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

It seems like just about everyone is pinching pennies these days. Maybe you are adjusting to life on one income, or your family has been hit hard by the recession. But even if you're broke, there are still plenty of fun things to do in Southern California. We have access to well-stocked libraries, beautiful beaches and parks. We are also within an hour's drive of many museums, and most of them have a free day at least once a month. Here's a list of free days at some of the museums around Southern California:

The Bowers Museum and the nearby Kidseum in Santa Ana are free the first Sunday of every month.

You can learn about the history and culture of Japanese-Americans at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. It's free on Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, and all day on the 3^rd Thursday of the month.

The Long Beach Museum of Art is free on Fridays.

The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach is free every Friday and Sunday.

After 5 PM, you may pay what you wish at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Free days are the 2^nd Tuesday of every month, and holiday Mondays.

The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is free the 1^st Tuesday of every month, and permanent exhibitions at the nearby California Science Center are free. (Parking is $6.00.)

The Orange County Museum of Art is free the 3^rd Thursday of every month.

The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits is free on the 1^st Tuesday of each month.