Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Long Beach, CA

Tuesday, in my ongoing quest to (1) get us out of the house but (2) avoid the smoke-filled air outside, we drove down to the Bowers Kidseum on Main Street in Santa Ana. It took us about half an hour to get there from Long Beach, although there was one harrowing bit when I had to cross three lanes of traffic in two seconds.

The Kidseum is near the Bowers Museum, but it's a separate space where children can touch and explore cultural artifacts from all over the world. We started off sorting and fitting together nesting dolls, then moved onto a table of instruments. Bella shook tambourines and banged on drums of all shapes and sizes. Next to the drum table were vibrant paper-maiche animal head masks. Other exhibits included an Egyptian room, where kids can make rubbings of hieroglyphs; a multiculti dress-up area; and a table of ceremonial masks.

As my daughter flitted around the room, trying on masks and digging through the dress-up bin, one of the docents stopped by and invited us to join the drop-in preschool class that meets at the museum every Tuesday and Wednesday. The class began with music and dance, then we moved to another room for light snacks and a story. Afterward, we made a "cherry pie" from a small paper plate, red tissue paper rolled into "cherries", and a construction-paper lattice crust.

Other toddler and preschool classes meet at the museum, but you need to register in advance.  The museum is open Tuesday t Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 4:00. Admission is $6.00. If you want to make a day of it, the museum is near the Discovery Science Center.