Being Savvy: Activities, things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in West LA, CA

The Littlest Picasso - Lakeshore Learning Store

by Nina Moon

There are countless stores around Los Angeles to buy top-quality professional art supplies (for top dollar, of course). There also countless toy stores with an aisle or so devoted to paints and play-doh and Crayola crayons. But I've found no better place to buy kids' arts and craft supplies and educational toys of all kinds, than Lakeshore Learning Store. Located on Venice Boulevard near the old ... Read more >

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5 Book Nooks for Tots

by Nina Moon

Some parents want to pass on to their children a love of music. Others long for their children to appreciate art. Others hope their children will love to cook. For me, it's literature. I want my children to delve enthusiastically into an afternoon spent reading, to get lost in an imaginary world (even to mourn a bit when it's over on the last page), to relish the smell of a new book. So ... Read more >

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Mozart, Moby or Miles - Grand Performances Summer Festival

by Nina Moon

Mozart, Moby or Miles Grand Performances Summer FestivalMy brothers and I grew up to a pretty eclectic collection of music. At any given time, my parents were indoctrinating us to the tunes of Nirvana, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix or Chopin. I've always appreciated this early exposure to such diverse sounds. With two-thirds of the performers hailing from around the LA area and the others part of a ... Read more >

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Mozart, Moby and Miles -- SummerSounds at the Hollywood Bowl

by Nina Moon

There's nothing quite so romantic or fun as an evening at the Bowl, listening to music under the stars. Kids love the outdoor setting and the endless flights of stairs. And who wouldn't love eating a picnic dinner with hundreds of other Angelenos? Unfortunately, sometimes the evening concerts are just a little too late for our littlest ones. Luckily, every summer the Hollywood Bowl holds ... Read more >

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Mozart, Moby or Miles: Saturday mornings at Ford Amphitheatre

by Nina Moon

Everywhere you turn, it seems, there's a summer music festival going on in LA. I suppose you really can't have too much music though, right? Like its nearby big brother the Hollywood Bowl, Ford Amphitheatre hosts an excellent annual summer music festival in the evenings. But for the kids there is Big!World!Fun!, their Saturday morning family concert series. There's no need for your wiggly ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors: Father's Day edition

by Nina Moon

When our weekends aren't already filled with kids' birthday parties or visits to the grandparents' house, my husband and I quite often look at each other dumbly, wondering what in the world we're going to do to fill the time. Half the time we just end up puttering around the house or maybe spending a few hours at the park. Sound familiar?Well, hopefully we'll be able to overcome our seemingly ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors: Summer Solstice Edition

by Nina Moon

Today is officially the longest day of the year. Even better, LAUSD closed its magnificent doors on our children yesterday and today is the official first day of summer. That means that this weekend is going to be a very, very long weekend, which is a good thing right!?! But what are you going to do with all that extra time? This Saturday from 1-3pm, kick off the summer by celebrating the summer ... Read more >

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Essential Summer Music -- Summer Music Festivals In and Around Los Angeles

by Nina Moon

Summer has descended and with it has come the annual outdoor music festivals. Unlike indoor concerts where children are generally expected to stay still and quiet (and, really, what fun is that?), these outdoor concerts are the perfect opportunity to expose your child to professional music in a fun, more laid-back environment. They're also perfect for a romantic date with your SO. Of course no ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

Help your children learn about going green at Venice Eco-Fest this Saturday from 10am-7pm at Windward Avenue and Ocean Front Walk. They will have a special Kid's Explor-o-rama featuring animals, stories and music. It's also a great opportunity to safely dump everything from old computers to defunct cell phones. For those who can't manage to wait for Fourth of July of fireworks, Santa Monica ... Read more >

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Los Angeles Fireworks Round-up

by Nina Moon

When I was little my parents would lay out a blanket in our front yard and we would watch the fireworks rising above a nearby local park while running up and down the street with the rest of the neighborhood kids. My own kids are growing up in a condo where there will undoubtedly be no balcony view of pyrotechnics. There are, however, many great places in Los Angeles to celebrate our nation's ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors: Independence Day edition

by Nina Moon

If you're not going away for the long weekend or pet sitting for your parents that are (that's us!), there's plenty of Independence Day and non-Independence Day related activities to keep you and your little ones entertained.Of course, tonight you'll need to check out the fireworks.If you miss the fireworks tonight, you can still catch them post game at The Home Depot Center.Saturday morning is ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

It's been a long week, hasn't it? I'm really feeling the whole TJIF sentiment today. Even better, this weekend my family will be heading down to my parents' home in the South Bay (free babysitting! Woohoo!). In that vein, we'll start the edition of Weekend Warriors in Redondo Beach, right smack in the heart of the South Bay.On Saturday, why not drive down Redondo Beach? You can spend the day at ... Read more >

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Happy Quatorze Juillet

by Nina Moon

Our friends in France are celebrating Bastille Day today. And, as a matter of fact, Angelenos were celebrating it on Sunday in WeHo (sorry I missed it for last weekend's Weekend Warriors). Still, there are plenty of ways to introduce your child to French culture and language in Los Angeles. Not only is Los Angeles home to two different French preschool-12th private schools, each with multiple ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors - Disco anyone?

by Nina Moon

This is a weekend where you're not going to want to stay at home. With everything from disco for babies to circus performances to those uber-celebrities of the preschool set (I'm talking about Diego and Dora, don't you know) coming to town, you're preschooler is bound to have fun.On Saturday morning at 11, head down to Topanga Canyon's Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum for Creative Playground's ... Read more >

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Mozart, Moby or Miles -- Pershing Square Kids

by Nina Moon

One of the best parts of writing for Being Savvy Los Angeles has been discovering the sheer multitude of things to do in this city. For instance, did you know that Los Angeles has an outdoor ice skating rink? In downtown, no less? Pershing Square, a square block of public space in the heart of downtown, transforms into an outdoor skating rink every winter. Obviously that's not the most useful ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors - Sandcastle edition

by Nina Moon

There's nothing quite so quintessentially summer as building sandcastles at the beach. This Saturday from 10am-2pm, The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro will host a Sizzlin' Summer Sandcastle Day. BYO shovel, bucket and imagination, claim a spot on the sand and build castles, tunnels and moats galore. But what happens when you mix slime and sand? Slime-lovers are in luck this weekend as ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors -- Beatles Edition

by Nina Moon

The other day a little girl showed up to my son's preschool with an ipod shuffle. Whether or not you would allow your preschooler their own personal music player, her playlist was absolutely awesome. In addition to the standard kiddie tunes and some great adult-friendly children's music, she was rockin' out to a bunch of old Beatles' numbers. And it's true, even a two-year-old can appreciate the ... Read more >

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Top 5 Los Angeles Beaches, Pools and Watering Holes

by Nina Moon

There are so many great beaches in Los Angeles. I have so many happy memories of skipping stones in Malibu, digging for sand crabs in Hermosa, body surfing in Redondo and building sandcastles at RAT beach. So really, if you're looking for a sun-soaked, salt watered day, just head west and stop when you hit the coast. Nevertheless, there are some specifically kid-friendly spots that are worth ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors: Olympic Edition

by Nina Moon

So I don't know about you all, but this weekend I'm going to try and spend as much time in front of the television as possible. My son's preschool is having an Olympic-themed week starting Monday so I figure a little preparation won't hurt him, right?For those of you who plan on seeing the light of day, there does happen to be some great events going on in Los Angeles this weekend. For starters, ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors -- Fines, Fire Trucks and Festivals

by Nina Moon

All of us, I'm sure, have had an overdue library book here or there. But what about those embarrassingly overdue books? Several months, even years, overdue? It's almost easier to just stop going to the library under the weight of that fine, right?Instead, you take advantage of the Los Angeles Public Library's Fine Free Week, which ends this Sunday. And it's still not too late to take advantage ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

My son and I are big Elizabeth Mitchell fans her children's folk tunes are just the thing for sunny afternoons, both playful and calming. So I'm absolutely psyched to go see her and her family perform at the Getty Center Central Garden this weekend. Pack a picnic and go see this free family concert on Saturday or Sunday at 4 and 5pm. Starting tonight, check out the Fiesta La Ballona festival at ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

It seems like just a few weeks ago when I was heralding in the first day of summer, the longest day of the year and the end of the school year. And now suddenly you want to tell me that summer is nearly over? That this is Labor Day weekend? No!Okay, okay, so denial is not the most effective tactic against the onslaught of autumn. Perhaps I should just try and take advantage of what's left of it. ... Read more >

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LA County Fair Giveaway!

by Nina Moon

It's that time of year - the start of school, fall and the LA County Fair! Even though I'm an LA native, I've never been to the fair. Actually, I didn't even know about it until I heard a radio program last year talking about the fair and myriad of fried foods featured at the fair. Anybody up for some deep fried White Castle burgers?Or what about pig races (an Oreo for the winner!), a pirate's ... Read more >

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Weekend Warriors

by Nina Moon

As you already know (because you've already entered our giveaway), the LA County Fair starts TODAY. My family is planning on making the trip this weekend for the first time ever and, from what I gather, there's more to do (and, more importantly, eat) than one can possibly imagine. So, get thee to the fair! LA Greek Fest is also taking place this weekend with Greek music, dance, art, food and ... Read more >

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Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center

by Nina Moon

Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Museum, nestled just off the 405 freeway north of the Getty Museum, is a whimsical, imaginative, non-stop fun destination for young children. Maybe because I'm so desperate for a children's museum here in Los Angeles (because the old one has moved far, far away - or at least too far to visit before naptime) the entire two hours I was there I couldn't stop ... Read more >

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Doing the LA County Fair before naptime

by Nina Moon

The fair opens at 11 on Fridays, meaning that I had exactly three hours before my two-year-old melted into a steaming pile of wayward limbs and glass-shattering cries. Of course, I forgot to take into account that the heat, the excitement and the sugar (oh, the sugar!) would make that more like two hours and fifteen minutes before meltdown. So, might I suggest that you try and make it to the ... Read more >

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Halloween Events for Preschoolers in Los Angeles

by Nina Moon

When you're a kid, one day of Halloween is simply not enough. And we here at The Savvy Source are trying to help you sort through the deluge of pre-Halloween festivities. So maybe you've already shopped for a costume and you've got your Halloween craft thing going on, but here are some fab parties coming up in Los Angeles between now and Halloween. Scribble Press - Just drop in the store ... Read more >

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