Kylie Williams

Latest posts by Kylie

Palm Springs with Kids: 31 Best Things To Do in Palm Springs, California

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 1:09pm

Most people think of Palm Springs as a winter vacation, but we love it all year! Photo by the author

Every year, my family takes a two-hour drive east of LA, past the windmills and a couple of giant neon dinosaurs, to spend a blissful weekend tackling all the things to do in Palm Springs with kids. Several bathroom breaks and a date shake or three later, we arrive and there's a whole vibe change. Palm Springs is a land of purple mountains, bougainvillea, succulents, rolling green golf courses, and desert air. It smells like vacation. The water parks at resorts that await us certainly add to that vacation feel, as does the anticipation rolling off my kids. We come back year after year (in the 100-degree summer heat) because this oasis gives us everything we need in a family vacation, without having to hop on an airplane.

For more SoCal family vacations, check out our list of best family road trips from Los Angeles, California family vacation ideas kids love, and more in our Weekend Getaway and Day Trips from Los Angeles Guide.

Santa Clarita with Kids: 25 Awesome Things To Do in Santa Clarita, California

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 06/09/2022 - 1:32pm

Meet the goats at Gilchrist Farms. Tip: it's more fun when you wear cute boots. Photo courtesy of the farm

I grew up in Santa Clarita and now, I’m raising my kids here. College-aged me would have said there were approximately 0 fun things to do in Santa Clarita and all I wanted to do was move to Loz Feliz or Silverlake and be “near all the cool stuff.” But you know what? When you have three little kids, hipster coffee shops and boutique clothing stores lose their allure. Instead, you want amazing parks and fun places to take rambunctious toddlers with lots of energy. Santa Clarita has that in abundance. It’s what turned me from an anti-suburbian into a lifer.

Here are 25 good reasons why you should brave the 5 freeway (but not during rush hour) and head to the SCV with your kids. For more valley fun, check out our guides to Sherman Oaks and Studio City.

See 4th of July Fireworks Shows in Los Angeles from the Water: 7 July 4 Fireworks Cruises and Boat Rides

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Tue, 06/07/2022 - 3:26pm

The best view is from a boat, of course! Photo courtesy of Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach

Some of the best fireworks shows in Los Angeles take place over the ocean at various beaches and harbors, like Newport, Dana Point, and Marina del Rey. While the view from the shore is stunning, try witnessing the pyrotechnics spectacle from a boat this year; many whale watching and harbor cruise services offer special 4th of July fireworks cruises. Snuggle on deck under a blanket and watch the sky come alive in a stunning fireworks show as the water sparkles below.

We rounded up the best 4th of July fireworks cruises in LA and Orange County. Read on to find a boat leaving a port near you. If boats aren't your style, check out our list of places to watch 4th of July fireworks in Los Angeles. We've also got plenty of 4th of July desserts, Independence Day crafts, and more in our list of the Best At-Home Fourth of July Activities for Kids.

Free in June: Best Free Things To Do in Los Angeles for Father's Day, Juneteenth, and More

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Fri, 06/03/2022 - 10:07am

Don't miss the Juneteenth Celebration at Virginia Avenue Park. Photo courtesy of the park via Facebook

I don't know about you, but my budget doesn't allow for a summer packed with expensive sleepaway camps and family vacations. While we're investing in one basketball camp and a couple of trips to Palm Springs, most of our summer will be planned on a budget around all the free things to do in Los Angeles with kids this month. All over the city, free outdoor concerts and outdoor movie nights abound, not to mention favorite festivals like the fishing derby, the Father's Day Beverly Hills Tour d'Elegance, Shakespeare by the Sea, and the Pasadena Chalk Festival.

Discover all the free activities and events near you in our Free Things To Do with Kids in Los Angeles Guide, which includes a roundup of all the Free Museum Days in Los Angeles plus a list of 60+ Birthday Freebies for Kids.

Inexpensive Family-Friendly Sporting Events in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 05/19/2022 - 10:02am

Meet Tremor at a Quakes minor league baseball game. Photo courtesy of the Quakes Facebook page

In LA, we love our sports. However, you don't want to spend an arm and a leg to take your kids to one of many the pro sporting events in Los Angeles. In our house, going to a Lakers game or Rams game is a very special treat. Honestly, my three-year-old doesn't know the difference between box seats at a Dodgers game and cheering for the baseball team at our local high school!

With that idea in mind, we scoured the city to find fun, family-friendly, sporty events in Los Angeles that won't break the bank. You may even find a new favorite team to follow or fall in love with a new sport. For sporty kids, check out our best Sports Classes for Kids in Los Angeles, and to play at home we've got easy Little League Baseball Drills You Can Do at Home and the rules for Learning to Play Pickleball as a Family.

New Immersive CAMP Store Opens Los Angeles Flagship with RVshare Experience

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 11:24am

At the new CAMP Flagship store in Los Angeles, kids can have a one-of-a-kind, camping-themed experience.

By now, you may have seen videos of a toy store with a magical world of play behind a hidden door—especially if you have friends in NYC, Boston, Dallas, or the other areas lucky enough to have a CAMP store. If your FOMO has been on fire, we have great news for families in LA: On April 23rd, the first West Coast CAMP store opened its doors at the Westfield Century City in Los Angeles! The new flagship destination opened with its signature Base CAMP immersive experience and partnered with RVshare to create a one-of-a-kind, camping-themed experience that kids of all ages will love.

Always on the hunt for the coolest and latest for Los Angeles families, I headed over to the new flagship store with my 3- and 6-year-olds to see what all the buzz was about. Read on to find out what we discovered through the magic door at the new CAMP store in Los Angeles and what you’ll want to know before you go. Spoiler alert: It’s uh-mazing!

Awesome Summer Camps for Teens and Tweens in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 04/17/2022 - 1:35pm

Kids can live out their fantasies while learning from experts at Pali Adventures Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the camp via Facebook

TikTok is great and all, but do you want your teen or tween staring at their phone all summer? Sign them up for one (or two or three) of these amazing summer camps for teens in Los Angeles where they can develop skills that are more useful than a trending dance move, make friends that they can actually see face to face, and make pretty incredible memories that will have more impact than a viral video.

If your child loves dance, drama, tech, or just wants to assert their independence, there's a summer camp for that. We've got summer camps from Hollywood to Santa Clarita, Malibu to Irvine, and more. We've got more amazing camps for kids of all ages and interests in our Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide. And, you can find the perfect summer camp in Los Angeles for your children using our Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and town.