Palisades Village Weekly Kids Club Returns

By MAGNOLIA LAFLEUR | Reporter

Palisades Village brought back the Kids Club this past March—offering live entertainment for children to enjoy. The program is slated to run through October.

The Kids Club at Palisades Village first opened in 2018 as a complimentary programming with two sessions each Wednesday, with entertainers like The BeatBuds, two musical partners who create music for children, Jonny and Matty, who appear on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. and perform live shows in Los Angeles, along with other entertainers like Brian Jacobs, who performs as Mr. Funn the Magician.

The Palisadian-Post was able to catch up with Jacobs, who was the entertainer of the day on Wednesday, April 30.

“I’ve been Mr. Funn for more than 25 years,” Jacobs said. “I’ve always loved kids and found them so funny. I suppose that made it work, even before I had any idea of what I was doing. Sometimes ’ya gotta just jump in the pool and hope you can swim.”

Describing himself as a “comedian for kids,” Jacobs said he works with children of 3 to 8 years old, throughout Los Angeles and has worked worked with Palisades Montessori Center, Le Lycee Francais Pacific Palisades, Pali Preschool and Palisades Charter Elementary School, the Pacific Palisades Recreation Center and more.

“I’ve done 10 or 15 shows at Palisades Village,” Jacobs said. “The shows I’ll be doing would be great for kids up to 8 years of age. Caruso Kids Events are well run and organized. Also, the children are especially polite here in Pacific Palisades.”

Jacobs said he will be at the Village again on Wednesday, April 27, from 10 to 11:00 a.m.

Cecilia Abbey said she has been taking the two girls she teaches to the Kids Club for the past few Wednesdays and loves the variety of activities and entertainment the program has to offer.

“Every time it’s different, there’s been musical artists, there’s been two girls singing, one guy on a guitar, today was a magician,” she said. “The kids love it and it’s a great way for them to learn new things and have fun.”

Many of the entertainers have worked at other Caruso properties, such as the Grove and the Americana at Brand. Jacobs’ experience demonstrates a deep connection and understanding of not only what makes a kid smile, but what makes them grow.

“I feel that a good rapport with children begins with a willingness to communicate on their terms,” he explained. “If a child feels shy, that’s perfectly fine and I allow them the space to get into the fun as we go along. They almost always end up laughing and being talkative by the end.

“Entertaining kids is my whole life and I genuinely find them fascinating. If I wasn’t doing this I’d probably be a child psychologist. Even after 25 years, I still can’t believe how lucky I am.”

For more information, visit palisadesvillageca.com/palisadesvillage-kids-club-2.