SPONSORED: This post is presented by the Toyota Highlander. Because there is no room for boring. Learn more, here.
And then they look at each other like, "would you look at this piece of work?"
Ten Places we Get Un-Bored in Los Angeles
1. The Getty Villa & Center
The Getty Villa is an incredible place for people of all ages. Just, please, remember to make a reservation. The Getty Center is equally incredible and requires no reservations. You can find out more about both the Center and The Villa, here.
2. LACMA
LACMA should be #1 on the list because we live around the corner from the museum and spend much of our time there. I take the twins to paint in the afternoon sometimes and we recently met friends for a dinner picnic/watch the sunset/lawn party where the kids were able to play in the "noodoos" until closing. The exhibits are incredible and all children (and their parents) are free thanks to NextGen. LACMA has always been one of my absolute favorite places in Los Angeles and will always feel like home to me.
3. Huntington Library & Gardens
My Nana bought us a family membership for our birthdays last summer and we have since taken full advantage. If we lived closer, we'd be here every weekend. (We visit about once a month.) If you frequent this blog or follow me on Instagram you will see thousands of photos at Huntington because it's my favorite place to be as a family in Los Angeles. It is a magical place, man. You can read more about Huntington Gardens here and here.
We're also members of Descanso because HELLO, LOOK AT THIS PLACE!? Please become a member, too, and we can all hang in our white tunics and make flower crowns? (More on Descanso Gardens, here.)
5. Griffith Observatory
6. California Science Center &
The only "map of the stars" you'll ever need is on a hill overlooking the city. We don't go here nearly enough but The Griffith Observatory is hands down, THE PLACE to visit if you're passing through Los Angeles. This is my note to self to plan another day trip with the fam asap on the double.
6. California Science Center &
Museum of Natural History
This is a great double-header if the kids are into long days/spaceships and dinosaurs. (Gravity was great and all but seeing Hubble 3D on IMAX? Better.)
7. Kidspace Children's Museum
We recently showed up to Kidspace with full-on picnic only to realize when we got there that it was closed for the day. Still love you, though, Kidspace. You're still our Boo. (P.S. Fable used to be small and wear rainbow sandals. Sigh.)
8. Los Angeles Central Library
Libraries are always on our list of places to see/go/explore and although West Hollywood recently opened a fantastic library which we frequent regularly, there is nothing quite like Central. Not in Los Angeles, anyway.
Other beloved haunts include Noah's Ark at The Skirball, The Peterson Automotive Museum and La Brea Tarpits.
Ten Ways we Un-bored Ourselves at Home
1. Fence painting:
This has been a really special (ongoing) family project for us that will never end because that's just the nature of its beast. For the last year, the kids (as well as Hal and I) have taken a paintbrush to our fence, painting, writing things, our names, painting over old (faded/washed away by sprinklers) paint and starting new... And every day I open the fence to leave the house or step into my front yard I am reminded of everything that is wild and wonderful in my life... and how everything is temporary but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep painting. Life is so much more interesting with all of these different colors and ideas and human beings running around. Before ALL OF THIS, the fence was just a fence... now it's something else entirely, subliminal advertising for staying creative and colorful and imperfect and collaborative... a reminder that fences are contradictory in nature. (I keep a drawer full of Crayola washable paints and a jar full of brushes so whenever one of the kids feels like painting, I can hand it over and send them outside. This is something I want them to hang onto as they grow up and become adults. Art is empowerment. It's also quite un-boring.)
2. Tie-Dye
Hal got Fable a tie dye set for Hanukkah and we finally busted it out the other day. Archer, Fable and I made shirts, socks and tights (which turned out amazing, btw. I'll share pictures later) and had a blast doing it. Unfortunately, they looked VERY different after washing... which was disappointing... but also exciting? The npw set was awesome (and for some reason I can only find it for sale in UK?) Anyway, tie-dye. Always a good time. Even when it turns out... pink...er. (See before + after above.)
3. Make-a-Masking
My friend, Ashley introduced us to Mudpuppy's make-a-masks over the summer and now we're hooked. Such a great gift idea for kids of all ages. (Thanks, Ashley!)
4. Board Games/Chess
I recently did a whole post on board (bored) games and some of our family favorites. (Archer has recently gotten really into chess and is incredible at it and Fable is getting close to holding her own on the board as well. GO TEAMS!)
5. Dance Parties
Dance parties = the cure for the common, chaotic, sad, frustrated, depressing, angry, annoyed, exhausted... moment. We also have a WiiU in the closet and bust it out on special occasions and battle with our epic Just Dance 2014 moves. (COUGH, HAL, COUGH.)
6. Urban Planning
Archer has been collecting Tomica roadways and sets for the last four years and for Christmas my mom ordered him a set from Japan because they do not sell nearly enough sets here in the US. Not for builders like Archer, anyway. The best thing about Tomica is that every day invites a new city design. The kids have drawers of blocks in their room and build towns around the roadways and bridges and garages... stories and stories and stories for days and days and days.
7. Sidewalk Chalk
Who am I, Captain Obvious? Yes. Yes I am. Our lungs are all rainbow colored now thanks to the amount of chalk we inhale on the daily. And yet? Almost every day someone draws something beautiful or offensive or a cool road that leads to another road that leads to a bench that is now a masterpiece.
8. Costumes/Makeup/Shoes
Keeping a costume chest (or in our case plastic bin-pile-thing) is the best thing we ever accidentally did. And now that Bo and Revi are getting older, it's costume central around these parts. (My daughters wear my "fancy shoes" WAY more than I do.) They have also introduced me to the wonderful world of hot pink lipstick paired with pajamas.
9. Magazine collage:
(This is the only reason I have kept my Vogue subscription.)
10. Watercolors for Days
I buy watercolor paints in bulk and keep watercolor paper fully stocked because 1. it's easy 2. it's cheap and 3. the twins drift into a sort of zen-like state when they're painting... at least until they decide to paint on each other's paintings and steal each other's paint and poor water on each other's heads.
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And now for a preview of Toyota's Big Game ad, starring Terry Crews and the Muppets, coming to a Super Bowl Sunday near you:
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Please feel free to add some of your get un-bored ideas! Inside? Outside? Any great family friendly places I missed?
GGC
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