Being Savvy: Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers and kids in West La, CA

Find out more about:

Dance

Weekend Warrior: Dan Zanes

March 12, 2009

He's finally here!  Wohoo! Dan Zanes is back and ready to rock our socks off! Get ready to enjoy an amazing concert experience with the 2007 Grammy winner for best children's music album. If you can't get to the concert, there are other options for the weekend as well.

Dan Zanes will be performing at 11 am and 2 pm on Saturday, and 11 am on Sunday at UCLA Royce Hall. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger.

World City at the Music Center features world-renowned artists in free concerts at the W.M. Keck Foundation Children's Amphitheatre at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Adjacent to the performance hall, family workshops are available both before and after the performances. The performance is outdoors so please be prepared for the weather (if it rains, performance will be moved indoors)! This Saturday, the program features The Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre and Eletfa Hungarian Folk Ensemble. Performances are at 11 am and 12:30 pm. Be sure to arrive early to get your free tickets before the show starts. Seating is limited.

Puppets are the theme at the Autry National Center this Saturday. Bold Caballeros y Noble Bandidas puppet show which highlights events of the Mexican revolution will be performed at 12:45 pm. Then make your own puppet from 1 pm to 2:30 pm.

Baby Loves Disco is back and this month they are celebrating grandparents! Grandparent's admission is only $5. So bring your favorite pop-pop and nana to boogie with you. On Saturday, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Cinespace in Hollywood. $15 in advance, $18 at door.

Every culture celebrates New Year in a different way. To experience it Middle Eastern style (aka Norooz), visit the Craft and Folk Art Museum on Saturday from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Reservations are required.

Gustafer Yellowgold will be performing at McCabe's on Sunday at 11 am. Gusta who? Gustafer is a friendly creature who came to the earth from the sun and has made friends who some of the oddest earthy creatures. Story-songs and moving illustrations make the shows unique and fun.

Have a great weekend and congrats to our Dan Zanes giveaway winners!  Read more...

Weekend Warrior: Valentine's Day Edition

February 13, 2009

There are a lot of events happening this weekend as it is both Valentine's Day weekend and President's Day weekend.  Since most of us will have the kids home with us on Monday, try to enjoy Saturday with your spouse, significant other, BFF, or anyone else that you love truly, madly, deeply.

My kids are already fans of Abba so Baby Loves Disco is the perfect venue for us.  Try to not sing when Dancing Queen comes on, I dare you.  Hips shaking on Saturday, 2/14 from 11am to 2pm at Cinespace, 6356 Hollywood Blvd, LA.

Do you Tivo Avatar for your child (cough, it's really for you)?  Well, the Family Festival at the Japanese American National Museum might just be the event to take your "child" to this Saturday.  The theme this Saturday is Be Animated and will be focusing on anime and comic book art.  You can create your own flipbook, fold origami, and see prints from Afro Samuri.  11am to 4pm at 100 N. Central Avenue, LA.

On Sunday, the Harlem Globetrotters are back in LA at the Staples Center.  As I type their name, I can hear the whistling theme in my head.  The show starts at 1pm and tickets start at $15 through ticketmaster.com.

Also on Sunday, the American Girl Place at the Grove is celebrating Bitty Bear's birthday.  Your kids can sign a big birthday card and decorate a tiara.  Visit the store from 11am to 1pm for the free craft activity.  Tiara=my girls=we're so there.

Happy Valentine's everyone!








 Read more...

Chinese New Year Festivities and a Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway!

February 06, 2009

The lunar (or Chinese) new year was January 26 th this year but a lot of festivities are happening this weekend. This is the year of the ox, known for their patience, self-assurance, and stubbornness. Do you want to know what Chinese zodiac sign you are? On Saturday and Sunday, at the LA Zoo from 10am-4pm, there will be a variety of ways to celebrate the new year . There will be  Read more...

Holiday Performances We Love: Nutcracker

December 18, 2008

What holiday season would be complete without a viewing of the Nutcracker? It is the perfect opportunity to expose your child to a little bit of culture, without worrying about disturbing other patrons (most likely their legs are dangling two feet off the ground too)! It's also a perfect opportunity to forego the usual t-shirt/jeans attire and get a little dressed up. Matinee performances  Read more...

Boxers and Ballerinas

September 17, 2008

When I was growing up I took ballet and in the adjoining studio, my brothers took Tae Kwon Do. In the midst of our plies and pirouettes we would hear the unmistakable sound of kicking feet meeting (albeit heavily padded) chests, not to mention the distinctive yells that punctuated every punch and kick. Fast forward a few years and I was still dancing, but I also found myself joining the boys  Read more...

Weekend Warriors

September 05, 2008

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...

Weekend Warriors -- Fines, Fire Trucks and Festivals

August 15, 2008

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  Read more...

Weekend Warriors: Olympic Edition

August 08, 2008

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  Read more...

Music Together at Play

August 06, 2008

Ever since my son was able to sit up on his own, my mom has been annoying encouraging me to put him in piano lessons. She even bought him a (admittedly totally adorable) toddler-sized grand piano for Christmas last year. And while I think that piano lessons for two-year-olds may be a tad overzealous, he does love to listen to music, sing, play his little piano and strum our sorely neglected  Read more...

Weekend Warriors - Disco anyone?

July 18, 2008

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...

Weekend Warriors

July 11, 2008

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  Read more...

Weekend Warriors: Independence Day edition

July 04, 2008

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  Read more...

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

July 01, 2008

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...

5 Seriously Cool Extra-curricular Preschool Classes

June 17, 2008

Gymboree, My Gym, Music Together they're all great, right? But haven't we all been there, done that, so to speak? Instead why not try out one of these five absolutely fabulous, off-the-beaten-track classes this summer? Do you wonder if maybe you're raising a future circus act? Well, maybe you are! For those of us whose little ones are literally jumping off the walls, Kinetic Theory Circus Arts  Read more...

Mozart, Moby or Miles: Saturday mornings at Ford Amphitheatre

June 11, 2008

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...

Mozart, Moby or Miles - Grand Performances Summer Festival

May 30, 2008

Mozart, Moby or Miles Grand Performances Summer Festival My 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  Read more...

10 Things you must do with your child in Los Angeles before they grow up

May 29, 2008

When Caius was born I had trouble imagining as one of those talkative, mobile toddlers I saw my friends running after, but here he is now about to start preschool. So even though it's impossible for me to picture my children as adults, I know that it will happen eventually. I may always be their mommy, but my time as their guide to the city is limited. Here are ten things I must do with them  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in west la

urbanjungle.jpg

Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

doremi.jpg

Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

artisticendeavors.jpg

Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

roomtorun2.jpg

Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

rain.jpg

Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

localhistory2.jpg

A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

waterparks2.jpg

Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

holdinghands2.jpg

The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

bestofcity2.jpg

The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

The Voice of Being Savvy west la:
Elise Crane Derby, Susan Choi, Nina Moon

Read more Being Savvy for: