The Boy Scouts is an institution that has honed to the same mission for decades: To promote physical fitness, citizenship, and good old-fashioned character building.

Boys in first through fifth grade are eligible for Cub Scouts. Many boys join a troop through either their school or church. But you can also check the website to find out where there's a unit closest to you. You'll be given the name and number of the pack leader and can call to make arrangements for meeting.

Each pack meets as often as the parents want them to and frequency can range from one to four times per month.

The Boy Scouts is an institution that has honed to the same mission for decades: To promote physical fitness, citizenship, and good old-fashioned character building.

Boys in first through fifth grade are eligible for Cub Scouts. Many boys join a troop through either their school or church. But you can also check the website to find out where there's a unit closest to you. You'll be given the name and number of the pack leader and can call to make arrangements for meeting.

Each pack meets as often as the parents want them to and frequency can range from one to four times per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood has touched the lives of kids ages six to 17 for the better part of a century. Kids are offered the tools to succeed in life with a learning center, computer lab, social recreation programs, a sports and fitness program, arts and crafts, and a music program. The Club currently serves more than 1,500 kids in the Hollywood area. The Boys & Girls Club's mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring adults..

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Hollywood is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena offers more than 50 programs at five different locations in the Pasadena area. All activities and programs are included in the membership price. This includes swim team, swim lessons, homework assistance, use of the libraries and technology centers, art classes, and more.

Transportation is available during the school year for $50 per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena also has a day care facility at the Scott Child Development Center. Full-time care is available for children ages two to five for $650 per week. Financial aid is available; contact details are below.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Pasadena is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena offers more than 50 programs at five different locations in the Pasadena area. All activities and programs are included in the membership price. This includes swim team, swim lessons, homework assistance, use of the libraries and technology centers, art classes, and more.

Transportation is available during the school year for $50 per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena also has a day care facility at the Scott Child Development Center. Full-time care is available for children ages two to five for $650 per week. Financial aid is available; contact details are below.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Pasadena is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena offers more than 50 programs at five different locations in the Pasadena area. All activities and programs are included in the membership price. This includes swim team, swim lessons, homework assistance, use of the libraries and technology centers, art classes, and more.

Transportation is available during the school year for $50 per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena also has a day care facility at the Scott Child Development Center. Full-time care is available for children ages two to five for $650 per week. Financial aid is available; contact details are below.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Pasadena is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena offers more than 50 programs at five different locations in the Pasadena area. All activities and programs are included in the membership price. This includes swim team, swim lessons, homework assistance, use of the libraries and technology centers, art classes, and more.

Transportation is available during the school year for $50 per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena also has a day care facility at the Scott Child Development Center. Full-time care is available for children ages two to five for $650 per week. Financial aid is available; contact details are below.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Pasadena is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena offers more than 50 programs at five different locations in the Pasadena area. All activities and programs are included in the membership price. This includes swim team, swim lessons, homework assistance, use of the libraries and technology centers, art classes, and more.

Transportation is available during the school year for $50 per month.

The Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena also has a day care facility at the Scott Child Development Center. Full-time care is available for children ages two to five for $650 per week. Financial aid is available; contact details are below.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Pasadena is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860, and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica has touched the lives of local kids for more than 60 years. Boys and girls are offered the tools to succeed in life with arts, athletics, education, leadership development and career preparation, social recreation, skateboarding and rollerblading, and technology.

Special group clubs and sports leagues are available as well. The facility has a skate park and a teen center.

The national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which Santa Monica is an affiliate member, has been serving youth since 1860 and is ranked number one among youth organizations by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Burbank Community YMCA offers two heated indoor swimming pools, a basketball court, youth fitness center, two racquetball courts, a spa, and a child care center.

Classes include gymnastics, swimming, dance, karate, and boxing. Swim classes are held daily for swimmers of all levels and ages, from parent and baby (six months-three years) through adulthood. Recreational swim, lap swimming, and training sessions are also available.

The Junior Lakers Basketball League has winter and summer sessions; the costs is about $90, plus membership fees. Call 818.845.8551 ext. 269 for information about try-outs.

The Child Development Center is a nationally accredited child care center for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and after-kindergarten care. Financial assistance is available. For more information, call 818.562.5461.

The Adventure Guides Program uses nature as a backdrop. Parents (acting as guides) and their children embark on a series of adventures through hiking, camping, and crafts to build character and strengthen the parent/child bond.

Gymnastics birthday parties are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm-4pm for children ages three and up (membership is required). Parties include a fully decorated room, invitations, birthday cake, tableware, 45 minutes of gymnastics fun supervised by the Y's coaches, goody bags, free trial class coupons for each guest, and a YMCA gymnastics t-shirt for the birthday child. For more information, contact Megan Hocking 818.845.8551 ext. 281.

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.

Children Helping Poor and Homeless People (CHPHP) is an educational outreach program conducted by children and teens with adult advisors. Ongoing CHPHP programs include Routes for Homeless People, Outreach for People in Need, Adopt a Family Program, Adopt a Teen Program, Rent Supplement Program, Fund For People in Need, Animal Outreach, Thanksgiving In A Box Program, Theater Program, Transitional Counseling, The Speaker's Bureau, and Community Picnic and Softball Games.

Baseball leagues, from T-Ball through Seniors. Call to request an application: once your application has been received, you'll be notified regarding tryouts (for the 2001 Spring Season, these were held the weekend of Jan 6th and 7th; if you missed it, you might crawl in under the wire at the make-up day on Jan 21st).

Once assigned to a team, you'll be contacted by the team manager with information about practice locations and times. Spring practice season begins mid-February; opening day ceremonies are March 3rd.

The Girl Scout credo is "where girls grow strong," and selling Girl Scout cookies is only a small part of getting there. On field trips and through mentorships with local employers, the girls learn about science, business, arts, and themselves. The organization also hosts spring and summer camps.

Girls in kindergarten, or ages 5 to 6, are eligible for Daisy Girls. Ages 6 to 8, or first through third grade, are eligible for Brownies. Fourth through sixth graders, ages 9 to 11, become Jr. Girls, and girls ages 12-13, or in grades 7 through 9, become Cadettes. The oldest group, ages 14 to 17, in grades 9 through 12, are Senior Girls.

Joining is easy. Call the central number to register; you'll be assigned to a troop in your neighborhood. Each troop is run by volunteer leaders and meet about once per month.

The Glendale YMCA has sports and exercise facilities, and instruction in swimming, basketball and gymnastics for all ages and levels.

The facility is located in two buildings just off Brand Boulevard in downtown Glendale, one a landmark Spanish Revival, built in 1926, the other a modern addition. It has an indoor swimming pool, a rooftop track, weight and exercise rooms, badminton and raquetball courts, saunas and steamrooms.

The Child Watch Center offers free babysitting for children between the ages of 18 months and 8 years old, for family members only, two hours a day, while you swim or exercise.

A youth basketball league meets year-round on Saturday mornings. Gymnastics classes and tennis lessons are offered daily, with instruction for all levels. Kindergym is a twice-weekly program of gymastics and playing, for infants and toddlers, and their parents.

The pool has regular open swims for recreational and lap swimming, and regular Family Swims when the pool is open only to families swimming together.

Swimming lessons are available for all ages and levels, starting with infants and parents together, all the way to competitive swimming instruction for teens. The lessons cost $45/eight lessons, with sessions scheduled twice a week.

Membership gives you free access to the open swimming and open basketball, and lower prices for some classes. Family: for 2 adults and children, $75 joining fee and $65/ month, or for one adult and children, $75 joining fee and $42/ month. Children's memberships: pre-school(3-5): $25/year; youth(6-14): $25 joining fee and $70/ year; high school (15 to graduation): $25 joining fee and $140/year.

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

Inside Out offers year-round arts programming for middle school youth who want to explore comedy and drama, acting, singing, dancing, music, creative writing, and painting. And it's free.

The program includes weekly workshops, nature field trips, a visit to a professional play, and more. The program ends with a performance, an art show, and a party for the whole neighborhood!

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles has been enriching the lives of thousands of children annually for over 90 years. The organization provides mentoring through innovative programs and services that facilitate lasting relationships to improve a child’s self esteem and learning.

The program is for Jewish boys and girls ages six through 18, and clinicians in four offices throughout Los Angeles work to match them with trained adult volunteers.

The organization's Sports Buddies and Arts Buddies programs are non-denominational, designed to encourage children ages seven to 12 to play non-competitive sports or make art during Sunday sessions at Camp Max Strauss in Glendale.

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.

This volunteer and community service organization has mobilized over 50,000 individuals in thousands of projects aiding the community. With help from local business and government, as well as the entertainment community, LA Works aims to increase volunteer participation around Los Angeles.

The group can help families find a one-day project painting a school or cleaning up a neighborhood, or, for those who want to make a greater time commitment, the organization can help find two to three month-long volunteer projects.

LA Works also sponsors the enormously successful
LA Works Day, a day on which hundreds of individuals and groups spread out across the city to make change. Check our calendar for the latest information.

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.

The Santa Anita Family YMCA has been providing youth and family programming to Monrovia residents for more than 50 years. The 34,000-square-foot facility has an six-lane indoor lap pool and a gymnasium featuring six baskets, one full court, two junior-size courts with height-adjustable baskets, and two volleyball courts. The center also houses a Family Center with computers and Internet access.

Licensed after-school care (until 6pm) is provided for children in kindergarten through grade five; the center also provides care for school-age children on school holidays and teacher in-service days.

Summer day camp is popular here, and kids can take advantage of all kinds of classes, including swimming lessons, karate, and sports like basketball and indoor soccer.

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 Valley Cities JCC in Sherman Oaks hosts a variety of programs for the community, including a nursery school and after-school care for kids in grades kindergarten through eight.

Village Church in Burbank is a non-denominational Christian church with a lot of family programs. The church has an Infant & Toddler program, a preschool, and a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program.

The West Valley YMCA serves families in Calabasas, Canoga Park, Encino, Hidden Hills, Reseda, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills. A Childwatch Program is free to members.

Swimming lessons are offered in the heated, indoor, five-lane pool, starting at age six months and continuing up through adults.

Kids' programs include ballet, aerobics, karate, arts and crafts, and gymnastics. There is also a Youth Sports Program for ages five and up, offering year-round basketball and soccer stressing healthy competition, skills, and teamwork (everyone plays).

Family Fun Nights, held every month, offer pool activites, games, snacks, and an inflatable pirate ship.

Parent/Child Program monthly activities are offered as either Y-Guides for boys or Adventure Princess for girls.

The Westside Jewish Community Center has been serving the community for over 50 years. The JCC hosts a variety of programs for the community, including an early childhood center with preschool and kindergarten programs, gymnastics classes, swim classes, a basketball league, and SAT preparation courses. Members can also use the facility's swimming pool year-round.

The JCC also offers a summer camp, which is often available for school breaks as well.