Day event, celebrating the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (known as MPAs) in Southern California. Guests can enjoy crafts, explore the virtual exhibit “Underwater Treasure”, and experience wet and wild hands-on education with Heal the Bay. READ MORE

Art for All: Free General Admission Celebration

Downtown
Need a reason to celebrate? How about MOCA offering free general admission at both of its locations! Launch day activities include performances, music, art-making activities, food, and more. READ MORE

A Faery Hunt's Amazing Adventure - Los Encinos State Historic Park

Encino
Faery Trail Theater's interactive children's show leads audiences through trails and groves in the park, in search of fairies who appear at every turn. The show is upbeat, whimsical, and not remotely scary. READ MORE

El Capitan Throwback Screenings

Hollywood
On Presidents Day the El Capitan screens 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the tale of a megalomaniacal sea captain who wages a war from beneath the sea on perceived evils. James Mason stars alongside the late great Kirk Douglas. READ MORE

CREATE at ESMoA

El Segundo
ESMoA visitors make, look, and talk about art at CREATE!  READ MORE

Saturday Morning Stories and More

West LA
Erin go bookstore! Luke Robertson visits Children's Book World for a St. Patrick's Day storytime. Every Saturday morning Children's Book World offers free children's entertainment March 2020 schedule:      March 7: Andrew & Polly Mini-Concert (all ages) March 14: St. Patrick’s Day Storytime with Luke Robertson (ages 4 – 7) March 21: Kevin Noble Maillard Storytime & Signing (ages 3 – 7) March 28: Roda Ahmed Launch Party & Signing (ages 4 –... READ MORE

The J&L Band

Costa Mesa
Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents a free performance by The J&L Band on Argyros Plaza. READ MORE

Bubbles!

Santa Monica
The Cayton gets things popping with a bubble-filled dance party, powered by its bubble machine and a big bubble wand. READ MORE

Snowfall 2020!

Santa Monica
 Santa Monica's Virginia Park transforms into a snowy winter wonderland. The blustery bounty of fun includes arts & crafts, snow cones, inflatable snow globe photo booth, story times with police officers, librarians, and more. READ MORE

The Little Mermaid Sing-Along Movie Screening

La Mirada
I want to be where the people are ... singing along with The Littel Mermaid! Fans can sing along with the critically lauded animated adventure. READ MORE

Monster Jam (Anaheim)

Anaheim
Monster trucks smash, crash, and battle their way through Angel Stadium.  READ MORE

Fireside at the Miles

Santa Monica
The Fireside Concerts feature a mix of contemporary music, opera, jazz, storytelling, dance, poetry, a capella singing, and more. Performances take place beside the large period fireplace.  READ MORE
Andell Family Sundays. Photo courtesy of LACMA
Andell Family Sundays. Photo courtesy of LACMA

Things To Do Sunday, January 12

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

San Pedro
Palos Verdes Land Conservancy presents an exciting selection of adventurous and inspirational films celebrating the wonder and majesty of nature. READ MORE

Concertino (Free Community Concert)

San Gabriel
The Olympia Philharmonic Society & Cal State University Los Angeles present Concertino, a free community concert featuring the world premiere of Concertino for Violin and Orchestra, a composition by Masatoshi Mitsumoto. READ MORE

Family Flicks at the Hammer

Westwood
UCLA's Hammer Museum presents a free family screening each month.  October's film Microcosmos takes a closeup look at the hidden world of insects and other tiny creatures.  READ MORE

Fowler Families: Picture This! Create Your Own Postcard

Westwood
Wish you were here... at the Fowler's postcard workshop. READ MORE

Andell Family Sundays: Outdoor Pictures

Mid-Wilshire
Artist Thomas Joshua Cooper has been making photographs outdoors for 50 years with a camera from 1898. In workshops, LACMA visitors can make their own camera obscura, and create unexpected landscapes. READ MORE

Stories in the Afternoon

Pasadena
Stories in the Afternoon uses stories to explore the world and subject matter of great paintings. Participants then create masterpieces of their own. Not ready for winter?  Neither is The Little Yellow Leaf, who doesn't want to fall from the tree in November's story. READ MORE

NOVA Polar Extremes

Exposition Park
The Natural History Museum hosts a sneak preview of  NOVA’s upcoming episode, Polar Extremes. Guests are treated to exclusive sneak peek of clips from the film; the full-length version premieres in February on PBS. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Long Beach Convention Center
Los Encinos State Historic Park
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
San Gabriel Mission Playhouse