had our daily, complimentary, three-Faberge egg omelets. I guess we?d been living pretty high off the hog?though Publisher Liz Davis never liked being called that?I guess everyone had.
And then, we weren?t. Yes, it was the economy. And while I?m not exactly sure what this economy is or why it has found it necessary that I buy store-brand chili, the fact is we?re all affected. And few people figure to be more affected ? with the possible exception of mink wranglers ? than families. Adults may know times are tough and money is tight, but kids just wanna have fun. Money is just some word they haven?t yet learned the meaning of and probably won?t until their second year of grad school. In short, kids will be depending on stuff to do this summer and you?re going to have to come up with something.
What are you going to do? Lots. It turns out that there are a ton of things you can do with your kids that are either cheap or free or, or at the very least, cost-effective. But, as with planning a land war in Asia or trip to the grocery store, the key to success is having a strategy. Simply going out with the kids, or leaving it to them, is like going to the grocery store hungry: you?re going to end up spending a lot of money unnecessarily and most likely feel fat.
So how does one plan? Well, you?ve already taken the first step in that direction by picking up this free copy of Kidsguide. In it, you?ll find thousands of places, activities, events, classes, etc. From those you can come up with a battle plan. Here?s a quick tip: try planning activities that have multiple layers. For instance, if you?re planning a morning excursion to a museum, try and pick one with a nearby, park-like area to eat an economically-friendly lunch you prepare at home. Also, be aware that kids have the attention span of, well, kids. If you think they are going to be satisfied doing anything for hours on end at any place not called Disneyland, you haven?t met kids. So stacking activities is a very effective way to elongate the fun and I?ll show you how do that.
Oh, didn?t I mention? I?m going to save you money. In the following few thousand words, I?m going to give you places to go and things to do for cheap. I?m also gonna give you a few money-saving tips, as are some of our more frugal readers.
CHEAP MOVIES
There is no more reliable respite from the summer heat than retreating to the air-conditioned recesses of a movie theater for a couple hours of entertainment. Sure, oday?s technology means you could throw a DVD on at home and let your kids watch something on your GIANT TV but here?s the thing about a theater: It?s Not Your Home.
Movies on the Beach, Newport Dunes Resort
I once got a sunburn so bad at the Dunes?this was before they?d invented sunscreen or common sense?that my mom had to put me in a bathtub of brewed tea. But don?t let my excruciating pain spoil your fun. The resort offers movies every Friday and Saturday, May 22 to August 29. The movies are free, though it will cost you between $10 to $16 to park in the place. Still, this is one place where you can make a day of it. Beach fun in the day, movie at night. Just, please, bring sunscreen.
www.newportdunes.com. (800) 765-7661.
Regal and Krikorian theaters
Two of the major exhibitors around understand your pain and offer family movies for just $1. Regal has theaters in Anaheim Hills, Brea, Cerritos, Irvine and La Habra; Krikorian in Downey, Buena Park, Corona, Monrovia, Pico Rivera, Redlands, San Clemente and Vista. To find out what?s playing and when, go to
www.regmovies.com and/or
www.kptmovies.com.
Super Savers Norwalk
| This place shows movies that are at the end of their run, so it?s a great place to catch the movie you thought you missed or let the kids see an old favorite for the umpteenth time. Prices are cheap, cheap, cheap! Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are just $2.50. Tuesday is just $2 and Friday through Sunday will cost you a whopping $2.75. (562) 804-5615. |
Always check the Web site of wherever you want to go for deals, coupons, etc. There may be a more inexpensive time to visit an attraction, they may offer printable coupons on the site. Sometimes signing up to receive their e-newsletter brings coupons and discounts to your inbox. Google the destination you are going to combined with the word ?coupon? or ?discount.? You?ll be amazed at what comes up.
CHEAP CULTURE
No, we?re not talking about the MTV family of channels, I?m talking honest-to-goodness, hoity-to-toity, stick-it-in-your-stuck-up-friends-face culture?the very best kind. There is lots, LOTS, of free cultural stuff you can do, so much that there?s no way to list it all. We?ll give our three choices, but if you want a more complete list, check the pages of Kidsguide or, if you’re technically inclined, check out http://lawithkids.com/free-los-angeles-museums.html.
Griffith Park Observatory
| Free all the time. This icon has had a massive amount of work done, cleaning up old places, adding new sections. It still has some of the best views of Los Angeles and still provides a myriad of opportunities for kids to learn about the heavens around them. There are also new hiking trails to help the kids get the wiggles out. The observatory is free, but the big attraction, the planetarium, will cost you. Children under 5 are free ? though you should know that kids that age are only admitted to the first show of the day (12:45 on weekdays; 10:45 on weekends). Kids 5 to 12 are just three bucks. Your ticket is going to cost 7 bones, but here?s the beauty: they?ve replaced the old wooden seats with ultra comfortable recliners which means that as your kids are learning about Orion?s Belt or cell holster, whatever, you can grab a few heavenly winks. And if you don?t even want to spend a dime, check out their free monthly Star Parties! Out of this world. (213) 473-0800. www.griffithobservatory.com. |
Long Beach Museum of Art
| Located on the bluffs above the beach, the museum is located in a gorgeous, converted craftsman home and there are always some interesting exhibitions. It?s also free every Friday. And, if you plan your visit on the third Sunday of the month, you can take advantage of their free art-making workshops. The beauty of the LBMA is that it borders Bluff Park and the aforementioned beach, so when kids have had enough art, they can play on the grass or head down to the sand. (562) 439-2119. www.lbma.org. |
Natural History Museum
| Free the first Tuesday of every month. Located between USC and the Coliseum, this place is the kind of great old place as imagined in “Night at the Museum.” Slightly creepy, what with the dinosaurs, mummies and numerous dioramas of stuffed animals in repose or about to strike. But, let’s face it, kids are curious, especially about oozy, creepy, dead stuff. And this place is a treasure trove. It?s located next to the county rose garden and has plenty of areas to eat a packed lunch. As an added bonus, you can walk a few hundred yards and take your kids to the California Science Center which has free daily admission. Even if you don?t have a Tuesday free, the museum is still cheap. Kids under five are free; kids 5 to 12 are just two bucks. It?ll cost you $9. (213) 763-DINO. www.nhm.org. |
From reader Christine Byrom: ?The Los Angeles area has loads of great museums and other sites that offer free entrance on various days of the week or month. To save even more, we pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic. We recently enjoyed a free visit to the Long Beach Art Museum on a Friday and had a picnic lunch on the lawn next to the museum which is on the bluff looking over the ocean. We also love packing a lunch and enjoying a breathtaking view of L.A. from the patio of the Getty Museum. Another favorite is picnicking on the lawn outside of the Natural History Museum (free on first Tuesdays) next to the rose garden. The possibilities are endless.?
CHEAP PARKS
OK, parks are pretty cheap to begin with, but some parks are cheaper than others in that they offer more play for your (non)pay.
Atlantis Garden Grove
| Truly one of my favorite places in Southern California. Opened in the ?60s, its strange play equipment built around an underwater theme and with a Seussian flair is so utterly different and fantastic to kids raised on antiseptic, plastic, litigation-safe play equipment. They almost always immediately run to the giant concrete dragon slide or seahorse swings or the sea serpent or the whale slide or ? well, you get the idea. Then there?s the many green nooks and crannies created by shrubs and bushes that kids can use for hiding places and forts. And there?s the fact that there is only one entrance/exit, so parents can let their kids run free. It?ll cost you $1 to get in, but, c?mon, a buck. (714) 892-6015. |
Irvine Regional Park
| Popular features include the Orange County Zoo ($2 admission), train rides, pony rides and a nature center (call in advance, limited hours). There are four playgrounds, two small lakes for fishing, paddle boat and tandem bike rentals, and a three-mile path that loops through the park for hiking, biking and skating. Parking will cost you between $3-$7. (714) 973-6835 or (714) 973-3173. www.ocparks.com/irvinepark. |
CHEAP OUTDOORS
Now, it may stand to reason that anything that?s outdoors is going to be cheap. Well, just remember that Disneyland is outdoors.
Huntington Beach Central Park
| Fire rings, picnic facilities, campgrounds, four playgrounds, the Shipley Nature Center, fishing, disc golf, horseshoes, viewpoint, lakes, equestrian trails, dog park, amphitheater, exercise course. There?s also the outstanding Huntington Beach Library with one of the best children?s libraries in Southern California.
AND there is the wonderful, dirty, muddy, Adventure Playground ($3 admission) that allows kids to get really dirty and muddy. But more on that later. (714) 536-5486. |
Orange County Great Park Balloon
| I guess we could call this ?updoors.? Here, you can climb in a hot air balloon and soar up in the neighborhood of 250 to 400 feet above the ground, enjoying a bird?s eye view of the area for free! The Great Park Balloon is the first major attraction of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347-acre public space on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Balloon hours are Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.; weekends, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., 7-10 p.m. (949) 551-2401, www.greatparkballoon.org. |
Point Vicente Interpretive Center, Palos Verdes
| This is a 10,000-square-foot natural history museum and whale-watching spot. Around the center are some lovely walking trails with mind-blowing views of the Pacific (you can bring the family dog along, just make sure it?s on a leash). The park grounds are open till dusk and there are picnic areas available. The center is located next to the Point Vicente Lighthouse which is open to the public every second Saturday of month between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free. (Children under 7 are not allowed in the tower and pets are not allowed on the grounds.) (310) 377-5370. |
Combine free parks with free Letterboxing ? a fun and free hobby for families. Letterboxing is a ?scavenger/ treasure-hunt? in parks, forest and cities. All you need?are items you probably already have around the house ? a unique stamp for each kid; their own notebook; a pen; and a sense of adventure!?Clues for local letterboxing hunts (and Letterboxing instructions) can be found on the Web by entering in your zip code. We had a great time biking and scootering from clue to clue in El Dorado Park in Long Beach.??Your kids may even be inspired to create a letterbox as a family where you create the clues! Just remember when letterboxing, be sure to leave the boxes just as you found them, so other families may enjoy them, too! www.atlasquest.com or?www.letterboxing.org. ?The Salter Family
CHEAP CLASSES
There are some great classes kids can take during the summer that they will actually enjoy. Just be sure and not use the ?L? word (learning).
Free Kids’ Fishing Clinic and Free Sundays at Dana Wharf
| The clinic is from noon-12:45 p.m. Plus, on Sundays, from 12:45 p.m., kids get a free half-day fishing trip when you pay the $39 adult half-day fishing fee. A half-day trip lasts five hours. Make sure to check out Dana Wharf Sportfishing?s ?Half Price? Tuesdays also. (800) 979-3370. www.danawharf.com. |
Fullerton Arboretum
| It offers two to three classes a month that are only $5 per family, including Bug Safari (May 16); Who Lives in Ponds? (May 31); Buzz with the Bees (July 7); Birds of Prey (August 7) and Creatures of the Night (August 18). (714) 278-4794. www.arboretum.fullerton.edu. |
Rocketry
| OK, yes, yes, it can be a little scary, this idea of the child you won?t let handle the TV remote given access to rockets, but understand that the classes are given through the Southern California Rocket Association. They are ideal for beginners and intermediates who will learn how to build and fly, SAFELY, rockets. Classes take place April 25, June 27, September 26 and November 28 and run from noon ? 3 p.m at the Iacoboni Library in Lakewood. Cost is just $10 paid during class. Special rates available for large groups. (714) 529-1598. http://home.earthlink.net/~mebowitz. |
From reader Susan Janson: Once a month, Lowes and Home Depot have really great kids clinics. Kids learn how to build and?paint a birdhouse, make a portable garden, etc.?They are 100% free and are?typically held on the?second Saturday each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.?Web sites: www.lowesbuildandgrow.com and www.homedepot.com.
CHEAP THEME PARKS
Yeah, I know, I know. No such thing as a cheap theme park. Well, there is if you?re willing to go off the beaten path and expand your mind a little as to what constitutes a theme park. Also, you?re gonna get wet.
Adventure City
| Located in Stanton, just down south on Beach Boulevard from Knott?s Berry Farm, this 2-acre park is small and navigable with a carousel in the middle, little roller coasters and whirly rides. The staff is far less regimented and far more ? oh, what?s the word? ? human than you find at corporate theme parks. There?s only one entrance and exit, so kids are safe to wander on their own, and the park?s diminutive layout means they can never wander far. There are puppet shows, face painting and an area where kids can just go and play with trains. That?s right, play. They can dress up like firefighters and cops and ride around a track in cop cars and fire engines. And there?s a miniature train that circles the whole place. It?s gloriously cornball, wonderfully goofy and brilliantly hokey. And here?s the thing, it?s only $13.95 for kids and adults. Seniors get in for $9.95. (714) 236-9300. www.adventurecity.com. |
Adventure Park
| Not to be confused with the above. This is the park I spoke about in the Huntington Beach Central Park section. It?s an area of the park given over to the very best, and basest, of what kids like. All you need to know is that the folks who run the park advise you to bring a change of clothes for your kids, because they won?t only get wet, they?re pretty much bound to get filthy. What with the rafting on the pond and navigating the rope bridge and cable slide. They can climb, jump, make forts and saw wood. Oh, and did we mention the MUD slide? Yeah, there?s a MUD slide. The playground costs $3 and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; summer only. (714) 842-7442. There?s also one in Irvine at University Community Park! It?s $5 per day or $10 per month and has a water slide and mud pit! (949) 724-6818. |
Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens
| It?s one of the more beautiful spots in Southern California and has recently added a children?s garden to make it more accessible to families. The place was already pretty cool for kids. The 120 acres of gardens includes the children?s garden, with a tunnel illuminated by prisms and a mist-filled rainbow room, and a Conservatory for Botanical Science with lots of hands-on activities. In addition, there?s jungle gardens, desert gardens, lots of other gardens and acres upon acres of grass for kids to run around on. The Huntington Library is not cheap, but it?s free on the third Thursday of every month with a prior reservation made on their Web site. (626) 495-2100. www.huntington.org. |
From reader Lisa Clemons: ?Make and freeze peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in plastic bags. When you are running late and need to grab and go, they defrost in about 10 minutes and then you can enjoy soft, yummy sandwiches that were almost free.”
CHEAP ANIMALS
For anyone who has a pet dog, cat, ocelot (especially an ocelot) you know there is no such thing as a cheap animal?well, except maybe for the gerbil, the disposal lighter of the animal kingdom. WE KID, GERBIL PEOPLE! Anyways, here?s a few ways to get your kids in proximity with our betters without your wallet getting mauled.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
| The Virginia Reid Moore Marine Research Library is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday. Discovery Lab for kids is held every Wednesday, 3-5 p.m. Check dates and hours for free weekend tidepool walks and other youth programs, such as summer grunion runs. Cost is free with a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $1 for kids. (310) 548-7562. www.cabrilloaq.org. |
Centennial Farm
| This is an educational farm covering three acres where visitors can see fruit and vegetable gardens, rare and tropical fruit trees as well as view farm animals such as sheep, llamas, pigs, donkeys, cows, peacocks and rabbits. The Millennium Barn, a functioning educational barn, has a working milking parlor, exhibit area, and animal stalls. Located at the Orange County Fairgrounds, it?s open Monday-Friday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; weekends, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free. (714) 708-1500. www.ocfair.com. |
Los Angeles Zoo
| Chances are you?ve already been to the LA Zoo and know all about the terrific time you can have on its 113 acres featuring more than 250 species of animals. So I?m not going to try and sell you on it. But this is an example of spending a little money to save a lot of money. Consider, the zoo offers a year-round family pass for $75. Yeah, that?s a lot, but the zoo is the kind of place you could easily find yourself going once a month. And the great thing about having the pass is that there is no pressure to try and take in all 113 acres since you know you can come back anytime. Plus, memberships give you 50% off at the Santa Ana Zoo and the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens, discounts at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and lots more! And, since the zoo is located in Griffith Park, you can always explore parts of that as well. (323) 624-4200. www.lazoo.org. |
CHEAP GAMES
Bowling. Who doesn?t like bowling? And with the innovation of bumper bowling, kids can enjoy it even more. For more specifics, check out the Kidsguide ?Bowling? section in the magazine.
Games. There are literally countless games you can play with your kids: sports games, hide and go seek, red rover, jump rope, jacks, hopscotch, hand-clapping rhymes. And then there are those great games that you just make up on the fly. You know, ?OK, I can touch my nose with the rolled up sock before you reach the tree?? There?s actually a Web site to help you with ideas: www.gameskidsplay.net.
Nickel! Nickel! For an admission price of $3.50 ($1 on Tuesdays) you can play your great arcade games ranging from golden oldies such as Pac-Man to Star Wars Trilogy to Deal or No Deal to Battle Gear 3, all of them for, you guessed it, a nickel. Well, actually, such vintage fare as Pac-Man is actually free. FREE! There are locations in Anaheim (714) 638-5050; Cypress, (714) 761-5515; Huntington Beach (714) 847-2191; Lake Forest (949) 837-1020 and Whittier (562) 902-1755.
