Back to school time may be here, but summer fun hasn't run out yet. If you're looking for fun, kid-friendly ideas in L.A. this month and a simple trip to the playground won't do, keep your tot occupied with these 20 things to do with kids in August.
July 29–Aug 6
U.S. Open of Surfing; Huntington Beach
Hit the beach to cheer on the country's biggest pro surfers at this annual competition.
Aug 6
Storybook Adventures; Kidspace Children's Museum
Build a cardboard castle, create a storybook potion and learn the physics behind the Three Little Pigs at this hands-on event.
Aug 11, 25
Summer Nights in the Garden; Natural History Museum
Spend an evening outside with live music, botanical tours and animal meet and greets.
Aug 12, 13
CatCon; Pasadena Convention Center
Meet Insta-famous kitties and peruse feline-friendly wares at the self-dubbed Comic-Con for cat people.
Through Aug 13
OC Fair; OC Fair & Event Center
Mix fried food, carnival attractions and the occasional rodeo or demolition derby, and you've got the OC Fair.
Aug 13
CicLAvia: San Pedro Meets Wilmington; Various locations
Pedal your way from San Pedro to Wilmington during the bike-friendly fest.
Aug 17
Silver Lake Picture Show; Sunset Triangle Plaza
Liven up your Thursday nights at this Eastside screening series, incluidng Space JAm this month.
Through Aug 18
Shakespeare by the Sea; Various locations
Enjoy one of the many free performances of Macbeth or The Taming of the Shrew, put on by Shakespeare by the Sea throughout summer.
Aug 19-27
Nisei Week Japanese Festival; JACCC
Celebrate Japanese culture with displays of martial arts, tea ceremonies, flower arranging and more.
Aug 21
Solar Eclipse Viewing with JPL; Kidspace Children's Museum
Safely watch the sun disappear behind the moon at this solar eclipse watch party.
Through Aug 22
Moonlight Movies on the Beach; Granada Beach
Pack up your folding chairs and head to Long Beach for these unique outdoor screenings of Finding Dory, Moana and The Princess Bride.
Through Aug 26
Grand Performances; California Plaza
Scope out a diverse mix of kid-friendly music and theater performances at this water-encompassed stage.
Aug 27
Mad Science Sunday; Kidspace Children's Museum
Get messy in the slime kitchen, program a robot and catch a mad scientist presentation during this kid-science series.
Through Aug 31
Pageant of the Masters; Festival of Arts
See classic paintings come to life during this Laguna Beach musical and theatrical tradition.
Through Sept 3
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park; Old Zoo
Take in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, while enjoying the great outdoors.
Through Sept 4
Butterfly Pavilion; Natural History Museum
Wander around the Natural History Museum’s seasonal pavilion as hundreds of free-flying moths and butterflies flutter overhead.
Through Sept 10
Extreme Mammals; Natural History Museum
Brush up on 200 million years of mammalian evolution at this touring exhibition of unusual and odd fossilized creatures.
Through Jan 7
Play!; The Autry Museum in Griffith Park
Discover dolls, board games and outdoor activities from the Autry's collection, from old-timey toys to modern-day Western-inspired diversions.
Ongoing
Free museum days; Various locations
Make the most of free days at LACMA, the Natural History Museum and more, plus always-free museums like the Hammer, Getty and Broad.
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