Kylie Williams

Latest posts by Kylie

Best Swimming Lessons and Classes for Kids in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Mon, 08/08/2022 - 9:45am

Dive in! The water is always fine. Photo courtesy of the Academy Swim Club

LA kids are practically born in the water, which is why it is important to enroll kids in swimming lessons in Los Angeles at an early age. With the help of a patient, qualified instructors, kids can learn water confidence, comfortability, and crucial safety skills. Whether your child is just getting familiar with the water or looking to hone their talent and join the school swim team, there are plenty of wonderful schools all over Los Angeles that offer a variety of swimming lessons, including schools in the South Bay, Westside, and the valleys. We've even compiled a list of schools with instructors that will come to your private pool.

If you're looking specifically for baby and toddler swimming lessons, we rounded up the best places that teach babies as young as a few weeks old! And you can find more great classes for kids, and even book a class online, in our directory of classes and listings. Check our Los Angeles Classes for Kids Guide for more kids’ activities and classes for kids of all ages and interests.

All New MB2 Entertainment in Santa Clarita is a Family Fun Center Gem

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 08/07/2022 - 10:20am

The mini golf holes are creative, challenging, and varied—for both kids and adults. Photo courtesy of the author

During my childhood, Santa Clarita was home to Mountasia. It was your typical family fun center with a 90s vibe. We’re talking fluorescent lights, multi-colored, ugly carpeting, hokey prizes, and purple walls. I loved it. During COVID, the lack of business put it under, and this Valencia mainstay closed for good.

Thankfully, MB2 swooped in and saved the day. The company acquired the Valencia property and spent months recreating it into something cool and new, while retaining that classic family fun. What has emerged is my favorite new place to bring my kids for a whole day of fun. Spend the day with bumper boats, go karts, bowling, VR, arcade games, laser tag, axe throwing, mini golf, and more. Read on for what to expect and more tips about visiting the new MB2 Entertainment in Santa Clarita.

If you need to keep kids from climbing the walls at home, check out the best rock climbing gyms for kids and top mini golf courses in Los Angeles! Find all this and more in our Los Angeles Guide to Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones.

Free in August: Movies, Concerts, Festivals, and More Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:00pm

Fiesta La Ballona closes out August with one of our favorite festivals. Photo courtesy of the festival

Celebrate the dog days of summer with this giant list of free things to do in Los Angeles with kids this August!

I've been spending too much money lately on back-to-school supplies and Halloween decorations. (Too early, you say? I think not!) If you, like me, are feeling a bit of financial pressure this month, this list is for you. Here are events that let you end the summer with a bang without spending a buck. Whether you want to enjoy a little Shakespeare, dance the night away, or chill out to some live jazz, there's nothing to stop you—short of heatstroke. We've also got free festivals for surfers, Japanese culture enthusiasts, and kids that just love a good carnival ride.

So gather up the fam and squeeze those last drops out of your summer fun. Keep in mind that we are always adding free events to our Los Angeles event calendar as they pop up, and we keep all our roundups of free outings for families in our Guide to Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids.

Recreation Park, Long Beach's Newest Playground, is Jurassic and Fantastic

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 07/17/2022 - 2:00pm

“Mom! That must be why they built this dinosaur park! Because they found these bones here!” My six-year-old cried as he unearthed the bones of a T-Rex at the Dino Excavation Zone at Recreation Park in East Long Beach.

His eyes grew wide with wonder as he dug out a massive skull sunk into the ground. In his mind, he had just made a historical discovery, and who was I to burst his bubble? The Dino Excavation Zone worked its magic and my kids felt like true paleontologists at Long Beach’s newest playground.

Recreation Park in East Long Beach got a major upgrade with a Jurassic-themed playground perfect for kids of all ages. The new space just opened in June and is the perfect reason to take a trip to Long Beach! Looking for more awesome playgrounds for kids in Los Angeles or even the best splash pads in town? We've got all that and more in our Summer Activities Guide for Los Angeles Kids.

Baby and Toddler Swimming Lessons and Classes in Los Angeles

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Fri, 07/08/2022 - 11:42am

Baby swim classes get LA kids water safe, from a very young age. Photo courtesy of the Blue Buoy Family Swim School

Did you know that babies who take baby swimming lessons tend to hit milestones ahead of schedule? A recent study found that infants in swimming classes excelled physically before their non-swimming peers. Experts have also found a connection between advanced language & cognitive development and babies involved in swim lessons. So, if you want to help your baby excel at life (and who knows, maybe become the next Michael Phelps someday?) enroll them in a toddler or baby swim class in Los Angeles.

Looking for more Parent and Me offerings? Dive into our extensive list of Top Classes for Babies and Toddlers in Los Angeles. Plus, find more kids' classes and programs for kids of all ages in our Guide to the Best Kids' Classes and Activities in LA.

Free in July: Summer Festivals & Concerts, and More Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Sun, 07/03/2022 - 2:36pm

Celebrate the sea with a fun Dolphin Dash. Photo by Steve Taylor courtesy of the San Clemente Ocean Festival

Summer break can be a brutal reminder of how many hours there are in a day; thank goodness there are so many free things to do in Los Angeles with kids!

When you're between camps, the novelty of "no school" has worn off, and the kids have run out of shows to binge-watch, it can be tricky to come up with activities that don't cost as much as a tank of Southern California gas. If only we could keep these little people entertained for free ... Luckily, Los Angeles has tons of frugal fun this month from Santa Monica to Simi Valley and from Malibu to Manhattan Beach. There are 4th of July fireworks spectaculars, outdoor movies, outdoor concerts, a shark week celebration, seven free summer festivals, and more.

Read on for a surplus of free summer activities that are sure to make for sweet (and cheap!) July memories. Discover all the free activities and events near you in our Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids Guide, which includes a roundup of all the Free Museum Days in Los Angeles plus a list of 60+ Birthday Freebies for Kids.

Palm Springs with Kids: 31 Best Things To Do in Palm Springs, California

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 1:09pm

Most people think of Palm Springs as a winter vacation, but we love it all year! Photo by the author

Every year, my family takes a two-hour drive east of LA, past the windmills and a couple of giant neon dinosaurs, to spend a blissful weekend tackling all the things to do in Palm Springs with kids. Several bathroom breaks and a date shake or three later, we arrive and there's a whole vibe change. Palm Springs is a land of purple mountains, bougainvillea, succulents, rolling green golf courses, and desert air. It smells like vacation. The water parks at resorts that await us certainly add to that vacation feel, as does the anticipation rolling off my kids. We come back year after year (in the 100-degree summer heat) because this oasis gives us everything we need in a family vacation, without having to hop on an airplane.

For more SoCal family vacations, check out our list of best family road trips from Los Angeles, California family vacation ideas kids love, and more in our Weekend Getaway and Day Trips from Los Angeles Guide.

Santa Clarita with Kids: 25 Awesome Things To Do in Santa Clarita, California

Submitted by Kylie Williams on Thu, 06/09/2022 - 1:32pm

Meet the goats at Gilchrist Farms. Tip: it's more fun when you wear cute boots. Photo courtesy of the farm

I grew up in Santa Clarita and now, I’m raising my kids here. College-aged me would have said there were approximately 0 fun things to do in Santa Clarita and all I wanted to do was move to Loz Feliz or Silverlake and be “near all the cool stuff.” But you know what? When you have three little kids, hipster coffee shops and boutique clothing stores lose their allure. Instead, you want amazing parks and fun places to take rambunctious toddlers with lots of energy. Santa Clarita has that in abundance. It’s what turned me from an anti-suburbian into a lifer.

Here are 25 good reasons why you should brave the 5 freeway (but not during rush hour) and head to the SCV with your kids. For more valley fun, check out our guides to Sherman Oaks and Studio City.