The Best Things to Do in L.A. On a Rainy Day: Activities

For more than 35 years, 3rd Street Dance has offered classes covering ballet, salsa, tango, hip-hop and swing. Sign up individually, as a couple, or as a group to attend one of their on-going classes or a 4- or 6-week course. Classes are small, allowing the teachers to personalize the instruction.There are even wedding prep packages for those wanting to add to their special day. Whether you've got the moves or have two left feet, there's no reason to hold back. After a few lessons at 3rd Street Dance, you'll be dancing like a star in no time!

With all due respect to the many pottery painting studios around town, Bitter Root is the real McCoy - a full deal pottery studio where you make designs from scratch, whether on the wheel or by hand. On Saturdays and Sundays, they offer morning drop-in classes for kids ages 6-11. Parents are encouraged to grab a coffee in the neighborhood, so as not to put a damper on their child’s creativity - let’s face it, parents sometimes do this, despite good intentions. Kids come up with a game plan, perhaps a dinosaur or a cereal bowl, and staff help guide them. The classes are first come, first served and regularly fill up, so it’s worth arriving early. Fortunately the studio just doubled in size, which means more room for little artists.

Reveal your inner chef by taking cooking classes at EATZ LA. Multiple classes are offered every week, covering tasty themes such as “A Moroccan Feast,” “One Night in Bangkok” and “Southern Comforts.” Each class generally costs around $100, are limited in size, and allow for personalized, hands-on lessons in a fun dinner party setting. You'll make a five-course meal paired with wine or cocktails - no supplies or experience is necessary. They also offer one-on-one classes and private parties if you want to take your cooking experience to the next level.

Leanna Lin’s eponymous five-year-old business is first off a gift shop and art gallery. But at its heart is the Jewelry Studio. Lin, a jewelry designer, wanted to give her customers a chance to create too. So she assembled a collection of beads, all stored in glass mason jars, including plenty of what she calls “kawaii” (cute) charms. Kids can design their own earrings, bracelet or necklace using professional bead trays. Prices start at $12 for earrings. “I give them a nylon coated stainless steel wire with a signature closure,” says Lin. “It’s not a stretchy bracelet (or necklace). It’s meant to last.” Lin encourages young designers to do as much of the work themselves as possible. “It’s part of the process.”

Saturdays are dedicated to open studio at Purple Twig. They supply a tantalizing assortment of materials, and kids go to town. Each month, the menu of materials changes. One month it might be pinecones and glitter, beads and ribbon. Another it might be scrap wood, with sandpaper for sanding, along with fabric and sequins. One kid might fashion an airplane, one a castle and another an abstract sculpture. “We always give examples,” says owner Samara Caughey. “We don’t want anyone to feel insecure.” Parents are welcome to join in or tuck into a good book in the reading corner. There’s even a drop-off option for kids 5 and up.

The shelves at reDiscover Center are filled with fabric swatches, egg cartons, buttons, ribbons, decorative paper, corks, tennis balls, yarn, and a bunch more cool stuff all neatly organized and ready to be turned into fabulous, never-before-seen creations. That’s exactly what happens on Saturdays and Sundays during open recycled art. What comes out of this controlled chaos? Doll houses, robots, and a dazzling assortment of inventions. It’s $7 a project and nearly all the materials are recycled. So you can feel good about not buying another cheap, plastic art kit made in another country.

Rolling Robots is a godsend, especially for parents who aren’t mechanically inclined, but who somehow ended up with offspring who can disassemble and assemble electronics like nobody’s business. The folks who work here know their stuff and are really good with kids. Technically, one can do a drop-in to nearly any class. But a fun way for newbies to dip in is to gather a group of four buddies and set up a Build A Bot session. Your group gets their very own instructor for one hour. And each child can make the robot of their choosing - perhaps a propeller racer or doodling robot. Robot kits are an additional expense.

The Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a non-profit organization dedicated to music education. They offer private classes for any instrument and singing style at reasonable prices. The organization also grants scholarships for lessons and instruments for children in need. You can join a series of ensemble groups and in the summer the conservatory hosts a two-week intensive music camp. Though geared towards music education for kids, there are groups and lessons for adults as well. You're never too old for music!

Why just admire the art at a museum when you can learn to create your own masterpieces? There's no better way to take an art class than being surrounded by a world-class art collection. The Getty Center in Brentwood and the Getty Villa in Malibu offer an incredible array of classes and workshops that cover drawing, pen and ink wash, sculpting, gilding and jewelry making. Whatever your level of experience or medium of choice, there’s a class for you. They even offer free courses at both locations on the first and third Sunday of every month.