Category Archives: Museums

July 8, 2018 · 5:39 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays:
July 9-13

Beach day at Calvert Cliffs State Park

Monday – Take a walk in the woods and explore the grounds of Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase. The home of the Audubon Naturalist Society is perfect for hiking with little ones. The trails are mellow, there are several small exhibits like bees nests and bird feeding areas, and wildlife sightings are practically guaranteed. Open dawn to dusk. Admission is free.

Tuesday – Take a tour and go for a “swim” at Fun House, the National Building Museum’s big summer exhibition. Timed entry tickets are $16/adult, $13/child and good for an hour in the house, but admission gets you into all of the museum exhibits, so be sure to make time for those, too!

Wednesday – Head to Capitol Hill for outdoor play, kids activities, a performance by 4SW featuring students of Northwest High School, a concert by children’s musician Mister G, and a great lineup of speakers at the Play-In for Climate Action sponsored by Moms Clean Air Force. This family-friendly protest against the air pollution that causes dangerous climate change will showcase exactly what’s at stake as temperatures and sea levels rise: our kids. View more info and register here. The event takes place on the National Mall at 3rd Steet NW & Madison Drive NW. Admission is free.

Thursday – Watch JoJo and the Pinecones play a family-friendly concert at Strathmore’s Backyard Theatre for Children in North Bethesda. The annual summer entertainment series for kids takes place on Thursdays in July. Performances are at 9:30am and 11:30am. Tickets are $8-10.

Later on, get artrageous at Art Attack! From 5-9pm, leave your mark on Lubber Run Community Center in Arlington as they say goodbye to the 1950s and hello to a major 21st century upgrade. All ages are invited to leave a community footprint on the space before it is demolished with paint bombs, murals, a D.J., food trucks, and more!

Friday – Make it a beach day at Calvert Cliffs State Park. It’s a great place to enjoy sand, surf, and some easy hiking (it’s a flat, nature-filled 2-mile walk from the parking lot to the beach). Plan to do some fossil hunting while you’re there — you can find shark teeth and other Myocene Era remnants along the shore. Bring along a picnic, as there are no concessions. Hours are sunrise to sunset, and admission is $5/vehicle for MD residents, $7/vehicle for non-residents.

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Filed under 2018, All ages, Art, DC, Educational, Exhibit, Free, Indoor Play, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Museums, Music, Nature, Outdoor, Summer, Theatre, Virginia, Weekdays

Tagged as DC Kids Activities, DC outdoors, DC Weekday Activities with Kids, DC with kids, DMV Children, Family Fun, Free Things to do in Washington DC, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Fun with Kids in Maryland, Fun with Kids in Northern Virginia, Independence Day, July 4th in DC, Kid Friendly Adventures in DC, Summer 2018, Summer Activites, Weekdays July 9-13

July 5, 2018 · 7:14 pm

The Weekend Round-Up: July 6-8

Little ones will love watching the giant dancing puppets at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Have you seen the forecast for the weekend? You’ll be just as pleased with it as you will be with all the events and activities going on around town. Happy Weekend!

Sound It Out
Where: Hirshhorn Museum, National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Over two days, you can rest in a dream tent, hold sound in your hands and listen through your fingertips, and build your own wind chime, Take a guided audio architectural tour, practice mixing samples into a live DJ set, and transform words from speech to text, and then into dance. Sound Scene XI unites audio artists and contributors from across the globe to transform the Hirshhorn into a free and interactive sonic wonderland, featuring sonic surprises and thought-provoking listening opportunities for all ages.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Where: National Mall, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
The annual Festival celebrating living cultural heritage and community traditions is underway. Visitors of all ages will have ample opportunity to discover Catalonia and Armenia through special exhibits, performances, exhibits, demos, and more, including plenty of activities especially for children. For specifics, see the festival schedule. And it all takes place right on the National Mall, where you can have even more adventures at all of the museums.

Welcome to the Fun House
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $16/adult, $13/age 3-17, free/members
Jump in, literally, to fun at this year’s Summer Block Party, the National Building Museum’s big annual exhibition that spans the Great Hall. Created by Snarkitecture, the same group that brought us The Beach a few years ago, FUN HOUSE is full of clever details and neat features that welcome all ages to engage and enjoy. Oh, and this house comes with a big backyard pool, and visitors are welcome to take a dip!

Reel Fun
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10:30am & Sunday, 11:30am
Admission: Free
Join the art museum for 14 short films from around the world — Mexico, Russia, Australia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, France, Lithuania, and the USA! With visually innovative animation, the program features the best from the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Recommended for ages 4+, runs approximately one hour.

Summer in the City
Where: Throughout the area
When: All weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Enjoy activities that make this time of year so much fun. Start the weekend off on Friday with a free outdoor concert or an evening of fishing, then continue the fun on Saturday and Sunday with water play at a pool or spray park. Cool off indoors at special summer museum programs like free admission to the Newseum or Fun House at the Building Museum. Feast on crabs or hit the beach to fulfill a seasonal must-do. Complete it all with a family movie under the stars at National Harbor on Sunday night. Get details about all of these summer diversions and even more here.

The Magic of Spying: Tradecraft Trickery
Where: International Spy Museum | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12pm
Tickets: $10, $9/members
In the real-life world of espionage, spies often call upon the art of magic and illusion to distract the enemy, make evidence disappear, and escape unnoticed. Join professional magician, Peter Wood, as he demonstrates the art of misdirection, sleight of hand, and other illusions used by skilled spies. This one of a kind performance, custom-designed for the Spy Museum, is guaranteed to fascinate children and adults alike. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Kids’ Corner
Where: Eastern Market | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday,
Admission: Free
Join Eastern Market Main Street and neighborhood businesses for some morning fun at Eastern Market. Every Saturday from through July 28, they’ll be hosting activities, games, and more. This week CHAW (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop) presents imaginative, curiosity driven activities!

Show Time
Where: Venues around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by show
* See Tinker Bell light up the stage at Adventure Theatre
* The Pop-Ups are playing the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods show at Wolf Trap
* You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is on the Imagination Stage
* And little ones will love Paper Dreams at the theatre in Bethesda
* It’s a fairytale classic on strings: Snow White and the 7 Dwarves at The Puppet Co.
* And Old MacDonald’s Farm is the featured Tiny Tots show at the puppet theater
* Teen ages and up will enjoy Second City’s Generation Gap at the Kennedy Center
* Make it a date night for the final performances of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Camelot

UniverSoul Circus
Where: National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Tickets: $13+ (look for a ticket deal)
The world-class, live entertainment attraction that has captured the hearts and imaginations of a new generation of families is celebrating its 23rd year of FUN. UniverSoul connects with progressive, upwardly mobile, urban pop cultures from around the world, embracing and celebrating the unique and familiar aspects of global cultures and ethnicities into a stellar production that blends circus arts, theater and music. A fresh, cool, and hip approach to live family entertainment!

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azakban – In Concert
Where: Wolf Trap | Vienna, VA
When: Friday & Saturday, 8:30pm
Tickets: $40-60
Relive the magic of your favorite wizard in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ – In Concert. Based on the third installment of J.K. Rowling’s classic saga, fans of all ages can now experience the thrilling tale accompanied by live music from the National Symphony Orchestra as Harry soars across the big screen.

Nats vs. Marlins
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday & Saturday
Admission: Ticket prices vary
The Nats are hosting the Marlins Friday and Saturday and there a couple special promotions to enjoy along with the baseball action of the field, including a Bryce Harper Bobblehead Giveaway and Cat-urday, a purr-fect day for Cats fans. Before you plan your ballpark outing, checkout these KFDC tips on how to do a Nats game without breaking the bank.

As the Wheel Turns
Where: Peirce Mill | Rock Creek Park, DC
When: Saturday, 10a – 4pm
Admission: Free
Learn about the power of water and its connection to food on a mill tour with Friends of Peirce Mill or a National Park Service Ranger at this historic site in Rock Creek Park. Ages are welcome to drop in. Read more about Peirce Mill in this KFDC post.

HBD, Alexandria!
Where: Oronoco Bay Park | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 6-10pm
Admission: Free
The City of Alexandria will celebrate its 269th (and the USA’s 242nd belated) birthdays this weekend. Enjoy festivities for the entire family, including musical entertainment, children’s activities, community exhibits, and birthday cake. The highlight of the evening is a concert by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and fireworks to close out the celebration.

Fractal Worlds
Where: ARTECHOUSE | Southwest DC
When: Through September 3
Admission: $8-12
A new exhibit opens this weekend at the gallery that specializes in interactive digital installations. Fractal Worlds by Julius Horsthuis is a visual journey through mind-bending sci-fi worlds and infinite 3D geometric patterns. Incorporating both projection and virtual reality elements, the exhibition transports viewers to another dimension.

On the Fringe
Where: Theatres around DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by performances
It’s the first weekend of the Capital Fringe Festival, and while most of the entertainment lineup this weekend is recommended for tween ages and up, there are a few all ages events, too. More details and ticket sales are on the Capital Fringe Festival website. And, parents, consider catching a performance for a KidFree night out!

Think OutsideWhere: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Temps are going to drop to a pleasant level, so plan some adventures outside! The round-up of The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids has ideas galore for doing just that. But if the forecast takes an unexpected swing, The Great Indoors lists 100 suggestions for outings that take place inside.

Walk in the Woods
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Hit the trail with the fam to enjoy the weather and some quality time. See flowers in bloom, tramp in places with scenic views, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and enjoy a day of active fun. This post, started in the early KFDC days and updated several times since, has a a bunch of recommendations for good walks in the woods with the kids.

Baltimore, Hon!
Where: Inner Harbor Area | Baltimore, MD
When: All Weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Head up I-95 for a change of city scenery. Explore the exhibits and loads of hands-on activities at the Maryland Science Center. See some of the quirkiest, coolest art ever at the American Visionary Art Museum. Play the day away at Port Discovery. Get an eyeful of the underwater world at the National Aquarium. Tour the historic ships at the Inner Harbor. Or view history in the works at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

***MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW***
* Two excellent, inspiring documentaries playing in theaters right now: RBG and Won’t You Be My Neighbor
* Events DC’s Summer Movie Series kicks off July 11-12 — catch free films every Wednesday and Thursday at Oxon Run Park and the Festival Grounds at RFK Stadium.
* Heads up: The next Wizard School Scavenger Hunt for Harry Potter Fans by Watson Adventures is coming up July 21, these often sell out. Read more about the adventure here.
* Deep Creek Lake makes for a fantastic family escape from DC — we recently spent a long weekend there with friends and had a blast!

Welcome to the Fun House at the National Building Museum

It’s time for the Summer Block Party at the National Building Museum, and I can tell you that this one is going to be really FUN! In case you aren’t familiar with the concept, the seasonal event features a major installation in the museum’s Great Hall with special programs and activities for the public to enjoy. Most of the exhibitions have been hugely popular (and literally huge, for that matter) since they began several years ago as well as interesting and interactive.

FUN HOUSE, this year’s installation created by Snarkitecture, easily lives up to its name. In fact, I think it may be the best of NBM’s summer exhibits yet.

Designed to look like a house with a front and back yard, FUN HOUSE is the first Summer Block Party that truly takes advantage of the entire Great Hall. Just about everything within it invites and encourages engagement as it “recalls and re-imagines the idea of the traditional home.” The various environments throughout incorporate other well-known projects by Snarkitecture, but you don’t have to be familiar with them to appreciate and enjoy them.

It starts with the Front Yard, where you can sit on soft “benches” or large letters that spell FUN HOUSE. The walkway into the house looks more like an excavation site than a door, and that’s just the beginning of many neat details and displays you’ll see as you tour the rest of the rooms. Walk through a sea of fabric strips hanging from the ceiling in the Bedroom. The Play Room contains a fantastic, intricate marble run that is sure keep kids (and adults) captivated for awhile. There’s a tub filled with plastic balls in the Bathroom. The Kitchen shelves are stocked with all kinds of cleverly designed pieces. In the Study, you’ll find more works that will make you take a closer look. As you tour, be sure to look up, down, all around, and try to catch views of it from different perspectives to see how it all fits together.

Okay, the reallly fun part is the Backyard — because that’s where you’ll find the pool. Before you come to it, though, you’ll encounter a big stack of outdoor cushions that welcome climbing and moving. You’ll also see the Play House with a cool optical illusion design. And just beyond that is the big kidney-shaped basin filled with those plastic white balls (if you went to THE BEACH, you know the ones), and it’s all as wonderfully enticing as the sparkling blue chlorinated water at the local rec center on a scorching hot DC summer day.

Yes, you can jump in a go for a “swim” at the FUN HOUSE pool, and I highly recommend you do! Just be sure to remove your shoes and hold on tight to your phone because they are easy to lose in there. When you need a break or don’t feel like taking the plunge, there are pool chairs lining the deck as well as a kiddie pool, where little ones can play or you can dip your toes.

There will be couple of special programs and activities to experience FUN HOUSE in different ways. There will be yoga most Sundays; Daybreaker, early morning dance movement on July 6; and Late Night on Wednesdays will special tours, pop-up talks, and food and drinks for purchase from 6-9pm. Note, too, that Hill Country Backyard Barbecue is back on the museum’s West Lawn this summer through mid-September with an expanded menu and a family-friendly atmosphere from Wednesday through Friday, 4–9 pm; Saturday, 12–9pm, and Sunday, 12–6pm.

DC residents should be aware of Ward Days, when they can visit FUN HOUSE with complimentary admission from 9–11am when the ward they live in is invited: July 24 is Ward 1 and Ward 3, July 31 is Ward 7 and Ward 8, August 7 is Ward 2 and Ward 6, and August 14 is Ward 4 and Ward 5. Story time and mobile library book check-out will be offered by DC Public Library on those days, and Community Forklift will be there with a creative construction activity. Reserve your spot here.

Are you ready to jump in? Here’s what you need to know:

FUN HOUSE
Where: National Building Museum | 401 F Street NW
When: July 4 – September 3, 2018
Hours: 10am – 5pm Mon-Sat, 11am – 5pm Sun, 6-9pm Weds
Regular Admission: $16/adult, $13/age 3-17, free for Members
Late Night Admission: $25/adult, $16/youth, $10/adult member, $5/youth member

* Advanced purchase is recommended. Tickets are timed entry and good for one hour in Fun House, which is plenty of time to explore it all. And admission gets you into all of the museum exhibits!

* Museum members get free regular admission and discounted late night admission, so this is a good time to consider a Family Membership