Peek into the rooms of a historic house with ties to George Washington for just $1!
Monday – Rise + Rhyme at Busboys and Poets. The weekly series welcomes children 5 and under with their caregivers to enjoy a morning of performances and stories from 9:30-11am. Go to one of three locations: Brookland in DC or Takoma Park or Hyattsville in MD. Admission is $5. Plan on breakfast, too — full service will be available while the little ones are grooving. (FYI: The series also takes place in Shirlington, VA, on the last Tuesday of every month, which is this week!)
Tuesday – See a movie on the really big screen — you’ve got your choice of IMAX films playing right now. Both the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in the Air & Space Museum on the National Mall and the Airbus IMAX Theater at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, are showing the following films that kids can enjoy: DREAM BIG: Engineering Our World 3D, To Fly!, Journey to Space 3D, Aircraft Carrier: Guardians of the Sea 3D, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Tickets are $9.50/adult, $7/child ($15/adult, $13.50/youth for Star Wars). Of course, plan for some time before or after to explore the museums, too. Hours are 10am – 5:30pm, and admission to both is free.
Wednesday – Indulge in an unseasonal activity: Swimming! There are a bunch of public indoor pools around the area where you get a taste of summer on a cold winter day. Wilson Aquatic Center in NW is popular, Rumsey on Capitol Hill and Turkey Thicket in Brookland have kiddie pools, and Deanwood in NE even has a slide. In Maryland, Rollingcrest in PG County has a special preschool area, and there are several indoor aquatic facilities in Montgomery County. In Northern Virginia, Arlington County has a few indoor public pools, and there’s one in Alexandria, too. Be sure to check schedules for open swim times at all of them, and I recommend calling ahead to confirm there are no random closings.
Thursday – Take a tour of Tudor Place for a buck! All through February, enjoy a guided visit of DC’s only historic house museum with family ties to Martha and George Washington for just $1 in celebration of his birthday this month. Kids can do a History Hunt along the way, and they’ll also love winding through the garden paths outdoors. Tours are offered all day — sign up for one in advance online.
Friday – Head out early to celebrate Ground Hog Day! Potomac Phil, a stuffed groundhog, will return to Dupont Circle park for his annual appearance and to offer weather and political predictions (hey, it’s DC). There will also be presenters in top hats, a puppet show, polka music, and cookies and coffee. Festivities run 8:30-9:15am, and admission is free. From there, make your way to the nearby Phillips Collection to enjoy some art off the beaten museum path. Hours are 10am – 5pm, and admission is $12/adult, free for children. Read more about the gallery in this KFDC post.
