A Moana-themed luau or an ice cream sundae social sounds about right
Adventurous spirits and long, sun-soaked days make summer the best time to throw an awesome birthday party. You can take it easy and go with something simple or do it up with a theme to fit your kiddo’s taste. Not sure where to start? Be inspired by the below summer birthday party ideas guaranteed to be a huge hit.
Mermaid parties are always popular and in the summer, you can add water games or pool games (for older kids who can swim well) for extra fun. It’s also fun to decorate in an ocean theme and if you can swing it, a visit from Ariel will be unforgettable.
A great party doesn’t have to be fussy or elaborate! Get your kids playing and laughing with a field day party—we’ve got a roundup of our favorite classic yard games to get you started.
There's nothing more classic, or in demand, than a water play party. From cup races to paddle pools, there's no end to the refreshing fun! Check out our list of ultimate water games for ideas.
It really wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the movies to watch a blockbuster. Bring the big screen to your backyard with a film fanatic’s bash fit for an award. Toss a few blankets and cozy pillows around the lawn, then put together a popcorn bar and project your favorite family-friendly flick on the side of your house or on a sheet while you relax under the stars.
There’s something magical about those when the sun is still shining long past most kids’ bedtime. Sprinkle your party with a little bit of that magic and invite the faeries and forest creatures to create an unforgettable summer birthday party. Pass out fairy wings and flower crowns to party guests, paint faces, and make nature-themed crafts.
With its tropical, floral setting, a Moana party is a gorgeous one, especially if you use some of these fun ideas from Catch My Party founder Jillian Tobher Leslie. Her Moana party recommendations include a layered hibiscus flower cake, frosted flower cookies, and adorable crab-shaped croissants. If you're looking for activities, check out this fun (and free!) printables from Virtually Yours.
Picnic Celebration
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Take advantage of bright days to throw a summer birthday party outside at your favorite park. From packing simple picnic food (we love finger foods you can make ahead) to coordinating fun outdoor games, click here for ideas that can last you well into fall.
Camp Out Adventure
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Kids who love to explore will have a blast at a camping-themed adventure party. Set up tents to give party-goers a shady spot to enjoy their s'mores. Pass out magnifying glasses as take-home favors, and create plenty of engaging entertainment with a nature scavenger hunt.
Nothing says summer to sports fans like a day at the ballpark. Serve up hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, and baseball cupcakes. Have gloves and balls handy for kids to toss and don’t forget to have all the party guests sign a baseball as a special token for your baseball-loving birthday kid to cherish.
It really wouldn't be summer without a trip to the beach. Set up a sandbox and let the kids dig for buried treasure. Play hot potato with a beach ball. Serve up refreshing beachy treats, like popsicles and watermelon. Give the guests sand buckets and shovels, or this adorable sandcastle kit from Mama Papa Bubba, as take-home favors.
Cast your line and reel in some excitement with this summer birthday party idea. You don’t have to have access to a lake to catch fish, instead set up a kiddie pool and play go-fish with DIY fishing poles with magnets. Don't forget to serve kid classics, like worms in dirt!
Ice cream and summer go together like… well, ice cream and summer. This match made in birthday party heaven will not only give guests a sweet treat, but it will also keep them cool in the heat. Set up an ice cream bar like the ones featured here and they’ll have a blast coming up with their own concoctions.
Glow in the Dark Birthday Party
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Take advantage of those warm summer nights with a party after dark. Set up your party space with black lights and pass out glowing accessories, like bracelets and glasses. Set up glow-in-the-dark games, like hopscotch, and let your guests get creative with glow chalk, like this DIY recipe from Growing A Jeweled Rose. Check out these dark play ideas for more glowing activities.
Music & Karaoke Party
Jolie Loeb
Summer is packed with music festivals, so why not turn your party into a birthday-palooza with a backyard music fest? Instead of hiring a band, let your little crooners take the spotlight with a karaoke party. Pass out party invites that look VIP concert passes. Set up a stage with a sparkly backdrop and mic stands and get ready to jam while the kids rock the day away. While the guests wait their turn, they can deck themselves out like rock stars with wigs and costumes
Kite-Flying Party
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Send your summer birthday party soaring to new heights. Serve up kite-shaped cakes and cookies. Give each child a kite (this counts as your party favor!), and if the wind is in your favor, your guests can spend the rest of the day flying kites in the summer sun.
Your little bookworms will have a blast throwing a summer reading party, especially when you pack it with fun activities like book bingo, trivia games, and a book swap. Click here to read up on how it’s done, courtesy of Nerdy Book Club.
Floral themes scream summer, and what better way to celebrate your kid than with a custom-designed flower party? Alice's Table is a professional service that brings everything you'll need (flowers, clippers, water, and more) to create a flower crown right to your home. They'll even provide a party page and invites if needed! Available in 31 states.
It’s time to ask yourself the dreaded question “What will I do with my kids this summer?” Luckily, with a little research, we’ve found tons of cool summer programs for kids that keep costs very low or even free (and some are online). From the Ranger Rick photo contest to Camp Creatology, these affordable summer programs for kids are some of the best ways to stay busy when they’re not in school.
Planet Fitness Teen Summer Program
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This summer program for kids is perfect for your older children who claim to be too old for camps or need a reason to get out of the house. Starting on May 15th, kids ages 14-19 can work out for free all summer long at Planet Fitness. Pre-register here, download the Planet Fitness app and get a digital pass. As a bonus, the company is giving away $10,000 in scholarships to 10 kids. All they have to do is submit a video via TikTok to enter. Get more info here.
The Planet Possible Family Challenge is a great way to make sure there's minimal summer brain drain. This series of projects and crafts from National Geographic hopes to inspire families to get outside, explore the habitats that surround us, and empower kids to understand why it's so important to protect them. Each challenge has three steps:
MAKE IT! A step-by-step DIY for a tool or craft that will help kids explore the microhabitat
TRY IT! Prompts or activities to encourage kids to explore and learn about biodiversity, using the Make It! craft
SAVE IT! Kid-friendly tips on protecting the microhabitat
Cost: National Geographic Premium With Disney+ is $10.99 a month. You get access to Disney+ in addition to a digital subscription to National Geographic.
If you need an incentive to get the kids to go screen-free every once in a while, check out the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program. Print out the Summer Reading Journal and have your kids write down which books they've read and why they liked them. Once they’ve read eight books, bring the completed journal to your local Barnes & Noble between July 1 and August 31 to get a free book.
Outschool offers dozens of classes and courses for ages ranging from toddler to tween. Do they want to learn another language? There's a class for that. How about beginning hip-hop or even wilderness skills? You can find that too. Check out our favorite classes for kids here.
Get your whole crew involved with Family Maker Camp—it’s a great way to flex your imagination and create something new. Join in on one of their live streams or pick something that sounds interesting out of their project library. Before you know it, you’ll have built a hovercraft or a musical instrument.
If you’re worried about getting your middle or high school kids up to speed in the new school year, Numerade has a fabulous (and free) solution. They’re offering free STEM summer camps covering SAT test prep, pre-calculus, physics, and more.
Research shows that kids connect when they're participating in an activity with you whether it's cooking, playing outside or being creative. The non-profit organization Marathon Kids, which works to ignite the joy of physical activity in kids, is launching a free summer program in hopes of making this easier for parents. Simply walk a mile and talk while doing it. Each day you'll receive a new prompt, there's a special mileage tracker, and by the end, you'll have walked the length of a marathon (26 miles) while getting to know your child better.
Microsoft normally offers free kids' camps at their stores during the summer, but they've moved online for now. Kids can sign up for free online workshops to tour the Smithsonian, plan a virtual road trip, put their Minecraft skills to the test, and more. Ages range from 6 to 14, and while the camps are free, advance registration is required.
Give your kids an exciting and engaging adventure this summer with one of Brain Chase's 2023 treasure hunt programs. How does it work? Kids choose between eight programs that include fun themes like The Pirate's Gold, The Lost World, The Globe of Magellan, and more. Once your kiddo has picked which one, they'll choose three electives out of 15 (depending on which package you select), including math, engineering, cooking, typing, and even yoga, to solve each weekly challenge. Once solved, an original webisode containing the next hidden clue will be unlocked. The first treasure hunter to solve the mystery will jet off to unearth the real buried treasure. The fun starts on Jun. 12. New this year is a series of weekly camps if you don't want to do the six-week treasure hunt.
Your avid reader can help underprivileged kids gain access to books by keeping track of their total minutes read this summer. Sign up on Scholastic's Home Base to get started. From May 4 - Sept. 7, 2023, as kids track their reading streaks, they’ll unlock fun videos, book excerpts, and other exclusive summer content. For every two days in a row kids track their reading streaks, Scholastic, with the help of other sponsors, will donate a book (totaling up to 100,000 books) to underserved kids across the country. You can register here, and check out the info for parents here.
If you’ve got a budding Ansel Adams at home, the Ranger Rick photo contest is a great way to keep her busy over the summer. First, head for the great outdoors (or your own backyard) and have her take nature photos. Then, select her favorite one and send it in with proper sizing (2 MB or smaller, JPG format, at least 600 pixels wide or 600 pixels tall). If your kid doesn’t have a digital camera, no worries! Phone images are also accepted. Recent winners (this is an ongoing contest) are entered into the running for Ranger Rick’s "Your Best Shots" Magazine Award and are selected three times a year. Each winner receives a certificate of achievement and copies of the magazine featuring the winning image!
It's never too early to instill the habit of giving to others. Have your little philanthropists sign up with Kids That Do Good this summer in order to spend time giving back to their local community. The online (kid-founded!) resource allows kids to get involved with a cause or charity of their choosing—or, if you’ve got real go-getters at home—create their own! Once you’ve created an account and found an organization, kids can track their service hours via social profiles and certificates.
Designed to help spark the imaginations of kiddos ages 8-12, this three-day workshop allows kids to explore and expand on their digital creativity. They’ll choose one of three tracks and spend 90 minutes of each day working on their project. Be sure to sign up here to get an email announcing open registration for the summer program for kids (it usually starts in June)—spots fill up quickly!
The Home Depot offers workshops that are perfect for mini-makers. Simply pre-register online, and then show up on the selected Saturday to build fun projects like a picket fence planter. At the end of the two-hour workshop, kids receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.
Does your artist dream of paint, paper, glitter, and glue? If so, Michael’s Camp Creatolgy is the perfect way to beat the summer brain drain. Information for Summer 2023 will drop on May 15th, but camps usually run from mid-June to mid-July and are for ages 6 & up. If you don't want to sign up for the in-store classes, online programs are also available.
Cost: The classes are free, but the required materials cost $40 for the entire summer.
Budding bowlers can perfect their technique all summer long thanks to Kids Bowl Free, which allows them to play up to two games a day free of charge. All that's missing is a pair of those sweet bowling shoes. To find a participating bowling alley near you, click here.
Sometimes a dark and cool movie theater is the only way to beat the heat. Your kids can sign up for a punch card or show up at participating Megaplex, Cinemark, and Regal theaters to catch a fun, kid-friendly flick for just $1-$2. Even better, most movies show before noon, making it easy to catch a flick and head home for nap time.
Xanadu your heart out and head for the local roller rink this summer. Whether your kids like to skate or rollerblade, a few laps will get their blood pumping, and the cool, A/C-induced temps are a total bonus. The Kids Skate Free program allows families to take advantage of this offer once a week (during the summer months). Click here to find out if it’s happening at your local rink.
If you’ve got a National Park nearby, be sure to sign up your mini explorers for the NPS Junior Ranger Program. Each kiddo will be outfitted with a handy Junior Ranger guidebook that's filled with historical facts and cool tips about all the National Parks. Every adventurer also gets the chance to complete a series of activities, share answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and certificate. Click here to learn more.
Insider Tip: Kids can earn badges at home by downloading activity books and information packets. Click here for more info.
If you are a Bank of America or a Merrill Lynch cardholder, you can snag free admission at more than 150 museums, science centers, and botanical gardens across the country on two days every month just by showing your card. Find out if your favorite museum is participating, and on what days, by clicking here.
From the popular hands-on outdoor learning program for kids comes a nine-lesson summer course you can do at home. Filled with all sorts of fun like a printable "trail map," reading summer list, songs and rituals for camp, plus articles and resources for parents, each week focuses on a different core Tinkergarten skill: persistence, empathy, creativity, focus, and more.
Keep the summer boredom away with this fun digital learning platform. Kids ages three to seven can learn STEAM concepts while watching videos and participating in interactive online activities. You can try it out with a seven-day free trial; after that, it’s $7.99 a month.
From the creative minds behind Angry Birds, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ice Age comes a free, interactive camp-style YouTube summer experience for kids. Every day is new, and activities include making food, doing science experiments, singing songs, and more. Counselors will be on hand to lead extra content and be on the lookout for special guest stars including Sparkles and Beaver and Scribbles the Cat.
When my daughter was in kindergarten, we signed up for the public library’s summer reading program. We only lasted a week. I guess we’re summer reading dropouts. Some of us thrive as “free-range readers”—and my kid is one of them.
Enrolling for summer reading was actually the most exciting part. A long line wound out the door of the children’s room, parents and kids pushing forward as if clamoring for concert tickets. I liked that there was a buzz around reading, and a social element.
I’m also a librarian (working with the big kids in high school), so I eat this stuff up. For years, we packed the library during the summer for crafts, Drag Queen Story Hour and a live reptile show. Really, anything that gets families through the door of the library is good. But the real question is what keeps kids turning the pages.
When my daughter proudly claimed her goodie bag, it looked just like the one from the dentist, except with a bookmark instead of a toothbrush. Before the first week was over, we lost everything in the bag. Her reading log, similar to a coffee shop loyalty rewards card, was supposed to be stamped weekly by the librarian, but we were too immersed in reading to fill it out. So this was a success—we were off and running!
But my daughter is a conscientious sort of person, and she really wanted to follow all the rules of the program. It was starting to feel like homework, and there were even some tears. “Honey, you can be in the summer reading program without doing all this stuff,” I said. “All you have to do is read!” My daughter brightened.
I appreciated all of the librarians’ efforts to promote reading, but I also wondered why kids needed rewards when reading is a gift in itself. Reading lists often make kids and parents feel pressured, as if they have a curriculum. And while they can be helpful in expanding our horizons and encouraging us to discover books we might not have otherwise picked up, they’re not one size fits all. In fact, I see them as only one recipe to consult when cooking a delicious feast.
Lists that are created by schools, libraries and literacy organizations are often highbrow, chock-full of Newberry Award winners. “If there’s a silver prize medal on a book’s cover, it’s going to be a sad book,” my daughter once observed. This led us both to wonder why funny or goofy books rarely win top children’s literature prizes (with Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems being a delightful exception). Honestly, your kid’s classmates and friends are just as good, if not better, resources than the contest judges who dole out accolades.
Meanwhile, a typical summer reading list will organize books by grade, but we can’t assume all kids of that age read at the same level or have the same learning needs. I’d suggest organizing lists in other ways. Is your child a visual learner? Do they like puzzles or riddles more than stories? Do they prefer graphic-heavy factual books? The Guinness Book of Records would not necessarily be on a school summer reading list, but these books are packed with rich vocabulary and historical and geographical facts. And the format of such books will appeal to a wide range of kids.
Then there’s the nearly 20% of the population who struggle with dyslexia and will require extra time and effort to learn to read. DK Publishing’s books on science, nature, dinosaurs and transportation will hook so many kids. The DK trademark style is a collage of dynamic, attention-grabbing photos arranged on a white background. Magazines like New Moon Girls, Ranger Rick, and Highlights are also great. Some kids are more nibblers than read-straight-through people, and that’s okay!
Reading a pop-up Alice in Wonderland turns storytelling into a three-dimensional, interactive reading experience. My daughter loved peering down a rabbit hole and manipulating the pages so the playing cards painted the roses red.
If you’re not sure where to start, catch your librarians when they have a minute and ask them to give you a personalized list based on your kid’s passions and interests. Each child needs—and deserves—a list tailored to exactly who they are.
As for us, my daughter and I ditched our reading list, but we gained so much more: giggling over joke books, cooing over Red Panda photos, researching roller coasters and marveling over the man with the longest mustache in the world. One of the best parts of summer is basking in the sunshine of kids’ excitement when they find that perfect book on the shelf.
Los Angeles has an incredibly rich, LGBQT history—including hosting one of the first LGBQT parades on Hollywood Blvd. in 1970. To celebrate Pride Month, we’re pulling together a list of historically significant places where you can visit and learn more about these landmark achievements, along with some kid-friendly Pride Month events you can join all month long (also don’t miss our must-read list of LGBTQ books for kids). Check out our list below and make sure to check back often as updates are happening regularly!
photo: iStock
Pride Events & Activities in Los Angeles
Pride Night: LA Galaxy vs. Austin FC May 29:The Galaxy will host Pride Night, presented by Sherwin-Williams, on Sunday, May 29 against Austin FC to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Experience special activations throughout the match in collaboration with Galaxy supporters, the Los Angeles LGBT Center and MLS’ Soccer For All program. The National Anthem will be performed by and Casey Breves avid supporters of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, there will be an Angel City Brigade Clothing Drive where donations will benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Youth Center as well as a Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital Food Drive. Bins at each entrance to the stadium. Donations will go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Pride Pantry. Event details.
LGBTQ+ Night at Dodger Stadium Jun. 3: The Dodgers have again teamed up with their long-time community nonprofit partner LA Pride to host their annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium, presented by Blue Shield of California. This celebration of Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ community will include drink specials in the pavilion bars, a special recognition of frontline workers from Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ community and additional surprise guests featured during pregame ceremonies. The fun also continues post-game with Friday Night Fireworks, set to music mixed by DJ Bowie Jane. A special event ticket package includes a ticket to the game and an exclusive Dodgers LGBTQ+-themed jersey! Event details.
Light up the Night for Equality Viewing Party Jun. 3: Venice Pride cordially invites you to the Light Up the Night for Equality Viewing Party at Hotel Erwin’s High Rooftop Lounge to witness the L.A. premiere and illumination of Yvette Mattern’s Global Rainbow laser installation across the California Coast by a special guest. Event details.
Venice Pride Festival Jun. 4-5: Venice Pride Festival is returning and open to all ages! LA’s beloved grassroots LGBTQ+ celebration grows to two days and moves to a brand new beachside location: Venice Beach Recreation Center. Event details.
Let’s Celebrate LBGTQIA Voices! Jun. 6: Join Central Library for an online book club for teens to discuss a YA Fiction or Non-Fiction book that features LGBTQIA voices. Email teens@lapl.org from your school email address at least one hour before the program to request the link. Homeschool students, note the program name and “Homeschool” in the email subject line, make sure to include your name and grade level. Event details.
COME4ME by Kim Chi’ Donuts at Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts Jun. 10-30: To celebrate Pride Month, Hollywood favorite Danny Trejo, and his donut shop Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, are teaming up with RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and cosmetics queen Kim Chi of KimChi Chic Beauty& KimChi Eats to create a colorful and delicious donut inspired by her iconic lewks. Head to Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts in Hollywood to taste the duo’s limited-time ‘COME4ME by Kim Chi’ donut that will be filled with taro cream cheese and topped with a white chocolate taro glitter glaze, passion fruit buttercream, candied dragon fruit and passion fruit flakes ($4). A portion of the proceeds from ‘COME4ME by Kim Chi’ will be donated to Seniors Fight Back, a charity whose mission is to stop hate against AAPI seniors. Event details.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Jun. 11: The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will host its first-ever Queer Family Day, featuring a rainbow-themed scavenger hunt, dino dance party, drag queen storytime, up-close encounters with behind-the-scenes museum collections, and more! The museum welcomes guests to wear their favorite shade of green to show off your nature-loving pride. This event is free with museum admission and for members. Event details.
LA Pride in the Park
Jun. 11: Christina Aguilera is headlining LA Pride in the Park, the music event with two stages, sponsor activations, exhibitors, and plenty of food and drink at Los Angeles State Historic Park. Gates open at 1 p.m., and the party goes until 11 p.m. Event details.
LA Pride Parade Jun. 12:The 2022 LA Pride Parade is back! Cheer on this iconic LGBTQ+ procession along with 130 contingents of marchers, performers, nonprofits, celebrities, and the businesses that proudly celebrate their LGBTQ+ employees as they walk in the 52nd Annual LA Pride Parade. This year’s theme, “Love Your Pride” which highlights “ Los Angeles as a global city whose communities love in every language. This Pride season, we’re inclusively embracing LA’s diversity by writing a love letter to LA in many languages.” Make sure to visit “Pride Village,” which is located next to the start and finish of the Parade. Vendor booths, activities and Ferris wheel will be featured. Admission is free. Event details.
Inaugural Pride Village Street Fair Jun. 12: This eclectic, family-friendly all-day street fair will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will welcome patrons to continue their Pride celebrations during and after the iconic parade. The family-friendly festivities will include two stages for music and performances throughout the day, including various DJs, a performance by RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star winner, Alaska, and more, as well as a Ferris wheel, pop-up roller skating rink, beer and bar garden, food trucks, local vendors, festive programming, and lots of love. Event details.
Bingo Night With Drag Queen Pickle Jun. 13: Kick off the “Express Yourself” Summer Reading Challenge with a fabulous Bingo Night, hosted by Drag Queen Pickle. Pickle, organizer of the local Drag Queen Story Hour, brings all of the glamour and humor that a rollicking game of bingo really needs. Event details.
Pride Paddle Jun. 26: The Southbay LGBTQ Center and The Portofino Hotel & Marina in collaboration with Harbor Vibes are hosting the second-annual Pride Paddle, taking place in the King Harbor Marina. Starting from the public hand launch behind Seaside Lagoon, paddlers will traverse through the harbor to the King Harbor Yacht Club and back with fun stops along the way. For anyone who is new to paddle boarding, support and instruction will be available to you during the event. Post-paddle, head to BALEEN Kitchen featuring a signature drink; The Flamingo consisting of a Watermelon Sorbet, homemade Coconut Orgeat, Drake’s Organic Vodka, Pineapple juice and fresh mint, with a fruity pebbles rim. 10% of all proceeds going to the Southbay LGBTQ Center. Event details.
SaMo PRIDE 2022
Santa Monica Pier, Downtown Santa Monica, and Santa Monica Place, in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, present SaMo PRIDE: a month of rainbows and festivities to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, individuality, inclusivity and acceptance. For the month of Jun., The Pier, Santa Monica Place, Third Street Promenade and surrounding businesses will celebrate Pride Month with a vibrant light installation dubbed “Miles of Pride,” which spans miles of city streets, illuminating the sky with a rainbow of colors. These installations will serve as a backdrop for a full calendar of events that bring together community, families and supporters from around the world. With a focus on family-friendly art, events and community connection, City of Santa Monica partners will host PRIDE markets, story hours, live music and so much more to help celebrate love in every color. Event details.
Big Sunday Volunteers
Big Sunday has teamed up with LA Pride for Pride Makes a Difference, a series of more than 300 helping events all over town in Jun. Event details.
Made With Pride Marketplace Every Fri.-Sun. in Jun., Santa Monica Place is partnering with Streetlet, an opportunity-matching and growth engine for small business owners and makers, to bring a pop-up Made with PRIDE Marketplace to the center. This unique marketplace is part of the annual SaMo PRIDE, a month-long citywide celebration focused on family-friendly displays and activities that safely celebrate the City of Santa Monica’s inclusive and diverse spirit. Once again PRIDE events will be anchored by “Miles of Pride,” a vibrant light installation that spans the Promenade and Santa Monica Place, illuminating the sky with a rainbow of colors to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, individuality, inclusivity and acceptance. Event details.
Teen Grab-and-Go Crafts: Rainbow Garland During the month of Jun., teens and tweens ages 11-18 years can pick up a craft kit with all the supplies needed to make a rainbow garland. Visit the North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library Reference Desk during library hours to get your kit. Event details.
SAYGAY for PRIDE
In partnership with the It Gets Better Project, the rebranded Banter by Piercing Pagoda has created a limited-edition nameplate necklace that reads ‘SayGAY’, with 100% of sales, up to $25,000, benefitting the IGBP’s mission of uplifting and empowering lives of the LGBTQ+ youth around the globe through the month of June. Help fight harmful legislation being passed around the US and supporting everyone’s right to live and love freely! Details can be found here.
The Black Cat, formally a bar and now a gastropub located in Silver Lake, was the scene of a brutal police raid on New Year's Eve in 1966. Two months later, in 1967, in response to the raid, a peaceful protest was held, noted as "the site of the first documented LGBTQ civil rights demonstration in the nation." In 2008, The Black Cat was recognized by the City of Los Angeles as a Historic Cultural Monument.
This outdoor staircase in Silver Lake, was named after the Mattachine Society—one of the world's first gay rights clubs, founded in 1950. This staircase was how members reached the meetings, hosted by Henry Hay, in his home.
Once you climb to the top, you'll be rewarded with a stunning view of the Silver Lake Reservoir.
2355 Cove Ave. Los Angeles
LA Public Library
The LA Public Library is an integral resource for LGBQT history where you can access videos, maps, books, films and more that showcase the struggle for equal rights in the gay community. If you can't make it to the library, you can still check out resources thanks to hoopla digital–a free resource that allows valid library card holders to access and download ebooks, movies, audiobooks, comics and tv shows to your device. They have an extensive collection of LGBTQ+ media you can access including children's books like, "A Boy Named Queen" and "From Archie to Zak."
Stocked with over 80,000 titles, Children's Book World is "committed to celebrate diversity, knowledge, and enrichment. A world where every child sees themselves on our shelves." Recognized year after year for this achievement, they are also know for their "book selection that is open-minded (gay-friendly, multi-cultural) and well-organized, divided into age-appropriate sections."
This is the world's largest research library dedicated to honor and archive LGBTQ history. Located near the USC campus, exhibitions, art shows and cinematic screenings are hosted here as well as at their gallery space, ONE Gallery, located in West Hollywood.
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archive 909 West Adams Blvd. Los Angeles
Los Angeles was first settled by the Tongva tribe and called the area Yang Na. But what makes this noteworthy is that the Tongva people were LGBTQ friendly. LA’s first tribes believed in "gay marriages, transgender lifestyles and that homosexuality was determined in utero" even going as far as celebrating homosexuals as “two spirited people and thought of them more as gifted than as outcasts." Look for a plaque in the plaza area honoring these ancestors.
Tia Chucha's independent bookstore specializes in providing great books on "Xicanx and Latinx history and literature, indigenous knowledge, bilingual children’s books, contemporary and social commentary issues, as well as Spanish-language, queer/LGBTQIA, art, poetry, antiracism, social change, and much more."
Located in Lincoln Park, this was the first publicly-funded AIDS monument in the country. In this serene space, you'll see a stainless steel archway as well as eight panels—six of the panels depict life with AIDS in the Latino community, and two granite panels will eventually display the names of 8,000 people lost to AIDS.
"Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today the Center provides services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy."
Maker sure to stop by and catch a show at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, the Center's state-of-the-art educational, cultural, and social center.
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N McCadden Pl. Los Angeles Online: lalgbtcenter.org
Los Angeles LGBT Center 1625 N. Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles Online: lalgbtcenter.org
The Celebration Theatre
The Celebration Theatre was founded in 1982 and is the only professional theater with the "mission of creating an outlet for LGBTQIA+ voices in Los Angeles."
Must-See:Dear Harvey: Stories of Harvey Milk is playing Sun. May 22-Sun. May. 29.
Our monthly book list traditionally aligns with a theme, which, over the past year, has included women’s history, Earth Day, cooking and food, animal stories, summer reading—followed by returning to school. We have compiled lists of our favorite poetry collections for children and books that featured aspirational themes like gratitude and kindness.
Our final list of 2021 is especially meaningful for us because the theme, “librarian recommended gifts” is open-ended. What we have compiled for you this month are treasures that don’t fit neatly into a book category but are among our favorite reads. Some of them, like A Sick Day for Amos McGee, are all-time favorites, reliable super-stars among the books we read aloud to our Stratford students. Others, like Poems of the Planets and How to Wear a Sari are books that can be enjoyed in equal measure by the adult gift-giver and the child recipient.
As you begin to think about holiday gifts for the children in your life, we urge you to consider the gift of a book—selected from among your own childhood favorites or perhaps from ours, featured below.
Preschool
How to Catch a Clover Thief —Written and Illustrated by Elise Parsley
A silly story that teaches children the importance of reading. Roy, a hungry wild boar, awaits the bloom of a patch of clover. He is joined in the forest by Jarvis the sneaky-smart groundhog. Jarvis distracts Roy with books, sending him off on wild goose chases, and eventually to the library himself. This clever and hilarious tale is full of expressive characters, irresistible page turns, problem-solving, and a twist ending you won’t see coming!
A Sick Day for Amos McGee —Written by Philip Christian Stead, Illustrated by Erin Stead
Amos McGee is a kind, selfless zookeeper who makes time every day for all of his diverse animal friends at the zoo. One day he is sick and does not go to work, leaving the animals concerned. Children will laugh as the animals, including a giant rhino, hilariously ride the city bus to visit him at his home. The mutual love and caring beams through the exceptional art and words in this Caldecott Medal-winning picture book. The details in the elegant illustrations will have children asking you to read this to them over and over again.
Kindergarten
How to Wear a Sari —Written by Darshana Khiani, Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
This heartwarming story of a young girl who wants to be big, trying to wear a sari like her mom and aunties. As the spirited, determined girl tries to figure out this beautiful piece of clothing, from choosing the right one to wrapping it the right way, she is determined to prove that she is not too little to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. An original celebration of this child’s traditions and her own admirable spunk! A great book to introduce young children to the “how-to” of saris.
We Are Water Protectors —Written by Carole Lindstrom, Illustrated by Michaela Goade
A powerful story that inspires readers to take a stand not only to safeguard the earth’s water, but to make a positive impact in our community each and every day. The watercolor illustrations are spreads that flow like a stream throughout the pages as the young girl tells of the dangerous black snake (Dakota Access Pipeline) that came to threaten her village. The author and illustrator’s notes provide detail on Native American culture, beliefs, an explanation of the events at Standing Rock in 2016, as well as an “Earth Steward and Water Protector Pledge” for the readers to take at the end. This 2021 Caldecott Medal winner will remind each reader to care for and appreciate our environment.
Grades One and Two
A Light in the Attic —Written by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein follows no rules and has an imagination like no other. In this collection, poems are mingled into the line drawings and with titles like, “Monsters I’ve Met,” “Whatif,” “Messy Room,” and “Homework Machine,” children will find these poems very relatable, and will be given a glimpse of the way language creates beauty and inspires wonder.
Grades Three to Five
Poems of the Planets —Written by Eric Garen, with Katherine de Kleer
With chapters like, “The Ecology of Earth,” “Walking on the Moon,” “Those Annoying Asteroids,” and “Uranus and Its 27 Shakespearean Moons,” this collection of verse and prose sparks the interest of youngsters in not only astronomy, but also introduces important basic concepts in chemistry, physics, biology, and oceanography. An in-depth glossary provides clear explanations of nearly 200 terms. Amazing photos, many taken by the author, accompany the poems. It is also full of delightful detours such as the brief descriptions of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays for whom the moons of Uranus are named.
Smile —Written by Raina Telgemeier
Set in San Francisco in the late 1980’s, complete with an earthquake, fog and beautiful landscapes with the Golden Gate bridge, this incredibly relatable graphic novel is an autobiography of a sixth grader who wants to fit in. This book will appeal to kids looking for a story that reflects their fears and experiences, also giving them hope that life will eventually allow them to smile.
Middle School
The Wishing Spell – Land of Stories Book One (series) —Written by Chris Colfer
Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern-day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. This is the tale of twins Alex and Conner, who, through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, leave the world that they know behind. After a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.
Photo: Stratford School
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Keira Pride is the Head Librarian at Stratford School, the leading independent private school founded with a vision of creating a unique, multi-dimensional, educational foundation for children. As Stratford's Head Librarian, she manages the library services department across campuses throughout Northern and Southern California.
Even though it’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of summer activities, it’s important to keep your child’s reading game strong amidst all of the distractions. Research supports that reading daily with your child outside of a bedtime ritual will help children become lifelong readers.
When you’re reading together, have your child pick the books and take time to “slow down” the reading. For example, ask questions about the characters or plot, point out details in the pictures, and let her turn the pages. You might also want to get creative with how you project your voice such as speaking with an accent, enhancing sound effects such as loud bangs, or mimicking animal sounds.
Here are a few summer reading ideas that will surely those reading skill in tip top shape!
1. Create a Cozy Book Nook Little ones love snuggling and reading is always a magical way to spend quality time together. Create a cozy book nook (get inspired with these incredible book nooks) filled with soft pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and most importantly a basket of books that you frequently rotate with the covers facing forward. Young children are attracted to the bright illustrations on book covers and will definitely become excited about reading if they spot a new book in their basket.
2. Beach Bag of Books Before heading to the beach or pool, visit the library or bookstore and find a few new books to add to your beach bag. Find a quiet moment such as lunchtime to read your new books together. For an exciting way to make sure you’re adding different types of books to your beach bag each week, create a “Book Bingo Summer Reading Challenge”. Have each square pictorially represent books your child might read this summer such as farm animals, sea-life, trucks, etc. At the end of the summer, your child can pick out a new book once their Bingo board is filled.
3. Listen to Books on Tape If you’re in a city with lots of traffic, skip Raffi and start listening to books on tape. It’s is a great multi-sensory experience and a way to get the whole family discussing different books. When children listen to books on tape, words on a page become alive, fluent reading is modeled, and listening skills improve. Narrators use silly voices, fun music, and sound effects to make it an engaging experience. Since we’re all saps for a good podcast, find one geared towards children that will spark animated discussions about an array of real-life topics that even adults will enjoy.
4. Write a Book Grab your camera and take pictures of your child reading in different places throughout the summer such as the car, beach, stroller, grocery store, etc. Make sure to include pictures of mommy, daddy, and other relatives reading, too. Title your book “Places We Read Summer 2021” and add to it each week. At the end of summer, you will have a brand new book to read that will serve as a reminder that reading can happen anywhere that your child will read over and over again.
5. Host a Book Swap Pool Party Gather a few mamas, kiddos and 2-3 books to swap. Fill up an inflatable pool, dump the books in, and have the kiddos dive in to get “new” ones. Donate any leftover books to a local charity.
Shanna is a part-time elementary teacher, stay at home mommy to a toddler and a blogger. She blogs about a range of topics that help make juggling parenthood with a toddler a little easier. She loves to learn from her daughter and most of all laugh.
Summer means more time for fun reads! And reading time is important to keep your kids engaged and ready for another year of school. Amazon has two programs to make that book goal a bit easier: Journey into Reading and the Summer Reading Challenge.
You’ll find tons of great book recommendations through Journey into Reading. It’s a rotating list of topics along with age-appropriate reading recommendations from the Amazon Book Editors. Aimed at kids from 6 to 12, it also offers free downloadable activity sheets. Topics range from “In the Kitchen” to “Outer Space” and you can sign up for emails about the upcoming weeks.
Reading challenges make the season more fun and Amazon is running one until August 23. Kids from kindergarten through eighth grade can sign up and pick seven books to read. Once they’ve completed that accomplishment, they can turn in a completed sign-up sheet to a participating store and receive a free National Geographic Kids book! Find your participating store to get more details.
Need more reading inspiration? Check out our best books of 2021, so far. You’ll find a curated list that spans from the first year of life all the way to the end of middle school!
Calling all book lovers! Imagine the Scholastic Book Fair taking a virtual, interactive twist, where you can meet your favorite authors, play games and win prizes, all from your living room. It’s the Family Book Fest and it’s coming to your screen live on July 31!
You can sign up for the free event now, which will take place the last Saturday of July from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Participants will enjoy five unique sessions along the way:
“Because It’s All Good — A Sing-Along with Eric Litwin” at 11 a.m. He’s the mind behind the super popular Pete the Cat books and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of his new book, Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs.
“Get Drawn into Summer Reading with Graphix Chapters” at noon. It’s a live drawing game with authors behind hit graphic novels for late elementary school kids. You’ll have a chance to win one of the novels and a Graphix Chapters sampler!
“Wings of Fire with Author Tui T. Sutherland” at 1 p.m. She’s the author of the New York Times bestselling series and will answer your dragon world questions live. You can compete in a trivia game to win a signed book set!
“The Great Klutz Craft Off” at 2 p.m. The crafty creators behind Klutz will face off in an online contest and you can win the Klutz Craft Kit of the show.
“Inside Harry Potter: 9 ¾ Questions with MinaLima Design” at 2:30 p.m. The legendary design duo will reveal the secrets behind the special edition of Harry Potter and you’ll have the opportunity to win a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, MinaLima edition sampler!
You can shop the Book Fest now to prepare for the festivities. When you sign up, you’ll also get updates and reminders about the event. Get reading and get excited for July 31!
As our country reopens and we trickle back into public spaces, many of us are appreciating the pleasure of spending time in our favorite “third places” – the neighborhood parks and cafes, public playgrounds and libraries that have long been part of our social environment. Our public libraries are re-opening, and even with reduced hours and access, their open doors signal the return to normal that we all crave and the optimism we are feeling.
To be sure, public libraries everywhere have sustained their multifaceted mission to promote literacy and access to information and serve as community centers for patrons of all ages. In March 2020, library staff pivoted quickly to online programming that has facilitated remote browsing and borrowing capacities ever since. According to OverDrive, which libraries use to loan out digital material, weekly e-book lending across the United States increased nearly fifty percent in the months following the shuttering of library buildings. Libraries continued to evolve, constantly expanding their repertoire of distance-learning services—from hosting virtual book festivals and outdoor readings to publishing “quaranzines” filled with community news.
But now our public libraries are reopening, and so many of our students have told us how delighted they are to be back in them—back to tactile browsing and face-to-face conversations, back to familiar and cozy corners in the library, to reading contests and free bookmarks that have riddles on them. (Indeed, one of my students mentioned the bookmarks!). Even with gratitude and full appreciation for the uninterrupted library services of the past difficult year, we die-hard library lovers are still SO grateful to be back in the library! If it has been some time since you were in a library, we encourage you to return to this “third place,” preferably for a leisurely visit with your children, during which you and they can savor time spent in the company of others—while satisfying an inquisitive impulse, feeding your mind or spirit.
The selection of books we have curated for summer reading are intentionally different from books children might read during the school year. Some are fanciful or fantasy (dogs that accompany their kid-owners to school, for example), most have pictures (illustrations and infographics, or graphic novels); and most can be read in short bursts, for example in the car or during thirty-minute reading bursts—which work especially well in building capacity in reluctant readers. We hope you will enjoy one or more of these books—or others you find while browsing library stacks or with the help of your local librarian. Have a lovely summer!
Grades Kindergarten to Second
The Rock From The Sky written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
A beautiful work of art with a hilarious story to go with it by Caldecott winner Jon Klassen. Turtle and Armadillo leave one stone unturned when it falls from the sky, right in Turtle’s favorite hangout spot. It’s a good thing he meandered out of the way in time! This inspires simple chats about the ever-changing landscape, including the potential ominous cryptid creatures that might make their way into their environment. It’s not really possible to perfectly sum up a Klassen book- it’s truly something one needs to experience to fully appreciate.
Have you Ever Seen A Flower written by Shawn Harris
Vividly drawn illustrations are the highlight of this absolutely perfect picture book. A young girl and her dog take a journey from the grey, drab city through bright fields of flowers, learning a lot about themselves and the wonder of nature on the way. Opens the way to discussions between parents and children about the importance of wildlife, beauty, flowers, bees and happiness.
Grades 3-4
Scientists Get Dressed written by Deborah Lee Rose
Have you ever wondered what kinds of clothing and personal equipment are needed for a volcanologist or a glaciologist? Eighteen different people are introduced with the gear they need to collect data for their scientific studies and protect themselves, and lots of facts about the things they research. Packed with photographs, the book uses two fonts and types of information, one for younger readers and one with more information for older readers.
Two Dogs in a Trenchcoat (series) written by Julie Falatko
Hilarious stories about dogs that wear clothes so they can attend school with their owners. Dog antics and adventures include starting a school club, going on a class trip, and even participating in a school play.
DK Findout! (series) written by various authors
The tagline for this series of 30 books is, “what do you want to find out?” Each volume focuses on one topic, including time-tested favorites like understanding the human body, dinosaurs, and Ancient Egypt. The content is conveyed in short paragraphs, captions, fast facts, and brief interviews—both real (with subject experts) and imagined (with a historic figure). Fun to read aloud, this series will have children begging to read.
Grades 5-8
Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration written by Mireia Trius, Illustrated by Joana Casals
This fascinating book pairs visual literacy with data literacy, using colorful illustrations and infographics to present information in a way that’s easy to understand. The infographics focus on personal things like family structure, most popular names, and breakfast foods in different places in our world. It also looks more broadly at things like world population, city populations, traffic in cities, schools and homework. There are more light-hearted infographics including most popular dog breeds, summer vacations, and sports.
Click (series) written by Kayla Miller
This graphic novel has an introspective approach, as we follow 5th grader Olive on her search for the perfect friend group. While she is friends with everyone, she realizes she hasn’t “clicked” with anyone in particular and doesn’t have a “bestie.” She ultimately determines that she can find happiness both within herself and in her different groups of friends. Three more novels, Camp, Act and Clash continue the story with diverse characters and issues of love, friendship, and family.
Keira Pride is the Head Librarian at Stratford School, the leading independent private school founded with a vision of creating a unique, multi-dimensional, educational foundation for children. As Stratford's Head Librarian, she manages the library services department across campuses throughout Northern and Southern California.
Want to hear a story from Betty White? Or print off Barbie summer camp activities? And help kids in need at the same time? Then we’ve got the program for you!
Save the Children just launched its annual summer reading campaign, 100 Days of Reading. The website is packed with fun activities and ideas to keep kids reading and learning this summer. You’ll find book suggestions, playlists, imaginary activities and more—plus new things are added every week!
Better yet, every link that is clicked or tapped will help impoverished children across rural America. These actions unlock donations of books, educational materials and healthy food for 750,000 kids. Save the Children’s mission is to ensure kids are getting the early support they need to be successful in school and in life. If you want to take it one step further, you can join in a summer fundraising program. Create your own page, choose an activity (like selling lemonade or gardening) and share on social to make even more of an impact!
Ready to get started? Visit the 100 Days of Reading website and start exploring the site and logging your reading minutes. It’s one more way to help your kids have the ultimate summer of fun and learning, while giving back at the same time!
