Los Angeles Kids Off The Couch: Happy Holidays to All!

Fill your Days from Now until 2012

Ticket Giveaway: Family 4-Pack for OVO on February 15

We've got plenty of "have-fun-with-your-family, counter-program the mall" ideas to get you through to New Year's. And just remember, if the gifting is making you crazy, there is always this time-tested solution to all gifting problems -- at least for the youngest on your list.

Ticket Giveaway: OVO from Cirque du Soleil opens under the big top at the Santa Monica Pier on January 20, 2012. This family show is set in the teeming, buzzing world of insects. We have one Family 4-Pack to OVO for Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 8:00 PM. If you are able to attend that show you can enter to win by writing to us atfamilysavvy@gmail.com. Can't go that day? Click here to purchase your own Family 4-pack.

Chilly Fun: Take a break from shopping to strap on some ice skates and twirl the year away. Outdoor rinks in Santa Monica and Pershing Square are open through mid-January. The 4th Annual Snow Days will be celebrated at Pasadena's Kidspace Children's Museum during the week after Christmas. Teach your kids how to make a snowman!

What to do with Out-of-Towners? Besides catching up on your Pacific Standard Time options, here are a few shows that are worth catching: Digital Darkroom, just opened at The Annenberg Space for Photography, and if you are any type of shutterbug, you'll be inspired to take your casual snapping to a new level. Sponsored by Adobe Photoshop, Digital Darkroom showcases the finest artists working in this "new medium", displayed in the most advanced digital facility in the world. The whole family will enjoy seeing the variety of the manipulated images - from dogs dressed as people, to incredible athletic portraits, to dream-like flights of the imagination by new artists, young and old. Best of all, it's pretty easy to dash over from the Century City Mall and take a gander. Click here for our detailed review of the show. If it turns out you love Jerry Uelsmann (whose work is featured at Digital Darkroom), you're in luck because he has a show up at Peter Fetterman Gallery in Bergamont Station. We also really enjoyed Modern Antiquity at the Getty Villa (it's free, but call for a parking reservation), that juxtaposes classical busts and sculptural remnants with spectacular modern paintings by Picasso, Leger and others. Open only through January 16, 2012 - so drop by on your way to or from Malibu, where browsing and people-watching at the Lumber Yardwill make anyone from out-of-state green with CA envy.

New Year's Plans: Still looking for a cool way to ring in the New Year? You can help build the Natural History Museum's first-ever Rose Bowl float (some shifts still open!). There's New Year's Eve with Pink Martini at Disney Hall, or The Golden Stag New Year's Eve Party at LACMA, with big band swing and Roaring 20s style. Or, for the kids - celebrate at noon at Kidspace in Pasadena, or at 6:00 PM and 9:30 PM try theSanta Monica Playhouse's Musical Review.

Year-End Giving: A few years ago we decided to start a family tradition of setting aside some money that everyone in the family gives away together to those who most need our help. Here are links to some of our favorite charities, as well as some first-hand knowledge of a program we participated in for the first time. Our son's soccer team adopted a family through the Children's Hospital Holidays from the Heart program, and our teens were touched to meet the patients and their siblings and hand deliver the gifts on their wish lists. If you like to get involved locally, consider helping a soup kitchen (they're all particularly needy this year), picking up a few extra gift cards at Target and sending them to foster kids through a charity we work with(United Friends of the Children), or sending money to support writing and tutoring in under-served neighborhoods through 826LA. If your family decides they want to donate to an environmental cause, look into building wells in Africa withCharity:Water. We are big fans of Heifer International (help a family sustain itself by giving animals - an idea that's easy for kids to grasp) and Operation Gratitude (care-packages for US soldiers overseas, started by our a mom in Encino).

Looking ahead to 2012: For all you super-duper advance planners -- you know who you are -- think about a family show from They Might Be Giants at UCLA Live on January 28, 2012 at 2:00 PM or one of two free World City concerts on January 14, 2012.

Kids Off The Couch

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Los Angeles Halloween Radar Screen - Part 2!

A Few More Scares!

Endangered Animals, Ed Keinholz Tableau and Teen Drivers

We're back with a few more seasonal tidbits, and an update on our latest ticket offer (see below). In thinking ahead to our trick-or-treat plans, we were wondering when Daylight Savings Time kicks in; turns out it's not until Sunday, November 6. If you're nervous about having the kids roam around on their own in the dark, check out an article in today's Los Angeles Times about tracking your kids on Halloween. Yes, there's an app for that! Though we're not sure how we feel about it...

Tots and Elementary: There's absolutely nothing frightening about the new carousel that opens at the LA Zoo on October 27, except for the fact that instead of horses, children will ride around on animals that are endangered. The carousel, which includes a komodo dragon, a poison dart frog, a Sumatran tiger and a dung beetle chariot, and includes beautiful murals of endangered California flora and fauna, is created by exceptional craftspeople and your $3 fee goes toward Zoo programming to protect many of these endangered species. Parents will enjoy that the carousel spins to music from recording artists from the A&M label (such as the Police, Go-Go's, Cat Stevens, Amy Grant, Janet Jackson, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass) which was co-founded by Jerry Moss with Alpert. Moss and his wife Ann have given generously to bring theTom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel to life.

Middle School: Take a tram ride up to the Getty Center this Saturday, October 22 for a day-long Pacific Standard Time Family Festival. Enjoy musical performances, workshops with local artists in the traditions of the celebrated PST artists (like poster-making, mail art, guerrilla clothing), and take in the new PST show, Crosscurrents in LA Painting and Sculpture: 1950-1970, with monumental sculpture by De Wain Valentine and a room of large-scale paintings by Ed Ruscha, Richard Deibenkorn and David Hockney. We thought this show was satisfying in a big way.

Teens: Our son turns 16 on Halloween, and the scariest thing we're doing this fall is anticipating the moment when he will drive off alone. It's National Teen Driver Safety Week, and here is a powerful article about the odds your kids will have an accident in the first month or two of driving. New technical developments to keep them from texting behind the wheel are encouraging, like the new iPhone's SIRI virtual assistant and Ford putting a device in cars that can read text messages. But to stave off trouble, we enrolled both our kids in Jim Snelling's driving course at the Toyota Speedway. Although it's not cheap, Snelling gives a crash course is safety (the kids get to spin out in soapy water and learn to control the skid). It's exciting stuff, but Snelling tempers the action with sobering messages about safety. Click here for more information about Advanced Driving Dynamics.

Adults: You'll have to have a strong stomach to visit Five Car Stud 1969-1972, Revisited, an arresting diorama that has been hidden from the public for 40 years, and is on display in the US for the first time at LACMA. Edward Keinholz's graphic and violently upsetting tableau takes up an entire gallery and makes a powerful statement about civil rights in this country.

Ticket Giveaway: In Tuesday's ticket offer for Bring It On: The Musical, we were mistaken about the dates - the new musical is going to be in town for SIX weeks not TWO, giving families a larger window to catch the show that explores the competitive, high-stakes world of high-school cheer squads. At the Ahmanson Theater from October 30-December 10. Tickets are still available online and by calling 213/972-4400. For special ticket pricing to shows in the first two weeks call the box office and mention code GAME or click here. Exclusions apply. We're giving away one Family 4-pack to Kids off the Couch readers (and will choose a winner next week, so there's still time to enter by writing familysavvy@gmail.com). 

Kids Off The Couch

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Los Angeles October Parenting Radar Screen PLUS Ticket Giveaway!

Return to Routine

Date Night Ticket Giveaway for Poor Behavior

Now that you've survived Back to School and the abrupt shift to homework-filled evenings, we think you should book a babysitter and take an evening off! We've got a ticket giveaway to a new play, an update on the marvelous, ongoing Pacific Standard Time exhibits (which are great for kids, too), and are excited about the fall movie line-up. Restored, you'll be ready to plunge into the many wonderful family events that take place in October including The Big Draw, a chance to track Juno's mission to Jupiter, and college football games around town. We'll be back in a few weeks with a Halloween round up, but don't wait too long to think about finding perfect costumes for the big day, which falls on a Monday night this year. 

Ticket Giveaway: This month's ticket giveaway is for adults: the World Premiere of the new play Poor Behavior. A weekend in the country turns into a high stakes game of marital mixed doubles and asks "Is it adultery if they already think you've done it?" Written by Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius), and directed by Doug Hughes (Doubt), Poor Behavior runs through October 16th at Center Theatre Group. Enter to win 4 tickets for Friday, October 7th at 8:00 PM by writing to us at familysavvy@gmail.com -- please remember to include a cell number. Contest entry deadline is 10am on Tuesday, October 4th.  Special offer for Kids Off the Couch subscribers: Discount tickets available for $35 (Reg. $45 - $55)! Call 213.628.2772 and mention the code WEEKEND or purchase online. 

This Weekend: The new LEED-certified West Hollywood Library opens this weekend. Come investigate during the12th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday, October 2. Pacific Standard Time is in full effect, and the PST website is a fabulous resource that can help you figure out how to take advantage of a region-wide exhibition that explores the birth of the California art scene from 1945-1980. As part of the opening of its PST-related show, NOW DIG THIS!, the Hammer will be free to the public on Sunday, October 2; LACMA will be open for free on October 2, as well, so all your design-istas should check out their cool new show, California Design 1930-1965: "Living in a Modern Way".

Elementary: All through October, arts institutions will celebrate Big Draw LA, with pop-up programming with artists at various institutions, including the Getty, the Fowler and the Huntington. Participate this weekend on the lawn of The Huntington this Saturday, October 1, and at the Fowler on two Sundays, October 2 and 16. It's already that creepy crawly time of year at the Natural History Museum's wonderfulSpider Pavilion. Click here for our Popcorn Adventure that combines this magical spot with Charlotte's Web. And, did you know that it's Hispanic Heritage Month? Tromp to Pasadena now that the days are cooler for a delightful afternoon filled with music and dance at The Norton Simon Museum for The Art of Dance! Baile Folklorico of Mexico,Sunday, October 9, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM. 

Middle School: Keep track of the latest JPL mission to Mars by taking part in a Day of Discovery with the Pasadena Museum of California Art and Jet Propulsion Laboratoryon Sunday, October 16, 12:00 - 5:00 PM -- a full day of programs featuring speakers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and art activities for families inspired by the exhibition Beneath the Surface: NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter. There's nothing better than a football game with one of our excellent local teams - the USC Trojans -- playing at the Coliseum on October 1 and 29, and the UCLA Bruins -- playing at the Rose Bowl on October 8 and 29. And playing each other on November 26. Catch a glimpse of the future Annenberg Cultural Center in Beverly Hills at Il Teatro Alla Moda Theater in Fashion, a special four-week engagement starting next week.

Teens: Movie buffs can take a week-long crash course in the films of a master by showing up at Mad as Hell: Sidney Lumet's Cinema of Fighting Back at the Aero Theater between October 5-12. Fans of Duff Goldman's Ace of Cakes and Sugar Highwill be thrilled to know that the Food Network star is soon to open an LA bakery,Charm City Cakes West. While this is a very pricey ticket, if you have a rabid sports fan in the house, consider this rare opportunity to visit the LA Sports Museum with museum founder, Gary Cypres.The Sports Museum of Los Angeles, open by invitation only, is the largest and broadest known collection of iconic sports memorabilia and collectibles in the world. And, there are still tickets for the live orchestra screening ofLord of the Rings on October 15 in Anaheim's Honda Center.

Adults: Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is in theaters now and next week brings Ryan Gosling and George Clooney in Ides of March. For those of you who will find it hard to resist the remake of Footloose, that opens on October 14. Now is the perfect time to grab a great meal at a great price: Dine LA returns for two weeks this month: October 2-7 and October 9-14.

Planning Ahead: Your #1 job right now is to scramble to find an age-appropriate (as in not too sexy) costume for each kid -- before they're sold out! Then, take a second to think about planning your winter holidays: book flights, figure out where grandparents are going to sleep, and get tickets for The Joffrey Ballet's acclaimed production of "The Nutcracker," December 1-4 for six performances only at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

One More Thing: Check out this mini-documentary, narrated by Tom Hanks, about ferry boat captains, Coast Guardsmen and civilian boaters who rescued citizens from lower Manhattan on 9/11. 

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Los Angeles Kids Off The Couch: What's On Our August Radar!

Endless Days of Summer

Ticket Giveaway for Fantasia at the Hollywood Bowl

Did you notice that the city felt empty over the past weekend? While many Angelenos vacation elsewhere, we're enjoying quiet freeways and perfect weather. With blue whales cruising our coastline in record numbers and a bevy of outdoor screenings and concerts, what could be better than LA in August? Another month of summer, that's what.

Ticket Giveaway: August is our favorite time to spend an evening at the Hollywood Bowl, and we are excited about many of the varied concerts on the August calendar -- from Hairspray (this weekend) to the Buena Vista Social Club, classical concerts with Gustavo Dudamel and an evening celebrating the music of maestro John Williams. This month Kids Off the Couch has a Family Four-Pack to Walt Disney's Fantasia for Sunday, August 21. You'll see all your favorite scenes, plus a glimpse into the brilliant artwork and unfinished segments of this Disney masterpiece. The evening features the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and ends with fireworks. Tickets are still available to the three performances, Friday & Saturday 8:30 PM and Sunday 7:30 PM (August 19-21). Send us a note at familysavvy@gmail.com to enter our giveaway contest. Tickets will be awarded by August 10.

Cruising the Coastline: It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and there is an unusually large congregation ofBlue Whales off Long Beach, reminding us who shares the waters off our beaches. Click here for our whale-watching Popcorn Adventure.

Elementary: Nothing says summer better than listening to music outdoors. Take the tram up the hill on weekend afternoons this month for the J. Paul Getty Museum'sGarden Concerts for Kids, and hear Frances England, Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, and Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Saturdays and Sundays, August 6 through 21, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM. The Skirball also has fun weekend programming for kids, so consider their Family Amphitheater Performances, Saturday and Sunday at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, or a fun water-themed family day on August 21. You can indulge a childhood fantasy of running away with the circus this Sunday morning at a free Family Flicks screening of Toby Tyler (August 7 at 11:00 AM) at the wonderful, pink Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer. Don't forget the very gentle Winnie the Pooh, a surprise hit about our favorite friends from the Hundred Acre Woods, still in theaters.

Middle School: If you have Tim Burton fans in your house, you will want to spend a few Friday evenings outside at LACMA watching some of his more popular films, like James and the Giant Peach, Pee Wee's Big Adventure or Alice in Wonderland. Films start at sundown and are free. On Thursdays this month, check out the outdoor screening lineup at Movies in the Park @ The Grove, including The Blind Side and Toy Story 3. To keep idle fingers busy (and away from texting), pick up a new craft this month. Our girls love to knit and needlepoint; knitters should check out Wild Fiber in Santa Monica, and Aristeia is a good place to get started on needlepoint. Make your own books at Scribble Press, or, learn to cook at Piccolo Chef. We have tried and tried to find a good woodworking class for kids here in LA (as you can see, this idea is gaining steam elsewhere in the nation) but haven't yet found one. If you know of one, please tell us and we'll pass it along to subscribers.

Teens: Sad that the X Games are over? Check out the US Open of Surfing, taking place in Huntington Beach through this weekend...also can be viewed live, online. Without homework, teens might have time to knock off two books -- Kathryn Stockett's The Help and David Nicholl's One Day -- before their film adaptations hit the big screens. The Help opens on August 10 and stars Emma Stone. One Day, starring Anne Hathaway, opens on August 19.

Adults: MOCA's Art in the Streets closes this weekend, so get downtown and, while you're there, check out The Lazy Ox Canteen in Little Tokyo.

Concert Goers: Pop stars Katy Perry and Taylor Swift are both in town this month (Perry at Nokia Theater this weekend and Swift at Staples for four nights, August 24-24.)

One More Thing: We are impressed with this beautiful digital book called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from noted children's book author and illustrator William Joyce and his colleagues at Moonbot Studios.

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Ticket Giveaway for Classic Rock Night at the LA Zoo!

Music at the L.A. Zoo takes place THIS THURSDAY night

Ticket Giveaway for July 28 at 6:00 PM

When our kids were small, they loved Good Night, Gorillaand imagined the thrill of observing the animals at the zoo after the crowds had gone home. This Thursday, Angelenos have a chance to duck under the ropes at a party called Music at the L.A. Zoo. Local bands will play classic rock tunes (think Beatles, the Doors, Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin) while guests wander along the shaded paths of the zoo, peeking in on the animals as they go through their after-hour routines. Kids Off the Couch has five pairs of tickets to give away to subscribers for the party, which is sponsored by GLAZA to support the mission of the L.A. Zoo.

What: Performances by an array of cover bands take place while guests may view many of the Zoo's animals (until 8:00 PM) and enjoy an eclectic array of food and beverages. Picnics are also permitted. Tickets to Music in the L.A. Zoo are still available to the general public. Admission for GLAZA members is $13 for adults and $8 for children ages 6 to 15. Admission for non-members is $17 for adults and $11 for children ages 6 to 15. Children 5 and under are free. Music in the L.A. Zoo is one of many programs presented by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), founded in 1963.

Enter to Win: Kids Off the Couch has five pairs of tickets to THIS THURSDAY's 6:00 PM event (July 28). Please write to familysavvy@gmail.com. Winner will be chosen by Wednesday, July 27.

Where: The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Tickets for Music in the L.A. Zoo may be purchased at the Zoo or in advance by phone at (323) 644-6042 or online.

Kids Off The Couch info@kidsoffthecouch.com

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