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• Why It's Worth It: We love tripping down memory lane with the kids by watching a film that has reached classic status. Some children may find it scary when E.T. gets sick; however, it helps to remind kids that heroes usually make it to the end of the film. It's worth a little nail-biting along the way to see the kids flying on their bicycles at the film's end. There is some minor language (like "penis breath") but by today's standards, these lines seem quaint.
• E.T. was reissued in 2002 with few changes. Spielberg digitally removed the guns that were pointed at E.T. and Henry, but otherwise left the film alone. The DVD extras include interviews with the production team and footage of John Williams conducting.

• Music Savvy: Composer John Williams and Steven Spielberg have successfully collaborated for over twenty years. Hum a few lines from Indiana Jones' theme song and most kids will recognize the catchy tune. John Williams composed the scores for all the Star Wars and Harry Potter movies. Catch him as a guest conductor at the Hollywood Bowl each summer.
• Cinema Savvy: Help your kids try to predict what might happen in a scene from the music cues. Let them guess, midway through a scene, if something scary or funny is coming up.
• Critical Savvy: Film critic Vincent Canby called E.T. an upside down Wizard of Oz.  Ask your kids to compare Dorothy and E.T. and they'll be thinking like film critics.

• What We Learned: Since the planetarium is part of academia, it is closed sporadically, especially over holiday weekends. It helps to think ahead for this outing because shows sell out if you don't purchase your tickets ahead of time. Buy tickets mid-week. Remember that the box office closes by 4 p.m. on Friday afternoons. One show is plenty. Both the 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows are appropriate for kids, but the second show focuses on a specific topic. The 8 p.m. shows and lectures are posted at www.smc.edu/planetarium under the "Show Schedules" tab.
• Leonid Meteor Shower: Look to the skies in the early morning of November 17 for an unusually large number of meteors to be crossing the sky. Click here for viewing tips.
  
• Where to Park: Parking on campus is free on Friday nights.
  
• Grandparents off the Couch: This is a perfect inter-generational activity; there is suitable elevator access for grandparents. Kids get the best view from the inner of the two seating circles.

• ASTRONOMY LIVE! at UCLA November 14, 2009: Click here for details on this weekend's festival that celebrates all things astronomical with lectures, planetarium shows, workshops and telescope viewing. It runs all day and is free (parking at UCLA will cost $10).
  
• Local Sky Report: Keep your eye on local celestial events and watch the stars from your backyard blanket.  Griffith Park Observatory maintains an excellent Sky Report (323-663-8171). 
  
• Online Sky Report: Sky and Telescope's weekly The Sky at a Glance is a fabulous resource for all things astronomical.
  
• Check out University Astrology Departments: The Astronomy Department at U.C.L.A. provides free shows for the public on Wednesday nights. Check the online schedule.
• More Astronomy Information: The Jet Propulsion lab has a joint site with NASA that is very kid-friendly. And, of course The Griffith Observatory is an excellent spot from which to stare at the stars. Click here for their website.
  

BEYOND LOS ANGELES

• Orange County:  The University of California at Irvine hosts visitor nights at its Observatory approximately 6 times a year.  (949-824-6911 or 949-824-4620).  
• San Fernando Valley:  The Bianchi Planetarium at California State University at Northridge offers Friday night star shows (every other week) that are appropriate for families.  For information, call (818) 677-5601.