June 27, 2002

Summer Fun For Kids

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal

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Jewish Community Library Director Abigail Yasgur shares the joy of reading.

School's out and the kids are home. Unless you happen to run a summer camp, chances are you're in need of some serious kid-friendly activities. So, before your child memorizes the daytime line-up on Nickelodeon, check out these low-cost summer events for families.

Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles
(310) 440-4636

Stories on Sundays
12:30-1 p.m., 1:30-2 p.m.
Ages 3-5
Free - no reservations needed.

Celebration of American Freedom
Sunday, June 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Free - no reservations needed.

Heroes & Sheroes
Sunday, July 14, 11 a.m.
Ages 4 and up
Free - no reservations needed.

The Animal Guys: Wildlife Education
Sunday, July 28, 11 a.m.
Ages 3 and up
$7 (general)/$5 (members) -
Reservations suggested.

Cootie Shots by Fringe Benefits
Sunday, Aug. 4, 2 p.m.
Ages 7 and up,
Free - no reservations needed.

Student Musicians of Jazz America
Friday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Ages 7 and up
Free - reservations required.
(310) 440-4667

L.A. County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles
(323) 857-6000
$7 (adults)
$5 (seniors & students)
$1 (children/students ages 6-17)
Free (children under 6)
Second Tuesday of every month is free for everyone.

Family Tours

Docent Council tours are open to all family visitors and are included in the general admission fee.

LACMA Inside Out: A Walking
Tour for Young Children
This free brochure contains a self-guided tour for young children visiting with their parents or teachers.

Boone Children's Gallery
Designed for visitors of all ages, this gallery and drop-in studio is free for everyone. $2 donation for art supplies
requested.

Sheila and Wally
Weisman Family Sundays
Sundays at 12:30 p.m.
Includes art projects, storytelling, and bilingual family gallery tours for children 5-12 and their families. Toddler Tarp is available for children under 5. Call the Education Department at (323) 857-6512 for more information.

The Johnny Mercer Foundation
Family Music Days
Free live concerts and gallery tours. The next event is on June 30. Call the museum's Education Department at (323) 857-6512 for more information.

The Farm
8101 Tampa Ave., Reseda
(818) 341-6805 or (818) 885-6321

Who knew there was a real live farm in Los Angeles? Spend the day with cows, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys and other friends of Old MacDonald.
Open on weekends. Call to check hours of operation.
$3 (admission)
$2.50 (pony rides)

The Getty Center

The Getty isn't just for grownups -- and it's free!
Be sure to visit the Family Room, where kids from 5-13 can pick up materials and games for use in the galleries. Then check out Explore ArtAccess, an interactive multimedia resource. The whole family can try on costumes and read stories. Family Audio Guide available for tours.

Art Adventures for Families

This one-hour tour for children and adults is available at 2 p.m.

Griffith Park has over 4,200 acres of terrain and is the largest municipally owned park in the world! Besides its many playgrounds, this facility offers 28 tennis courts, numerous picnic and sports areas and 53 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. While admittance to the park itself is free, some of the activities are not. If you're up for spending cash, the Greek Theatre, Travel Town, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Gene Autry Museum, train rides and three golf courses are all part of the park.

Children's Art Workshops

Special Events for Kids

Of course it's free; it's a library! Create your own afternoon story hour, then visit the gallery of spice boxes created by children at Valley Beth Shalom religious school. Kids can join the Summer Reading Club 2002, which requires young readers to read books about Israel, or spend a Tuesday evening in the library watching a family film during the Children's Video Fest.