When people come to Southern California, they think Disney, the beach, Universal Studios, and Hollywood.  That’s four good solid days or more of stuff to do, but you’ll be exhausted and broke afterwards.  If you still have time to kill and little ones to entertain, there are educational and fun options that won’t break the bank.  Kidspace Children’s Museum is one of those options.

Located near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Kidspace is hot with the 10 and under set (and kids over 10 will pretend it’s not “cool” but will secretly love a visit).  The outdoor facilities have climbing features, water play, a special playground for little ones under 4, a trike track (must wear helmet to ride, but you ride!), and beautiful gardens to explore.

Trike track: no pants required!

Indoors, you are greeted by the cool kaleidescope entry tunnel which gives way to numerous interactive exhibits.

Safari

Discovering fossils

Earthquake exhibit

Learning how to earthquake-proof the house

During the summer the museum is open 7 days a week. A non-profit entity, the museum has been there for 30 years, and enjoys substantial support from local organizations.  It opened in its current location in 2004, which means all of its facilities are new and fresh, including the Wolfgang Puck Nestle Cafe and the cool little gift store.  Admission is only $9 per person for anyone over 1 year old, so you can still have some leftover dough for snacks and souvenirs.

Hot dog by Wolfgang Puck

This is also the perfect place to send your children with visiting relatives.  My parents took our son to visit when he was 3.5, and now that he is 4 he is begging to be taken back.  Here is a quick grandparent’s review of Kidspace:

• Friendly staff
• Inside is very clean (there was a worker actually wiping down a climbing structure)
• Staff is there for arts & crafts
• Trike tracks – fun for kids. Try to get kids to follow the arrows on the road and stop at the STOP sign! They have a smaller easier version for toddlers
• Ant hole – great fun in the dark, but make sure the parent knows the exit is on the next level (our kid entered, never came out.  Yikes!  They found him upstairs)
  
• Good science learning experience with a working computer
• Our boy loved the earthquake shaker, the “safari” vehicle, ant hole, not so much climbing stuff, I think he was just too engaged with “brain” stuff.
• Food was good! and affordable!  (Wolfgang Puck, no less)

Looking for a kid in an anthole

Kid in the anthole

Find the kid upstairs!

In addition to launching UpTake, I have also been following the tragic news of the Sichuan earthquake and feeling powerless to help. On my non-UpTake related personal China blog, CNReviews, we created a Sichuan earthquake donation directory with now over 40 methods for contributing. Then a designer named Oliver Ding, who I didn’t know, created a great SlideShare of the post. The country is now starting a three day period of mourning. The impact on the country is probably comparable to the impact of 9/11 on people in the U.S.

Please consider making a small financial contribution to one of these agencies, and also consider ways to help in the Myanmar cyclone disaster which will likely have even more fatalities due to barriers to aid put up by the Myanmar government.