Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School is a community Jewish day school in Northridge serving roughly 400 students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade.

The school runs a summer camp program called Active Minds/Active Bodies which incorporate academic enrichment, sports, and art based activities over three separate summer sessions. The camp accommodates kids starting at age four. Camp hours are from 9:30am to 3pm.

This summer program at the Natural History Museum offers children ages three to 13 the chance to explore Earth's features, creatures, and cultures through hands-on experiences, behind-the-scenes tours, and fun activities. From dinosaurs and dolphins to the Aztecs and amethysts, Adventures in Nature has the world covered.

Class Sessions are one week in length. Choose a full-day (9:30am-3pm) or a half-day (9:30am-11:30am or 1pm-3pm) session. Extended care is offered from 8am to the start of the morning session, and until 5pm. Lunch supervision is provided for children enrolled in full-day sessions. Campers receive a free T-shirt with enrollment.

Costs: Member (per week): Full-day session $218; Half-day session $109; Non-Member (per week): Full-day session $238; Half-day session $119

A limited number of student volunteer (ages 16-college) positions are available. Applicants must commit to four consecutive weeks of service between 8am and 5pm and must have prior experience working with children. Volunteers assist instructors in class and aid in lunchtime games and supervision.

The Aquarium in Long Beach is a terrific facility celebrating the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean. You'll find tropical fish exhibits, coral reefs, sea otters, seals and sea lions, sea turtles, and sea birds.

The exhibits stretch from floor to ceiling; kids can lie right down on the carpets and stare up as schools of brightly colored tropical fish go swimming by, and feel that cold thrill as a shark suddenly darts into the picture. Scuba divers make periodic appearances to feed the fish and clean the coral, and are quite willing to wave and clown around for delighted children.

The centerpiece is the 10,000 square foot Shark Lagoon, which offers visitors the opportunity to touch and interact with bamboo, nurse, epaulette, and zebra sharks in shallow pools. One section, featuring above-and-below water views, allows guests to get nose-to-nose (but not, happily, hand-to-mouth) with large, toothy sharks. Sand tiger (endangered in Australia), zebra, nurse, and whitetip reef sharks, as well as rays, are featured. Special daily feeding presentations are a predictably huge draw - who doesn't want to watch sharks eat?

Opportunities for observing and touching other live creatures also abound, both above and under water. There are 19 major habitats on two levels, and 32 focus exhibits. Squeamish kids may not want to feel the sea urchins and anemones, but aquarium staffers are on hand to help those who do.

One gallery covers the Northern Pacific, and is slightly chilly and a bit grey, but worth seeing if only for the naturally comedic puffins. The other galleries cover the temperate waters of Southern California and Baja and the wonderfully warm and colorful tropical Pacific.

Kids can also take an expedition to visit friendly birds from Down Under in the Lorikeet Forest, a 5,200 square-foot walk-through aviary that brings new meaning to the word "encounter:" kids can feed the little flutterballs nectar from a cup!

Indoor and outdoor theaters feature regular showings of documentaries and animal education programs.

The outdoor Explorer's Cove includes Lorikeet Forest, Shark Lagoon, and the Marine Life Theater. There's also an adjacent refreshment and snack area, the Bamboo Bistro.

Cafe Scuba is a cafeteria style restaurant offering hot and cold entrees, salads, and sandwiches. There are plenty of high chairs and booster seats, and indoor and outdoor seating.

The bathrooms on both levels have changing stations, and there is a baby care room, with chairs for nursing mothers and toys for toddlers, in the first floor women's room.

The Aquarium strongly discourages strollers inside the exhibit area, especially on crowded weekends. There is a large stroller parking area in the lobby.

The Aquarium offers all kinds of educational programs for children of all ages on weekends. There are stroller walks for parents with infants, toddler programs for parents with two and three year-olds, pre-school programs for four and five-year-olds, and workshops, sleep-overs, Discovery Tours and Explorer Programs for older kids and teens at varying costs and times.

Ocean Adventures Summer Day Camp offers week-long summer sessions at the Aquarium for seven to ten year old campers to explore different facets of life undersea.

All the programs are available for groups; some are especially designed for daycare and pre-school groups. Call for reservations, times and group rates.

The Aquarium also offers kayaking lessons, followed by kayaking tours of Upper Newport Bay, as well as Ocean Experience boat excursions (seasonal).

For more information about any of these programs, call 562.590.3100 or visit www.aquariumofpacific.org.

Parties: 90 minute birthday parties at the Aquarium include themed décor, personalized cake, ice cream, juice, and a classroom program that features animal touch time, biofact discovery, and a take-home craft. All you need to do is call at least two weeks prior (subject to availability) to reserve a date and invite friends and family. The party area can accommodate up to 30 guests (minimum 10 participants). Cost is $275 for up to 15 guests (including adults), and $460 for 16-30 guests; members pay $250 to $420. For additional information or reservations, please call 562.951.1630.

Membership: Individual $55; Family $125.

Aviation Summer Camp gives kids the uniquely thrilling experience of learning to actually fly. Certified teachers and flight instructors provide the expertise for aspiring aviators; some camps include flight time while others focus on the same principles through simulators.

Campers can sign up for two, three, or five days and in that time can learn about and participate in virtually every aspect of aviation.

Brain Play is three-week camp providing K-8th graders opportunities to think "outside the box."

Journeying through the worlds of science, technology, and the arts, Brain Play introduces creative thinking to the problem solving process. Campers master the fundamental strategies and techniques of brainstorming, while practicing fluent, flexible, and original (higher order) thinking skills.

In 2006, sessions are offered as follows:

Session I (July 10-28): Waverly School, Pasadena
Session II (July 31-Aug 18): Curtis School, LA

Grades: K-12

Enrollment: 960

Uniform: Yes

Spread across two campuses, Brentwood School is an independent, elementary through secondary, coeducational institution. The West Campus, at 12001 Sunset Blvd., consists of two sections of 21 to 22 students in each grade level, K-6. Specialty teachers in science, foreign language, music, art, physical education, computer science, and community service as well as seven full-time assistants support the efforts of the classroom teachers.

The East Campus, located at 100 S. Barrington Place, offers an academic program with a carefully sequenced, broad-based exposure to the liberal arts. Advanced placement courses are offered in 17 subject areas. The curriculum is extensive and flexible, with more than 100 courses offered each year. Honors level courses are offered in every discipline.

Extended day coverage is available on the campus until 6pm each day that school is in session throughout the school year.

The California Chess Club is an affiliate of the
United States Chess Federation.

Club activities include after school chess programs, summer and holiday soccer and chess camps, scholastic tournaments, a Saturday workshop for kids ages six to 14, and group and private lessons for all ages.

This state-of-the-art science museum easily merits a day-long visit to experience fully all three floors of stimulating - and fun - hands-on exhibitions and activities.

The experience starts before you even get inside the museum, with Science Plaza and the Lorsch Pavilion: magenta skylights cast moving shadows of color over the ground below - with sculptures accessible for exploring and paving stones that pose thought-provoking questions.

Once you get inside you'll find the ExploraStore, a great museum gift shop, and all the food any family could want: McDonalds', Taco Bell, and a regular cafeteria-type restaurant featuring sandwiches, salads, pizza and snacks. A large, well-lit and clean eating area has loads of tables; there are also tables outside. High chairs and booster seats abound. And you can find clean bathrooms with changing tables on every level of the museum.

Take the see-through escalator, or the elevator, to the second level for the World of Life gallery featuring interactive exhibits that show there are basic functions all living things must do in order to survive.

Younger kids will enjoy watching incubated eggs hatch into baby chicks or tadpoles turn into frogs. And there are plenty of exhibits to fascinate and educate older kids, too. Cries of gross or cool can be heard as they watch an actual heart surgery projected onto a patient in Surgery Theater.

Creative World offers hands-on exhibitions about communication, transportation, and structures. Experience a simulated earthquake to learn how buildings can be made structurally sound; drive a virtual vehicle to safely learn how different vehicles operate; or have a conversation with people in a variety of locations in the Science Center through a video hookup.

Do leave plenty of time for the Discovery Rooms. Here parents and young children can explore science themes from the main galleries through a variety of activities. The World of Life Discovery Room lets kids get an up-close look at live fish, rats, birds and turtles. Questions will abound as parents and children go through the contents of the Discovery Boxes that cover everything from the digestive system to sea shells. The Creative World Discovery Room, with its own set of Discovery Boxes, also lets kids see themselves on TV in the recording studio and ?build' a two-story house. Both Discovery Rooms are closed-off and have child-proofed toddler areas with age-appropriate toys and books.

Located on the third level, 43 feet above the atrium floor, on a one-inch cable, the High Wire Bicycle beckons to those old enough, big enough and BRAVE enough to try it. Note that an extra fee applies. Nearby is the entrance to the Weingart Special Exhibits Gallery, featuring exhibits from other museums. Exhibits in this gallery change three to four times a year.

Located east of the Science Center's main building, the SKETCH Foundation Gallery, featuring air and space exhibits, stands as one of the unique features of Exposition Park, with its dramatic concrete and metal design by world-renown architect, Frank Gehry. The gallery is the only place west of the Mississippi to house a collection of actual flown space capsules from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.

The IMAX Theater, just across from the science center, shows films on a movie screen 7-stories high, making you feel part of the action. Movies are about 40 minutes long and start every hour. Ticket prices are Adults $8; Seniors and Students $5.75; Children $4.75. Call 213.744.2019 for schedules, advance ticket sales or info on multi-show discounts and group sales, or check our calendar.

The Science Center also hosts numerous summer camp programs, including family camp weekends, programs for preschoolers, and camps for kids ages six and up (through high school seniors).

The Science Center has conference space available that can be reserved for corporate or private parties.

Membership for families begins at the $50 level, and includes year-long admission to the Science Center as well as parking passes and IMAX tickets.

The Children's Culinary Academy offers kids a chance to prepare and cook a different dish each day, ranging from pizza and cookies (for younger students) to gourmet sandwiches (for the older students). The classes are broken into three age groups, so participants are sure to interact with other kids their own age.

The summer program (a half-day culinary camp) is held on weekdays; school year family classes are generally offered on Saturdays.

The Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) is an institution which pioneered recognition in the Los Angeles area of the aesthetic and cultural merit of traditional arts and crafts. Founded in 1965 by Edith and Frank Wyle as The Egg and the Eye, the museum is known for its exhibitions reflecting the diverse communities and contemporary craft artists and designers of the Southern California region and internationally.

On most weekends, the museum offers workshops on new arts and crafts techniques and cultural information. Recent events have included creating paper quilts while listening to traditional African American lullabies, making marionettes after watching a puppet show, and working with clay in the studio. Check our calendar to see what's next on the schedule.

The museum's Wide World Summer Camp is a great deal, and a great way to expose kids ages six to 12 to different cultures.

CREST - which stands for child care, recreation, enrichment, sports, together - is a unique program collaborating between the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, offering fun and exciting before and after school options right at the school site.

Throughout the school year, before and after school homework assistance and activities are available for kids in grades K-3. For students in grades K-8, enrichment classes and youth sports programs are offered. In addition, several of the schools offer free after-school unstructured supervised playground time. On school breaks, CREST offers various camp programs.

Financial assistance is available to qualifying low and moderate income families. CREST is a part of the City's Human Services Division.

Nestled in the foothills of the San Rafael Hills, the 160 acres of gorgeous Descanso Gardens is well-worth the drive. Camellia lovers come from miles around to see the unrivaled splendor of the blossoms, which start to bloom in fall and culminate in the annual Camellia Festival in February. This is North America's largest camellia collection; check the calendar for more information.

A network of paved walkways takes you (and your stroller) through landscaped gardens and woods, past waterfalls, lakes, and a bird sanctuary. Children will especially love the opportunity to spot the ducks, herons, egrets, and more from the bird-watching station overlooking the lake.

A tram ride, costing $3, runs through the gardens; Tue-Fri at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm; Sat-Sun at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. And don't miss the Enchanted Railroad, a miniature train ride which chugs its way through the shrubbery on weekends only, for $3 per person.

The Cafe Court offers sandwiches, salads, and other light luncheon fare, every day from 10am until 3pm. You can buy plants, gifts, and souvenirs at the gift shop, open daily from 10am until 4pm; 4:45pm on weekends. During the summer, tea parties can be reserved in advance.

Summer camps are offered in the form of Science Adventure Camps for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each week-long session is a separate camp focusing on topics like extreme sports, gizmos and gadgets, and space and rocketry. Camp information is available at 888.458.1812.

Membership grants free admission, as well as cafe, gift shop, and class discounts and advance notice of events. Family memberships are $80 for two adults and children under 18. A KidKare pass can be obtained for $25 for a family caregiver.

Destination Science combines innovative science projects, creativity challenges, outdoor games, and character development activities in a camp experience.

At Techno Robo Transformers Camp, kids race their very own robot transformers and design a 3D game to save the world. The techno-camp includes kids’ room security alarms, touchable giant bouncing bubbles, techno ice cream makers, and an electro lazer light show.

Zero G Rocket Science Camp is where kids can launch a hypersonic rocket blaster and help to create Astroworld, the first “kids rule” space station. Experiments are conducted with space candy, crazy space ball polymers, and other toys.

Wild Animal Physics Fun Park allows campers to design a rollercoaster powered by gravity and magnetism. Kids also put together a mini carnival of games like flashback target ball, cosmic bowling, shockwave mini hoops, and electro lizard operation. Frogs, millipedes, and crabs are part of the fun, too.

The Craz-E-Cool Physics Invention Zone lets every kid be a master inventor. Campers search for real pirate treasure, make super sonic sounds, and explore mysterious magic sand, as well as experimenting with magic popping bags, silly slime makers, and high flying kites.

The Discovery Science Center, also known as the Discovery Cube is a 59,000-square-foot interactive, hands-on learning facility designed to spark children's natural curiosity. Dedicated to kids' education through entertainment, it's as much like an amusement park as a museum.

Kids are encouraged to touch, play, and explore science-related exhibits in a fun and entertaining way.

Nine exhibit areas are featured: Discovery Stadium (where kids can test their physical knack by gauging their reaction times, grip strength, and balance ability), Techno Arts, Air and Space, Perception, Dynamic Earth, Quake Zone, KidStation, the Digital Lab, and Dino Quest.

Dino Quest, the center's newest permanent exhibit, takes families on a trip through the prehistoric world with several life-size dinosaurs, including an argentinosaurus that guests can walk through, a T-Rex, several velociraptors, and others.

Discovery Science Center houses nearly 100 interactive exhibits. Lie on a bed of 3,500 nails (and learn the secret of weight disbursement), walk through a tornado, experience an earthquake, and more.

Additional features are a computer room with 20 terminals, a demonstration theater, 4-D Laser Theater (an additional $2-$3), two classrooms, and a science store.

Kids ages five and under can experience electronic finger painting and can dress up and be on a TV screen in the KidStation area. Even the very smallest of the small can enjoy the soft-play section.

Discovery Activities take place from 2pm-5pm daily.

The Center hosts numerous summer camp options. Most camps are for children ages seven to 13, but Summer Smiles is a new half day camp for five and six year olds. The week-long day camps focus on science and technology and run daily either from 9am to 2:30pm or 9am to 12n. Class fees include admission to Discovery Science Center. Members pay discounted fees. Extended day programs (including a snack and structured activities) from 2:30pm to 5pm are available for some camps, for an additional fee.

Food options include a Taco Bell (the center's major sponsor) and Pizza Hut Express.

Children 17 years of age and under need to be accompanied by an adult.

Children can enjoy summer camp with an environmental theme at Earth Adventure Camp. Each week is packed with fun and games, as well as themed field trips, pool time, nature activities, and beach days.

Gift of Language offers foreign language classes that use visuals, music, and dance to engage and involve children. The staff is experienced in foreign languages and cultures as well as in educational principles.

Students can join a session at any time, and a $20 trial class is an option before committing to a longer course. Private sessions and Spanish language summer camp are also offered.

iD Tech Camp is a week-long, day and overnight program for kids ages seven to 17. Campers build robots, create video games, design websites with Flash, film digital movies, and learn programming. Special teen programs include iD Gaming Academy, iD Film Academy, and a Study Abroad program in Spain.

iD Tech Camp is a week-long, day and overnight program for kids ages seven to 17. Campers build robots, create video games, design websites with Flash, film digital movies, and learn programming. Special teen programs include iD Gaming Academy, iD Film Academy, and a Study Abroad program in Spain.

La Pintoresca Park comes by its Spanish name (meaning "picturesque") quite naturally. Situated along the incline toward the San Gabriel Mountains, the park offers lovely views of the hills. The park is also home to the lovely La Pintoresca Branch Library.

The area has several picnic tables and the ever-popular skate park, which opened in 2002 and got new equipment and a resurfacing job in the spring of 2008. Proper safety gear (helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads) is required for skating, and all minors must have parental consent to use the facility.

The park hosts countless summer and afterschool enrichment programs and sports activities, including basketball, softball, flag football, volleyball, and soccer, as well as nature, arts and crafts, special community events, and field trips.

Larchmont Charter School is a tuition-free, public elementary school with a project-based curriculum. Enrollment is determined by lottery and is open to all children in California.

The school also offers a summer program, Summer Cool, which is open to kids in kindergarten through sixth grade - including those not enrolled at the school during the regular school year. Indoor and outdoor activities include water games in the on-campus pool, arts and crafts, and sing-alongs. Email summer@larchmontcharter.org or call the school for details.

LILA, Lycee International de Los Angeles offers French summer camp in Los Feliz. The morning focuses on language acquisition, and the afternoon is all about fun - all with full immersion in the French language.

The camp facility is licensed by the state as a daycare center. Previous exposure to French is not required. Part time and daily registration are available.

LILA, Lycee International de Los Angeles offers French summer camp in Los Feliz. The morning focuses on language acquisition, and the afternoon is all about fun - all with full immersion in the French language.

The camp facility is licensed by the state as a daycare center. Previous exposure to French is not required. Part time and daily registration are available.

LILA, Lycee International de Los Angeles offers French summer camp in Los Feliz. The morning focuses on language acquisition, and the afternoon is all about fun - all with full immersion in the French language.

The camp facility is licensed by the state as a daycare center. Previous exposure to French is not required. Part time and daily registration are available.

The Los Angeles Zoo doesn't compare to its neighbor to the south in San Diego, but it's an excellent option for animal lovers, sitting on over a hundred acres of hilly, wooded land in Griffith Park.

The Winnick Family Children's Zoo includes Muriel's Ranch, an animal contact area that's staffed with zookeepers and safety zones, where children and animals can safely mingle. You'll also find Kids' Korner Restaurant, Adventure Theatre (where kids don costumes and help act out stories about animals), and a new animal nursery exhibit - the Winnick Family Animal Care Center.

It's a bit of a walk to the Main Zoo, but you can stop along the way to watch the meerkats, the amazing, although somewhat smelly, flamingos, or take a pit stop at one of the many refreshment and souvenir kiosks.

Kids tend to have a special affinity for the snake house, the habitat for orangutans, and the state-of-the-art chimpanzee exhibit. The koalas are housed in a darkened building, which is fun for older kids but can be scary for little ones.

Guided tours are available for groups and families who make advance reservations. Request a variety of tours by calling 323.644.4700.

Picnic areas and a variety of restaurants are scattered throughout; most of the restaurants have special children's meals, with hot dogs or chicken, a drink and a small plastic toy.

At the farthest end from the entrance is a popular playground with climbing equipment and slides. There is an adjacent picnic area, restrooms, and plenty of adult seating. However it's not fenced in, and the equipment is not safe for toddlers unless carefully supervised.

Distances can be very long for shorter legs; the Zoo runs a regular shuttle (Adults $4; Children $2 for unlimited use during the course of one visit). And strollers are available for rental just inside the entrance (singles are $7/day; doubles $11/day).

Bathrooms with changing stations are easily found. The first aid station is by the front gate.

Programs and classes at the LA Zoo invariably require pre-registration, and are less expensive for members. For information and/or reservations call 323.644.4211, and see our event calendar.

Zoo Camp is a fun summer activity for fans of the zoo, ages four to 12. Full or half-day programs are available on a weekly basis, and fill quickly.

A must-do at the zoo is a sleep-over at one of the famous Sundown Safaris! You can fall asleep to the roaring of lions and wake up to the singing of siamangs. The Zoo provides dinner, breakfast, and a special after-hours tour. You can bring your own tent or rent one. Sundown Safari begins at 5pm as the Zoo closes, and ends at 9am the next day. Check our calendar for dates, or call 323.644.4253 for information.

Plan a birthday party among the animals; the Zoo has a variety of birthday plans available at varying costs. Call 323.644.6047 for information.

Membership offers many benefits, and, if you plan to visit more than once a year, is worth the investment. Prices are $45 for Individual; $65 for Family.

Mad Science is on a mission to stimulate scientific learning through hands-on fun and activities that will get kids excited about science.

Mad Science offers birthday parties for groups of any size, ideal for children ages five to 12. A Mad Scientist comes to your house and presents a 45-minute show, adapted to the ages of the kids in your group, combining high-energy, interactive fun with entertaining science experiments that appeal to kids' penchant for goo, pop, and fizz. A variety of 15-minute "finales" are available for an extra charge, featuring dry ice, a laser show, a sound machine, or a rocket launch.

Other options, for an additional charge, include a cotton candy machine, goody bags, party favors, t-shirts, invitations, and decorations.

Mad Science also offers summer camps at several locations throughout the Santa Barbara Area. Camps run weekly from Jun through Aug, including full-day camps for children ages six to 12, and half-day camps for ages three to five. Registration and other information are available online.

Mad Science Summer Day Camp is a five-day science camp for kids. Each day of the camp consists of different science subject matter, including Cell City, The Organ Trail, and Chemical Counting. Children can perform a variety of hands-on experiments, and make a different item to take home every day.

Snacks are provided, but each child must bring his or her own sack lunch.

Visitors can explore one of the last remaining vernal marshes in southern California. There's a beautiful drought-tolerant garden, a magnet for wildlife birds. Butterflies, bees, spiders, and beetles also make their home here.

Picnics are not permitted in the Marsh proper, but picnic tables are available, first-come, first-served, near the parking lot. Nature walks are offered regularly. Check our calendar for listings!

A variety of classes and Science camps are offered, in cooperation with the City of Torrance Parks and Recreation Department. Call 310.618.2720 for a current schedule.

PlanetBravo is a multimedia education company whose flagship program, Techno-tainment Camp, employs the latest technologies to make education fun.

The camp offers technology-based classes like video game design, digital movie making, animation, web design, music creation, robotics, and programing.

PlanetBravo holds camps at locations around Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Thousand Oaks, and Pasadena.

PlanetBravo is a multimedia education company whose flagship program, Techno-tainment Camp, employs the latest technologies to make education fun.

The camp offers technology-based classes like video game design, digital movie making, animation, web design, music creation, robotics, and programing.

PlanetBravo holds camps at locations around Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Thousand Oaks, and Pasadena.

Play-Well TEKnologies teaches engineering with LEGOs throughout California. Kids design and build motorized machines, catapults, pyramids, demolition derby cars, truss and suspension bridges, buildings - you name it. Along the way, the students explore concepts in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture.

The company offers Engineering with LEGOS camps at various locations around LA over the summer; a full listing of available camps can be found on the Play-Well website.