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Stellar Roadtrip for the Kids

Whenever family comes to town for a visit, my wife tries to plan some type of tourist trip for them. Since we have young kids, as the saying goes, “we don’t get out much,” so it is generally something we genuinely look forward to as well. This past weekend, we ventured up to check out the Griffith Observatory overlooking metro Los Angeles. It was closed in 2002, for a four year renovation and expansion project after decades of heavy use.

The visit is free (including parking), and includes all of the exhibits in the main halls, “The Once and Future Griffith Observatory” video (24 minutes) in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, as well as the Zeiss Telescope on the roof (7-10pm on those rare clear nights, of course).

There is currently a show entitled, “Centered in the Universe” (33 minutes), playing in the planetarium but since we had the toddlers in tow we did not venture. For those of you interested, please know that they do admit children 4 years and under but only to the first show of the day.

The main exhibits are stuffed with interactive kiosks describing everything from the relationship between the ocean’s tides and the moon, what happens during an eclipse, what the surface of Saturn is like and why Pluto is not considered a planet anymore. There is a lot to take in and fortunately the experience was very tactile (good to keep the kids entertained).

After soaking up the exhibits, be sure to walk along the southern edge of the observatory (outside the planetarium), you will experience an breathtaking views of Los Angeles. The lawn by the Astronomer Monument was a perfect place for the boys to work off some of that pent-up energy and have a snack in the shade.

If you do decide to go on the weekend, go early. The parking lot fills up quickly.

Related Sites:
Griffith Observatory

Tags: 13-18 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years, educational, technology

Digging Fossils in Los Angeles

Tucked in the expansive Exposition Park (between USC and the Los Angeles Coliseum), the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is a crown jewel of Los Angeles’ museums. Touted as the national leader in exhibitions, education and research, the Museum was L.A.’s first cultural institution to open its doors to the public in 1913. It is the largest natural and historical museum in the Western United States, with a collection of more than 35 million different specimens and artifacts, so it is fair to say the Museum is worth a few visits if you want to give it it’s due diligence.

Last week, I took the kids to see as much of the three floors of permanent exhibits as we could cover. We were greeted by the towering “Dueling Dinosaurs,” complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops in battle in the majestic Grand Foyer. At that point it was clear to me that this museum was going to be in pure Hollywood style – all about the lighting. Pools of light pulled us into each of the grand halls and past each of the exquisite dioramas.

In addition to special exhibitions (currently you can look through the glass and over the shoulders of the Museum’s paleontology team as they prepare the fossil of the Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed “Thomas” in a specially designed exhibit room and lab) , the Museum boasts magnificent permanent halls that feature grand dioramas of African and American mammals, rare dinosaurs and fossils, marine animals, Pre-Columbian culture, and historical artifacts from California and Southwest history, as well as early Hollywood memorabilia. The exquisite Gem & Mineral Hall features the largest collection of gold in the United States.

At lunch we walked passed the Butterfly Pavilion (I think it is currently being transformed into the Spider Pavilion for the Fall Season), and grabbed a picnic table within view of the Rose Garden and enjoyed our spread.

The kid-friendly Ralph M. Parsons Discovery Center and Insect Zoo, located on the ground floor (more like the basement since you enter from above), provides interactive family learning with “handle-able” specimens such as shells and fossils; terrariums filled with insects, reptiles and amphibians; and Gallery Interpreters who answer questions and offer daily animal presentations.

In the Paleo Dig Pit [*photo above] which is also on the ground floor, kids learn can about excavation by digging for dinosaur bones and they get to spin off some energy. There is jars of molted snake skin for the kids to feel as well as leathered snake hide to handle.

Sited Links:
LA Museum of Natural History

Tags: 6-8 years, 9-12 years, dinosaurs, educational, geology, kid friendly, museum, natural history, science

Haba Mini-Memo Card Game

If you are planning to hit the road this summer, jump on a plane or just lounge around the inflatable pool with the kids, this timeless memory card game may be a good way to pass the time. The cards come in their own tin which makes it easy to throw in your carry-on.

The Haba Mini-Memo Game is a compact version of the classic memory game, in which 2 – 6 players find matched pairs of cards. Recommended for ages 4-12, though some 3-year-olds may enjoy it as well.

(Via Moolka.Com)

Tags: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years, classic toy

NYC Free Family Festival and Polo Match

Come celebrate opening day of Governors Island at the FREE 4th Annual Family Festival on Saturday May 31st, from 12:00-4:00! This is a wonderful opportunity for your kids to see a real polo match, enjoy the sights and check out the beautiful skyline of Manhattan.

• It’s the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic and is first time a polo match will be played in NYC for over 70 years. Ralph Lauren’s Polo team, Blackwatch (including Nacho Figueras), is playing against Asprey team.
• Picnics are allowed around the field – match starts at 3pm
• Event is open to the public (free ferries run from Manhattan to Gov Island every 30 mins)
• As well as the polo from 3pm, visitors can bike, picnic, and take tours of the National Historic District. There are also two exhibits opening on the Island.

Brought to you by the Governors Island Alliance and partners, the festival will feature a full range of children’s activities including musical and dance performances, historic ship tours, bike parades, arts and crafts, face painting and more! Pack a picnic basket, bring some extra napkins and a set of plastic champagne flutes and jump on the ferry!

Tags: family event, NYC

Barbecue to Go

It’s a compact, folding barbecue that’s designed to be taken anywhere. Here’s how it works: 1. Fold it out. 2. Fill it up. 3. Light it up. And that’s it.

No complex gas bottles, no heavy lifting and no rummaging around for those ‘instant’ types that you can use once and once only. Now the spirit of summer can join you wherever you are, or even sit permanently in the boot of your car, ready for action whenever the mood takes you.

(Via GadgetShop)

Tags: design

Take the Family to Dume Point Beach

Always in search of the best beach, my wife and I with kids-in-tow recently rolled over to this wonderful state beach. It has a sharper than usual slope to the water but provides a fun and dramatic surf for the kids to play in. Boogie boards dash the horizon. You may see an occasional sea lion and if your lucky a starlet strolling the sands.

With a car full of all the necessary toys, food and equipment the paid parking is perfect. For eight dollars, we were able to park right up to the edge of the sand within fifty feet of our claimed spot in the sand (dads read: not too much schlepping for me!) and this was on a Saturday. You can park for free on the road leading up to the beach or back on the Pacific Coast Highway and hike it, but with kids and coolers and such, I highly advise the paid parking area.

The people watching is great, too – you have a wonderful cross-section of Angelenos enjoying the surf.

Related Links;
Overheard At The Beach
California Beaches | Dume State Beach

Tags: family, fun