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Newsletter August 29- September 4 Insert Cliched Hot Weather Title Here  Fill in with whatever cliche you like... it's hot. Check out our lists below for family fun on a hot day, including Cool Indoor Play Spaces, Ice Cream Adventures, and our Favorite Fountains. We had a request from Sarah Auerswald on Twitter to re-post our Ice Cream Adventures list...gladly! Check out Sarah's awesome blog, Mar Vista Mom, for pictures of cute L.A. houses, farmer's market finds, and the coolest family goings-on in Mar Vista, Venice, and the Beach Cities. We met Sarah at an event earlier this summer...and we love her website! Our prayers are with the firefighters, families, staff and agencies battling fires in the south land today! Cool Indoor Playgrounds We love these indoor play destinations for the hip creative play spaces, clean facilities, and the mom owners and managers who really care about their customers! Treehouse Social Club Robertson Blvd, WeHo/Beverly Hills Located near everyon'e favorite shopping destination along Robertson Blvd, this classy space serves meals and kids classes, too! The Coop Studio City You'll never get them out of the ball pit! Great for morning play: a good cup of coffee, free wi-fi, and cool euro-style toys. Peekaboo PlayLand Eagle Rock This family-owned play stop has a soaring new space, a cool neighborhood vibe, and even more additions planned for the happy space. Tiny Town Granada Hills Our favorite space for babies and toddlers, this super clean space has lots of room. The sister team who owns the business also provides moms free wi-fi. Giggles N Hugs Westside (close to the 405!) Offering free play with the purchase of an entree at their in-store restaurant, now through August 31. The child-friendly decor, huge assortment of toys, and "so glad you're here" service make this a fun stop...free wi-fi, too. Ice Cream Adventures Our sentimental favorite tops the list!
Ben & Jerry's (I know totally corporate, but we love these guys!) Favorite Fountains By August, even the pool gets old. Here are some splash pads we've been visiting for research this summer (our own pictures, except as noted).  Panorama City ecreation Center Splash Pad Located in a quiet residential neighborhood just east of Van Nuys Blvd., we were surprised by the HUGE torrential downpour of the amazing fountain at this park. Great for all ages, as there are elements at different levels with plenty of room to play. FREE  Anneberg Community Beachhouse Fountain This gorgeous new facility in Santa Monica has $10 parking on weekends, but free entry to the beach, play area, sand toys, and fountain. (For clean new bathrooms, a boardwalk to the sand, and their helpful staff...I'd pay three times that!) For an additional fee, swim in the beautiful pool and access the pool house locker rooms. The fountain's water is WARM! Perfect for babies and toddlers...  Stoner Avenue Park Pool With it's sloped zero-depth entry, dramatic fountains, two story slide (ages 7 and over) and ridiculously, wonderfully attentive staff (read:lots of rules for your safety, but that's ok), this is the perfect pool for little guys or a mixed age group. Separate swim lane. Also, at this small park, a universally accessible playground, designed by Shane's Inspiration.  Virginia Avenue Park, Santa Monica This family favorite is the perfect weekend retreat. Playground is sunny! Open 10:00am-7:00pm Photo courtesy Yelp LA This Week in L.A. Top Picks Date Night Drop Off, Parents' Night Out at Froggy's Arts and Crafts Saturday, August 29, 6:00-8:30pm One of our founding members (and, full disclosure, a dear friend), Laura E., raved about date night at Froggy's! Her five year old son had a blast. It's just blocks from the NoHo Arts District, jam packed with restaurants and theatres. $25 / per child, sibling $15 "Come, drop your children off with us and go have an evening to yourself! Froggy's staffers entertain your children with painting, playing games and eating pizza dinner. One wood project is included for each child and an endless amount of paper, paint, art and lots of fun." Please call ahead to reserve a spot. 818-980-3764, limited space available. Star Party at the Griffith Observatory Saturday, August 29, 2:00-9:45pm One of the best ways (in L.A.) to get kids excited about science and astronomy! See the rings of Saturn, and talk to folks who LOVE to share their expertise! "Free public star parties are held monthly with the assistance of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers at the Griffith Observatory from 2:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. They are a chance for the whole family to look at the sun, moon, visible planets, and other objects, to try out a variety of telescopes, and to talk to knowledgeable amateur astronomers about the sky and their equipment." FRIDAY NIGHT! Drive In Movie – Cars Shown at Rancho Susana Park in Simi Valley (20 min from the Valley) Friday, Aug 28th, 2009, Movie Starts 8:00pm, Lot opens at 7:00pm for parking "Come and enjoy a night at the increasingly popular Drive In Move ran by the Park District. Sit in your car and listen to the movie through your radio or sit on the grass in front of the screen. $5 per car/truck. Free to sit and watch the movie on the grass Family Events at the Skirball Special thanks to the Skirball for their obvious commitment to high quality family programs! There is so much to choose from: Concerts, Drop in Art center, Noah's Ark, DigIt! Archaeology adventures, and a family Sukkot celebration in October. Both Days DAY TRIP! Watermelon Tours at Tanaka Farms, Irvine Through Sunday, August 30, at 9:30am, 11:00am, and 1:00pm A fun (and educational) experience for the kids... Tour includes a wagon ride tour around the farm, fruit tasting, introduction to summer fruits and vegetables, and a chance to pick your own watermelon! For more details, visit the website! LAST WEEKEND! Garden Concerts for Kids at the Getty Saturdays and Sundays, August 15 & 16, 22 & 23, and 29 & 30 4:00–5:30 p.m. "A FREE outdoor music series for families! Enjoy the best of children's music in the great outdoors at Garden Concerts for Kids, offering three weekends of kid-tastic, sing-along fun in the Central Garden. Make it an afternoon—come early to browse the galleries, wander the gardens, and enjoy a picnic on the grass." FREE LAST WEEKEND! Cymbeline the Puppet King, Free Children's Shakespeare, by the Actor's Gang Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00am Through August 30 "The Actors' Gang is back with yet another unlikely Shakespearean romp for families. The Gang's Fourth Annual Summer-in-the-Park production transforms the bard's complex Cymbeline into the hilarious, kid-friendly CYMBELINE THE PUPPET KING. Performances take place outdoors in Culver City's Media Park (adjacent to the Ivy Substation) every Saturday and Sunday morning from July 25 through August 30 at 11 am...Music, merriment, and madcap adventures are in store. Not to mention a whole slew of puppets! It's fun for the whole family." FREE Ocean Appreciation Celebration at the Santa Monica Pier Saturday-Sunday, August 29-30, 12:30pm-6:00pm each day Hosted by Heal the Bay, Santa Monica: "Learn about Marine Protected Areas with interactive games, crafts, story time, films, face painting,& educational presentations". $2 admission, 13 and under free Go Gorilla Weekend at the LA Zoo August 29 and 30, 10:00am-4:00pm Visit the Zoo during Go Gorilla! Weekend and you can see examples of current conservation projects that are helping to save endangered gorillas, hear docent and enrichment talks about the Zoo's gorilla family and bachelor groups, play games that teach about gorillas, and learn what we can do to help save them. So, visit the Zoo for this special weekend and Go Gorilla! Saturday RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! Hula Halau Ka Lehua Uluwehi I Ka Lani Hawaiian Breezes Performance Sat. August 29 at 10:00 a.m., Pre-Show workshops at 9:00am "The culmination of the family series engages all four of the elements through the graceful and expressive elements of hula, celebrating the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Children FREE (reservations required), Adults $5, Parking $1. Pre-show activity: Junior Scientist Workshop "Fire: Minerals" Minerals are formed deep in the earth under heat and pressure. Do tests to determine the best way to identify a mineral, then make your own mineral field-guide to take home! Each participant gets their own Junior Scientist Journal! Arrive early for science-based crafts and fun!" Sunday Family Playhouse! Yin Yang Necklace at the Autry Sunday, August 30, 1:00–2:30 p.m. Griffith Park "Though they may not send candy and flowers, Chinese tradition also has a day devoted to love. Qi Qiao Jie, or the Seventh Eve, is often referred to as Chinese Valentine's Day. Come and make a special yin-yang necklace to either keep or give away. Free with museum admission. " Picnic In The Park, For Kids With Special Needs and Their Families Sunday, August 30, 11:00am-2:00pm A Stoner Park, with a universally accessible playground! Ferdinand the Bull performance at Theatricum Botanicum Sunday, August 30, 11:00am This is a great show! "Audience members participate from the moment they arrive, working with the actors before the show to make pipe-cleaner flowers that are thrown into the ring during the bullfight. Volunteers become the other young bulls of the meadow as well as the Men from Madrid who are looking for bulls to fight. All are invited to help Ferdinand create stories using their imagination and one youngster even becomes the Matador!" Moms Only West Valley Mothers and More September Chapter Meeting Wednesday, September 2, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM This is a great group of moms who support women whether stay at home, working, or somwhere in between! Workshop on "Reinventing Motherhood" this month. "Join career and life coach Karen Pery of Motherhood Reinvented for a Reinvention Workshop." They meet at the Child Development Institute at 6800 Owensmouth Ave. in Canoga Park, CA Enter off of Owensmouth and drive around to the back of the building. You will see signs directing you to the Child Development Institute entrance. Please RSVP to RSVP at westvalleymothersandmore.com if you'd like to attend the meeting. To learn more about Mothers and More you can visit our site: http://www.westvalleymothersandmore.com/ Coming Soon Pick Your Own Tomatoes 2009 at Underwood Family Farms Saturday-Sunday, September 5-6 ONLY, 6:00am-12:00pm One piece of advice...GET THERE EARLY! It gets hot in Moorpark! "Pick Your Own Roma Tomatoes is scheduled to take place over Labor Day Weekend 2009 (Saturday, September 5 & Sunday, September 6 only) at our Moorpark location. The price is $.20/pound. Hours are from 6:00am to 12:00pm. We ask that you bring containers of equal size that will not hold over 50 lbs, to make it easier for weighing. If they are all the same, we only have to weigh one of two. If they are dissimilar, we'll have to weigh each one. If you are interested in already picked tomatoes, the price is $.40/pound and must be ordered 1-day in advance and pre-paid. For more information, please call (805) 529-3690."  Site and Contents (c) Mommy Adventure Club 2007-2009. All rights reserved. blog comments powered by Disqus |
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