Free Activities for Children in Los Angeles

• Griffith Park Pool is just one of several places kids can enjoy for free in Los Angeles.girl in pool image by Marzanna Syncerz from Fotolia.com
  
  In a city like Los Angeles, spending money is a way of life and--some would argue--the only way to enjoy life. But if you have children, dining at four-star restaurants and maxing out your credit card at chic boutiques aren't exactly going to top your list of weekend activities. Fortunately, kids don't need gourmet cuisine or designer brands to enjoy the city. There are plenty of kid-friendly activities that are 100% free for them and 100% guilt-free for you.
  
  

California Science Center

• If you're willing to shell out $8 for parking, admission is free at this state-of-the-art museum where kids can enjoy three floors of hands-on exhibitions. They can take a close look at creepy, crawly tarantulas and scorpions in the World of Life Discovery Room, build their very own house in the Creative World Discovery Room, and---if they're brave---watch a heart surgery projected onto a patient in the Surgery Theater. You could easily spend a full day here, and your child won't be the only one learning a thing or two.
  
  California Science Center
  
  700 Exposition Park Drive
  
  Exposition Park
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90037
  
  323-724-3623
  
  www.californiasciencecenter.org
  
  

Olvera Street

• Olvera Street is home to Los Angeles' world-famous Mexican market. While it's certainly easy to spend money in all of the shops and restaurants that line this street, most of the fun comes in people-watching and taking in the sights. You and your child can observe a glass blowing demonstration, watch a fiesta (all fiesta dates are listed on the Olvera Street website), and enjoy a free tour between 10am and noon Wednesdays through Saturdays.
  
  Olvera Street
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90012
  
  (213) 687-4391
  
  www.calleolvera.com
  
  

Westwood Branch Library

• In addition to a great selection of children's titles, this library offers plenty of activities for kids. Before you head out, check their event calendar online. Storytime, arts and crafts, puppet shows, and movies are just a few of the events they've hosted in the past. While your child is making popsicle stick houses or sitting in reading circle, you can take advantage of the computer stations and free wireless internet.
  
  Westwood Branch Library
  
  1246 Glendon Avenue
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90024
  
  310-474-1739
  
  www.lapl.org (See "About the Library" for branch information)
  
  

Griffith Park

• If you want a place where your kid can run free and burn off energy, there's no place better than Griffith Park, which spans 4,213 acres. Pack a picnic and head over to Train Town---just one of Griffith Park's many attractions---where kids can climb into old boxcars and train engines while you enjoy your lunch at one of the nearby picnic tables. (If your child wants to ride a train, it's only $2.) Also, in the summertime, kids can splash around at Griffith Park Pool, which is free for anyone under the age 17.
  
  Griffith Park
  
  4730 Crystal Springs Drive
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90027
  
  323-913-4688
  
  www.laparks.org (Search "Griffith Park")
  
  

Audubon Center at Debs Park

• For an experience that is both fun and educational, take your child to this Audubon Center. In addition to learning fun facts about birds and bugs, they can visit the Children's Garden, where five different activity areas are designed to promote exploration and nature discovery. If you want to get in on the fun too, there are Family Nature Programs which include planned hikes, science experiments, and arts and craft projects.
  
  Audubon Center at Debs Park
  
  4700 North Griffin Avenue
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90031
  
  323-221-2255
  
  ca.audubon.org (search "Debs Park")
  
  

James Irvine Garden (Little Tokyo)

• Much like Olvera Street, Little Tokyo offers up a slice of culture that you and your child can appreciate. There are many shops and restaurants in this neighborhood, but the big draw for children is the James Irvine Garden, located in the sub ground level of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. With a path circling the garden, arched bridges to cross over, waterfalls to admire, and goldfish to peer at in the garden's ponds, children will probably think of this as their own secret garden within the city.
  
  James Irvine Garden
  
  Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
  
  244 South San Pedro Street
  
  Los Angeles, CA 90012
  
  (213) 628-2725
  
  www.jaccc.org