Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in West LA, CA

For so long practically everything that moved underwater was a fish to our son. Whale? Fish. Shark? Fish. Dolphin? Fish. Sea otter? Fish. Now, finally, he's starting to differentiate to the point that if we happen to leave off the puffer in pufferfish we are promptly corrected: No, NO! Puffahfish! Puffahfish!

It's probably the perfect time to visit an aquarium, no? Nice that we happen to live right next to the Pacific Ocean, making it the perfect locale for aquariums of all stripes (or fins, if you please).

Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific While older visitors might find the 2-story aquarium a bit small, preschoolers (and their parents) tend to think it's just right. It's just small enough for pint-sized strides, obsessive starfish petting and those all-to-frequent potty trips that are invariably inconvenient at a larger venue. Best of all, you can fit it all in before naptime. Kids will love flirting with the sea otters and seals, feeding the lorikeets and petting sting rays. Buyer beware, however, the place is a madhouse on Saturday mornings and weekday mornings are often full of field tripping classes.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium What this aquarium lacks in flashiness, it makes up for in its educational focus, lack of crowds and a donation-requested admission price. Check out the fishy costumes and sea-themed backdrops, puppet theatre and fish tank tunnel perfect for preschool-aged children and their active imaginations.

Palos Verdes/San Pedro tide pools One step up from seeing sea creatures in a tank, visiting them in their natural habitat will help young children wrap their heads around where our water dwelling creatures really come from. Check out #4 on this list of things to do on sunny days for directions to a great tide pool spot just a hop, skip and cliff-side road from Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Snuggled in the shadow of the pier's famous carousel, this grassroots aquarium run by Heal the Bay features plenty of opportunities for tentacle touching. Formerly the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center, this aquarium on a mission also has a Kids Corner with books, games and puzzles for younger children. Children under 12 are free.

Click over to Being Savvy San Fernando and San Diego for more Southern California fish finds.