Creative Summer Activities For Kids In Los Angeles
Summer is getting closer and now is the time for parents to start searching for activities that will keep their children's energetic minds entertained during the off-school months. From one-day events to weeks-long camps, Los Angeles has it all. Below are five ways your children can spend the upcoming summer months, instead of watching TV.
The Circus Is Coming To Town
Theatre West
3333 Cahuenga Blvd. W.
West Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 851-7977
Dates: Through July 6
www.theatrewest.org
"The Circus is Coming to Town" is an interactive play where your kids will be able to join the ringmaster, animal trainer and clown and become the acts in the circus. They will have a chance to discover their own theatrical talents and end up putting on a show of their own. With many opportunities for participation, this play is perfect for 3 to 9-year-olds. Storybook Theater also hosts countless different fairy tale favorites, exploring whimsical lands far, far away that both children and adults can enjoy. The theater is the oldest (still-running and operated) theater in the Los Angeles area, and this company has traveled all over the nation visiting other cities to spread the magic.
Pictures At An Exhibition
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 850-2000
Dates: April 13 and April 20
www.laphil.com
Although not quite summer, your kids might be in a spring slump and need a bit of revamping to keep the mind right. The Toyota Symphonies for Youth is a popular event that is held on selected Saturday mornings at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and is intended for children five to 11 years old. On these April dates, the theme is "Pictures at an Exhibition," during which the kids are invited to enter the world of music and paintings invented by Russian pianist and composer Modest Mussorgsky.
Summer With Shakespeare
A Noise Within Theater
3352 E. Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 356-3100
Dates: June 24 to July 23
www.anoisewithin.org
If you have a future actor in your hands, consider the three-week "Summer with Shakespeare" camp offered by A Noise Within. Designed for children 10 to 18 years old, this program is taught by professional coaches and is meant to enhance your child's acting and speaking skills, to develop confidence acting on stage, to learn and deliver monologues and to teach them to construct masks and props for theater use. At the end of the camp, your child will participate in a performance where you will be able to see the great results of the intensive Shakespeare course.
Summer Art Camp 2013
LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 857-6000
Dates: June 10 to August 9
www.lacma.org
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is currently enrolling kids between 6 and 13 into its Summer Art Camp 2013. LACMA offers several one-week camps between June and August that welcome children during the weekdays. The youngsters are guided to appreciate art, discuss it and create it. The camp is led by a group of professional educators and active artists.
Summer Sounds: Music for Kids
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 850-2000
Dates: July 8 to August 16
www.hollywoodbowl.com
For the 46th year, the Hollywood Bowl presents "Summersounds: Music for Kids," a program that welcomes children 3 to 11 years old every weekday morning between July 8 and August 16. "Summersounds" is creative and fun, introducing music from all over the world and making it relevant through the lens of the neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The program offers also a Fine Arts Workshop that teaches arts and crafts to the kids before or after the performances. A brochure and details can be obtained by calling the LA Phil Education Department at the number listed above.
Related: Tips For Keeping Your LA Kids Active
Dena Burroughs is a freelance writer living in Azusa, CA. She is a CSULA graduate with specialties in Creative Writing and Communications. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
