Grand openings of family-friendly businesses in and around Los Angeles.
New In Town
Distroller Wərld: A Shopping and Entertainment Experience Opens in L.A.
Distroller Wərld, an experience-based children’s boutique, will open its new L.A. flagship store at the Glendale Galleria in September. Founded by artist Amparo “Amparin” Serrano in 2004 in Mexico City, Distroller is known for its disruptive and innovative style of art and communication. The local store will give children and families 1,200-square feet of colorful, psychedelic fun, with interactive experiences that teach kids to use their imaginations and build a...
New Innovative Resource for Parents with Kids who Struggle with Learning and Processing Issues
Parents whose children are struggling with learning, processing, neurodevelopmental and social-emotional difficulties have a new resource to turn to. ChildNEXUS.com, launched in March, was created by pediatric neuropsychologist Karen I. Wilson, Ph.D., because of her passion to ensure that children and adolescents have the tools they need to realize their full potential. ChildNEXUS.com is a one-stop-shop for parents who are seeking information and who are considering services for their children....
Resale Boutique Clubhouse Exchange Opens in West Los Angeles
A new resale boutique in West Los Angeles is adding community-friendly components to its flagship store. In addition to offering a collection of recycled high-end fashions for children up to 5 years old, the store will host enrichment classes. Subjects to be covered include mindfulness for children and parents, couples parenting, kids yoga and preparing for a second child. There is also a membership program that will allow parents to...
Scootie Gootz Makes Indoor Play More Inclusive and Musical in Woodland Hills
When his twin sons, Ty and Micah, were little, Shawn Stockman, member of the Grammy Award-winning group Boyz II Men, played with them the way many dads play with their kids. “When Shawn would get home from being on tour,” says his wife, Sharhonda, “Micah would count off their usual game of chase: 1, 2, 3! Shawn would run around the house, calling out ‘Scootz and Gootz!’” That funny phrase...
Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids Opens in Arcadia
When it comes to haircuts, parents may be focused on a stylist's results or the proximity of a salon to work or home, but kids are all about the experience. For little ones in Arcadia, Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids just opened a location in the area. The salon creates a kid-focused oasis with playgrounds, toys, video games and fun fantasy chairs, not to mention special treatment for first-timers. Located...
The COOP Woodland Hills Opens at The Village at Westfield Topanga
Parents looking for a place to cool off in the valley's hot summer weather just got a new place to tuck into. The COOP, a kids party and playspace, is now open at the Village at Westfield Topanga. The COOP is a fun indoor playground that offers an area for Moms to work with free wi-fi, but also has a number of different areas for kids of different ages. I was...
Spa Le La Makes Me-Time Sitter-Free
As I parked, pattering hail created a strange white noise against my windshield. This probably helped all three of my children enjoy an extended nap in the back of my minivan. It was a week before Mother’s Day and there was no sitter in sight. None of this sounds like the start of a spa day, but alas things have changed. Enter Spa Lé La, a luxurious spa with a...
WeVillage Flexible Childcare Center to Open in Sherman Oaks March 2017
Childcare can be anything but flexible, especially for children 5 and under. WeVillage, providers of flexible, first-class childcare, is looking to change that. They will be opening the doors to their first Los Angeles, California location mid-March 2017. WeVillage is an award-winning, innovative, and revolutionary childcare concept that provides a playful, yet advanced environment, where parents feel comfortable leaving their children and where children never want to leave. The state-of-the-art play-based...
Families Get Fit Together at North American Athletic Club in Northridge
You may be familiar with sitting on the sidelines during your child's sports classes, but one gym is hoping to get parents back in the game. North American Athletic Club (NAAC) opened in December 2016 in Northridge and was designed by working families, for working families. NAAC offers a place where parents and their children can get fit at the same time at the same location. The founders, Theodore Theodosiadis...
Glam Boutique Spa Opens in Woodland Hills
There’s a new option for moms looking to get the spa treatment. Lindsay Faulk, an L.A. mom of four girls, has opened the doors to her luxurious day spa in Woodland Hills just in time for some holiday pampering. She sees it as a family business that her daughters can be proud of and a place where they will eventually be pampered. The spa offers spray tans, facials, lash extensions, waxing...
Kids’ Haircuts Get Playful at Snip-Its
There's a new children’s hair salon and spa in the San Gabriel Valley. Snip-Its Monrovia gives kids a fun experience while they get haircuts. Snip-It Monrovia Owners Yan Hu and Michael Brewer opened in late August. The salon specializes in services for infants, toddlers and pre-teens. The store is designed with kids in mind, with floor-to-ceiling murals, branded characters, games, tablets and books for children to explore. A magic box dispenses a prize at...
Valerie Confections Debuting New Chocolate Boutique in South Silver Lake
Celebrated Los Angeles chocolatier Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections just opened a brand new chocolate boutique last Friday, October 28 (fittingly, on National Chocolate Day) in South Silver Lake next to her flagship location. Retail will move into the new 1000 square-foot shop, and culinary operations will continue in the original space. A home-spun feel informs the boutique’s design, which features quaint seating areas, artful touches, and an air of discovery with chocolate samples and curated retail finds...
Wiley Academy Opens Preschool for Kids on the Spectrum
L.A. Speech and Language Therapy Center has expanded. In September, the Wiley Academy for Specialized Learning opened with a learning environment tailored to children with autism spectrum disorders. The preschool program is for ages 3 to 5 and follows a language-based multidisciplinary curriculum. The emphasis is on whole-child development with daily exposure to activities that promote speech, fine motor, sensory and cognitive development. Alyssa Porter’s son, Jagger, 3, attends the preschool. “I toured other...
Art Lessons That Think Inside the Box
When a friend bemoaned the limited art instruction options for her son in their school and community, Lauren Perelmuter, founder of Art to Grow On Children’s Art Center, sent the boy a Frank Lloyd Wright lesson in a box. His mom was so thrilled that she brought the program into her second-grade classroom, and The Art Box Academy was born. Art to Grow On offers mobile art classes in schools,...
Burbank Pa Kua Martial Arts Offers After School Program
After-school care has a little more kick to it in Burbank. Burbank Pa Kua Martial Arts & Health(BPKMA&H) is offering a multifaceted program giving ages 6-13 access to multiple enrichment classes and homework help in one location starting August 15th. BPKMA&H teaches noncompetitive martial arts to develop discipline, fitness and flexibility in children as well as help them face their fears, show respect and cultivate community. The program includes martial arts classes...
Silicon Valley School Opens New Campuses around L.A.
Stratford School, a Silicon Valley-based group of independent private schools, is opening new locations in Altadena and Los Angeles. Stratford is recognized as a leader in early childhood STEM education, and both new Southern California campuses are scheduled to open in August for the 2016-17 academic year. One of Stratford’s core missions is to incorporate technology into the fabric of learning, says Cheryl Molenkamp, director of Lower School of the...
My LEGO Party Turned Play-Well Engineering Workshop
I’m a LEGO purist. I love dumping the big box of hundreds of bricks that can be made into anything I imagine onto the floor. My child is the opposite. Mirae, my soon-to-be 5-year-old daughter, is dedicated to the completion of the predetermined project on the front of the LEGO box. This line between free play and instruction was one we had to consider in planning a LEGO shindig with...
Community News: Getting In the Swing of Things
Imagine a picturesque Sunday morning. A cluster of fluffy cumulus clouds peppers a saturated blue sky as the vivid sun slowly stretches its legs across the horizon. The sounds of chirping birds and the click of a distant water sprinkler wallows in your ear. It’s as if Ansel Adams is supposed to capture this moment, but it’s only you and your seven iron as a ball rests 145 yards from...
Community News: The Dog Café Features Coffee Cups and Rescue Pups
Sarah Wolfgang’s eyes sparkle when speaking about her mission to find forever families for the shelter dogs in her care. Wolfgang is owner of The Dog Café, the first of its kind in L.A., which evolved from her big heart and desire to help the neediest dogs. The café focuses on rescuing dogs who have been at the shelter the longest due to health or behavioral issues and are at...
Community News: For the Family That Plays Together
Kid athletes and their parents are used to being separated, with the kids off to their practice and programs and Mom and Dad off to the gym. Sports Academy, which opened in Newbury Park in May, aims to change that. “We are here for the athletes of all ages and abilities,” says Chief Executive and former Kansas State football player Chad Faulkner. “Our parents get to train at the same...
The Klub Gymnastics’ Big Time Move
After 9 years in Silverlake, The Klub Gymnastics is moving to a 40,000-square-foot space opening Feb. 1. Not too far away in Frogtown, the big move makes The Klub one of the largest gyms in Southern California. The cornerstone of the Klub’s offerings is its recreational gymnastics classes for toddlers to adults, voted Best Children’s Recreational Gymnastics five times by LA Hot List. The possibilities beyond gymnastics include Kamp, Klub...
Finny’s Screen Time Initiative Gives Parents a Say
How to control and monitor screen time while preventing device addiction is a constant balancing act for parents. A Santa Monica-based app company is helping turn screen time into teachable moments and giving back at the same time. Finny recently released its parental engagement app with the goal of increasing awareness around device addiction making it easier for parents to control their child's smartphones, but also make their screen time better....
Hot Wheelers Comes to Outside the Box
Wheelchair accessibility and new classes are part of the learning center’s expansion. Outside the Box opened its first 500-square-foot storefront in 2009. The center, devoted to sensory activities that contribute to brain development for ages 8 weeks to 6 years, has expanded a couple of times over the years, and always made good use of the space. There were bubbles. There was paint. There were musical instruments, giggles and squeals....
Find Your Pretty at Blushington
There’s a new beauty spot at The Village at Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills. Blushington Makeup and Beauty Lounge recently opened its doors, adding a new location in addition to stores already in West Hollywood, Newport Beach, Dallas, and New York City. Founder and CEO Stephi Maron opened the first store in 2011 in West Hollywood. Joined by her sister, Nicki Maron who is Chief Marketing Officer, their goal was...
School of Rock Opens in Venice
School of Rock, a performance-based music education program, opened an new Venice location at 12300 Venice Blvd. Oct. 3. It is located across the street from well-known music shop Timewarp Music, and next to A Kid’s Place Preschool. The School of Rock music program continues to drum to its own beat with its newest location in Venice. With programs available for kids as young as 3, this franchise sets itself...
New Occupational And Speech Therapy Clinic For Children Opens In West Hollywood
The founders of OT Studios, which opened in July, believe that every child deserves to live life to the fullest, regardless of their challenges. Here is what you and your child can expect to find at the facility: Highly trained and qualified therapists Sensory integration, occupational therapy and speech therapy services An intimate and creative atmosphere! A fun studio space and perfect setting to work on motor and sensory development...
MVP Pediatric & Urgent Care Opens Its Doors In Tarzana
MVP Pediatric & Urgent Care (www.mvppediatric.com), a state-of-the-art clinic that offers pediatric urgent care medical services to the San Fernando Valley pediatric patient population, opened to the public in May. Located at 18555 Ventura Blvd., Ste. B, Tarzana, the clinic is equipped with highly trained board-certified pediatricians, pediatric nurses, mental health professionals and other support services to evaluate and treat non-life-threatening emergencies. Open seven days a week, including all major...
The Village at Westfield Topanga Opens with New Restaurants and Shops in a Beautiful Outdoor Setting
With much anticipation and excitement, The Village at Westfield Topanga kicked off their Grand Opening weekend with a festive cocktail party on Thursday night featuring a wide array of drinks and food, fireworks, live entertainment and 30 Batala drummers. Invited guests joined Westfield and city officials to celebrate the opening of the new outdoor mall in the San Fernando Valley, which has been under construction for the past 18 months....
A Different Kind of Carpool
Need to get each of your three kids to a different place at the same time? HopSkipDrive (www.hopskipdrive.com), a ride service started by three L.A. moms tired of struggling to get their children to various activities, could be the answer. No, this isn’t Uber for kids. HopSkipDrive is more like an extension of your child’s caregiver. Drivers will follow your pick-up and drop-off instructions, walking in to sign your kids...
Kids World LA Opens In Oak Park
An exciting new indoor playground for the entire family, Kids World LA opened the doors Aug. 12 at its new Oak Park location (618 Lindero Canyon Rd Ste. A), boasting a wide variety of fun-filled activities and an all-around events space for all ages. The 15,000-square-foot entertainment complex offers state-of-the-art features such as the “AtomicRUSH,” an immersive virtual game that uses the latest in-touch and LED technology, programmed with unlimited...
APEX Play Space Offers a Fresh Take On the Kids’ Gym
It’s long been Ed Sais’s dream to open his own kids’ gym. His first jobs were as a lifeguard and swim instructor for children. Then, for 14 years, he ran the classes at Bright Child, a much-loved kids’ gym and play space in Santa Monica. After Bright Child closed, many parents whose children grew up attending and loving Sais’s classes encouraged him to open a place of his own. Sais...
Disney Store Opens New Location In Thousand Oaks
Disney Store will celebrate the grand opening of the next in its line of Los Angeles attractions, a new store at The Oaks in Thousand Oaks (390 W. Hillcrest Dr.) July 25. The event will begin at 10 a.m., when one lucky child will be invited to “unlock imagination” and open the store. The celebration will feature a festive song, composed specially for Disney Store and performed by the store...
PINZ Bowling Center To Debut Refurbished Lanes and Community Program
PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City will host a ceremonial “first bowl” to break the ribbon on a $250,000 revamp of its 32 lanes, and launch a new “Bowling Birthdays Are Best!” program to raise charitable contributions to benefit kids and families in the San Fernando Valley. The festivities, kicking off at 3 p.m. Aug. 5, will include civic and community leaders, Los Angeles police officers and firefighters, and an...
Yoobi X Usher Collection Mixes Street Smarts With School Smarts
Los Angeles Events: Launch Party Held for New Collection Yoobi recently announced its latest collaboration with musician Usher. The launch of the new Yoobi X Usher collection was celebrated at Siren Studios in Los Angeles, where Usher was present. “Giving a child an education is by far one of the most important investments we can make – and it starts with the right tools,” says Usher, who shares Yoobi’s belief...
Albert Einstein Odyssey Academy Opens in Beverly Hills
The Albert Einstein Odyssey Academy, a new Beverly Hills charter school serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, will begin its inaugural year Aug. 24. The school, which will serve 300 students, is accepting applications for enrollment and will continue the process until the school is full. This school’s curriculum offers a project-based teaching approach designed to allow students to actively engage in learning, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering,...
In-Home, Post-Natal Newborn Service Launches In Southern California
Orange County Mom Creates Non-Medical Post-Natal Newborn Service “Uccellino” to Assist New Parents with Newborn Care in the Comfort of their Own Home Newborn babies typically don’t come with instruction manuals, but thanks to a new service created by the personal experiences of an Orange County mom, “motherly” advice and support can now be just a phone call or home visit away. Uccellino, which in Italian means “little bird,” is...
Mr. C Beverly Hills Debuts “Little C” Family-Friendly Amenities
The Venetian-inspired Mr. C Beverly Hills (1224 Beverwil Dr., L.A.) is recognized for providing guests with luxury experiences and packages — from access to high-end Italian sports cars, premium Colnago bikes or tickets to the L.A. Opera. But why should the adults have all the fun? Just in time for summer, the family-friendly boutique hotel lets kids in on the action by offering “Little C” amenities. These child-friendly perks can...
The New Kid in Town: Project Giving Kids
Have your children considered volunteering, then hesitated, not knowing where to begin? Project Giving Kids (www.projectgivingkids.org) makes positive parenting easier with age-appropriate volunteer opportunities around Los Angeles. Founded in Boston in 2013 and newly launched in L.A., the service is designed specifically for kids. “Kids can drive the whole process by learning about causes they relate to and choosing fun, rewarding ways to help support those causes,” says founder Molly...
Waterworks Swim School Opens in Woodland Hills
In addition to 17 new locations, Waterworks Swim School, a premier indoor swim school, has opened up a location at Woodland Hills’ L.A. Fitness located at 6401 Canoga Ave. California is one of 10 states in which drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 15 years of age. In an effort to reduce this statistic while promoting water safety, Waterworks’ mission is to educate and motivate people...
Zingy Launches Dog Walking Valets at Popular Farmers Markets and Shopping Centers
Zingy, an app-based on-demand personal dog walking service will now have valet stands for dog owners available at select farmers’ markets, shopping centers and office complexes starting May 23. With the traditional Zingy model, walkers come to a dog owner’s home, office or other location, with the new valet service, called DASH, dog owners just open the app when they’re near a DASH Stand and instantly arrange a walker. DASH...
There is a New Shop in Town: Haggen Supermarkets Open Throughout L.A.
A new supermarket chain is opening with several L.A. locations and a wide selection of locally grown and organic produce. Haggen, founded in the Pacific Northwest, will open 83 new stores throughout Southern California by the end of June, with 18 in L.A. County. The company has bought and is converting various Albertsons and Vons markets into Haggen’s own brand. During a recent visit to the new Haggen location in...
Sycamore School to Open in Malibu
The Sycamore School, an independent elementary school dedicated to collaboration, innovation and learning through play and creativity, opens in Malibu Sept. 1, initially serving 20 students ages 6 through 8. “We are very excited to bring an alternative option for elementary education to Malibu families,” says co-founder Tedd Wakeman. “The world we live in now demands a different approach to education. Students need a learning experience that is continuous, future-focused...
Nonprofit Plants a New Summer Camp in L.A.
Kids can cook garden-inspired dishes and learn about composting and garden science at a new camp launching in L.A. this summer. The Garden School Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating interactive garden-based learning experiences for kids in underserved communities, is offering City Seedling summer camp Los Angeles at its 24th Street Elementary School garden. The program is an expansion of GSF’s popular “Seed-to-Table” curriculum, according to Executive Director Cassie Martinez....
CHALK Preschool Opens Third Location in L.A. with My Gym Partnership
CHALK Preschool will be opening in September at its third location in Manhattan Beach. My Gym enterprises, a long-standing CHALK partner, will furnish their curriculum for the new location, bringing My Gym equipment into the classroom. The two organizations constructed a fitness-conscious learning program for children ages 2-5. “My Gym’s Healthy Lifestyle Preschool Curriculum” covers a variety of tools for physical and emotional wellbeing, also introducing life values such as...
Santa Monica’s New Parenting Store
Located on Main Street in Santa Monica, Caro Bambino is a unique store created by husband-and-wife duo Nicole Desgroux and Andro Korlaet. The boutique features a wide variety of natural and eco-friendly furniture, toys and body-care products for Baby and Mom. Caro Bambino also offers hard-to-find baby items such as high-end car seats, strollers and high chairs from Orbitz, bloom and Sena. “Don’t expect an overwhelming selection at Caro Bambino,”...
Spoiled Opens on Melrose
Opening its first physical location in late January at 8178 Melrose, Spoiled is a “reclaimed,” high-end store for kids clothing. Parents can explore shelves featuring brands such as Gucci, Armani, Tom Ford and Burberry for greatly discounted prices. Most items sell for under $50 and Spoiled also welcomes parents to sell their children’s used clothing in the store or online. Spoiled has available a wide variety of clothing for kids...
Oksana School of Music Expands
Russian-born pianist and composer Oksana Kolesnikova, owner/founder of Beverly Hills-based Oksana School of Music, is expanding her school to serve Valencia and surrounding areas. Kolesnikova, who performed daily for nearly seven years at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s legendary Polo Lounge, has traveled the globe in concert on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces and United Nations. She has performed for musician Sir Elton John, TV personality Oprah Winfrey, actresses Jennifer Lopez...
GETTHERE Mentoring & Tutoring Now Open In West L.A.
GETTHERE Mentoring & Tutoring, now open in West Los Angeles, offers a unique educational mentoring program geared toward teenagers and young adults seeking college admission. The program works with students starting as early as their freshman year in high school to assure they become competitive college applicants by the time the application process rolls around. Each student in the program meets regularly with a mentor who has a Master’s degree...