With ModelLand, Tyra Banks has stepped off the runway and brought her fiercest modeling secrets to Santa Monica. When news first broke that ModelLand was coming, we speculated. Rumors suggested this would be anything from a new amusement park to a simple ice cream shop. Well, it opened in September and now we know: It's a little bit of each, giving the Instagram generation lessons on striking a pose, finding your light, and experiencing the supermodel VIP treatment.

ModelLand is a multi-sensory experience where those with tickets (and a cell phone with a camera) are escorted through elaborately staged rooms, all with unique lighting and props. Selfie opportunities abound, and glammed-up staff will teach you how to find your best angels and accentuate your most fabulous self! Is it for kids? How's the ice cream? Read on for the inside scoop on ModelLand.

While you're in Santa Monica, be sure to explore more kid-friendly fun from our list of 30 Awesome Things To Do in Santa Monica with Kids, like visiting the Santa Monica Pier.

Sandwiched between two freeways, adjacent to a hub for rental cars, and below wires buzzing from the electricity pulsing through them, you’ll find a special sort of secret garden. Giant sunflowers and rows of zinnias & snapdragons make you forget that you're actually still very much in an urban jungle. Hana Field, which is the name of this secret garden, is part of the better-known Tanaka Farms in Irvine, about ten minutes away. Tanaka has long been a staple for hayrides, pumpkin patches, veggie-picking, and their awesome produce stand, but this flower field (where you can wander, take Instagram-worthy pics, and even pick your own flowers) is well worth a visit all its own this summer.

For more flower adventures in the summer in Los Angeles, when the spring wildflower blooms have finished for the year, visit the lavender fields at 123 Farm.

Halloween can be a tricky time for families with younger kids. There are lots of haunts and thrills for teens and bigger kids to get their adrenalin pumping: haunted houses, terrifying hay rides, theme park terrors, and more. But for those of us with young children, or any kids who are easily overloaded by sensory experiences, the choice is often limited to some version of a pumpkin patch. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good patch. But it’s also fun to have something a little less ... expected. To shake up our Halloween activities this year, we headed for the hills in Calabasas to experience Nights of the Jack. This is a perfect outing for families like mine with kids of a whole range of ages, as it strikes just the right balance of atmospheric and fun without being too scary.

Read on to find out why this is my family's new Halloween tradition. And for more Halloween fun for kids of all ages, from the best free Halloween events in Los Angeles to scary Halloween houses for big kids, check out our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.