A FEW WAYS TO MAKE MOM’S DAY : Whether It’s Ballet Tickets, Brunch or the Zoo, Part of the Gift Is Being Together

Every year, I ask my mother what she wants for Mother’s Day. And every year the answer is the same: “Let’s just spend some time together.”

Of course, when I was a kid, I thought she was crazy. After all, here was her once-a-year chance to collect serious loot from her doting children (“What! I thought you bought her the card!”), but of course, now I see her point. In the right setting, a day spent together as a family can generate more lasting memories, and far fewer grams of fat, than another marathon brunch.

Here are a few outings suitable for two or more generations.

Pigs en Pointe

Whether it’s a Peter Rabbit (textbook problem child) or a Jemima Puddleduck (well-meaning but ditsy mom), chances are your family has someone very much like one of the characters Beatrix Potter created for her classic children’s stories. This weekend, you can introduce your clan to Potter’s in “Tales of Beatrix Potter,” a one-act ballet presented by the Royal Ballet of Great Britain.

The program also includes “The Dream,” based on Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Performances are Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 650 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets: $20 to $70. (714) 556-2787.

(If you can’t get to the ballet, Goodtimes Home Video produces a series of 30-minute tapes for younger children titled “The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends.” For more Mother’s Day video selections, see the next category.)

Pop in for a Movie

Family movie outings are nice, but if you’re packing small children, it’s not the most relaxing experience for Mom (“Dear, get off the armrest. You’re going to spill that nice man’s Cooooooooooooooooke!”). And many older children would rather die than be seen with Mom at the multiplex.

Home videos are a good alternative. An informal survey of some moms I know yielded the following suggestions for a family video fest.

“Mary Poppins,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Charlotte’s Web” are big with younger kids, as is the film version of the original Broadway musical “Peter Pan” and “Beethoven.” Also popular: “Homeward Bound” (which throws in a nice subplot of a single mom embarking on a second marriage) and “Milo and Otis,” which features a theme song by children’s artist Dan Crow.

Families with school-age children suggested “Free Willy,” “Big,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Home Alone” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and sports-minded types pitched “The Sandlot,” “The Mighty Ducks” and “Field of Dreams.” Soft-hearted teen-agers and their moms might share a good cry watching “Beaches.”

Off to the Thea-tuh

With lots of color and razzmatazz, a G-rated dalliance and old-fashioned values, “The Music Man” ranks high on the family friendly scale.

The Brea Civic Light Opera wraps up its staging of Meredith Willson’s chestnut at the Curtis Theatre (1 Civic Center Circle, Brea) with performances tonight through Saturday at 8 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $10.50 to $12.50 for adults, $7 for children 12 and under. Mom gets $1 off her ticket on Sunday. (714) 990-7722.

The youthful cast of Broadway on Tour children’s theater presents “The Sound of Music” Friday through May 21 at The City shopping center (20 City Drive, Orange) on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 to $7.

This production features the full Broadway score, and of course, representations of all seven of the Von Trapp children, which BOT director Dan Halkyard figures makes it a perfect choice for Mother’s Day.

BOT will host a special Mother’s Day dinner show that includes a catered Italian dinner. The evening starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for children 12 and under, $15 for adults. Reservations are required. (714) 385-1555.

Mosey Around a Museum

Mother’s Day is a great day to check out local museums, especially those designed for families.

The Launch Pad science center in Costa Mesa’s Crystal Court (3333 Bear St.) offers hands-on exhibits that help families get a grip on scientific principles. Admission is $5. The center is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. One adult per child is admitted free. (714) 540-2001.

Afterward, you might pop in for a shake and a burger at Ruby’s restaurant downstairs. Cholesterol be damned; it’s a holiday.

Even Grandma may feel like a pup next to the Victorian-themed exhibits in the Discovery Museum of Orange County (3101 W. Harvard St., Santa Ana), which features hands-on activities in the turn-of-the-century Kellogg House. Activities include a turn with an old-fashioned washboard and tub; who knows, even the kids may gain an appreciation for the family Maytag.

On Sunday, the museum hosts a Mother’s Day Tea with sandwiches, scones and a variety of teas, plus lemonade. Seatings remain at the 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. teas. Tickets: $15 for adults, $12.50 for ages 12 and under. Reservations required. (714) 540-0404.

The Children’s Museum La Habra (301 S. Euclid St., La Habra) presents permanent exhibits that help visitors explore the worlds of art and science, plus a preschoolers’ area jammed with indoor play equipment. On Sunday in its changing gallery, the museum wraps up “Under the Big Top,” a hands-on display that caters to kids, and moms of course, who fantasize about running away to join the circus. There are picnic and playground facilities in a neighboring park.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $3.50 per person, children under age 2 get in free. (310) 905-9693.

On Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art (2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana) will host a workshop for moms and older children titled “Mother’s Day in a Japanese Garden.” The program includes a lecture, a Japanese flower-arranging demonstration and a film. $10. (714) 567-3670.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 9 p.m. Admission: $1.50 to $4.50; children under 5 get in free.

Just off the museum’s main courtyard, the Topaz Cafe on Mother’s Day will offer a champagne brunch with live big band music from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The price is $5.95 for children ages 5 to 10; $12.95 for adults. Reservations required. (714) 835-2002.

(For more brunch suggestions, see “Brunch, If You Must,” below.)

Toons, Tunes and Tours

On Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Santa Ana Zoo (1801 E. Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana), the Mother’s Day Safari Symphony offers live music by the Irvine Youth Symphony and an excuse for families to enjoy a picnic on the zoo’s expansive lawns. All mothers will be admitted to the zoo at no charge on that day.

The zoo is open daily from 10 a .m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $1 to $3. (714) 836-4000.

The Gourmet Lollipop Co. (7831 Heil Ave., “Sweet” J, Huntington Beach) will be closed Sunday, but Tuesday through Saturday the business welcomes groups of all sizes for free behind-the-scenes tours. Visitors can see how lollipops are made start to finish and make a few taste tests of their own. A candy store is also on site.

Reservations are required. (714) 841-2000.

Brunch, if You Must

If you do decide to brunch, be aware that even on Mother’s Day, not every restaurant lays out the red carpet for children. Here are a few ideas:

The Back Bay Cafe (1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach) will offer an affordable Mother’s Day breakfast buffet with killer views and quick access to adjacent Newport Dunes, said the resort’s general manager Anne Quinn. (Note: There is a $5 parking fee at the Dunes, but the cafe validates parking.)

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the all-you-can-eat buffet includes omelet and waffle stations. There will also be a clown to entertain the kids with balloons and face painting while Mom lingers (yeah, right) over coffee. Quinn recommends dining on the patio, which overlooks the boat launch of Newport Harbor. Reservations are suggested. (714) 729-1144.

Afterward, diners can walk to the Dunes, where they can rent bikes, skates, sea cycles, windsurfers or even “cocktail cruisers” that can carry up to 10 people. Fees range from $5 to $45 an hour. A two-hour kayak tour of Back Bay departs at 10 a.m.; the fee is $15 per person and includes instruction. Children must be 4 or older to participate. (800) 585-0747 for kayak tour reservations.

Hornblower Dining Yachts presents a pricey but intriguing option with its Mother’s Day cruises. On Sunday, the company hosts two-hour cruises departing from its Newport Beach dock (2431 Pacific Coast Highway) that include an all-you-can-eat brunch with champagne, live music and views of Newport Harbor waterfront and the Fun Zone. Guests are free to explore the 150-foot motor yacht and visit with the captain in the pilot house.

Cruises depart at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; boarding is a half-hour prior to departure. Tickets: $40.30 for adults, $22.30 for children 12 and under. Reservations are required. (714) 631-2469, Ext. 7.

The Disneyland Hotel puts on a Mother’s Day fete that caters to kids. On Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the hotel’s grand ballroom will be decorated to resemble the park scene from “Mary Poppins” for its “Supercalifragilistic Brunch,” which offers an all-you-can-eat spread plus a chance to hobnob with Mary, Bert the chimney sweep, the ever-dapper Penguin Waiters and a handful of other Disney characters.

The price is $34.95 for adults; $12.50 for children age 4 to 12 and $3 for children 3 and under. Reservations are advised. (714) 956-6413.

* CHILDREN’S LISTINGS, Page 26