Tag Archives: DC Children’s Entertainment

December 11, 2016 · 6:57 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays: December 12-16

Monday – Rise + Rhyme at Busboys and Poets in Takoma or Hyattsville, MD. The weekly series welcomes children 5 and under with their caregivers to enjoy a morning of performances and stories from 9:30-11am. 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, the last Tuesday of every month.)

Tuesday – Bundle up for some time outdoors at the U.S. National Arboretum. Explore the plant collections, go for nature walks through the woods, have fun in the natural playground at the Washington Youth Garden, and play among the old Capitol columns. There are so many ways to enjoy one of the loveliest places in the city! Hours are 8am – 5pm, and admission is free.

Tuesday evening, visit Season’s Greenings, the U.S. Botanic Garden’s annual holiday exhibit. On most Tuesdays and Thursdays in December, hours are extended until 8pm for seasonal concerts and after dark touring. It’s a wonderful time to go, both for the music and to walk through the jungle area while the dome is illuminated with colorful lights.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle…

Wednesday – Let little ones bounce, climb, swing, tumble, and slide at the PG Sports & Learning Complex Gymnastics Center. The hour-long open play session begins at 11:30am, and admission is $6/child. (This also takes place on Tuesday at the same time.)

Thursday – Celebrate Bill of Rights Day with the Newseum! On the 225th anniversary of the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, enjoy a day of family-oriented programs, tours, and reenactments — see the schedule of the website for specifics. Hours are 9am – 5pm. Admission is $22.95/adult, 13.95/ages 7-18, free for 6 and under. (KFDC Tip: Goldstar has discount tickets, but you need to buy them at least a day in advance.)

Friday – Catch a performance of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Adventure Theatre. The holiday classic is brought to life on stage in a fun and clever two-actor show recommended for all ages. Showtimes are 10:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are $19.50

Where to Play on the Weekdays: October 3-7

The apple doesn’t fall far from DC…

Monday – Take a hike and get a dose of history all at once at Roosevelt Island. The trails are easy for little legs to tramp, and you can explore the Memorial Plaza to learn about the legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt. The entrance to the park is located right off the GW Parkway, just past the Roosevelt Bridge, and accessible only from the northbound lanes. Hours are 6am – 10pm. Admission is free. Get a little more of the KFDC take on it in this post about local walks in the woods with kids.

Tuesday – Be among the first guests to join the National Museum of American History’s brand new weekly program for children. Museum ABCs is a fun, drop-in program for ages 3-6 and adult companions that introduces early learners to the museum collection through letter learning. In October, A is for Automobile: Read all about things that go, play with toy cars, and create a car craft. Sessions are 11am – 1pm and 2-4pm. Admission is free. If your child is too young or old for the series, go ~~play in Wegman’s Wonderplace or~~ explore the museum exhibits! (Update: Wegmans Wonderplace is closed on Tuesdays.)

Wednesday – Visit the animals, roam the peaceful grounds, and possibly join in a children’s program at Oxon Hill Farm. Hours are 8am – 4:30pm, and admission is free.

Thursday – Catch an interactive, bilingual show for children at Discovery Theater, located in the Ripley Center next to the Smithsonian Castle. Fábulas Fairy Tales is a fresh and fun introduction to Spanish through storytelling, math, music, and more. Showtime is 10:15am & 11:30am. Tickets are $3-8. (Note: This also takes place on Friday and October 12-13.)

Friday – Go apple picking! We recently visited (and loved) Waters Orchard in Germantown, and there are plenty of other area farms and orchards that welcome guests to gather their own fruit. This list of places to PYO has details on a bunch of them. And I always recommend calling ahead to be sure the pickings are good that day.

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Filed under All ages, Animals, DC, Eats, Educational, Exhibit, Fall, Farm, Free, Indoor Play, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Museums, Nature, Outdoor, Park, Seasonal, Theatre, Virginia, Weekdays

Tagged as Apple Picking, Childrens theatre, DC Children's Entertainment, DC Museums with Kids, DC Parks, DC Weekday Activities with Kids, DC with kids, Fall 2016, Fun Things to do with Kids in Washington DC, Fun with Kids in Maryland, Fun with Kids in Northern Virginia, Shows for Toddlers, Weekdays October 3-7

September 25, 2016 · 5:42 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays: September 26-30

Get a great nature fix at Riverbend Park

Tuesday – Hit the trail at Riverbend Park. The Great Falls locale may not be as popular as its national park neighbor, but it’s just as fantastic a place to enjoy some time in nature — especially with kids. Trails are mellow for little hikers, the views are gorgeous, there are plenty of nice picnic spots, and admission is free. Plus, if you want to see the magnificent falls up river, they’re an easy two-mile walk in the woods away. Riverbend Park hours are 7am to dusk.

Wednesday – Check out your local library. Drop in for story time, sing-a-longs, arts & crafts, and other activities, or just go to browse for books. See this post from the very early KFDC days for a little background and quick links to libraries around the area. Hours vary by location, admission is free.

Thursday – Catch a production of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale at Adventure Theatre. The all-ages production adapted from the classic book begins at 10:30am, and tickets are $19.50. If weather permits, stay to play at Glen Echo Park after the show and have a picnic lunch — BYO or pick up a bite at the Praline Cafe there.

Friday – Enjoy a free screening of One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure at the Einstein Planetarium in the National Air & Space Museum. Showtime is 10:30am every Friday (and Sunday, plus the first Saturday of every month). It only lasts about 20 minutes, so explore the many impressive exhibits and discover How Things Fly, a room full of hands-on activities with major kid appeal, while you’re there.

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Filed under All ages, Animals, DC, Educational, Exhibit, Fall, Free, Indoor Play, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Movies, Museums, Nature, Outdoor, Park, Theatre, Virginia, Weekdays

Tagged as Childrens theatre, DC Children's Entertainment, DC Museums with Kids, DC Parks, DC Weekday Activities with Kids, DC with kids, Fall 2016, Fun Things to do with Kids in Washington DC, Fun with Kids in Maryland, Fun with Kids in Northern Virginia, Shows for Toddlers, Weekdays September 26-30

September 18, 2016 · 5:43 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays: September 19-23

Exploring the National Gallery of Art

Monday – Discover the history of flight at the College Park Aviation Museum. It’s a perfect place for young visitors, with eye-popping displays and hands-on fun. They can view early airplanes up close, dress up like aviators, create flight-inspired art, and much more. Keep an eye on the runway right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows — you might see planes take off and land at the College Park Airport, the oldest continuously operating airport in the world! Open daily 10am – 5pm. Admission is $4/adults, $2/children, free for ages 2 and under.

Tuesday – Get another, but different museum of experience at the National Gallery of Art. Head to the West Wing as most of the East is still under renovation, but be sure to take the “sparkly walkway” in between the two — that’s often kids’ favorite part (adults love it, too). Stroll among sculptures and stop to view works by many of the masters. There’s a cafe in the museum, but I recommend heading elsewhere for better value or BYO. Museum hours are 10am – 5:30pm. Admission is free.

Wednesday – Enjoy a musical morning with Boogie Babes as they bring kiddie entertainment to The Angelika Pop-Up @ Union Market at 10:30am. Admission is $5/child, and siblings 6 months and under are free. And did you know the program is now run by the DC Diaper Bank? Proceeds from the shows support the organization’s mission to help families in need. (FYI: You can also catch Boogie Babes shows at The Atlas Performing Arts Center on Mondays and Eastern Market on Thursdays.)

Thursday – Celebrate the official start of the new season at a fall festival! The Pumpkin Village Fall Fest at Leesburg Animal Park runs daily, and weekdays are a great time to go when you won’t encounter crowds. Slides, wagon rides, moon bounces, a maze, and pedal carts are among the seasonal fun. And, of course, animals are part of the mix with pony rides and furry friends to pet and feed. It’s open 9:30am – 6pm. Admission is $12.95/adult, $9.95/ages 2-12, and free for children under 2.

Friday – Play in the sprays at Canal Park. The recreational space in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood in southeast DC has both a gentle, shallow fountain that is perfect for really little ones, plus a bigger one for more enthusiastic play where the ice rink is in the winter. Admission is free. Grab a bite to eat at Il Parco on premises or at another nearby eatery — there are options right across the street and food trucks in parked right in the area often — or pack lunch for a picnic.

Theatre for the Very Young Returns to the Atlas with “Mouse on the Move” (Giveaway, Too!)

The Atlas Performing Arts Center is getting ready to kick off their 2012-13 season of Theatre for the Very Young, the series of programming geared toward children ages 1-5, with Mouse on the Move. The play presented by Imagination Stage will run at the Atlas from October 17 -22. Tickets are $8.

Mouse on the Move tells the story of Nellie and Amelia, two adventurous mice who are ready to explore the world beyond their little mouse-hole. They decide to go to the moon, since it is reportedly made of delicious, mouth-watering cheese. It’s a multi-sensory production with many opportunities for audience participation in the highly interactive play.

Giveaway: You have a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Mouse on the Move at the Atlas. Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite activity has been so far this fall. To be eligible, you must like KidFriendly DC on Facebook and follow on Twitter (let me know you did). A winner will be drawn at random later this week. Good luck!