![]() Looking for a fun activity that doesn’t cost too much? How about ones that take you to a new place for a fun adventure? (photo by Rachel Melton via Flickr.com) Try some of these fun events for kids this weekend:
0 Comments
![]() THE TOP 5 FAMILY ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND by Laura Nickerson It’s hot. And the World Cup is still going on (how long, exactly, is that thing going to last? I think it started approximately 20 years ago). But neither of these excuses should keep your family inside and parked on the couch. Here are some fun activities for you and your family to try this weekend: 1) The Lotus Festival is BACK after few years off for renovations, and is a great choice for families that want to get out and try something unique. The festival celebrates Asian-Pacific culture at Echo Park Lake with Dragon Boat races, Asian themed music and dance shows, all of which are centered around the remodeled Echo Park Lake’s blooming lotus bed. It’s on July 12th from noon-9 and the 13th from noon-8. Visit http://www.musicforautism.org/downloads/poster-2014-07-13-ca.pdf for info. It’s a bit of a drive, but at least your car has air conditioning... 2) If you want to experience a great location and some great Queen music, take the family to the Summer Sun Sets Concert “Queen Nation”. At 6pm on Sunday, July 13th, head to the Calabasas Lake for this amazing tribute band. Admission is free, so bring your picnic, chairs, and anyone in your life that loves great Queen music. Visit www.cityofcalabasas.com for details. Warm up your voice for the singing along, and your neck to do your Bohemian Rhapsody/Wayne’s World homage. 3) A simple yet interesting thing to try is heading to the King Gillette Ranch for their 1 mile “Walk into the Chumash World”. It’s at 3pm on Saturday, July 12th, and will give you and your kids a fascinating insight into the way the Chumash Indians used the natural resources of their environment for thousands of years. Meet at the parking lot to the left of the pond. Info is at http://www.lamountains.com/pdf/KGRSummer2014.pdf. It’s free, short, and eco-friendly. 4) There’s a great program at the Leonis Adobe over the summer: the LIL Ranchers Club. It starts on July 8th and runs Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30am through the summer. Let your “LIL” ones learn to cook, feed animals, and learn about life on the historic ranch a for only $4. Visit leonisadobemuseum.org for info. They won’t complain about doing modern day chores again! 5) Music for Autism is presenting a free Interactive Concert for individuals with Autism and their families. Sunday, July 13th, at 1pm they will present classic Disney hits performed by seasoned stage performers at the The Help Group Autism Center Theater in Sherman Oaks. It’s completely free, but RSVPs are essential at musicforautism.org or by calling 877.863.7473 x1 Here's the flyer: http://www.musicforautism.org/downloads/poster-2014-07-13-ca.pdf. You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. I’ll be back next week with more fun family activities! Photo by Peter Miller via Flickr.comThe 4th of July is finally here, and you can happily pull out your flag decorated attire, pop a cold beverage, and relax. That is, for the 5 minutes your kids can sit still while you are having that beautiful moment. After that, you might need some plans. So, here are some fun activities that won’t break your budget for family fun:
1) You know you want to party like the Kardashians/Spears/Cibrians on the 4th of July, lucky for you their home town of Calabasas has a whole day of fun coming at ya: The Lakeside Fun Run, a Pet Show, the Splash Party at the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center, and Fireworks at the Calabasas High School. Visit imathlete.com to sign up for the Fun Run, and you can head over to the Calabasas City Hall, De Anza Park, or the Calabasas Tennis and Swim center to get tickets for the rest of the events. Info is at www.cityofcalabasas.com. It’s low cost but you MUST get your tickets in advance, so throw the device you are reading this on out the window and run out and get them! May the 4th be with you. 2) Bugs are a bummer if you are a grown-up, but if you are a kid they are THE BEST THING EVER. Saturday, July 5th, from 9 am to 12 noon you can take your 5-12 year olds by your local Home Depot for a free build of a Bug House. They will be instructed on the build, provided with the supplies, taught tool safety, and on top of all of that they get to keep their creation. Visit http://workshops.homedepot.com/workshops/kids-workshops to register and make sure there’s enough for everyone. Best part? IT’S FREE!! But the same can’t be said for what YOU might buy at the store while you are there. So if you want to keep it cheap, look down at the floor and don’t wander the aisles. Breathe, you can do this. 3) If you haven’t gotten a chance to take your kids to visit the art at the Getty Villa, there’s a great chance to give them their first experience at the museum this Saturday July 5th at 11:45. The Getty Villa Art Walk takes kids 5 and up on a 30 min tour through the galleries. You need to visit www.getty.edu to get free timed tickets to the museum beforehand and be prepared to pay $15 for parking, but that’s all worth it to be able to brag about your culture-filled weekend at the next playdate. 4) If you kids act like animals sometimes, this is the show for you. I mean that it a good way...it’s The Party Animals!!! Sunday, July 6th, at the Levitt Pavilion at MacArthur Park and Wednesday the 9th at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena check out this super fun rock and roll show for kids. Their website www.partyanimalslive.com has the details. It’s free AND I can guarantee you that your kids be totally obsessed with the fun rock music. The songs will stick in your head, but in a good way (for once)! 5) A fun and challenging at home game for you and your kids is to try the almost impossible “Silent Walk”. Everyone has to promise that they won’t make any noise after you walk out the front door. While you are out, observe the sights and sounds around you. When you come back, have the children write or draw what they saw, heard and felt. Let us think about what you have tricked your kids into doing with that one... 1) they get some exercise 2) they go outside 3) they are quiet. If you can make that happen, you can also get the glow inside from being the most impressive parent ever. You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. I’ll be back next week with more fun family activities! Photo by Zet via Flickr.comYou’ve been to the beach already, you have seen the movies, and you have watched endless hours of TV shows that seem to have been written by someone even younger than the kids eagerly watching it. Need to get out?
![]() THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEKEND by Laura Nickerson It’s summer and it’s a great time to reach out of your kid comfort zone and do something new. Here are some activities for you to try in the Valley this weekend: (Photo by Flavijus via Flickr.com) 1) One of my favorite events of the season is started last week, the Evening Campfires at King Gillette Ranch! Happening this Tuesday the 24th at 7pm and continuing through the summer, you head to the park to roast marshmallows and sing some campfire songs. Close by, free, family fun plus all the marshmallows. Did I mention marshmallows? ‘Cause those things are fluffy heaven. 2) Your kids love playing at the beach, right? But they wouldn’t be so into it if it was filled with garbage, so help keep it clean by heading to the Beach Clean Up at Will Rodgers Beach in Malibu on Saturday the 21st from 10 to noon. Kids are welcome but anyone under 13 must be accompanied by an adult (that’s a no-brainer) and you should bring gloves and a bucket or bag. Info is at www.healthebay.org. Special Bonus? Teaching your kids to take care of their environment. I mean, don’t tell THEM that because then they won’t like it. But YOU will know. 3) When you are having your first baby you are chomping at the bit to get cute new Maternity clothes, but when you go for that second or third baby, your old clothes start to lose their appeal. Ditto for your kids clothes (leg warmers aren’t so precious the third time-for anyone). Here’s a great idea for you to try-the Maternity and Kids Clothing Swap in Pasadena. It’s on Saturday, June 21st, at Chirp Kids Karaoke & Cafe, 2302 E. Colorado Blvd, and costs $4.50 pre-paid, $6 at the door. Bring in your old gently used maternity and kids clothes, and leave with a whole new “New to You” wardrobe! 4) Back in the old days, “Partying” consisted of dancing in high heels and staying out all night thanks to the toxic mixture of Red Bull and Stoli, but now post kids you might be more excited about this party: The 3 ring Toddler Circus and Luau in Agoura Hills. Sunday 6/22 from 10 am to noon get crazy with your little ones at the Play Destination as they do the limbo, dance, and play games. Nice benefit to this kind of party? The only “tossing” you will do is the ring toss. 5) If you want a free and simple excursion, you can take your kids Birdwatching at the Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Sunday at 10 on the 22nd meet up at the shaded viewpoint. Binoculars will be provided, which on their own are hours of entertainment for anyone under the age of 7. Well, 47... You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. I’ll be back next week with more fun family activities! ![]() THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEK by Laura Nickerson Happy Father’s Day! The best events to celebrate Dad generally fall into one of two categories; fun time together as a family or fun time away from the kids in which Dad gets to sleep or do whatever he wants for a change. Either way here are some activities for you to try in the Valley this weekend: (photo by Julian Povey via Flickr.com) 1) If Dad is up for some family bonding, there are a ton of cool Father’s Day Events going on. Let him be the King of the Rails at the Fillmore & Western Railway with a scenic ride and BBQ lunch, encourage him to find his inner Bruce Lee at a family Kung Fu Class in Burbank, or go back in time at the Cowboys and Cowgirls Movie night at the Paramount Ranch. Or you take the kids to these things and give him some quiet time at home. Either way you will be giving a great gift! 2) If your kids go nuts for trucks and other things that move people around, then you should take them to the free “Touch a Truck” event this weekend! Saturday June 14th from 10am to 2pm head over to the Thousand Oaks Community Center and let your kids climb, play, and explore all types of trucks, cars, and construction vehicles at this free event. Visit crpd.org for info. Won’t it be great to let your kids explore other people’s vehicles without having to say “Don’t touch that”? 3) Feeling old? The best way to feel younger is to surround yourself with things that are EVEN OLDER! Take the family to History Day at Strathearn Park in Simi Valley on Saturday, June 14th. So many fun things to see and play with including antique cars, farm engines, tractors, horseshoeing demonstrations, photo ops, and entertainment. It’s only $7 per person and you will feel positively youthful by the time you leave. 4) With that wacky drought and upcoming summer temperatures you might want to think about changing your garden to something that uses less water. So go to the Drought Tolerant Festival at the Sepulveda Garden Center in Encino with the kids and learn while you are having fun. There are singers, speakers, displays, and more on Saturday and Sunday the 14th & 15th from 9-4, with additional kids activities starting at 10:30 on Sunday. 5) Feeling lazy today? Sometimes the most fun activities are just hanging around the house with your kids doing something simple. An idea: take used pieces of paper, crumple them up, and use tape to fashion a ball. Try to keep it in the air from person to person by whacking it with your hand. Good news, if it gets loose in the house odds are low of breaking something. But don’t quote me on that... You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. Here’s this week’s episode with all these events and more: http://youtu.be/rjApmycEMNU I’ll be back next Thursday with more fun family activities! ![]() THE TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE VALLEY THIS WEEK by Laura Nickerson (photo by Jim via Flickr.com) For most of you Valley families, school is out for the summer this week. After that first few days of sleeping in and doing nothing you are going to start hearing the most dreaded phrase in parenting besides “I’m quitting college to play in my friend’s band”, which is...”I’m BORED”. I can help prepare you for this. The “I’m bored” question, not the future rock star/living with you until they are 30 one. Here are my top 5 family activities for this weekend in the Valley: 1) There’s a fun way to get exercise and culture this weekend, the Conejo Valley Art Museum’s ArtWalk 2014. Saturday and Sunday, June 7th & 8th, visit the festival at the Bank of America Building in Thousand Oaks for the live music, food, and artwork from artists all over the state. Visit www.cvam.us for the info on this free festival. Go, because the only other way to exercise and get culture at the same time is to put your treadmill in front of a TV playing Downton Abbey, and you could drop your ice cream doing that!!! 2) Do you ever go through your smartphone pictures to find your kids have secretly taken a zillion shots of the wall, the floor, or your butt? Here’s a fun way to teach them how to shoot something more viewable: join up at the King Gillette Ranch on Saturday the 7th at 3pm for Capture a Nature Moment, a walk that will give coaching on how to photograph nature. Bring your own cameras, and teach your kids how to use it for good, and not for evil. 3) Do you know any of the constellations besides the Big and Little Dippers? And be honest, can you tell the difference between the two? You might need a little help. Saturday, June 7th, head to the Griffith Observatory Public Star Party from 2-9:45 pm and the whole family can try out a variety of telescopes and talk to volunteer astronomers about what you see. It’s free, fun, and will clear up the whole Dipper Debate. 4) Do you like to “Shoop a Doo” like the Temptations, “Hey” like James Brown, or “HOO HOO” like Stevie Wonder? You are in luck because the Summer Sun Sets Concert Series at the Calabasas Lake is kicking off it’s summer season with a performance by Stone Soul-the best of Classic Soul & Motown. This free concert is on Sunday the 8th at 6pm. Make sure to bring your own chairs, blankets, picnic, and groove. 5) I went hiking with my considerably cooler than me sister-in-law and her kids. She had the most amazing way of keeping the kids moving in the forward direction with minimal whining, so I have to share. She grabbed a brown lunch bag for each child and put a checklist on the front with a marker of things easy to find on the hike: a feather, yellow leaf, round stone, etc... and had them gather the items while we walked. So simple, yet genius. We actually went for more then 20 minutes without a whine! You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. Here’s this week’s episode with all these events and more: http://youtu.be/KLCo2QUkh9k. I’ll be back next Thursday with more fun family activities! Sunday June 8th is PLUSH in LA's "Posh Little Urbanites Show" Http://www.plushshow.com
50% now for any guests invited by me and FREE media sign-up is now open on the website for our media mommy friends. Kid-friendly and totally posh. Past years hosted by Cat Sadler of E! News & Jessica Alba. Amazing vendors for mom and baby plus lots of fun! ![]() The school year is coming to a close, and like it or not, summer has arrived! Hopefully you can enjoy some family fun right here at home before the craziness of camps and vacations takes over. Here are my top 5 family activities for this weekend: (Photo by www.Futureatlas.com via Flickr.com) 1) If you gave birth to human children and not robot children (It happens! Well, according the the SyFy Channel...) then they probably love cars, fire trucks, and anything else that moves people from one place to another. In Woodland Hills at the Warner Center Park on Saturday the 31st you can satisfy your children’s fascination for vehicles and your parental fascination/obsession with safety by attending the LAPD Annual Car Show and Safety Fair. It’s free and open from 9-3 to the public. Cars, Motorcycles, a Helicopter, the Bomb Squad...it will be the most entertaining (and SAFEST) place in the Valley! 2) Who doesn’t like to wear an aluminum hat and make grunion origami? Right??? The Cabrillo Aquarium is hosting the Grunion Fish-tival on Friday the 30th at 7pm and this is the place to be if you like fishy fun. Hatch grunion eggs, touch live tide pool animals, and test your “GQ (Grunion quotient). Visit www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org for info. Wearing an aluminum hat helps you greet the grunion and shield yourself from the cosmic rays of the moon, and if that doesn’t motivate you, it also means you will get in FREE! So grab that box of Reynolds Wrap and get to work... 3) I, like many of you, hate to run. Hate it. However, I have had the experience of doing a “Family Fun Run” in the past with my oldest son and I have to say, running with your kids is way more fun than you would expect. Here’s a great way to give it a go while having a totally, like, LA experience. Register for the Run to the Hollywood Sign on June 1st and support the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA. The family fun walk/run isn’t too expensive and will be a great chance to get outdoors and do something memorable with your kids. The website www.hollywoodsignrun.org has info. And yes, you serious runner types with the headbands and shiny tight pants, there are longer courses too, if you’re into that kind of stuff. I’ll be on the sidelines with a Fudgesicle cheering you on. 4) A family that plays together will have no choice but to attend the Great Big Family Play Day on Sunday, June 1st, at the Pan-Pacific Park by the Grove. “Play” is right there in the title! Music, interactive family activities, and art experience by the Zimmer Museum, and so much more including The Great Big Raffle will be going on starting at 11 am and the tickets are totally affordable. You might want to get them online, however, as they expect to sell out. Visit www.greatbigfamilyplayday.com for info. 5) Once upon a time there were little mean weeds that were attacking the sweet little sunflowers and they were very frightened. But soon a bunch of volunteers..ahem..”Lady and Lords in Waiting” went to rescue them with the kingdom of the “Mountains Restoration Trust” and magical “Tree People”. Saturday the 31st from 8:30-12:15 at the Peter Strauss Ranch you can help these noble folk pull weeds in a secret area. Call 818 591 1701 Ext 0 to RSVP. And in the end, the mean weeds will be beaten and the cute sunflowers will live happily ever after. I do think I get extra points on this blog for not making any kind of joke about “Mean Weed”. You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. Here’s this week’s episode with all these events and more: http://youtu.be/XWAXyfJH5AU. I’ll be back next Thursday with more fun family activities! ![]() It’s Memorial Day Weekend and the weather should be good enough to head outside and create a little family fun. Or at least go somewhere else and listen to your kids argue... Here are my top 5 family activities for this weekend: (Photo by Mitchell Joyce via Flickr.com) 1) Do you ever feel like it’s getting harder and harder to put down the electronics and have some old fashion family fun? Well this Memorial Day weekend head out to Topanga Days in Topanga Canyon for 3 legged races, pie eating contests, water balloons, and more. The 3-day festival starts on Saturday, May 24th, and runs through Monday, May 26th. Visit www.topangadays.com for info on parking and hours. There’s even a PARADE!!! Plus something they call a “Baby Derby”. Not sure what that means, but I know I have GOT to see it. And possibly bet on it. 2) WHO DOESN’T LOVE A PARADE? If you can’t make it over to Topanga for their Monday morning event, head east instead and hit the Memorial Days Parade held in Canoga Park. Monday the 26th find your spot on the parade that runs from Sherman Way and Owensmouth and ends on Sherman Way and the First Baptist Church of Canoga Park. The parade jumps into full gear at 10 am. http://cpwhchamber.org/25th-annual-memorial-day-parade/ has the details. 3) The 25th annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival provides family fun, May 24-25, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. Both days feature nonstop music from noon to 7:30 and Mardi Gras Parade at 4, plus two full stages full of music and FREE PARKING! Sometimes the parking situation can make or break an event for me....Tickets are $22 adults 13+ ($20 online until May 1) and $15 children 7-12, and are available online at www.simicajun.org or at the gate. 4) Northridge is getting GREEK Saturday through Monday, 1-9 pm at 9501 Balboa Blvd when they celebrate the St. Nicholas Valley Greek Festival. There will be amazing Greek food, music, dancing, vendors, and fun. They had me at Greek food... Head to www.valleygreekfestival.com for details. And save me a gyro, would ya? 5) Sometimes you need an event that’s just a little less overwhelming than a big parade. So here’s a fun idea, head to Travel Town in Griffith Park and then keep driving to the next driveway and you will see the Live Steamers. Take your kids riding on these miniature trains that are open to the public on Sundays from 11-3 only and run by volunteers. It’s a suggested donation of $3 and is close enough to the park to visit other activities there or just head home and call it a day. Either way, you will feel like the dad on “Silver Spoons” (high five if you know what I’m referring to!). Info at www.lals.org. You can always get more LA Kids Activities by following me on Twitter @nickerberger and checking out the hashtag #buzzLA. Also check out my show “The Buzz” at www.cityofcalabasas.com or on Channel 3 in the West Valley. Here’s this week’s episode with all these events and more: http://youtu.be/MYIDtbrVt28. I’ll be back next Thursday with more fun family activities! |
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
November 2015
Categories
All
|