Where to Play on the Weekdays: December 5-9

Checking out one means of mail transportation at the National Postal Museum

Monday – Kids ages 3-5 can meet the trees that represent the season at Green Spring Gardens’ workshop, Garden Sprouts: Forever Evergreens. Guests will get an intro to the tree then create a related craft. Admission is $5/county residents, $7/non-residents, and you must register in advance. As this post goes up, there are still a few spots remaining in the class.

Tuesday – Head to the Building Zone at the National Building Museum for its Book of the Month Program. Readings of Gingerbread Baby begin at 10:30am and 11:30am. Don’t forget it’s now $3/person to play there, and timed entries begin on the hour. While you’re at the NBM, check out the Lego Architecture exhibit upstairs and let the kids create some masterpieces themselves at tables yielding thousands of the tiny plastic bricks. And the magnificent Great Hall is a perfect space to let the kids romp and enjoy an indoor picnic (BYO or buy it from the on-premises Firehook Bakery).

Wednesday – Visit the National Postal Museum, one I consider a local secret, since it’s often overlooked by tourists and overshadowed by its Smithsonian counterparts on the Mall. The atrium alone is quite a sight, showcasing various means of mail transportation — a mail truck, airplane, train car, tractor-trailer, and Pony Express horses and buggy replica are on display, and a couple of them are open for guests to climb aboard. And even more interesting exhibits await beyond the main hall. When you’re done there, head next door to Union Station to see the Holiday Train Show and grab lunch.

Thursday – See a marionette version of a holiday classic, as The Puppet Co. presents The Nutcracker at 10am and 11:30am. Tickets are $10 and available online — they often sell fast, so reserve yours soon!

Friday – Experience the best of the holidays in DC at one of the many seasonal activities happening around town. This post lists my faves, and I highly recommend experiencing them during the week when possible to avoid the weekend crowds.