Getting Kids to Love Reading

On the back page of today’s Los Angeles Times Calendar section is a full-page ad for James Patterson’s new book, which is geared towards getting boys to like reading. The message is effectively loud and clear: “We Can Get Our …

11.17.11

ARCHIVED ARTICLE: Digital Darkroom at the Annenberg Space for Photography

Digital Darkroom, an exciting new show at The Annenberg Space for Photography, opens this weekend and should be required viewing for anyone with a camera -- you'll quickly be inspired to take your creativity to a new level, right at the comfort of your computer. Sponsored by Adobe Photoshop, and displayed in the most advanced digital facility possible, the whole family will enjoy seeing the variety of the manipulated images - from dogs dressed as people to incredible athletic portraits to dream-like flights of the imagination.
11.8.11

Women Hold Up Half the Sky at Skirball Cultural Center


Women Hold Up Half the Sky is a new exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Museum, and we got a sneak peek last week. After weaving around sail-like walled spaces, learning about inspiring women from around the world, we inscribed …

10.31.11

Things to do with Kids in LA: The Trioliths of Playa del Rey

A good friend and longtime TFS subscriber likes to find unusual corners of LA to show me, and her latest treat was a trip to Playa del Rey to see the Nigama Trioliths. I wasn't sure what to expect but was up for adventure and went along  -- I always like getting to know a new neighborhood. We drove through the Ballona Wetlands, parked in the sleepy and relaxed street just a block from the beach, and wandered out to the bicycle pass to see the unusual 'posed rock' sculptures created by the artist Nigama. A man on a quest without formal training, Nigama has dedicated years to posing found rocks along the waterway of Playa del Rey and his sculptures face the water together, a community of silent and stalwart forms that is subject to the whims of nature and random visitors. Kids will enjoy a scramble along the waterway (careful not to slip) and though you'll find more trash around than you'd like, there is something mesmerizing about the way the sculptures are arranged together that is touching. Here is a gallery of he trioliths. Bring a bike, cruise the waterways over Memorial day weekend and enjoy.
10.25.11

ARCHIVED REVIEW: Beauty Culture at The Annenberg Space for Photography

At a certain point, young girls pick up fashion magazines and the longing begins. By the time they get to their Senior Prom, they are capable of turning themselves out as the epitome of youth and beauty. High-school girls can …

10.21.11

ARCHIVED EVENT: What To Read: Adult Book Groups

One of the most memorable books I read this year was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a non-fiction page-turner from Rebecca Skloot (who is speaking at UCLA’s Royce Hall on November 1 at 8:00 PM).  Oprah is …

10.21.11

The Music Center: Free World City concerts for Families

If you've ever climbed up in the airy garden on top of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, you know about the special performance space that hides amongst the folds of Frank Gehry's marvelous, silvered building. The W.M. Keck Children's Amphitheater is a welcoming and open space, and whenever we wander around to check out the garden (or to climb up those hidden ladders into the wings of the building), we long for performers to magically come to life so we can sink into the seats and enjoy. The best way to get to know the space is to attend a FREE World City at the Music Center concert. The Music Center's World City concerts are geared for families, and take place mid-day on eight Saturdays between October and June, featuring colorful performance troupes from around the country and the world.
10.12.11

An Appreciation: Steve Jobs

Articles about Jobs are legion since his death - many are worth perusing, and kids will particularly enjoy photos of the early computers. For the sake of some profound dinner table conversations -- that is until you tackle his brand new bestselling biography by Walter Isaacson, which is fabulous -- here are a few bits of Jobs lore to help you teach your kids about a man whose legacy they are already living.
10.7.11

Los Angeles October Parenting Radar Screen PLUS Ticket Giveaway!

Return to Routine

Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Now that you’ve survived Back to School and the abrupt shift to homework-filled evenings, we think you should book a babysitter and take an evening off! We’ve got …

10.1.11