Family Fun in Los Angeles

Done with Disneyland? Had it with Hollywood? Spent with Swimming? Here are some fun activities for the whole family, some you can only find in L.A. Others are made just a bit more exciting because you can enjoy them there.

Start with a trip to Venice Beach, the ultimate beach-going experience. It’s like somebody tried to have a beach, and a circus broke out. Is it possible to have a spontaneous carnival? On Venice Beach, they do it every single day. The birthplace of the modern skateboarding scene, Venice is a street fair with performers, freaks, and dwellers with skin so leathery, you’d think they were auditioning to play Fonzie’s jacket. Featuring window shopping, magicians, cuisine from every culture fitting any budget, and a completely unpredictable daily clientele, Venice Beach is the sort of experience that only southern California can provide.

If you’ve spent enough time in the water, try spending some time on the water. In Woodland Hills, you can ice skate outside in the warm California sun. If some in your party want to skate, and the others want to tan, fret not. All can do both at the same time. The rink is only open seasonally, so check to be sure it’s open while you are in town. It’s an unusual, fun way to spend a day, or have a private party.

If you are concerned about your little ones’ brains atrophying on vacation, there are fun educational options as well. At Hollywood & Highland, across from the Kodak Theatre, Da Vinci Hollywood is a one-of-a-kind exhibit of Leonardo Da Vinci’s brilliant machines, built and functional. Over 60 of them are full-size and interactive. Thirty more are available as models for kids to build. And don’t worry that Da Vinci’s art has been ignored. There are galleries dedicated to the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper both.

Okay, maybe it’s marginally educational, but you don’t have to tell your kids that. A visit to Rolling Robots gives them a chance to build their own robots. Say those four words: “build your own robot,” and watch all their eyes light up – the robots’ more literally than the kids’. Robots that dance, roll, fly, tell jokes, and navigate mazes are just the tip of the iceberg. They even have Robot Battles, with high scores posted on the Internet. It may not be the beginnings of the robot overthrow of humanity, but do you want to take that risk? Best to show your kids how to master the robots early.