Tag Archives: DC Weekend Activities with Kids

September 11, 2012 · 1:36 pm

Huzzah for Ren Fest!

How often do you encounter a scene like this?

I love Ren Fest. But if you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you already knew that. Every fall, I express my fervor for the medieval time trip through dedicated posts and weekly recommendations to go during its seasonal run. We made our first visit of the season there this past weekend, and I say first because we’ll definitely be going back for more merriment. You can get more background on Ren Fest (and my love for it) here and here. And you can view some scenes from this year’s faire at Revel Grove below. And be sure to scroll all the way down for logistics and tips. Huzzah!

Where it all starts (and ends…this was shot on the way out)

The charming grounds of Revel Grove are a delight in itself

Getting medieval on that turkey leg

Fantastic jousting action!

Buy wear for the faire while you’re there

Little ones love the pony rides and parents love the cost: free!

Just a guy shoving a sword down his throat into his stomach

Hands-on in the House of Reptiles

Sasha enamored by bubbles, Owen by the bubble lady

Renaissance band jam

Good times in the Boars Head Tavern

The Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place at Revels Grove in Crownesville, Md, running every weekend through October 21 from 10am – 7pm. Admission is $17/ages 16 and up, $8/ages 7-15 thru September 16, then $22/ages 16 and up, $10/ages 7-15 from September 22 – October 21. Free for ages 6 and under.

When you go:
– Bring a stroller or carrier for little ones, as there’s a lot of walking. I recommend a stroller that navigates over dirt paths easily.
– Get a map and schedule on your way in to help you navigate and plan your day
– If there’s show you really want to see, get to the stage a few minutes ahead of time to get good seats so the kids have a good view.
– You might encounter less crowds on Sunday, when many folks are watching football
– Plan to spend on extras like food, games, and fun for kids (all reasonably priced but it can add up)
– Let the kids dress up! Princesses, knights, fairies, pirates will fit right in.

The Art of Video Games (and Showing Your Kids How Cool You Are)

Words from an expert on the history of video games

It’s not very often these days that I can impress my kids. When your 6-year-old son giggles and asks, “Is that how you really dance?” you know your Cool Mom-ness is starting to dwindle. But something occurred a few days ago that I’m pretty sure boosted my cred again: They saw me play Pac-Man.

And it wasn’t on a small game system or even an arcade machine with just the two of them looking on; a large digital video of the game was projected onto a wall with a bunch of people standing around watching. I chomped my way through the maze fluidly, with Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde in close chase until I ate the big blinking pellet, then quickly hunted down the blue ghosts and ate them, too. This happened several times over. And when my turn was through, Owen looked up at me, his eyes wide with awe.

“Mom, you are really good at Pac-Man,” he said, “I think you are the best one here.” And with that, my coolness was (kind of) restored.

This watershed moment happened at The Art of Video Games exhibit in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Exploring the forty-year revolution of video games as art, several installations offer opportunities for visitors to actually play video games, both old school and modern ones.

Where the magic happened

Demo-ing the Secret of Monkey Island

The exhibit has been open for a few months, and we finally went to check it out over Labor Day weekend. Along with the room full of games to demo, there is another large room dedicated to game systems, displaying the consoles, videos, and images of a variety of games from past and present. You can listen to audio recordings giving background on all of them. And while they are meant to focus on the artistic elements of the games, I got a kick out of just showing Owen and Sasha the Atari and Intellevision, the first video game systems I played as a kid.

Some of the more modern games

Blast from the past

In another room — the first one you walk through, actually — you can view sketches of video game art and early packaging. You can also view three videos on a wall of people’s faces as they play video games, meant to show their emotions and expressions as they play. To be honest, we kind of breezed through the whole room once we realized there were games to play just ahead.

Game faces

The exhibit has had mixed reviews (one of the reasons we took so long to get there), mostly questioning its relevance in the art world. But I think it’s worth checking out — if not to show your kids some of the games from your childhood, then to possibly let them see just how cool you can be. 🙂

The Art of Video Games is at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th & F Streets NW) through September 30. Museum hours are 11:30am – 7pm. Admission is free.

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Filed under Art, DC, Exhibit, Free, Indoor Play, Museums, Weekdays, Weekend

Tagged as DC Museum Exhibits for Kids, DC Weekday Activities with Kids, DC Weekend Activities with Kids, kids in DC, Washington DC Family Activities, Washington DC Kids Activities

April 30, 2012 · 11:11 am

Outdoor & Indoor Play at Potomac Overlook Regional Park

All geared up with walking sticks for the 300-meter “trek” to the park’s Nature Center

It’s a small blogging world around here. And I experienced it firsthand on a visit to Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington a couple of weeks ago. I got the idea to go there from No Monsters in My Bed when a friend and I were looking for a new place to take our little ones to play outside on a nice day. Then, upon our arrival at the playground right next to the small parking area, I saw some familiar faces, adorable little ones that I recognized from Not-So-SAHM. It turned out their mom, Rebecca, and I both ended up at the park on the recommendation of Darcy (who writes No Monsters). What can I say… great minds think alike. 😉

Not only was it neat to run into one of my blogging compadres, it was also helpful — she had been there a while and gave me the lowdown on what to see and do at the park (read her review here), which included trail hikes and the Nature Center. Since the kids were already immersed in playground action, we hung out there before venturing further.

The playground is pretty simple — a small area containing a log tree house with a small climbing wall, a steep and fast slide, and a double slide; picnic tables; and a couple of random exercise apparatus — but it kept the kids entertained for quite awhile.

Wheee!

We finally convinced the kids to move on by asking them if they wanted to see some animals; we knew from talking to Rebecca that there were live (and alive-looking) creatures on exhibit at the Nature Center, just a 300-meter walk down the road from the playground.

Once inside, the kids immediately stopped to ogle an exhibit (not live) near the entrance. From there, we headed downstairs to see the turtles and snakes in terrariums before entering the Kids Cave, a small room full of hands-on nature-related activities.

Checking out an exhibit at the Potomac Overlook Park Nature Center

Hello, Mr. Snake

Kids in the Cave

When we left the Nature Center, we saw a sign for the live bird exhibit, so we walked up a short path to see a couple of owls and a hawk. A park ranger explained they had been rescued, but their injuries prevented them from being released back into the wild, so they’re now permanent residents of the park.

porp_owl

Wishing for pizza lunch!

By that time, we were all hungry and decided to head to nearby Italian Store (one of our all-time family faves!) and save a hike for another visit.

There definitely will be one, as Potomac Overlook is one to put on the go-to list for an easy and free outing, both outdoors and in.

Potomac Overlook Regional Park is located at 2845 N. Marcey Road in Arlington (directions here). Hours are 10am – 5pm Tuesday – Saturday, and 1–5pm Sunday, closed on Monday.