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

Weekend Warrior: Mother's Day

by Susan Choi

May 07, 2009

Mother's Day is here! Or as I like to call it "a day to shirk my daily duties and do stuff for myself." In other words, nothing involving my three lovely children--spa time, a sophisticated meal, and sleep. But I suppose I would be willing to sneak in a few hours of family time to partake in one of the following activities:

The Hidden Garden Floral Designs on Pico Blvd near Sepulveda is hosting a Mother's Day special. Your children (supervised by an adult) can design a beautiful arrangement for Mom for $65 per arrangement. Stop by on Saturday at 11 am, 1 pm, or 3 pm and create a personalized floral arrangement, lovingly made by your children.

All the fire stations in the city of Los Angeles will be hosting open houses on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Stop by, take a tour of the station, and say thanks to these brave men and women for their services.

The first of a monthly series called Drum Downtown is starting at the Music Center. Come this Saturday from 10 am to 11:30 am and enjoy this free event (first come, first served). Hand drums, shakers, tambourines, and other percussion instruments will be provided for you and your children to rock out. Bring non-perishable food or personal care items to donate to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank.

The Japanese American National Museum is sponsoring a free family day on Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. This month's theme is Hawai'i. All-day craft activities such as making an origami Aloha shirt, creating a lei, "shaved ice" tissue paper artwork and making Mother's Day cards.

Baby Loves Disco is on again this Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm at the Cinespace in Hollywood. $15 in advance, $18 at door.

Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch is one of our favorite books. He will be at Zimmer Museum to read his book on Saturday from 2 pm to 4 pm. In honor of Mother's day, all women are admitted free to the museum. Children will celebrate Mother's Day at the Museum by making special Mother's day cards.

Critter Club is for three to five years olds at the Natural History Museum . This Sunday at 10:15 am, you can visit the gardens where you can meet and release helpful bug friends. Take home your very own seedling! Free with museum admission.

Weekend Warrior: Earth Day Edition and a Chance to Win $5,000!

by Susan Choi

April 16, 2009

Earth Day is April 21st. One thing I love about this city is how green it is, and I am not talking about our giant palm trees and perfectly manicured lawns. Did you know that we have one of the lowest rates of daily water use per person in the country? The city also provides recycling bins for its residents, and I believe environmental awareness in our community is generally greater than in many other communities. Way to go! I wanted to highlight local programs that are celebrating Earth Day this weekend. It is supposed to be warm and wonderful this weekend, so go out, enjoy, and honor our planet!

On Saturday and Sunday, the Los Angeles Zoo is hosting its annual Earth Day Expo. From 10 am to 5 pm, the zoo will highlight special California wildlife, such as harbor seals and California condors, as well as have special activities such as recycled materials art.

Kidspace Museum in Pasadena is hosting two cool events this weekend. On Saturday, witness the release of hundreds of butterflies at 2 pm. There will be games and activities preceding the 13th annual butterfly release. On Sunday at 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm, kids can learn how to create organic tie-dye and see the difference between natural and artificial colors while dying a bandanna. $5 per child. Register in advance by clicking on this link.
 
Celebrate Earth Day with Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro on Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Begin with a volunteer beach cleanup and then head back to the aquarium to take part in environmental activities and create projects you can take home. Information booths of local environmental organizations will distribute helpful information and materials.

Want to support a different but equally important cause? Check out The Wonder of Reading's Explore-A-Story: Celebration of Books on Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm at the Hollywood ArcLight Cinemas. This event features celebrity readers: Shia LaBeouf, Jesse McCartney, Jane Kaczmarek, Madison Pettis and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. There will also be readings and book signings by authors, a California Pizza Kitchen lunch, and a goody bag to take home with DVDs. There will be crafts and music performances as well. $75 per person or $200 for a family of four (partially tax deductable).

Finally, want to win $5,000 and free paint? Then enter a contest called My House Stinks. Submit a picture and description of your stinky room. The contest is sponsored by Dutch Boy that just released a new line of paints called Refresh. It is specially formulated to help fight common household smells like pet odors and is GreenGuard and Green Cert certified for its zero VOC.
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Weekend Warrior: The First Weekend of April and a Starbucks Giveaway!

by Susan Choi

April 02, 2009

There are a lot of activities around town this weekend but I'm going to focus on the outdoor ones in our area and a little beyond since the weather has been nothing short of perfection these days.

LA County Arboretum in Arcadia is hosting a family adventure themed "the Dinosaur Forest" on Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon. Stroll back in time with a short talk, a walk to a special part of The Arboretum, and a take-home nature craft activity. Pre-registration is required and can be done by calling the education department at 626-821-4623.

Want to teach your children about volunteering and caring for the earth? Join the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro on their Native Garden Workday/Beach Cleanup day from 8 am to 10 am on Saturday. You and your kids will work with the staff and other volunteers to help maintain the Cabrillo Coastal Native Plant Garden as well as help clean up the beach. Registration is required by today (Thursday). Can't make it this Saturday? Join them any first Saturday of the month.

Also at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro on Saturday at 11:30 am and Sunday at 12 noon is the free Weekend Tide Pool Walk. Expose your kids to sea anemones, sea stars, crabs and tide pool fishes. Just be sure to wear shoes with good traction and bring a light jacket.

The Children's Nature Institute is hosting a family walk on Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach. The suggested donation is $10 for this guided hike. Most strollers are okay for this trail.

Bubblefest is back at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. Guinness Book World Record Holder Fan Yang returns from Saturday through April 19th to share his bubbly gift. We attended last year and the show is a little Vegas but a lot of fun! Free with admission.

Lastly, I have a Starbucks gift card to giveaway! Use the credit to try out their new perfect pairings for breakfast for just $3.95. A coffee and a delicious artisan sandwich, or latte with perfect oatmeal. "Perfect" for those days when you didn't have time to get in a proper breakfast and want a little indulgence (hmmm...that would be everyday). Just submit a comment with your favorite indulgence (Starbucks or otherwise). Be sure to include your email address. The giveaway is open until Thursday April 9, 12 midnight PST. Good luck!

Looking back at 2008

by Susan Choi

December 30, 2008

What an amazing year it has been at Savvy Source West LA! The site officially launched in May with Nina Moon and she filled the treasure troves with tons of toddler-friendly times. Savvy source West LA has advice on what to do with your kiddies during sunny days , rainy days , weekend days , and special days . Interested in art ? music ? books ? No problem. We've got it covered. Want  Read more...

Up Close and Personal: Tournament of Roses Float Decorating

by Susan Choi

December 29, 2008

The New Yorkers have their Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, and we Angelenos have our Tournament of Roses New Year's Day Parade. The parade has a been around for 120 years, and though most floats are now done by professional float building companies, people from all over volunteer to put the final floral decorations on the floats. Viewing the floats mid-production is open to the public, and a  Read more...

A Christmas (Tree) to Remember

by Susan Choi

December 15, 2008

Ah...winter in LA. I love the crisp air, the bundled up bodies, and noses red from the chilly sixty degree weather... My children always point out the contrast between what we read in our Christmas themed books and the reality that is the Westside. " Is it going to snow on Christmas?" " Can we go outside and build a snowman?" Though they generally do not mind that we bypass all  Read more...

Ocean View Farms Community Garden --A Tiny Green Thumb in the City

by Nina Moon

August 20, 2008

A friend of mine recently bought a home, modest but spacious enough for her family of five, with a beautiful yard where she has started cultivating roses and a vegetable garden. While I am very happy for her, I admit that I turned a bit green when I saw her yard. We live in a condominium and our balcony, unfortunately, gets no direct sunlight. All I can do is dream about how lovely it would be  Read more...

Even Better Than the Farmer's Market? - Tierra Miguel Foundation Farm

by Nina Moon

July 21, 2008

Eating well has always been important to me. And by eating well, I mean eating healthy. Sure I drink more coke than one person should and, yes, my sweet tooth is bordering on addiction, but I also try to make sure that my family is eating balanced, nutritious meals. Part of that quest has recently involved exploring our local farmer's markets. Sure it can be expensive, but I've found that if I  Read more...

The Tiniest Green Thumb -- Los Angeles flower mart

by Nina Moon

May 23, 2008

I know cut flowers do not cultivate a green thumb since they are not technically alive, but the LA flower mart is still a wonderful place to introduce your little city dweller to the beauty of plants. As a young girl I tagged along with my mom to the flower mart every time she was slated to host a party at our house. Slowly, I acquired a rough knowledge of which flowers were in  Read more...