Blog Posts by Red Tricycle

With this weekend's temps reaching the high 70s, kids all over Los Angeles will be itching Kids Playing Outsideto get outside and enjoy what we call our winter. So while the rest of the country is throwing on their winter parkas and shoveling snow, let's celebrate our enviable weather by taking advantage of all the outdoor activities the City of Angels has to offer. Share the love and let us know in the comment section below you favorite warm weather winter activity.

1. Beat the heat with a trip to a local popsicle shop, which is all the rage when it comes to delicious and healthy treats.

2. Take a spin on a carousel -- there are six great ones in Los Angeles your family must try.

3. Explore the Arboretum of Los Angeles, home to 232 varieties of birds, thousands of plants, and lots and lots of peacocks. Plus, the Arboretum is located on 127 acres of land so you'll never run out of space for your kids to run and play.

4. For a great day trip try Catalina Island, where you can take an

QUIDDITCH

Los Angeles Quidditch, festivals, animals and art abound this weekend with a host of family friendly fun! Wizard or muggle, you won't want to miss the Quidditch Tournament taking place at UCLA. Got a vet in training in the family? Head to Woofstock! for your fill of mammals, or do a Grunion run down by the sea. Artists can explore cubist collages or original origami creations, and festivals include a celebration of Kites and the upcoming Purim holiday!

Folding Paper Family Festival
Head to Little Tokyo and enjoy a day of origami making for the whole family. This free family festival will teach you how to create your own designs by simply folding paper--make an origami boat and add to the longest paper chain ever made (well, ever made at the Japanese American National Museum!) Then check out their new exhibit, which features well over a hundred unique examples of origami art. Sat., 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Little Tokyo. Free. All ages. Event details.

Quidditch

skifamily If the phrase "family ski resort package" sets your head spinning (planning and expense and travel stress, oh my!), take heart and read on. From pulse-raising sport to rejuvenating spa, bolster your sense of joy this winter with our user-friendly information on hotels and adventures for all ages and budgets. Winter fun never seemed so fun (or so stress-free).

Whistler, British Columbia
Home of the world-renowned Blackcomb Resort, Whistler hosts majestic outdoor landscapes and a plethora of outdoor activities within easy proximity of the United States. Admirably, the resort is striving towards the ambitious goal of a zero emissions operating footprint. With a grand variety of options for adults, kids are accommodated just as well with sports school, daycare, The Core adventure camps and even the rare chance to play with their food, courtesy of a fondue dinner at Bavaria Restaurant.

Mount Hood, Oregon
Experience snowy splendor in an utterly breathtaking environment, from the

Yippee!! You survived holiday shopping!! Now, it's back to the routine, and life is good again. Well, actually, not really…Spring '12 lines are hitting stores, so, it's time to grab those gift cards that Grandma gave, and head out shopping again. To make that shopping trip easier, we've rounded up 8 fabulous spring trends that'll have your kids looking too cool for school, and play dates.

stripes Show me your Stripes. Just like for the grown ups, stripes are big this season for kiddos too. Multi color stripes, thin stripes, rugby stripes, etc. So long as your kid has a stripe somewhere, he or she is on trend. Splendid "Oasis" stripe hooded dress. Available at Nordstrom.com

blue skiesCool and Relaxed. The great thing about this trend- no ironing! It's all about a relaxed, lived in, kind of look. Think worn-in jeans and a soft cotton plaid shirt. There probably won't be any morning arguments when it comes time to wear this look to school. "Clear Blue Skies Ahead Outfit"- Available at

American Family First there was Ms. Amy Chua, railing against the virtues of "Western parenting," in her self-aggrandizing book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and last year's Wall Street Journal article, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior." Now, it seems, the "Western parents" are now battling it out amongst each other in this latest WSJ firestorm, "Why French Parents are Superior," an excerpt of Pamela Druckerman's Bringing up Bebe. Pamela, Pamela, Pamela. My goodness. Weren't those Mommy Wars from a few years back bad enough? Haven't we evolved as a culture so that we no longer feel the need to engage in such useless and petty conversations? Or does the Wall Street Journal just know how to beat a not-that-interesting debate into the ground? Heck, they couldn't even come up with an original title. My mom always taught me not to recycle headlines, but ah well.

So hey, in keeping with Wall Street Journal's theme of keeping the battle of the parenting styles alive and well lit, I'd like to share an

Winter Crafts for KidsThe holidays are over, which means that not only are you exhausted from all of the holiday shopping, entertaining and cooking, but your kids seem to exude more energy with the passing of each winter day. If you're looking for a few ways to calm the wiggles (who isnt?!) then look no further than these engaging arts and crafts projects that will keep your perpetually energetic kiddos indoors and entertained. Happy crafting!

1. Cork Snake
Instead of tossing all of those corks from the bottles of wine you enjoyed over the holidays, save them up and spend the afternoon making this simple and oh-so-cute cork snake. This craft only required four items and the result will provide hours of entertainment for your little one.

2. Homemade Bubbles
Who doesn't love bubbles? We've got a great homemade recipe for bubbles that will surely delight kids of all ages. If you don't have a bubble wand handy then get creative and use regular household items such as a paper towel tube, plastic ring

7 Snowy Day Activities for Kids in SeattleWinter has swept its way into Seattle and blanketed our city with the first real snow of the season. Before Seattle's winter wonderland all turns to brown slush (and before your kids go totally bonkers with cabin fever) we suggest taking advantage of this snowy oasis with your little ones. So stop shoveling snow and throw on the winter boots, hats, and coats and enjoy both some indoor and outdoor snowy day activities this weekend.

1. Before it all melts away, throw on those winter coats, scarves and hats and hit the hills for some tubing and sledding.

2. We have the perfect spot where Mom and dad can take a breather from all the snow shoveling -- a kid-friendly Seattle brewery.

3. If your kids are bouncing off the walls (hello, cabin fever season!), head out to a bowling alley for some indoor family fun.

4. With this bone-chilling weather, there's nothing better than a hearty and filling dinner. Check out these 11 tasty crock pot recipes that are not only delicious, but

50 things to do with kids in SeattleHello, winter! It's nice to see you again. There's something about this time of year that makes parents' start to twitch a bit - trips to the park to run off some energy aren't as easy in the often cold and rainy weather and all our kids are still coming off of the holiday high, meaning that they need some ideas for winter survival. Here are 50 winter activities in Seattle for kids and families that will help everyone survive with a smile on their face!

1. Venture out of your own neighborhood to check out one of the other awesome Seattle Public Libraries.

2. Beat the cold at an indoor playground…of music! Discover the super fun EMP.

3. Warm up those little hands with Seattle's best hot chocolate.

4. Drive to Tacoma for a dose of cool history at the Washington State History Museum.

5. Do some exploring on the local college campuses - UW, Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University are all excellent choices!

6. No better way to kill the winter boredom