Local Activities, Programs and More For Pasadena Families
The Little Things
Coral, lilac, and lime are among the new, brighter colors from children’s clothing line Sweetgood. The brand’s classic styles and new releases, including the Birdie Camisole (a spaghetti-strap A-line cut with coconut-shell buttons down the front), are made locally from Sweetgood’s signature gauzy, double-woven organic cotton. “Our pieces have old-fashioned details like puff-sleeves and ruffles; they’re also minimal with modern lines,” says founder and pattern designer Leah Bieltvedt. Bieltvedt started out sewing one-off pieces for friends and family and maintains the quality she first envisioned for Sweetgood through the personal relationships she’s built with the dye house she uses, as well as her cutters and sewers, who are all LA-based. From $38–$68; sweetgoodclothing.com
Plant Life
A partnership between Compton-based Alma Backyard Farms and Pasadena’s Southern California Children’s Museum teaches junior farmers how to grow, prepare, and nourish their own food. Staying true to the museum’s mission of serving people ages 8 and under, interactive video lessons are play-based, targeting young children from preschool to third grade. Families download detailed lesson plans and watch the four-video series on the museum’s website to learn how to plant a seed, make healthy snacks, and compost.
The lessons are also distributed with the grocery bags kits that Alma supplies monthly to food-insecure communities. “These are activities you can do anywhere,” says Museum Manager Allison Venable. “You don’t need a yard, just a seed bag and simple compost bag that can be taped to a window.” Since closing its doors to the public on March 14, 2020, the museum has focused on free, virtual programming, relying on community donations to make up for lost revenue.
Next up, a 10-week Story & Craft: Trailblazers video series honors leading females such as Kamala Harris and Greta Thunberg. Missing the in-person experience? You can now book semi-private contactless sensory play and story-time sessions ($32 per family) outdoors by the museum’s landmark rainbow sunshine mural by artist Amy Tangerine. socalkids.org
Bless This Mess
Dino Dome and Fairy Terrarium kits from crafting experts Maker’s Mess encourage kids to go outside and forage. With the company’s art studio in DTLA open only to small-group pods, at-home projects like these keep its youngest clients—known as Mini Makers—growing creatively through the pandemic. Via YouTube, Lewis’ team created a series of kid-friendly video tutorials for projects that can be made from common household supplies like paper and scissors for making flower bouquets and cloth napkins, rubber bands, and tea bags for tie-dye designs. From $30 per kit,makersmess.com
—Jennifer Ashton Ryan
