When our now-college-age son was growing up, we took full advantage of living in Los Angeles. Weekends and school vacations gave us the perfect opportunity to explore our city. 

A good friend of mine called these family outings “field trips.” I took that as a compliment. I’m proud that our son had the chance to walk aboard Air Force One (at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum) and get an up-close look at Space Shuttle Endeavour (at the California Science Center). Our son has observed timeless works of art by Diego Rivera (at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Vincent van Gogh (at the Getty Center), and Pablo Picasso (at the Norton Simon Museum). He has viewed the evolving look and size of GRAMMY awards at the GRAMMY Museum, touched certain shark and ray species at the Aquarium of the Pacific, and laughed at fossilized dinosaur poop — it’s called “Coprolite” — at the Natural History Museum. 

This exposure was important to me. I wanted to give our son the opportunity to learn and discover in a variety of different fields because you never know what will capture a child’s interest. You never know how a certain interaction or hands-on activity will spark something for a child. 

However, I also understand that sometimes Los Angeles may seem too big. Opportunities for experiences can seem overwhelming, as if there are too many choices. 

That’s where Los Angeles with Kids: 250+ ideas for ways to have fun, explore SoCal, and never have a boring weekend again comes into play. 

The book is the newly-updated 2nd edition to MomsLA.com‘s first published book, which I wrote about back in August of 2022. (Click here to be taken to that post.)

The book includes seasonal activities and annual events, a list of activity ideas for toddlers and a list for teenagers, a list of museums, and a collection of “things to do” each based on neighborhood. (Because Los Angeles families know that living in Pasadena, for example, and deciding to visit the Heal the Bay Aquarium in Santa Monica, is not always the easiest commute.)

I’m proud to write for MomsLA.com (since 2013!), and I’m proud that some of that writing has found its way into this incredible resource and guidebook. 

Friends, I hope you’ll check it out. And, even if you don’t live in Southern California, the holiday season will soon be upon us, and Los Angeles with Kids makes a thoughtful gift. 

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.