THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND by Laura Nickerson10/30/2014  Halloween is finally here! Which means you are probably feeling one of two ways: The Candy, the Fun, the Costumes, I LOVE IT!! or The Candy, the Fun, the Costumes, I'M EXHAUSTED PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!! Either way, here are some fun things to do with your kids this weekend:  Photo credit: Morning Calm/Flickr TRICK OR TREATING OPTIONS FOR HALLOWEEN If you don't want to take it to the streets with your little ones holding only a flashlight and plastic pumpkin for protection, here are some alternatives that can give you a worry-free evening: Agoura Hills Calabasas Community Center is having a Trunk or Treat event from 3-5 pm. There's all sorts of fun stuff to do, plus a *Foggy Forest. *Real fog not guaranteed Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills has Spooktacular from 4-7 with games, store to store trick or treating, and a costume contest at 5:30. The City of Oak Park is having an indoor Halloween Festival with fun, games, and CANDY at the Oak Park Community Center from 5:30-8pm. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is holding their BOOtanicum from 4 to 11 pm. Tickets are $15 with kids under 5 free.  Photo credit: Andreas Engel/Flickr THE CHIVALRY PROJECT AT THE GETTY Sepulveda Pass "Chivalry" is an interesting phrase nowadays, and there are a fair amount complicated theories behind it. So why not explore the idea while taking your kids to a fun hands-on Art Lab workshop at The Getty? Saturday, November 1st, from 11-3:30 you can drop in anytime at the Family Room Patio to create your own manuscript and talk about chivalry in contemporary life. You know your kids are going to have questions about how we treat each other, might as well figure it out together! Admission is free, but it costs $15 for parking. Worth it to have fun with the family, get a little artistic, and talk about big concepts at the same time. MARTIAL ARTS MUSEUM Burbank Are you on TMNT overload? Here's a great way to engage your action-loving kids; a trip to the Martial Arts Museum. The Museum is designed as an educational, cultural and artistic experience in which visitors and young people can learn about each of the different Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, etc.) and how martial arts played a significant role in their culture, history and traditions. They are open Thursday through Sundays from 11-6 and tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-11. Be warned, your kids may be begging you for Karate lessons after this.  DOS VIENTOS MUD RUN Newbury Park Do your kids like to get muddy? I mean, really messy and dirty? They are the perfect candidate to participate in the Mud Crazy this Sunday at Dos Vientos Park. The 5K Mud Run taking place this weekend at the Dos Vientos Park in Newbury Park on November 2nd, and you can visit gomudrun.com for details. Registration is limited, but if you can’t get a team together in time there is always the Kids Mud Run that you can go to on the day of and let your kids get as dirty as they like. You know, you can always make a mud run in your own back yard with a hose and some dirt…you parents would LOVE that, right? Maybe you should stick to the mud run… HALLOWEEN HARVEST FESTIVAL AT PIERCE COLLEGE Woodland Hills
This is your last weekend (ever, as the Harvest Festival is closing after this season) to visit the amazing corn maze and fun Halloween festivities at Pierce College's Classic Harvest Festival. There are pumpkins, hayrides, shows, the incredible corn maze, plus special spooky evening events and it's all pretty affordable depending on how much you want to experience. Kids go bonkers for this place and it's only open through November 2nd, so put those costumes to the test and head over!
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THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEKEND by Laura Nickerson 10/24-10/2610/24/2014  Photo credit: Brittany Reynolds/Flickr.com Whether or not you are a pumpkin lover, pumpkin hater, pumpkin carver, or pumpkin latte drinker, you can’t deny the pull of the orange-skinned fruit. So go with that pumpkin love this weekend and check out some of the cool festivals featuring October's favorite food. Here’s my top 5 family activities for this weekend:  Photo credit: Jay Javier/Flickr 1) Leonis Adobe Halloween Fun Calabasas Looking for some thing fun but low key and not too scary to do with your kids? This weekend you can take your kids to the Leonis Adobe Museum in Old Town Calabasas for their Halloween Fun Celebration. It's Saturday, October 25th, from 1 to 4 pm and features pumpkins, face painting, games, crafts, and even a real witch (not me)! It’s $4 for non- members and free for kiddies in costumes, so make sure you have your kids suit up before you head over. There’s even something called “Batville”. Even if it isn’t a mash up of Smallville and Batman, it’s still worth exploring. 2) Paramount Ranch Rec Fest Agoura Hills If you and your family are the outdoosy biking/hiking/climbing types, the Paramount Ranch Rec Fest might be right up your alley. Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend this inaugural recreation festival on October 25th from 10 to 4 at the Paramount Ranch in Agoura. It’s free and will feature rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, and nature sketching, plus a one-mile fun run if you are up for it. Call 805.370.2301 for info. Your family can go even if you are all beginners, don’t be intimidated by the professional types that own and wear their own stretchy, spandexy pants with padding. You can do this-no padding required.  Photo credit: Mark/Flickr 3) Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Downtown LA I would not normally encourage you to take your kids to something that has such a morbid title, but this “Day of the Dead” is a happy one, surprisingly. Head over to Olvera Street this weekend and next to celebrate this Mexican National Holiday remembering loved ones who have passed on. Children’s workshops featuring mask creating, necklaces, and more are from 9-1 through November 1st, but the celebration always has something fun for all ages if you are to "Dead" to get there early. Click here for details and directions. It will be the most fun you have ever had talking about dead people. Hopefully... 4) Halloween Haunted Trail & Costume Contest Thousand Oaks Trick or treating can be filled with all sorts of fear for parents. Kids can get lost, scared, poisoned, or worst of all, not share their candy with you. So why not take them to a celebration you can relax and enjoy; the Halloween Haunted Trail & Costume Contest at the Thousand Oaks Community Center. It involves a short hike with a hayride back to the “haunted trailhead”, plus all sorts of fun kids activities including a costume contest. Tickets are only $3 and the festivities run from 6-8pm. You can call (805) 381.2793 for more info. Relax and enjoy this event made for little ones. There will be enough candy for everyone, guaranteed.  Photo credit: Estelle Spencer/Flickr 5) Haunted History-Halloween Program Encino
When I say “BYO...” you naturally go with the "B" for "Beer" option, right? Well there’s a cool family fun event in Encino this weekend that is “BYOP”...the “P” is for “Pumpkin”, and it is going to be a blast for the little ones. It’s at the Los Encinos State Historic Park from 3-8pm on Sunday, October 26th. There’s living and unliving history, spooky cartoons, haunted tours, and of course some pumpkin carving. Admission is free and you can check out the details here. It will be so fun you won’t even need the “B”. Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz. THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEKEND 10/16-10/18 by Laura Nickerson10/17/2014  Photo credit: Ian Llyod/Flickr.com Halloween themed ... everything ... is impossible to avoid, so just go with it and celebrate the season with some serious festivities! Here’s my top 5 picks for family fun this weekend: 1) Calabasas Pumpkin Festival Your first step towards celebrating Halloween should be attending the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival! Head over to Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas from 10-5 on October 18th & 19th for my favorite event of the fall season. For only $5 pp you and your kids get to play on slides, bounce houses, see reptile and bug shows, participate in contests, and dance your fool head off to some rocking music. All of the info is available at www.calabasaspumpkinfestival.com. Seriously, you just can’t go wrong with this one. I’ll be there filming on Sunday afternoon, so swing by and say hello!  Photo credit: Bill Gracey/Flickr.com 2) Bird Fest at the Santa Monica Mountains If your favorite bands are the Eagles, Counting Crows, or Flock Seagulls, then you will probably appreciate a day that is "For the Birds": the Bird Fest of the Santa Monica Mountains. The fun is on Saturday October 18th from 9:30-4pm at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. You can listen to a variety of talks, take a guided bird walk, see live birds, and meet representatives from local bird-friendly agencies. Call 805-370-2302 for info. When you get there you may even do the Chicken Dance, discuss Lady Bird Johnson, or watch “The Birdcage”. Wow, that’s a lot of puns in one segment. Makes me “sniff” so happy… 3) Live Cowboy Music at the Autry Does your family feel at “Home on the Range”? If the only experience your kids have with cowboys are the Toy Story movies, then you could use an injection of Cowboy Nostalgia. The third Sunday of every month gives your family the chance to experience live cowboy music at The Autry Museum. Musicians and cowboy poets will perform stories and songs of the Old West, and celebrate the American Cowboy. It’s free with the price of admission on the third Sunday of every month from noon to 3.  Photo credit: Marie Coleman/Flickr.com 4) Westlake Village City Celebration The West Valley families are going to really enjoy this cool festival on Saturday, October 18th from 3-8 held by the City of Westlake because there is a little something for everyone. For the kids, the White Oak Elementary Family Festival has all the kid stuff needed to send them into a sugared euphoria, plus a magic show and mobile tidepool. Adults, there’s kickin’ live music, a beer and wine garden, and ... document shredding. Plus the Trufino YMCA Goblin Gallop for all ages! Click here for details. Also, adults, remember not to drink and shred documents. 5) Pumpkinliner Train Ride
The Fillmore & Western Railway always has fun events for kids and their associated “Foamers”, but this one really takes the pumpkin-flavored cake. The Pumpkinliner runs through the end of October on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 2:00. It takes your kids on a vintage train to the private pumpkin patch “Ichabog” for the perfect jack-o-lantern, then provides tons of kid activities after. It’s $20 for adults, $12 for kids 4-12, $10 for 2-3 year olds and free for infants. I’d add it all up for you, but that would involve some Common Core math that I’m not sure I can handle that just yet. Visit www.FWRY.com for info. Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz.
1) Reyes Adobe Days Do you like to play? Eat? Shop? How about have an all around amazing fun time with your kids? You are in luck because this weekend is the 10th anniversary of Reyes Adobe Days and it is going to involve all of those things and more. Reyes Adobe days runs from Friday, October 10th, through Sunda,y October 12th, and there is a full line up of amazing activities including a fiesta, art, adobe tours, and musical entertainment. Visit www.reyesadobedays.org for the full schedule. Take your older kids to my favorite event of the weekend: the paranormal investigation of the Reyes Adobe on Saturday night with real professionals from PCH Paranormal. Only thing more fun than scaring the poopy out of yourself? Scaring the poopy out of your teenagers. Am I right? 2) Antique Tractor Weekend What is it with kids and vehicles? Put them together and it’s pure magic, and this weekend you can then take them to Underwood Farms in Moorpark for the Antique Tractor Weekend. Even though that may not be YOUR ultimate party, your 5 year olds will go completely bonkers for the farm machinery and all the other fun stuff the working farm has to offer like shows, animals, and pumpkin style festivities. It’s 10-4 on both Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th, and it costs $15 to get in. You can save a dollar by getting your tickets at www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com. Remember when your weekend excitement had NOTHING to do with farm vehicles? Yeah, me neither. 3) Ghost Tour at Strathearn Park We are ALL fascinated by ghosts and spooky happenings, but when you have little ones tagging along you have to make sure you are keeping it low key. Lucky for you the Ghost Tours are starting at Strathearn Park in Simi Valley this weekend, and the hour and a half tour is fun for all ages, inexpensive, and a great way to explore something new. It’s $10 for adults, $8 for kids 6-10, and free for 5 and under and you can get directions here. It runs Fridays-Sundays through October 26th and tours are filled on a first come, first served basis. It’s a good choice if you don’t want to send your little ones to therapy due to extreme Halloween scariness. 4) Taste of Encino I’m always a big fan of things that your kids will love that don’t cause you to want to stick a skewer in your eye (long playdates with boring people, playgrounds, etc...). The Taste of Encino Street fair has something fun for everyone in your family and it’s right in your backyard, Valley peeps. Sunday, October 12th, from 10-5 you can enjoy Arts and Crafts, health and wellness info, home improvement, entertainment, food, and a kid’s fun zone. It’s at Balboa and Ventura Blvd and is the perfect price...free. Visit www.tasteofencino.com for details. No skewers needed. 5) A Day in the Life of a Tongva Child Children’s Craft
Did you know that LVUSD and lots of other school districts have Monday off of school? You probably want to find something to do, pronto. This coming Monday, October 13th, from 10:30-11:30 bring your 8-12 year olds to the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitors Center at King Gillette Ranch to learn about Tongva daily life by participating in a scavenger hunt and making a Tongva-inspired craft. It’s free to participate, and if you are feeling adventurous you can bring bikes with you and tool around the grounds of the King Gillette Ranch or take them on a path at nearby Malibu Creek State Park. Just trying to help if the day off took you by surprise, as it always does to me. Share your ideas for fun family activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger, catching the SCV Buzz on KHTS AM 1220, or watching CTV’s The Buzz. Hi all you amazing parents! Just the fact that you are reading my blog means that you are looking to make the most out of your time with your family, and for that you should get a "Parent Trophy". Wouldn't it be great if we actually got those? This week I am doing my best to juggle my work and family and am not able to do my regular top 5 family activities because I dropped a few of those Bean Bag things in the juggling process. So sorry my Buzzers! However, check out my show "The Buzz" for at least two or three good ideas, plus a fun makeover from the lovely ladies at Salon Nuuvo: I'll be back next week with more fun family activities, I promise.
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AuthorLaura Nickerson, Queen of cheap and local family activities, Momblogger of 2, Host of CTV's The Buzz and KHTS AM 1220's SCV Buzz, visit #buzzLA for daily tips. Archives
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