Even if you haven’t lived in California your whole life, you’re undoubtedly aware of the fact that Mickey, Goofy, Minnie and the rest of the gang hail from Anaheim’s famed Disneyland. While this iconic, instantly-recognizable landmark is often immediately thought of when the topic of “family fun” is brought up amongst tourists and natives alike, there are actually a plethora of other exciting things to do, see and experience in the Los Angeles area.
If it seems like we’re saying “you’ll never get bored living here,” you’re on the right track.
The following venues represent our top picks for awesome family fun near Woodland Hills that will have you believing in life beyond Disneyland.
Kfar Saba Urban Farm, located in Winnetka in Los Angeles, offers a fun, educational experience at a local petting zoo where you and the family get to feed, touch and interact with all the fascinating animals. In a world that has seemingly gone a little off the deep end, Kfar Saba Urban Farm represents a respite from the everyday stresses of COVID, social distancing and rising living costs, what with the myriad of goats, birds, chickens, alpacas and almost everything else in-between to learn about, share emotions with and gawk at. The staff here do a wonderful job of educating children about the animals while keeping both residents of the farm and kiddos safe, and you will never tire of learning how these beautiful species were rescued for the sole purpose of giving them a much better life.
We Rock the Spectrum, located at 5520 Crebs Avenue in Tarzana, is committed to providing a safe, nurturing and fun environment to foster learning, exploration and safe sensory experiences. Through this kid’s gym’s nonprofit, My Brother Rocks the Spectrum, the owners provide social skills groups, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and activities for children across the spectrum in the sensory gym. The We Rock the Spectrum facility offers suspended equipment with swings for balance and vestibular treatment; crash mats and crash pillows for fun, motor planning and strength; tunnels and zip line; trampolines for building leg and core strength; indoor play structure for climbing and increasing playground skills; sensory-based toys; fine motor play toys and equipment and an arts/crafts area with chalkboard. We Rock the Spectrum is open Monday through Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm.
Artsy Fartsy Process Art Studio, located at 22523 Hartland Street in West Hills, has been described as “a messy creative space for kids,” offering classes, an art camp, party facilities and more. The brainchild of Sherry Lowenstein, this spot strives to create a beautiful space to inspire little ones and give them the freedom to explore and express themselves freely; to this end, Lowenstein and Artsy Fartsy Process Art Studio place an importance on process art – the process of creating without a focus on the end result. Classes offered by the studio include Color Run, Fairy Gardens, Up in Space, Toddler Class and All Ages Class, while the summer-oriented Art Camp presents a busy artistic adventure with seemingly never-ending creative projects and activities.
Warner Center Park, located at 5800 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, has become, hands-down, Los Angelinos’ favorite place to take the family in the summer, whether it’s for packing up a picnic dinner, enjoying a late afternoon listening to live music via the Concert in the Park series or just frolicking with the kids and dogs in the myriad of play areas. With plenty of shaded spots and squirrels for the four-legged companions to chase, Warner Center Park has become almost legendary amongst Woodland Hills residents for its beautiful grounds, perfect location, clean aesthetic and spaciousness for picnics, birthdays and all other family gatherings. The park is open 24 hours all week.
Maze Rooms Los Angeles, located at 132 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, offers a plethora of escape room games that force you to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues and escape the room with a set time limit. Family members can work as a team to solve these puzzles, explore clues and use available tools combined with logic and senses to find the keys and open the door to freedom within 60 minutes. In presenting the top-rated escape rooms in all of Los Angeles, Maze Rooms lets you choose from games such as Spy Dogs, Whatever Happened to the Garretts, Tombstone, They’re Coming, Sky Odyssey, World of Illusions, Pharaoh’s Tomb and The Abyss. Contact Maze Rooms directly to find out about COVID restrictions and modified availability.
One of the most therapeutic things one can do right now is plan a fun family outing – and there’s no place like Woodland Hills to do it.
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