Tag Archives: August 2020

August 4, 2020 · 7:29 am

Five Things for Today: August 4, 2020

Social distancing indoors at the National Gallery of Art

1. If you’re looking for rainy day activities out of the house, the KFDC round-up of things to do around DC during this time has a whole section of places that offer socially distanced experiences indoors — scroll to the end of the post. (And the rest of the list will come in handy after the wet weather passes!)

2. Pods are the new buzz these days with the changing landscape of school. The Lane Social Club and Flex Academies are embracing it in a great way. They are teaming up to create learning pods throughout the DMV to help families who are struggling without full-time school available this fall. Even better, they have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for scholarships, so they can help make the pods accessible to all families. Visit their websites linked above to learn more.

3. Watson Adventures has a couple of Wizard School Virtual Scavenger Hunts coming up on August 9 & 22. (We’ve done the IRL version, which is awesome, and also had a great time participating in a virtual Family Trivia Slam with them.) Their hunts often sell out, so sign up for it soon — cost is $19/family.

4. 30+ Black-owned children’s brands that I learned about from my friend Darcy’s 15 Happy Things for August.

5. How sweet is this?

🌦 🌦 🌦 🌦 🌦

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Five Things for Today: August 3, 2020

On the trail at Potomac Overlook Park, where nature programs are also running

1. Potomac Overlook Park has a bunch of nature-themed events for families this summer, including a Survival SKills program this Wednesday and an Owl Campfire and Hike on Thursday. You must pre-register! The park is also a great place to hike and enjoy some outdoor time.

2. PJ Library has brought their Summer Sweetness series online. The program brings families together for stories and hands-on activities around Jewish values. Each session is 30 minutes long, and it’s being presented on many dates through August, including this evening at 7pm.

3. The National Portrait Gallery’s Young Portrait Explorers program has gone online. Tuesdays at 11:00am, kids and families can join the museum on their Instagram to explore portraits of astronauts, activists, scientists, and star athletes and discover the stories behind them. They are also presenting Open Studios Fridays on YouTube, posting a video each week with a new activity or technique.

4. Time Out’s picks for the best kids shows and movies on Netflix this month are good to keep in mind for rainy days — or anytime, really.

5. I’m Traveling, Even Though I’m Stuck at Home by Rick Steves.

🦉 🦉 🦉 🦉 🦉

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Natural History Summer Explorations: FREE Virtual Programs from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

Discover the world of natural history science in a fun and interactive way! The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is offering a FREE virtual summer program series called Natural History Summer Explorations. These week-long online programs, hosted by museum educators, allow students to explore their interests in ocean science, paleontology, and other natural history topics. Students will have daily live webinars with artists and Smithsonian science experts, do activities and projects, and create their own scientifically inspired artwork.

Natural History Summer Explorations are recommended for rising 3rd through 7th graders, but all are welcome to attend. Live video webinars will be presented in Zoom video from 11am – 12pm EDT daily, during these weekly sessions:

July 13-17: Deep Sea Adaptations
Dive into a virtual week of ocean explorations that looks at how science and art are interconnected. Daily live online programs will include demonstrations and conversations with museum scientists and artists who will explore adaptations of some amazing deep-sea animals through puppet making, drawing, dance and more! Each day will also include a self-directed activity that our young explorers can share with friends, family, and even our scientists and other participating explorers.

July 27-31: Paleo Art – The Edge of Extinction
Explore fossils! Join museum experts for a virtual week of explorations to learn how to use fossils to understand what life on our planet looked like in the past. Through daily live online demonstrations and conversations with museum scientists and artists, you will use fossil evidence to create your own science-based mural of a North American ecosystem just before the extinction of the dinosaurs! Each day will also include a self-directed activity that explorers can share with friends, family, and even our scientists and other participating explorers.

August 3-7: ¡Descubre la historia natural! / Discover Natural History!
Check our website at the link below for more information. Registration for this session, which will be conducted primarily in Spanish, will open on July 20.

A link to join the webinars will be emailed to everyone who registers. For those who would like to share their projects and drawings with educators, scientists, and other participants, a parental permission form will be provided.

If you have any questions, please send an email to: YouthNMNH@si.edu.

LEARN MORE & SIGN UP HERE