AdventurePlex, South Bay's health and fitness center designed especially for kids, is a fun place to play, with an outdoor climbing wall, gymnasium and fitness center, challenging mazes, tunnels, and slides.

The indoor adventure structure includes an enclosed multilevel maze of tunnels, slides, and ladders, and is designed to improve children's body strength, coordination, balance, endurance, and social skills through play.

Class offerings include Yoga, Safe Sitter, Healthy Cooking, First Aid, rock climbing, a ropes course, fitness, CPR, dance, gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, and Parent/Infant fitness.

Themed birthday parties are customized to take advantage of the unique activities at AdventurePlex, from the rock climbing wall to the adventure room. Prices start at $500 for 12 children.

Summer camp and school vacation camps are offered as well. Call for brochure.

AdventurePlex, South Bay's health and fitness center designed especially for kids, is a fun place to play, with an outdoor climbing wall, gymnasium and fitness center, challenging mazes, tunnels, and slides.

The indoor adventure structure includes an enclosed multilevel maze of tunnels, slides, and ladders, and is designed to improve children's body strength, coordination, balance, endurance, and social skills through play.

Class offerings include Yoga, Safe Sitter, Healthy Cooking, First Aid, rock climbing, a ropes course, fitness, CPR, dance, gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, and Parent/Infant fitness.

Themed birthday parties are customized to take advantage of the unique activities at AdventurePlex, from the rock climbing wall to the adventure room. Prices start at $500 for 12 children.

Summer camp and school vacation camps are offered as well. Call for brochure.

More than just a day camp, Camp Monkey Muffin also offers year-round classes in visual and performing arts as well as cooking.

Class size is limited to six students, who sometimes get to benefit from visits by artists, musicians, and filmmakers. Classes and camps take place in the home of director Edy Pickens, who lives in the Sunkist Park Neighborhood of Culver City.

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.

Chefs, Inc. offers culinary classes and camps for kids, teaching future chefs the finer points of food preparation, keeping a clean work space, recipes, and measuring ingredients.

Kids are encouraged to explore their own creativity and style, and to eat what they make.

Birthday parties at Chefs, Inc. are a lot of fun, with hats, aprons, and individual menus with recipes for each child to take home. Kids prepare and eat the whole meal under expert supervision.

Creative Space offers a full and varied program of classes and after-school programs for pre-school and school-age boys and girls.

The directors spent months talking to neighborhood parents and educators, and put together a complete curriculum, with qualified faculty, designed to help kids learn and have fun.

Classes range from animation and bead-design to puppetry, cooking, film-making, yoga, and dance for school age kids. Mommy-and-me classes, as well as special pre-school programs in yoga, music, dance, and gymnastics, are also available.

Birthday party packages include a two-hour party on Saturdays or Sundays, entertainment, food and beverages for kids, and noshables for adults. Themes range from arty parties, dance parties, and magic to science, aromatherapy, make-your-own-doll, and animals. The space is also available for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, sweet 16s, and grown up parties.

Summer Camp is based at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple campus, featuring playgrounds, a playing field, state of the art and fully air-conditioned athletic facilities, dance studio, black box theater, and an art studio.

Creative Space also has a Hawai'i Sleepover Camp, which includes airfare and two weeks of fun and cultural experiences on Oahu's north shore.

A toddler program is available for three-year-olds; children ages four to 12 may attend the day camp proper (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm).

For adults only, parenting, infant massage, nutrition, and exercise classes are also available.

Creative Space offers a full and varied program of classes and after-school programs for pre-school and school-age boys and girls.

The directors spent months talking to neighborhood parents and educators, and put together a complete curriculum, with qualified faculty, designed to help kids learn and have fun.

Classes range from animation and bead-design to puppetry, cooking, film-making, yoga, and dance for school age kids. Mommy-and-me classes, as well as special pre-school programs in yoga, music, dance, and gymnastics, are also available.

Birthday party packages include a two-hour party on Saturdays or Sundays, entertainment, food and beverages for kids, and noshables for adults. Themes range from arty parties, dance parties, and magic to science, aromatherapy, make-your-own-doll, and animals. The space is also available for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, sweet 16s, and grown up parties.

Summer Camp is based at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple campus, featuring playgrounds, a playing field, state of the art and fully air-conditioned athletic facilities, dance studio, black box theater, and an art studio.

Creative Space also has a Hawai'i Sleepover Camp, which includes airfare and two weeks of fun and cultural experiences on Oahu's north shore.

A toddler program is available for three-year-olds; children ages four to 12 may attend the day camp proper (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm).

For adults only, parenting, infant massage, nutrition, and exercise classes are also available.

The Encino Community Center is a Los Angeles City Department of Recreation & Parks facility offering a variety of youth programs, including camps, classes, and a co-op nursery school.

An upscale grocer, featuring organic foods, hand-picked fruit, bakery, flowers, and more.

Gelson's also hosts kid-friendly cooking classes. See our calendar for schedule.

Dance and exercise classes! Mommy-and-me and Daddy-and-me! Performing arts and visual arts! Chess, cooking, and French! Karate, and gymastics, and tennis! Even etiquette and babysitter training!

Glendale Parks, Recreation and Community Services has put together an amazing program of classes for children and teens. It also runs an Off-Track Day Camp, an on-going, supervised camp, for any time your kids are out of school.

Most classes run for ten weeks, although a few special ones meet for two weeks. Check our calendar for special classes. Classes are available on weekdays and weekends; most meet for an hour. Classes meet at various locations in the Glendale Park System; most are at Brand Library.

Registration:mail or walk-in to the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, 91208; telephone 818.548.2184; or fax 818.543.0793.

Fees run from about $45 to $125. Late registration fee is $15.

Green Circle Music, which was at one time known as
Made by Melissa, is run by Melissa Green, an LA-based children's performer and former preschool teacher. The company offers private music circles and birthday party entertainment.

Music Circle classes combine traditional songs and original tunes played on Melissa's guitar, with a focus on building confidence, sharing, language development, and overall music appreciation. Kids participate by singing, dancing, waving scarves, and playing instruments. Infant (30 min.) and mixed-aged (45 min.) classes are available.

Birthday parties feature upbeat songs from Melissa's album Here We Go as well as old favorites the kids can sing and dance to.

Melissa also offers cooking parties, at which kids design their own aprons and then learn to cook a meal. Themes range from homemade pizzas to macaroni and cheese to decorating cupcakes.

Melissa is a popular performer at several venues around town; check our calendar periodically to see when she's performing next!

Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights has a recreation center that offers an after school program, summer and school vacation camp programs, and a variety of classes for kids.

The park itself has a lake, a skate park, barbecue pits, picnic tables, basketball courts, and a children's play area.

Hollenbeck Park is also the site of the annual celebration of children, the Feria de los Niños

Homemade Baby provides freshly prepared, organic, kosher baby food delivered conveniently to your front door. For parents interested in exploring new foods with picky babies, the store also offers L.A.'s only baby food tasting room, where little ones can try free samples of various dishes, and get exclusive previews of the newest culinary creations.

In addition to tastings, the store regularly hosts workshops in nutrition, infant safety, CPR, and more. Check our calendar for more information.

Regular patrons should consider joining the Yummy Tummy Club for regular discounted (and customizable) bundles of baby food and early previews of new dishes before they become available to the general public. Check the website for packages and prices.

Sibling of the Kids Klub in Pasadena , the center offers infant and pre-school care starting at six weeks old. Other Kids Klub programs include before and after school programs for school age children, evening and weekend care, and summer camps. Enrichment classes like karate, dance, and art are also available.

Kitchen Kid introduces children to the kitchen by offering individualized, hands-on cooking classes for kids.

Classes take place in your kitchen, allowing kids to feel comfortable in their own surroundings. All food and unusual tools are provided and participants receive class recipes so they can continue to practice their culinary
skills.

Kitchen Kid also hosts birthday parties, dinner parties, and playgroups.

Lemon Grove Recreation Center sits next to the Hollywood Freeway and offers a full spread of community classes, sports, a playground, and free batting cages. Classes include ballet, music, Mommy & Me, and karate.

The center also offers a highly affordable four-day per week preschool for about $55 per month. Its after school club picks kids up from local elementary schools.

Facilities at Loma Alta Park include a playground, a community garden, basketball and tennis courts, sports fields, hiking trails, and an equestrian arena.

The seven-acre county park is home to the Giddings Grove picnic area and the Dr. Clarence H. Thurber community building, where a wide variety of community classes and other programs are offered.

Housed at the Silverlake Jewish Community Center, the Los Angeles Chinese Cultural Center offers age appropriate Chinese language and culture classes for children and adults on Saturdays.

Classes include Mandarin, Chinese art, Chinese cooking (age five and up with a parent), and traditional Chinese dance. Parent and me classes are available for children between the ages of 18 months and three years. Pinyin and simplified characters are also taught; younger children learn through playing games and singing songs alongside traditional teaching.

LACCC also offers a summer camp program.

Not to be confused with Madame Chocolat the entertainer, this Madame Chocolat is a sweet shop, boutique, and cafe in the heart of Beverly Hills. The shop hosts birthday parties for children ages five and up.

Mediterranean Table Cooking Classes offers classes and camps for kids, run by certified chef instructor Chef Zadi.

Chef April of Modern Gourmet offers in-home meal preparation for busy families, homemade baby and toddler food, catering for special events and dinner parties, as well as kids' cooking classes.

Located just off the Santa Monica Freeway at Overland Avenue, and next to the Palms Rancho Park Library, this Park is a favorite among kids.

Palms Park boasts two tot lots with swings, climbers, and slides, a large picnic area, a basketball court, and a large meandering green pasture where children may run or play ball.

The Recreation Center has kids' classes year round, rooms available for rent, and summer and winter camp programs.

Located just off the Santa Monica Freeway at Overland Avenue, and next to the Palms Rancho Park Library, this Park is a favorite among kids.

Palms Park boasts two tot lots with swings, climbers, and slides, a large picnic area, a basketball court, and a large meandering green pasture where children may run or play ball.

The Recreation Center has kids' classes year round, rooms available for rent, and summer and winter camp programs.

The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa has been a Pasadena landmark since 1907. It sets out to pamper both parents and children, and succeeds royally. The service is highly attentive, the setting breathtaking, and the rooms more than comfortable. This is a place you may find hard to leave - until the bill catches up with you. This is, after all, a self-described luxury hotel.

Accommodations include 392 guestrooms, with 36 Ritz-Carlton Club rooms and suites, eight cottages (with working fireplaces), and the Tournament of Roses Suite, one of Los Angeles' most luxurious two-bedroom hotel suites.

The rooms are comfortable, tastefully decorated, and quiet. Amenities include cable TV, high-speed Internet access, pay-per-view movies, and spacious marble bathrooms.

The stand-out feature for families, though, is Ritz Kids, a supervised children's program for guests ages five to 12. Kids Night Out runs from 6pm-10pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, costs $30, and includes dinner, games, a video, and refreshments.

Children's Cooking Classes are offered once a month in the pastry kitchen. Pastry Chef Brian Sundeen begins the program with a kitchen tour and safety lesson, then aspiring chefs learn the art of recipe preparation, baking techniques and pastry presentation, all with hands-on instruction from Chef Sundeen. The cost is $50/child; check our calendar for dates, or call 626.568.3900.

The Santa Monica Police Activities League offers a free after-school program for kids ages six to 17. The youth center facility has two pool tables, a large screen TV, a full size gymnasium, a computer room with supervised internet access, and a mirrored dance room.

Programs available include homework assistance, biking, arts and crafts, basketball, cooking, boxing, and karate.

The Santa Monica Police Activities League offers a free after-school program for kids ages six to 17. The youth center facility has two pool tables, a large screen TV, a full size gymnasium, a computer room with supervised internet access, and a mirrored dance room.

Programs available include homework assistance, biking, arts and crafts, basketball, cooking, boxing, and karate.

South Bay School of Cooking offers hands-on culinary arts classes for kids, teens, and adults.

Summer cooking camp classes give children the opportunity to walk away with cooking skills (and the recipes) to try at home for meals and healthy snacks. Kids can gain confidence using kitchen tools and gadgets. Each child gets to decorate their own apron, too.

Each cooking camp session runs four days, from Monday to Thursday, 9:30am-12:30pm. Experienced staff teach students in a safe environment specifically adapted for kids ages 10 to 13.

Classes are held at the Neptunian Women's Clubhouse kitchen. Advance registration is required.

Chefs Margie and Judy are mothers and gourmet chefs who teach cooking using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. Kids can even pick the fresh herbs they are about to use. Stir Crazy Kidz classes aim to introduce kids to more flavors than just "sweet."

Birthday parties start at $500.

Sun Valley Park has a recreation center with a variety of classes for the community year round, including a teen club and a preschool. The park itself has a playground, picnic tables, lighted basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, a soccer field, and a baseball diamond.

The park also has a pool (818.756.9367) with a slide open during the summer months.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.

We were delighted to discover that Sur la Table, purveyor of fine equipment for professional chefs and others who love their kitchens, offers cooking classes for Junior chefs! Sessions are limited to small groups, are well-organized, and tend to fill up quickly.

Share the joy of playing with food and learning how to cook with the kids, whether they like hosting a tea party, baking real pies, or cooking a whole dinner.

The store's junior chef selection includes pint-sized furniture, baking and cookware sets, child-size aprons, and other goodies for the young gourmet.

Mini-camps are available at some Sur la Table locations, offering two or three days of cooking experiences over the summer.