February 4-5: A one-of-a-kind live black-light puppet show, Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean is a magical undersea adventure.

February 5: Art is all around us! Get your hands dirty and let your imagination run wild as you dabble in a variety of mediums in this art inspired day of art.

February 4-5: Visitors experience the beauty of Chinese music, dance, and culture as the arrival of the Year of the Dragon is celebrated at a Chinese New Year festival.

February 5: Enjoy a very low -0.8 tide Crystal Cove State Park where a volunteer will lead a guided tide pool walk to Pelican Point. The guide will help identify animals.

February 4-5: Bank of America is helping its customers celebrate the new year through Museums on Us, giving bank cardholders free admission to cultural venues in Los Angeles.

February 5: On the first Sunday of every month, the Bowers invites you to bring your family to the museum for a free afternoon of cultural fun.

February 5: Learn to play Frisbee Golf with the entire family as you compete to hit designated targets with flying discs provided by the Great Park.

February 6: Teens (15-19) learn essential information to prepare for financial success.

through February 20: The temperature is heating up and Southern California’s outside ice skating rinks are fading out of season.

February 7: A new book club for pre-teens (8-12) starts Tuesday!

February 7: In honor of Black History month, Kidspace celebrates with African Drums and discovers the history behind the ancient art form.

February 8: Families (7+) join ENC Naturalist Leslie Helliwell to learn all about the Full Moon and the mysterious legends associated with it.

February 8: Kids have fun decorating a cookie for someone special.

February 8: Gather the kids and join the ENC for a casual meander through the Nature Center with Mrs. G!

February 9: Healthy Smiles of Orange County will present a kid-friendly program on dental health in a storytelling format. Participants will receive a free toothbrush kit.

February 10: Pre-teens and teens (11+) learn to be prepared for emergencies, accidents, busy babies, active toddlers and much more in this information packed babysitter training class.

February 10: Join the zoo with a special story time.

February 10: Gather the family to make warm and gooey S’Mores by a campfire. Each session runs one hour and includes open access to the nature trail plus s’more making and eating by the fire. Bring a flashlight.

February 10: Dads are invited to bring their daughters for a fun evening of crafts, music, dancing, and refreshments at the La Mirada Activity Center.

February 10: Kids (3-4) and their parent learn all about animals that have big ears or small ears, big noses or little noses, and how many toes different animals have!

February 11: Kids (3+) make Valentine mailboxes.

February 11: Celebrate African, American Heritage month with Capoeira, hip hop dancers, live music, spoken word, visual art and jewelry – plus food vendors, crafts and more!

February 11: Open to the public for one day only. This program, created by teachers, for teachers, meets curriculum requirements for 4th grade history/social science content standards for California state public schools.

February 11: A special tea-time in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

February 11: For the annual beauty contest, more than 300 bulldogs will strut the runway, dressed to impress.

February 11: Kids (7-12) design their own old-fashioned Victorian valentines to give to someone special and learn some fun facts about the history of Valentine’s Day.

February 11: On February 11, SEA LIFE™ Carlsbad Aquarium invites you to fall in love with the ocean.

February 11: Learning, crafts, and fun for the entire family! February’s theme is healthy living.

February 11: Join The Drawing Board for a public paint day, everyone is invited to help paint a mural.

February 11: A fun dance just for teens (grades 7-8).

February 12: A semi-formal evening for dads (or granddads) and daughters of all ages.

February 12: SNAG Golf is a recreational game that offers all the elements of golf but with modified equipment.

February 12: Kids (6+) watch Don Chaffey’s retelling of this ancient myth finds heroic Jason sailing the world in search of the magical “golden fleece.”

February 12: The all-time favorite rags-to-riches story Cinderella flourishes with life and drama when the Moscow Festival Ballet dances into the spotlight in this family-friendly performance.

February 12: Join a park naturalist on a one hour family nature walk at Crystal Cove State Park to learn about the plants and animals living in the park.

February 12: Supervised children and adults welcome to amble on the road along the creek looking for early bloomers, newts and other critters.

February 12: Kids (5+) with parent(s) are welcome. Bring water, camera, munchies, lugsoles and hat.

February 12: A day-long conference designed for 8th -12th grade girls who have an interest in science.

February 12: Kids (6-10) explore differences between rocks and minerals, along with how the process of erosion makes the surface of rocks found in river beds much smoother than most rocks found outside the beds.

hrough February 20: The temperature is heating up and Southern California’s outside ice skating rinks are fading out of season. Before they are all gone, take the family to enjoy a refreshing skate on the ice.

November 26 – February 14: The plastic ice surface, which requires no water or refrigeration, is built around a new technology that closely resembles the skating experience of real ice.

February 14: Join Pottery Barn for a special story time.

February 14: Come celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Nature Center!

February 14: This year Pretend City shares some hearty history with your family to help teach more about this holiday through hands-on, educational and fun activities.

February 14: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with someone special or the whole family at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

February 15: In a national survey, the parents of 7 percent of children 6-11 years of age reported ever being told by a doctor or health professional that their child had ADHD.

February 14-15: Join the library theater for a performance of Alice in Wonderland.

February 3-16: See Lady and the Tramp spark a romance and adventure in the classic El Capitan building.

February 16: Kids (3-4) and their parents learn about animals that have scales, feathers, or fur, and what makes them all different.

February 16: La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts presents a series just for teens.

February 16: Kids prepare “Sealed With A Kiss” muffins, Candy Bar Cookie Pops and Chocolate Scotcheroos.

February 17: “Wizard rock” is a music genre inspired by the world of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

February 18: Event includes free screenings, nutrition education, fun fitness exercises, “Ask the Doc” booth and a Kids Zone, plus receive a free first aid kit.

February 18: Join us for a creative collaboration with nature, inspired by the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy!

January 7, 21, February 4 and 18: The 2012 Dremel Pinewood Derby® Days Program is a source for all of the materials and know-how you need to create a winning Pinewood Derby® car you can be proud of – regardless of your skill level.

February 18: The Pottery Barn brings the science class to their stores and invite kids (3+) to explore birds and their habitats.

February 18: Become a scientist for the day!

February 19: MOLAA’s free family festivals offer visitors the opportunity to learn about Latin American culture through art workshops, live performances, food, and gallery tours.

February 18-19: An annual celebration of the Pacific Grey Whales’ migration along our coast with crafts and presentation for families.

February 19: Explore the spectacular tidepools at Crystal Cove State Park when the tide will be a very low -1.1.

February 19: “Peter and the Wolf” is an adaptation of the traditional Russian folktale set to music by Sergei Prokofiev.

February 10-19: An old-fashioned, western melodrama with heroes, villains, damsels in distress and a stampede of cattle. What could be more fun?

January 19 – February 19: A life insurance policy becomes a catalyst that will forever transform the lives of an African-American family living on the south side of Chicago, as they consider buying a house in Clybourne Park.

February 18-19: Amber is a fossilized tree resin that is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry (remember the movie, Jurassic Park?).

February 18-19: Experience Scottish heritage with parades, Highland dance competitions, country dancing and Highland games.

November 19 – February 20: La Mirada’s eco-friendly synthetic ice rink is presented in partnership with Crystal Ice Skating.

February 20: Visitors of all ages are invited to a free day at the museum. Bilingual tours, programs, and other activities occur throughout the day.

February 18-20: The timeless (and world-famous) Harlem Globetrotters take to the courts at the Honda Center, the Staples Center and Citizens Business Bank Arena.

February 21: Enjoy typical Mexican and Caribbean music, parades and family activities.

February 22: Join the museum or a “paint date” in the Family Art Center for lots of creative play for the right side of the brain. There are easels, washable paints, brushes and paint smocks ready for little artists to use.

February 23: Kids (3-4) and thier parent join the zoo for an hour of creativity and fun with an animal theme!

February 23: Kids join the YCA Mardi Gras party and enjoy traditional foods just like the real deal.

February 10-23: 3_D Theatricals presents The Sound of Music, the final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein.

February 24: Kids (5-12) explore with flashlights on the Nature Center Trail, pig out on pizza, munch on popcorn, and watch a movie. Tonight’s theme is Dino Discovery.

February 24: Star light, star bright, come out to see the stars at night!

February 19-25: Discovery Science Center celebrates National Engineers Week with many hands-on science activities and programs for the whole family to enjoy.

February 25: Young dancers learn about Dance as a course of study and a career, while parents are invited to ask current graduate and undergraduate students how studying Dance in college will translate into a career.

February 25: Kids (3+) make super silly stick puppet celebrating Dr. Suess’ birthday.

February 25: Look through a large variety of professional and home-built telescopes to view the sun, planets, the moon and deep sky objects like double-stars, star clusters, and nebulae.

February 25: Does your favorite insect fly, swim, jump, or crawl? Discover the spectacular hidden world of insects with The Art Bug workshop in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil’s OVO and artist Karen Nakashima.

February 25: Along with the traditional 1K Mission, Kids Run, 5K Walk, 5K and 10K Runs, 10K Wheelchair and In-Line Skate Race, and popular Reverse Triathlon.

February 26: Kids (5-12) can bring thier pets incostume for contest including cutest, most original, best team costume, funniest and most obedient.

February 26: Join Larry Fukuhara, CMA Programs Director, for an informative and fun slide presentation in the auditorium; then, head out to sea on a local whalewatching vessel.

February 10-26: In this enchanting new play based on an award-winning classic of children’s literature.

February 25-26: The 6th Annual African Heritage Festival, celebrating African and African American cultures, featuring interactive drum circles, West African dance, live jazz, storytelling, ethnic food and arts and crafts.

February 25-26: Numerous activites for families include: attend a seminar or visit with an exhibitor expert on injury prevention, college recruiting and even the psychology of being a soccer parent and more.

February 25-26: To celebrate their 16th anniversary and show their customer appreciation, they’re rolling back to their original 1996 prices, starting at $2 for train rides.

February 26: Bet you can’t say that five times fast. Enjoy the cultural dances, expressive music and vibrant dances that make Jambo,Watoto!

February 25-26: Kidspace celebrates the magical world of Dr. Seuss with Oobleck goo, face painting, bracelets and more.

February 26: Ventriloquist Kevin Johnson returns to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts to generate laughs with the help of his bickering friends Matilda and Clyde, cockatoo and buzzard puppets.

February 26: For the delight of the whole family, LACO brings you musicthat the family wil enjoy.

February 17-26: An all-student cast performs Dr. Seuss’ greatest stories.

February 10-26: The Impossible Dream. Don Quixote de la Mancha, the knight-errant is off tilting at windmills with his faithful man servant, Sancho Panza.

This special evening is an opportunity for children and their parents/siblings/caretakers to have some fun in an autism-friendly environment along with other families.

February 28: Celebrate Pancake Day! IHOP restaurants nationwide will be giving away free short stacks of pancakes on Tuesday, February 28th in celebration of National Pancake Day.

February 28: Celebrate Pancake Day! IHOP restaurants nationwide will be giving away free short stacks of pancakes on Tuesday, February 28th in celebration of National Pancake Day.

February 1-28: Theme: Hearttastic! Plus check their online calendar for special story times and days throughout the month.

March 11: Newcomers and supervised children welcome to join leader Julie Garner and assistants Dave Kuhn and Jay Matchett on a 2 mile, 300′ gain saunter in a riparian area almost hidden in the ‘burbs.

Mondays and Wednesdays: Have a family-fun night and dinner at the same spot! Every Monday and Wednesday, Golf N’ Stuff invites local food trucks for dinner. There is something for everyone.

Third Sundays: Free drop-in workshops, adults and kids work together to create artworks inspired by art on display. Themes vary each month by exhibit.

February 17 – March 24: William Shakespeare’s tale of love, death and unfortunate timing.

Through May: This season, The Living Desert offers guests a once in a lifetime experience – riding a camel in the desert!

Wednesdays: An opportunity for new moms and dads to get out and see a movie that they want to see (not an animated or children’s film), without having to leave their baby at home or worry about their little one disturbing other guests.

Businesses, city and community agencies that provide an activity-filled, drop-off evening for kids on selected Fridays or Saturdays for 3-6 hours.

Ongoing: The Dino Lab is a specially designed lab where visitors can watch as paleontologists work on dinosaur fossils for the new dinosaur hall.

First Saturdays: Free craft workshops for kids (5-12, with adult); projects range from toolboxes to frames.

Sundays: Parents enjoy shopping for local and organic produce, artisan vendors and plants and flowers. Kids have fun with balloon making, face painting, train rides, petting zoo and bounce-house.

Sundays: Tour the Tallship “Pilgrim,” an authentic replica of the two-masted brig that Richard Henry Dana Jr. sailed into Dana Point Harbor in 1834.

Selected Saturday nights year-round: A comical murder-mystery dinner set onboard a moving vintage train.

Fridays: The public is invited to get up close with the ocean’s ultimate predators at the Aquarium of the Pacific for free during Shark Lagoon Nights.

Second Sundays: Admission is free on the second Sunday of every month. Join the museum for all day family fun on these special days. Call for monthly themes.

Ongoing: Visit the Animal Center and educational exhibits, climb the haystacks, play in the sandbox, visit the Chicken House, plus see rabbits, cows, pigs, horses and even emus and alpacas.

Last Mondays: Spend a few hours enjoying family play, for families with children on the Autism Spectrum.

Third weekends: Free model train rides are offered by Orange County Model Engineers.

Various weekends throughout the year: Ever wonder what happens in the museum at night? Kids (5+) find out by touring galleries, exploring some of the ancient fossils in the collections and taking an close look at some live creatures.

Fridays: Preschoolers explore movement as they hip hop, skip, move and put their body in motion!

Ongoing: Kids can explore a giant wooden ark populated with hundreds of artistically created animals made out of recycled materials, plus conduct a storm, make rain, feed the animals and listen to stories.

Third Wednesdays: Gather the family for a night of playing a variety of new games, including Wii, at the library!

Mondays: Krikorian Premiere Theatres offers a baby-friendly environment so you can enjoy a movie with your child without the worry of disrupting others.

Thursdays: Join Ms. Stacy for a musical morning of singing, movement and plenty of mind and body exercises for your little ones.

Ongoing: Meet your favorite athlete and get their autograph! Frequent signings, register early as space and time are limited.

Weekends: Get up close and personal with a single work of art at this half-hour, hands-on gallery experience geared for families with children ages 5 and up.

First and third Sundays: Help restore the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

Ongoing: Bringing together dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences and animation, the show takes spectators on a fantastic voyage through the history of cinema and its genres, and into the heart of the movie-making process.

Saturdays: Free instruction and equipment use on Saturday mornings (8+). First-timers are required to attend a safety orientation; held at noon weekly.

Ongoing: Visit an old-fashioned feed store with small barn animals.

Third Saturdays: Learn more about our fragile wetland habitats and how to protect them.

Weekends: In the Caravan Safaris, guests go inside the Safari Park’s field riding in open-air vehicles, so guest can photograph animals such as giraffes and rhinos up close, that are just inches away. $90-150 per person (6+).

Ongoing: The Newport Beach Public Library has developed a service for children and their families called Dial-a-Story.

Second and fourth Saturdays: Free Build and Grow kids’ clinics offered monthly with a range of projects.

Ongoing: Apple stores offer free computer classes (5+) teaching the basics of Macs and their software.

Fridays: Every Friday night is Date Night with Frogg’s Bounce House. Drop the kids off and enjoy a night out!

Weekends: G-rated family entertainment every Saturday and Sunday, visit theater website for film titles.

Ongoing: The following locations offer volunteers (all ages) the opportunity to help clean and restore coastal lands.

Sundays: Drop-in programs for families include arts, crafts and stories on various topics.

October-March: A variety of family-friendly shows at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Third Saturdays: Guides will point out the common plants, animals and birds and discuss history, endangered species, and restoration.

Ongoing: Free admission is offered on varying days at the following museums.

Tuesdays: This special street fair takes place along a closed-off section of Main Street and includes a farmer’s market, bounce house, street performers, restaurant samplings, sidewalk sales and specials from local restaurants.

Second Saturdays: Pumping demonstrations, antique displays and tours of old Fire Station No. 10.

Tuesdays: Kids of all ages are invited to join Pottery Barn’s story time. Become a member and receive a Book Club Card at the first story time visit and a special gift after attending five story times.

Sundays: Dana Wharf Sportfishing offers a dockside experience for young fisherman.

Ongoing: See an Oscar statuette, visit the VIP room, learn where this year’s nominees sat and gain an insider’s view of behind-the-scenes production.

Wednesdays: Join the museum every Wednesday for a “paint date” in the Family Art Center for lots of creative play for the right side of the brain.

Saturdays vary per month: Kids (3-5, with parent) meet live animals and learn what makes them special, then create a craft and listen to a story about the critters!

Sundays: Visitors experience critter encounters with the Museum’s own resident critter friends!

First Fridays: On the first Friday of every month, Averyboo Arts makes it special for all the little ones out strolling with their grown-ups in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach.

Wednesdays: Calling all toddlers, preschoolers and their adults! Join the Fullerton Museum for docent-led stories, games, and crafts in the galleries.

Second and fourth Saturdays: Skatelab offers one-hour group lessons for more than 13 years. The Ice Breaker Clinics are only available to first-time visitors to the park with their mom or dad. Safety gear provided.

Weekends: Families will learn through play with hands-on activities.

Weekends: In the 30-minute “Gold Rush,” kids can get their hands dirty panning for gold, then “buy” food and supplies with their earnings in the general store.

Saturdays: Kids (3+) can create crafts like a stick puzzle, collage mirror or a royal crown.

Ongoing: The audience is always part of the show when the world famous Bob Baker Marionettes perform in-the-round.

Weekends: The Art Odyssey for Families is a 45-minute journey through the galleries featuring a fun, activity-filled visit for kids (5+) and adults to enjoy together.

First Saturdays: Guides will point out the common plants, animals and birds and discuss history, endangered species, ecology and restoration.

Third Sundays: Watch short-legged but swift Dachshunds race, like nothing you’ve seen before!

First Sundays: Learn about diverse Native American cultures.

First Sundays: A day full of family programs with entertainment, music, dance and spoken word programs and an arts and crafts marketplace, plus activities just for kids, including story telling and arts workshops.

Sundays: A popular storytime (all ages) at a funky neighborhood coffeehouse.

Weekends: Take a four hour, round-trip train ride through the citrus and avocado groves of the Heritage Valley on vintage coaches with an open-air observation car.

First Saturdays: Kids make car-centered crafts.

Sundays: Programs designed especially for families to make art, explore the museum, join a bilingual gallery tour or take in a performance.

Third Sundays: Bring the whole family to the Autry for a day filled with activities. Each month will feature a different theme related to the exhibitions and programs, including hands-on activities, live music, family and docent-guided tours,Gold Rush and storytime.

Ongoing: Families (3+) can “Roar & Snore,” on an overnight tent-camping experience that overlooks the plains of “East Africa” inhabited by giraffes, rhinos and antelope.

Locations that offer the opportunity to ice skate outdoors.

A variety of restaurants that offer kids eat free days.

Second Saturdays: Come and explore Asian American and Japanese American books. All day craft activities include creating your own kamishibai story, make a notebook, design a bookmark or make an origami book and pencil.

Fridays: Open to all K-8th graders and includes three hours of rated chess, pizza and soda.

Wednesdays: Join the Community Treehouse for stories. Go early and play!

The Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse – Free Creative Reuse meetup on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. where kids make things from recycled items (8+).

Movies at discounted prices and baby-friendly theaters.

Through April 30, 2012: Catalina Express celebrate it’s 30th anniversary by giving a free pass to anyone who wants to go to Catalina Island on their birthday.

January 31- May 27: Explore the music, dance and costumes of international cultures, including our own!

Fridays, through November 4: Sign, Say & Play is a fun sign language class for you and your baby!

Second Wednesdays: On the second Wednesday of every month, IKEA hosts a free kids’ (10 and younger) birthday party from 4-6 p.m. Each birthday kid can invite two friends, along with a parent.

December 31: Kick off the New Year Medieval style!