FAMILIES : From Hay to Hogs, Cheap Fun for Children

About 20 children sat on a small patch of carpet between bookshelves at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Marina del Rey. Some fidgeted, others fussed, but all kept their eyes on storyteller Sharon McMillan.

The children, accompanied by parents and baby-sitters, were listening to McMillan read “Where Are You Going, Manyoni?”--a book about a little girl living in Zimbabwe. Though the quarters were a bit cramped, the price was right. The event was free, with cookies and juice included in the bargain.

Children’s story time at Barnes & Noble (13400 Maxella Avenue, (310) 306-3213) is offered Thursday evenings at 7 and at 11 a.m. on Saturdays. It is just one form of low- or no-cost entertainment for kids on the Westside. Here are some other freebies and cheapies to choose from:

* The hayride at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market on Main Street. This newest of Santa Monica farmers markets is open from 9 a.m. until noon on Sundays. The hayride, which costs $1 a person, makes a 15-minute loop along Main Street. The flatbed is pulled by a pair of sturdy, good-natured Belgian Draft horses who are sisters, 14-year-old Floss and 12-year-old Cutes. Parking is 50 cents an hour in the lots behind Main Street.

Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, The Heritage Museum parking lot, 1640 Main St. at Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica. For more information, call (310) 458-8712.

* The Imaginarium. This child-friendly toy store lends itself to hours of free fun. During a recent visit to the store, located in Santa Monica Place, more than 20 toys were on display, ranging from laptop computers and talking storybooks to train sets and jungle gyms.

Parents needn’t feel guilty if they walk out empty-handed. “We want people to buy, but we don’t discourage them from just looking and browsing even if they don’t buy,” said Denise Hillman, director of marketing for the company, which is headquartered in Walnut Creek.

There are two store locations. The Imaginarium at 359 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 393-6500. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The Imaginarium at the Century City Shopping Center, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Phone: (310) 785-0227. Hours: Weekdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

* Petting zoo. The free petting zoo at the Malibu Feed Bin features two pigs so ugly they’re actually cute. The fat one is named Bunco (short for rambunctious ); the more petite one, a black hog, is Charlotte. The zoo is also home to a sheep called Angel, two unnamed goats, and assorted turkeys and peacocks.

Malibu Feed Bin, 3931 South Topanga Canyon Blvd. at the corner of Topanga and Pacific Coast Highway. Phone: (310) 456-2043. Hours: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Sundays.

* Library story times. Almost all Westside libraries have free story times. For example, the Venice-Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch, at 610 California Ave. (310) 821-1769, plans to offer a combined story time and crafts hour for children under 5 on alternate Friday mornings at 10:30, March 31 through May 26.

The main Santa Monica library, at 1343 Sixth St. (310) 458-8600, has a story time for preschoolers on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., as well as a story time for 2-year-old children on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m.

For a story time close to your home, call your local library.

* Free baby-sitting. The DC3 restaurant at Santa Monica Airport has taken pity on parents by providing a “family night out” Tuesday through Thursday evenings. While you dine in the restaurant, a baby-sitter whisks your children away to a separate room and feeds them pizza and salad. They are then treated to a tour of the Museum of Flying, shown a Charlie Brown movie on television, and get to build their own gliders.

The restaurant requires that you arrive between 6 and 7 p.m. and that you make your reservation by at least 2 p.m. on the day you’re dining. Children must be toilet trained. Of course, you do have to spend money on your meal, but you had to eat dinner that night anyway, right?

DC3, 2800 Donald Douglas Loop North, Santa Monica. Phone: (310) 399-2323.

* Carousel rides. The carousel at Santa Monica Pier, a local landmark, features 44 brightly painted horses and low prices--25 cents for children under 12, 50 cents for adults. Be warned, however, that parking on the pier costs an extra $2 with validation.

Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. until Memorial Day. From Memorial Day to June 30, Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. From June 30 through Labor Day, Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For information: (310) 458-8900.

* Free museum days. Admission to the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries (including the La Brea Tar Pits) is free the first Tuesday of every month. Admission to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is free the second Wednesday of every month. Parking, however, is $4 and $5, respectively.

La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Phone: (213) 936-2230. Hours on free days: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Phone: (213) 857-6000.

* Kid’s World. Starting April 21, Santa Monica Place will host a free entertainment hour for preschoolers on Friday mornings at 11 a.m. The program, a celebration of world cultures, will feature music, dance and theater.

Kid’s World, in the community room on the third level next to Gap Kids at Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica. For more information: (310) 394-5451.