Los Angeles provides many fun activities for children.
Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, lies in the southwestern part of California. Many well-known communities are part of LA, including Hollywood, Venice Beach, Westwood, Bel Air and Century City. With terrain that varies from mountains and hills to valleys and Pacific coastline, LA offers countless activities suitable for children of all ages.
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
The Los Angeles Zoo is home to more than 250 different species of animals, including 29 that are endangered. The Botanical Gardens have more than 800 plant species from all over the world that include everything from Mexican fan palms to Hong Kong orchid trees. The Dragons of Komodo exhibit is home to a pair of Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizard. The habitat design depicts the native environment on islands off the coast of Indonesia. The zoo has many one-of-a-kind animals, including the snow leopard, okapi, mountain tapir, Sumatran tiger, mandrill, Visayan warty pigs and the yellow-footed rock wallaby. The Zoo features many replicas of the natural habitats of animals such as gorillas, seals, chimpanzees, orangutans, koalas, wallabies and kangaroos. Winnick Family Children's Zoo allows kids the opportunity to explore a cave, a desert trail or watch for prairie dogs. The Los Angeles Zoo is typically closed on December 25.
AdventurePlex
AdventurePlex is a fitness center designed for kids and their families to have fun while living a healthy lifestyle. The center features mazes, tunnels, outdoor rock climbing walls, rope courses, an indoor gymnasium and a fitness room. AdventurePlex offers a number of classes, clinics and learning programs for kids and families, including basketball, tennis, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, toddler tumbling and yoga. Camps during summer and holiday breaks include ropes classes, rock-climbing sessions, arts and crafts and field trips to the beach and amusement parks. The Courtside Cafe in the AdventurePlex provides a variety of food, with healthy choices including sandwiches on whole-wheat buns; wraps stuffed with tuna, turkey, vegetables or chicken; fresh salads; fruit bowls, vegetable sticks and smoothies. Fees and hours vary, so contact AdventurePlex for details.
Skirball Cultural Center
Skirball Cultural Center has a museum with changing exhibitions, music, theater, comedy, film and interactive programs. The primary feature for children is Noah's Ark, a floor-to-ceiling wooden ark with handcrafted animals for the family to build, explore, climb and play in. Nearly everything in the ark can be interacted with and manipulated as families orchestrate storms, construct the ark, play with the puppets and animals and make new friends. The center is closed Mondays and a number of other days throughout the year to observe Jewish holidays. Admission in 2010 is free for children under 2. Senior and student discounts are available.
Tags: animals including, Botanical Gardens, Cultural Center, more than, Skirball Cultural