Exposition Park

LA's Best Swimming Pools with Play Areas Worth a Drive this Summer

Submitted by Kathie Bozanich on Mon, 06/03/2019 - 9:30pm

Sure, there are miles of great beaches in SoCal, but sometimes you need a break from the sand, and you want water that's a little less, well, wavy. It can be worth going a little farther to find a swimming pool that’s open to the public for recreational swimming and offers something special: Think slides, water play features, extended shallow areas for the little ones to splash in, or a beautiful, peaceful setting. Here’s our list of cool destination swimming pools worth a drive in LA and OC. Most range in price from $1 to $12 per person, and several of these pools offer discounted season passes (check websites for details).

Trash & Recycling Fun: Sanitation Yard Open Houses for Kids Who Love Garbage Trucks

Submitted by Toby B on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 6:38am

Vroom Vroom! Does the sound of the garbage truck coming down the street send your kids running to watch? Spring kicks off city yard open houses and recycling fair season, and these events are hugely popular with kids of a certain age. If your kiddos have any curiosity about what goes on in a garbage truck, this is their chance to satisfy it, at one of the most eagerly awaited free activities in LA. Public tours (also detailed below) are often available throughout the year (call first); but the spring open houses are a must-do for little one who live for the roar of the garbage truck.

Dogs, Kids, and Science Meet at this New Museum Exhibit for Dog Lovers

Submitted by Mike Anderson on Thu, 04/11/2019 - 11:09pm

I’m a big dog person (meaning I like dogs, not that I am some sort of half man, half dog). Luckily, so is my toddler. A real perk of having a child who loves dogs is that she gives me an automatic excuse to pet a lot of strangers’ dogs (“Oh, my adorable little girl just wanted to say hi”). But no excuses were necessary for both of us to get a really good dog fix at the new exhibit Dogs! A Science Tail at The California Science Center.

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.

10 Super Science & STEM Summer Camps for Los Angeles Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Thu, 01/10/2019 - 3:20pm

Ten summer science camps—try saying that 10 times fast! Or you could stop muttering to yourself and just check out our top 10 picks for great STEM and science-focused camps around the Los Angeles area. We've collected a variety of local STEM summer camps for kids—indoor, outdoor, animal-driven, coding, game design, biology, and robot-driven—all of which have been test-driven by parents we trust.

But if your children's summer cannot live by science alone, check out the Los Angeles art, cooking, horse, and classic outdoorsy camps in our Summer Camp Guide and Directory!

12 Family Memberships Worth Having As You Raise Your LA Kid

Submitted by Brian Steele on Sun, 01/06/2019 - 2:49pm

It can be hard to find places to go with the whole family without spending a bundle. When your kids let you know they love a place, it's a lot easier to go back there again and again (and again) if you become a member. Annual memberships allow you to enjoy all the perks and discounts a venue can offer (plus the tax write-off!). Here are a few of the most affordable and enjoyable places in LA to get memberships for the whole family.

Free in November: 22 Free Things To Do with Kids In Los Angeles

Submitted by Brian Steele on Thu, 11/01/2018 - 12:27pm

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, pocketbooks can start to feel a little light. If you’re in need of some family fun but don’t want to break the bank, look no further. There are still plenty of things to do in Los Angeles this November, without ever cracking open that wallet. From the Day of the Dead to Santa’s Sled, it's time to kick off winter with a frugal bang.

Free Admission Days at 20+ Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County

Submitted by Audrey M on Sun, 09/16/2018 - 3:16pm

Love museums, but the prices make you think twice? If you have a large family, those tickets add up fast—which is particularly frustrating if you then need to beat a hasty retreat to avoid a meltdown. SoCal has some great museums that have free general admission every day of the year, including The Getty, California Science Center, and The Broad. As for the rest of them (once kids are old enough to have to pay), many LA and OC museums have monthly or even weekly free days or evenings, and we have collected a list for easy reference. Go ahead, bring the extended family, meet friends, or check out a place you have never been before—all for just the price of parking or Metro tickets. And if there's a meltdown? At least it's free.

Along Came a Spider Pavilion: Big Spiders Are Back at the Natural History Museum

Submitted by Roberta B on Fri, 09/14/2018 - 5:02am

While some may ring in the Halloween season by smearing shrubs with 99-cent store fuzzy webbing and plastic spiders, the arachnid purists over at the Natural History Museum have a more organic approach. This weekend the screened pavilion on the museum’s South Lawn becomes seasonal home to more free-range, eight-legged tenants than anyone in his right mind could want – in short, an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare and an eight-year-old boy’s version of heaven.

Ten Things My Preschooler Loves at the California Science Center

Submitted by Jennifer Cook Nice on Tue, 04/17/2018 - 4:01pm

We've talked before about our teen and tween favorite features at the California Science Center, but there are at least as many things to fascinate preschoolers and toddlers at LA's oldest, freest science museum. Never underestimate the appeal of science to the preschool set, and amazingly, with the exception of IMAX films and special exhibits, the California Science Center is free and open to the public 7 days a week, 362 days a year.