I am always looking for places to take my kids that will be fun for all of us and not too pricey. While we certainly enjoy hitting the big amusement parks here in Southern California, we can’t do it very often.

So here are some of the places I like to go: the museums in and around Los Angeles. They are fantastic and provide a wealth of information and entertainment value for my family. And if you time it right, you can do it all for free.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a wonderful museum, filled with a really wide range of types of art, with something to satisfy everyone, surely. And the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) at LACMA, which opened in early 2008, showcases an impressive collection of modern art.

My kids love to run through the galleries, which is of course frowned upon, but hey, as long as we’re not touching anything, I figure we’re OK. Plus, it’s free on the 2^nd Tuesday of every month! Pack a picnic lunch and you’ve got yourself quite a deal.

Located close-by are the LaBrea Tar Pits and the Page Museum, which may be my kids’ favorite museum of all time. We are all nuts for the old fashioned place, run-down dioramas and all. There are so many dire wolf skulls on display we cannot possibly count them all, and watching the scientists cleaning the bones they’ve pulled out of the tar is really cool. But the best part is out on the grounds, where you can see the black, sticky stuff oozing out of the ground at various spots, and in the summer, you can watch pit 91 as it’s excavated. It’s one of our favorite summer traditions. Admission there is free every 1^st Tuesday of the month. And again, pack a picnic lunch and your day is well within budget! Just be sure not to sit in oozing tar!

This is an original post for Ciao Bambino. Sarah Auerswald also blogs at Mar Vista Mom.

Ok, so portfolios are shrinking, but we still love to travel and school vacations still linger on the horizon. So, how do you travel in style without breaking the bank?

This summer we were deciding between two destinations, a family-oriented lake resort within driving distance (a huge savings when flying with six!) and a posh resort in Turks and Caicos. For the same cost, we went to the Caribbean and here’s how. We took advantage of off-season pricing. It was high season at the lake and low season in the Caribbean. Also, because it was off-season, we were finally able to use those airline miles that are non-usable during high season. Then, we made sure the villa had a kitchen, to reduce food cost while keeping meals easy.

Here are five tips for keeping the luxury while cutting the cost:

Big Ticket Items: Rather than skimping here and there, look to reduce or eliminate one of the major costs to free up funds. For us, that means lodging, airfare, car rental and food. To reduce food cost and increase ease, look for lodging where food is included or the rooms have kitchens.

Flights: Try Fare Compare. Set your desired air route, then Fare Compare emails you before the discount is posted, allowing you to grab those limited discount seats. Also, most airlines offer lower prices when you shop Monday through Wednesday. Finally, try different airports. Although driving a bit further can be hard with small kids, the cost savings may be worth it.

Look for specials: There are amazing deals to be found, but on more unusual trips, especially if your dates are flexible. Keep your eyes open and be ready to pull the trigger. Also, when booking, don’t be afraid to ask for a discounted rates or upgrades. Ciao Bambino simplifies this process with requests that go directly to the property, allowing you to ask for the best promotions.

Time to explore your region: If faraway destinations are too much right now, take this opportunity to play tourist in your own region. Think about accessing your local cities, where weekend rates often drop and you can soak in some culture. It can feel like a getaway, at a much lower cost.

Strong Dollar: Head to where your currency is strong. The US dollar is still faring well in parts of Asia, Africa, Central America and South America, and gaining ground daily in Europe.

As a follow-up, New York times had a great article this weekend on this same topic, “Seasons Greetings.” It’s worth a read!

Attending the many school and extra-curricular events required at this time of year, we inevitably find ourselves waiting and chatting with other parents. The standard question, “How was your summer?” comes up over and over. Stop! This is where you can really learn a lot and begin the “harvest” of travel information. It never ceases to amaze me, the different and interesting trips people find. Learn to clue in and they can be a real source of inspiration.

A few years back I was sitting with a group of women and this mother mentioned how she loved to travel with her four young boys to Europe. I was shocked! She was so nonchalant and said, “Everyone makes such a big deal about it, but it’s really quite easy. Just rent a car and pop around.” This got me thinking, out of our box. We re-evaluated our self-imposed travel limitations and off we went. It was just what we needed, a little encouragement and someone who had not only survived it, but also enjoyed it with young children.

Since then, I have learned to listen to just about anyone who’s willing to talk about their family trips. This Fall alone, I’ve learned about a dude ranch in Idaho, an amazing elephant trek in Thailand, an old-school lake resort nearby and a child-friendly city in Eastern Europe.

With holiday travel right around the corner and summer camps already requesting commitments for 2009, Fall is a perfect time to organize your trips. Combine what you’ve learned from your “Fall Harvest” and leverage the Ciao Bambino resources and links to get your family on the road.

I’m not sure whose attention span I’m catering to when we go to museums. Kids are my wonderful excuse to keep museum trips short and sweet. It’s not that I don’t love museums, I do. It’s just that the kids and I retain SO much more when we do it in doses. Watch “Night at the Museum” for inspiration. In that movie, they bring exhibits to life by packaging the information into stories. Kids adore stories. Whether it’s about science, art, history, they just need something to keep it interesting. Here are a few strategies for exploring the world’s museums:

Time: Understand that you can’t possibly see everything! Don’t get frustrated. Relax and pick one to two exhibits to see. We plan one hour in any museum. Then, if everything is going well, we stay longer, breaking the time up with snacks or outdoor play to give the kids a mental break.

Preview: By looking online ahead of time, you can pick the one or two exhibits that your kids find most exciting and eliminate the ones that don’t interest them. You can also find daily kids-oriented activities offered by most major museums across the globe as they try creative ways to connect with the younger generation. Some, like the Smithsonian and Natural History Museum in New York, have even developed interactive kid’s section on their web sites. The Smithsonian also has a great article about encouraging learning at museums.

Games: Two fun activities that we use are treasure hunts and quizzes. Kids love to find things and treasure hunts are easy to think up while walking through a museum. Depending on their ages and interests, pick an animal, a color, or something more complex to search for along your way. You can also stop by the gift shop and buy a handful of postcards of the exhibits, then hunt for those.

For the “quizzes,” have fun making up silly and educational questions throughout the visit. Then, the next time you are waiting, at a meal, in a line, etc, go through the questions. This helps increase attention and information retention, but be sure to have a stash of treats like M&M’s or tic-tacs to dispense for the right answer.

Note: For some of the huge museums (British Museum, Louvre, Vatican Museum) you can book private tours especially designed for families.

Cities with kids-absolutely! Not only do I bring our four kids to major cities, but I also love doing it. As I teach my children about the city, I learn more myself. For them, it broadens their exposure, helping them develop into global citizens. That said….it does take a LOT of energy! Here is what works for us:

Play: You have to infuse play into everything. Kids want to play no matter where they are. Find a park, jump crack to crack on the sidewalk, play I spy, you get the idea. For kids, the way to a destination can be as interesting as the destination it self.

Preparation: Preparation and planning will serve you well! By having well-selected lodging, an idea of what your family would like to see and some information about the city, you can better utilize your time. Review books and on-line resources together to generate interest in places you’d like to see, as well as, filter out sights that don’t appeal to your group. I put together city book list for Boston, DC, NYC, London, Paris, and Rome, which highlight some of our favorite story and reference books.

Thoughtful Sightseeing: For those short attention spans, try to streamline how many sites you see and how you visit them. Instead of seeing five sights in a day, you may see only two, but in a way that’s geared to their attention level and captivates their interest. Children cannot sustain an adult pace. Embrace it as a benefit of traveling with kids…sneak in more coffee, food stops, parks, etc. Being forced to slow down helps you take in the surrounding culture, allowing you to enjoy things you may have previously hurried past.

Balance: Select a mix of activities that each member of your family will enjoy. Striking the balance between adult and child interests, between educational and fun endeavors, and between structured and relaxed time is important. You can go to a gallery, but then also go to a street fair. For ideas about kid-friendly events and unique activities I use Parents Connect and Viator. With kids, downtime is key! We can now do four-hour blocks of touring, with that last hour being a bit dicey! Then we re-group at a park or the hotel. I love hotels with pools. They provide great relief for tired feet and grumpy parents or kids. Also, the in-room movies are great way for everyone to rest.