Amanda Schutt

Amanda is a homeschool mama to three kiddos, a professional educator, and a doula. She loves travel, camping, the arts, and discovering the endless supply of Los Angeles adventuring opportunities that her city unfailingly provides!

Latest posts by Amanda

Visit the Lovely Lavender Fields at 123 Farm

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Sat, 07/08/2023 - 7:30am

Who doesn't want to relax in a sea of blooms?

The lavender fields are bursting in Los Angeles! I took my kids on a trip to 123 Farm just as the lavender was in the beginning stages of blossoming, and it's promising to be a bountiful and beautiful summer. 123 Farm is the largest organic lavender farm in California, growing over 90 varieties of lavender; on a visit to the farm you can see, taste, and discover all things lavender. (You can also meet a few adorable farm animals.) While the lavender is not to be picked, it is most certainly to be posed in, so come with a camera in hand because these fields are family photo and Instagram-worthy.

For more flower adventures in the summer in Los Angeles, when the spring wildflower blooms have finished for the year, visit Tanaka Farm's Hana Field for stunning sunflowers.

Haunt O' Ween Is the Perfect Blend of Spooky and Entertaining for All Ages

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Thu, 10/13/2022 - 11:40am

From green screen witching to bouncy house boos, Haunt O' Ween has skele-fun for everyone.

If you want something where everyone in the family, from your tiniest toddler to your most sullen teen will have a Halloween blast, look no further than Haunt O'Ween! Grab the fam, hop in the car, and head to the hills, Woodland Hills to be exact. Ghosts, ghouls, and more Halloween oddities await you at this immersive family-friendly experience, along with candy, face painting, and other eerie-sistible family-friendly experiences. From green screen witchy fun to bouncy house boos, Haunt O' Ween has skele-fun for everyone. Pardon the puns, but I'm pretty punchy and feeling pleased with finding Halloween entertainment that my whole family adored. Read on to get the scoop on this fabulous haunt.

For more Halloween fun for kids of all ages—from the best not-so-scary Halloween events for preschoolers to super scary Halloween houses for big kids—check out our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

Tyra Banks' ModelLand Gives Kids a Taste of the Supermodel Life—and Ice Cream

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Tue, 09/20/2022 - 12:19pm

Strike a pose, there's nothing to it. Even when you're in the middle of eating ice cream!

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.

Visiting the Original Farmers Market with Kids: 27 Top Things To Eat, See, & Do

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Fri, 07/29/2022 - 11:30am

Best deal of the market: 99-cent cones at Du-par's pie counter!

Plopped in the middle of the hubbub on 3rd and Fairfax, touching toes with The Grove and its infamous dancing fountain, trendy shops, and celeb sightings, sits the Original Farmers Market with its unassuming mint-colored chairs, multicolored Formica tabletops, and rows and rows of glorious vendor stalls. You can eat your way around the world within the space of these stalls—each one with a story behind it. It’s a perfect spot for people watching and sampling a smorgasbord of enticing treats. It's a trip to the past, a respite from the heat, and an LA icon.

I can't get enough of the Original Farmers Market, and here I'll give you tips and tricks to blending in like a local (not a contestant on The Price is Right, which films nearby), and if you are a local, to finding the coolest hidden spots here you didn't even know about. Read on for the scoop on one of the top attractions in Los Angeles for kids and families.

Hana Field is an Urban Secret Garden for Pick Your Own Flowers

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Tue, 05/31/2022 - 8:58am

Flowers always bring smiles to little faces!

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.

20 Things To Do in West Adams with Kids: A Delightfully Family-Friendly Spot

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Mon, 10/18/2021 - 12:47pm

Sprinkles or no sprinkles? Mateo’s Ice Cream and Fruit Bars has so many choices.

West Adams is one of the oldest neighborhoods in LA, and as you explore you can feel how right it is in culture, diversity, and history. But it can be tricky for visitors to locate the area’s “hot spots”—which is one of the reasons why those living here love it! Knowing where to find the perfect taco, the perfect gift, or the perfect park, still feels like insider information. You are very much in the middle of a giant city here, but rarely are your favorite spots overcrowded. I love the many family-friendly surprises that this urban, creative neighborhood holds!

Here are 20 spots (and a bonus at the end!) in the greater West Adams and Mid-City area that families are sure to love. For more places to explore in Los Angeles, check out our favorite neighborhood and city guides that help families uncover every great hidden place in LA.

Nights of the Jack Is a Bootiful Halloween Adventure for Kids of All Ages

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Mon, 10/11/2021 - 11:17am

Costumes are not required, but they do make it even more fun.

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.

16 Homeschool Learning Centers near Los Angeles for Fun and Enrichment

Submitted by Amanda Schutt on Mon, 09/06/2021 - 11:17am

STEM-based learning centers offer kids access to tools that many kids don’t ever get to enjoy and learn from.

Before the pandemic, homeschooling was already gaining popularity, especially in cities like Los Angeles, which has deeply rooted homeschool communities, organizations, and an almost overwhelming amount of learning opportunities for homeschoolers. Now there is even more demand for homeschooling support, as many districts have limited their online options this fall (and those few programs are very overwhelmed). Parents are looking for options—options for supporting their child's learning and options for getting a little break from their at-home learners! Enter the homeschool learning center. But where do you start? What's right for your kids? And what is a learning center, anyway? We've got those answers, and more.

For more expert tips about Homeschooling, check out our Homeschool & Learning Resources Guide for Families. And if you're looking for virtual classes to supplement your schooling, you can book classes and more activities directly from the Mommy Poppins calendar. Find events with the "book it" button or filter for classes for simple registration in just a few clicks. Here are some of our picks for great virtual classes available now.