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Fun & Free Events This Weekend for LA Kids: Butterflies, the Civil War, and Baby Loves Disco! Apr 28 - 29

4/26/12 - By Toby B

It’s not til next week and I’m already stressing. I speak of course of Screen Free Week, in which parents are encouraged to turn off (TVs, Blackberries, iPads) and tune in (to the great big world out there).

Luckily, smack dab in the middle of (sensory deprivation) week is Cinco de Mayo, so there are mucho family friendly activities to get you out of the casa. You can find the best of them in our rundown of Cinco de Mayo Celebrations. What is Cinco de Mayo about anyway?  I’ll just look it up on Wikipedia…

There’s perhaps nothing more antithetical to being a couch potato than hanging ten on a bodacious wave. Is that an actual surf term? I haven’t a clue.  But I bet I could find out, if I enrolled my kid in one of the totally rad Summer Surf Camps for LA Kids our intrepid camp reporter has uncovered.  Maybe I’ll get inspired by finding some cool surf footage on YouTube…

…or if that doesn’t work, we could hearken back to a time before screens dominated our every moment. Sure, a couple of decades might suffice, but we at Mommy Poppins like to go all in, so how’s about a trip to the 1500s, as suggested by our editor’s review of ye olde Renaissance Faire.

Regardless of your approach, there’s one screen usage even the most avowed Luddite couldn’t begrudge, and that’s logging onto Mommy Poppins to find the ultimate scoop on family fun activities. So friend us on Facebook, sign up for emails and tweets, or go old school and type in our URL; Mommy Poppins is here to help you through. To get you started, keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend…

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

ALL WEEKEND

International Children’s Day - Long Beach
The Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates the amazing talents of children of all cultures.

Grand Butterfly Release - Pasadena
Let's talk metamorphosis: kids can enjoy all sorts of butterfly fun including the release of more than 600 of the winged creatures at the Kidspace Children's Museum.

Civil War Historical Reenactment Heritage Days - Woodland Hills
The Civil War comes alive with two days of historical reenactment.

Baby Loves Disco: Culver City, Northridge & Glendale
Baby Loves Disco hits the hot spots on its tour through Los Angeles, bringing an all out dance party for little ones.

Healthy Kids Day - Culver City
Westfield Culver City is where it's happening this weekend! Kids can climb a rock wall, go on a scavenger hunt, do Zumba and line dance, and get a scan of their feet - all in the name of good health.

30th Annual SpringFest - Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach's 30th annual Spring Carnival & Community Festival features carnival rides and a Kids Zone, arts & crafts, and a food court with gourmet food trucks.

SATURDAY APRIL 28

5th Annual "Walk for Wishes" to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation - West Los Angeles
Families can enjoy a unique behind-the-scenes look at 20th Century Fox Studios while helping raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Santa Monica Mountains Science Festival - Agoura Hills
Science is pretty cool. Learning about it in the Santa Monica Mountains is even cooler.

Douglas Park Kids' Clothing Swap - Santa Monica
You know all the bags and boxes you have of clothes your kids have outgrown?  Why not trade them out for clothes that will fit them?

LA Sanitation East Valley Yard Open House - Sun Valley
Kids can see LA's garbage trucks up close, take a tour of the can warehouse, see the maintenance facilities, and enjoy a free lunch. Holding out for one closer to home? We have the whole season of trash and recycling events listed.

Ragamala Dance - Downtown
Families are invited on a musical journey to explore sounds and sights of India in the latest installment of the free World City concert series.

What's Up For Kids Expo & peace. love. swap.  - Torrance
Parents can learn about camps, classes and activities (and participate in a clothing swap) while kids enjoy hands-on activities, a craft area, face painting, a bouncer, and more.

SUNDAY APRIL 29

23rd Annual Fiesta Broadway - Downtown
Fiesta Broadway is the nation's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration, drawing nearly 500,000 people expected to join in the festivities.

Doo Dah Parade - Pasadena
Kids and adults alike delight at the quirky humor of the Doo Dah Parade (as they check off another item on our 100 Things LA Bucket List).

Fourth Annual LA Heritage Day - Downtown
Families can discover Los Angeles' cultural history with tours, five museums, a scavenger hunt, children’s activities, presentations, giveaways, food, and other activities.

Disney Store Grand Opening - Glendale
The first ever Disney Store shows off its new design with fanfare and a visit from Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, and Beauty and the Beast.

As always, there are many more activities listed on our daily events calendar. Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have marvelous time!

(P.S. We won't think less of you if you end up watching next week's episodes of, say, American Idol or How I Met Your Mother. Mostly because some of us will be watching them, too...)