by Danielle Branch

Created on: April 08, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2008

There are lots of fun things to do in Los Angeles that are family friendly and affordable. When traveling with children of all ages, it is important that the activities you plan must teach them something, be stimulating and action packed. Los Angeles has plenty to offer attention span challenged little ones, such as Zoos and botanical gardens, different types of festivals throughout the year, and different types of museums that are free or a small admission fee. There's so much to do here, that you may need to plan a vacation from your vacation.

On our first stop on our vacation of fun is the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. This wonderland of furry friends is open almost all year-round except for Christmas. In addition to some of your commonly seen animals, they also have some you may have not heard of such as the Babirusa (looks like a cross between a pig and a deer) or the Tawny Frogmouth (looks almost like an owl). There is more to see here than just walking by animals, they have many different shows and activities catered specifically just for the tots. The favorites of the children are Adventure Theatre which takes them through a 15 minute interactive story, Winnick Family Children's Zoo which is your children's chance to pet real zoo animals, and Neil Papiano Play Park which has animal inspired climbing structures. With all the animals, shows and activities, and of course the play park (who can forget that), your children will learn, play, laugh, and most importantly have some fun.

Children are artistic by nature and constantly try to express themselves through various art forms, just ask any parents of a toddler, and our second stop brings us to the different festivals held throughout the year. While there is a festival happening at any given time in Los Angeles, some of the most notable celebrate different cultures and music styles. The Cultural Faire will introduce your family to the influence of different cultures through art, music, and cuisine. What is there more to love besides tacos, ice cream, and hot dogs alongside great blues, reggae, jazz, and dancing that the kids can join in on? Some other music inspired festivals are the Jazz-Reggae Festival and the California a Cappella Festival. Many of these are free and do have shops and stands for food, clothing and trinkets. Who knew you could get educated about other cultures and have fun at the same time?

Planning a vacation with a budget is hard enough, but when you add kids into the mix,

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