Enjoy the tropics on a cold winter day at the Botanic Garden
Happy Weekend!
Link up to all kinds of local activity ideas:
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Baltimore with Kids
* Ice Skating
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Stunning Spaces
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Peaceful Places
* Bike Rides
Celebrate Black History
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout February (and beyond)
Admission: Varies by activity
February is Black History Month, and there are many great events and activities throughout the DC area to celebrate it. Museum programs, guided and self-guided tours, visits to significant sites, story time sessions, special exhibits, and more will be enlightening, enriching, and entertaining for all.
Storytime
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Friday, 10am
Admission: Free
Join the museum to play and hear Huggy Kissy by Leslie Patricelli in English and Spanish. All ages are welcome, especially the youngest visitors. The program will take place in the East Building Atrium — no registration required.
Inside Info
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
If you’re seeking indoor fun or just want ideas for extra activities, there are plenty of options for things to do inside. This post has over 100 suggestions. Some specific recs for this weekend: Feel like your’re outside in the comfort of the indoors at the US Botanic Garden, explore the wonderful off-the-beaten-path Postal Museum, scale the colorful walls at ClimbZone, go bowling and enjoy a family meal at Pinstripes.
XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness
Where: National Children’s Museum | Downtown DC
When: Throughout the wekeend, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Admission: $15.95
Recommended for ages 2-12m, XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness provides children and caregivers the opportunity to think about and explore feelings to help them understand, appreciate, and express their emotions through facial expressions, words, movement, art-making, and other hands-on activities. Read more about the museum here.
Kids Workshop: Valentine’s Vase
Where: Home Depot locations around the DC area
When: Saturday, 9am – 12pm
Admission: Free – be sure to register in advance!
Home Depot’s free monthly workshop for kids will help them prep for Valentine’s Day (or make a sweet gift) as they build a special vase. All supplies are provided, including a little apron, and kids get to keep their craft along with a certificate of achievement and collectible pin. All attendees must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times. Register in advance!
Ice Cream For Breakfast Day
Where: Jeni’s Ice Cream locations around DC
When: Saturday, 9am – 12pm
Admission: Free but plan to buy a scoop!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Jeni’s ice cream! Join them on Saturday morning for their annual Ice Cream for Breakfast Day celebration. They have some fun in store this year! Maple Soaked Pancakes returns for a limited time. And the first 50 Splendid Rewards members in line get a free limited-edition mug. Plus, 10 lucky folks who wear their PJs to a scoop will win ice cream for a year. The fun doesn’t stop there — visit the website for more day-of deets. AndRSVP to let them know you’ll be there!
Kids’ Films: Celebrating Black Stories
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: February 4, 10:30am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Recommended for ages 10 and up, the National Gallery of Art showcases short films for kids that highlight Black stories. The films share the joy, determination, resilience, and complexity of being Black and young, and explore a range of genres and styles in a program that spans the globe.
NSO Music for Young Audiences: Beauty and the Beat
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom
When: Saturday & Sunday
Tickets: $20
See NSO principal second violinist Marissa Regni and NSO assistant principal timpanist/percussionist Scott Christian in an exciting program exploring the magic created when the violin and percussion join forces. This melodic and rhythmic ride proves that no matter how different the instruments are, they can come together to make some beautiful music. Recommended for ages 3+.
Peter and the Wolf
Where: The Puppet Co. | Glen Echo Park, MD
When: Friday, 10:30am | Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am & 1pm
Tickets: $15
A Puppet Co. Legacy favorite with a new spin! This English and Russian bilingual production will incorporate the classic music in this two-person small marionette romp of the classic fairytale. Run time approximately 40 minutes. Recommended for ages 4+.
Travel & Adventure Show
Where: Washington Convention Center
When: Saturday, 10am – 5pm & Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: $11-18/adults, free//children (look for a discount)
Get travel inspiration, experience culture, and have fun! A big expo like this might sound like a grown-up affair, but a bunch of cool pursuits will thrill the kids, too. Besides the hundreds of travel providers and destinations featured, there will be cultural performances and some hands-on family fun. Oh, you might even see Andrew McCarthy (yes, from the Brat Pack), too!
Drop-In Art Making
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Get your creative juices flowing as you make some art at the National Gallery of Art. Beginning this weekend, the East Building Atrium will be transformed into a drop-in art making space on the first Saturday of every month! Activities will be inspired by the museum’s collection and designed for all ages and abilities.
Culture Queen Kids Hour: Magnificent Monuments
Where: Anacostia Community Museum | Anacostia, DC
When: February 4, 12-1
Admission: Free
In this session of the monthly Culture Queen Kids hour, participants will honor African Americans who inspire them by creating their own monuments. Grammy-nominated children’s entertainer, Culture Queen, holds court once a month at ACM for live performances, interactive community building, stories, crafts, movement and more. Registration recommended.
Ice-travaganza
Where: Reston Town Center | Reston, VA
When: Saturday, 1-4pm
Admission: Free
RTC Ice-travaganza makes its debut on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 1- 4 PM. The event, held near Reston Town Center’s beloved outdoor ice-skating rink, will feature intricate ice sculptures with a live carving demo, hot chocolate, s’mores, a photo booth and a DJ. Skating fans will also be treated to two live ice skating performances before they can hit the rink themselves (see pricing and more info for ice skating here).
Weekend Workshops
Where: National Portrait Gallery | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Drop in at the National Portrait Gallery to do some art making! All ages are welcome to get creative at Weekend Workshops. Learn about artists and changemakers, then create art inspired by their stories. Of course, explore the whole museum while you’re there. See more about the National Portrait Gallery here.
Cool Hikes
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Bundle up and get out for a walk in the woods. Tramp in places with scenic views, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and savor some family time outdoors. This post has a a bunch of recommendations for good places to go with kids. Some specific recs for right now: The Underground Railroad Experience Trail at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park; Patapsco Valley State Park in MD; Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, and the National Arboretum in DC.
Nature Calling
Where: Nature centers around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
If you’re not feeling outdoorsy, you can still get a dose of the outside world in the comfort of the indoors at a nature center. There are several great ones around the area that offer cool exhibits, including live creatures. Buddie Ford Nature Center in Alexandria, Watkins in Upper Marlboro, Potomac Overlook in Arlington, Long Branch in Falls Church, and Brookside in Silver Spring all make for a great outing.
Walkable Warehouse Sale
Where: Around Old Town Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Free
Shop and score some great deals in Old Town! At least 60 independent boutiques from Alexandria and the region are participating, offering discounts on clothing, shoes, jewelry, home furnishings, and more. The sale will be spread out in stores, pop-up tents, and open retail space along King Streets and select side streets in Old Town Alexandria. Many Torpedo Factory artists are also participating, so be sure to stop by there, too! See a list of participating businesses and a map to find them here.
Movie & a Meal
Where: The Alamo | Northeast DC
When: Ongoing
Admission: $13/adult, $11/child, $12/senior
After 4pm – $15/adult, $13/child, $14/senior
Catching a flick with the kds is always fun, even better when you can enjoy a real meal, too. The Alamo is the only theater in the city where you can do that — and it’s a good one! The theaters are nice, the seating is comfortable, and the food is tasty. See what’s playing there now. (PS: There’s also a location in Crystal City, VA.)
Wizards vs. Trail Blazers
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets prices vary (look for discount)
The Wizards are playing at home on Friday evening — watch them work some on-court magic against the Portland Trail Blazers. Plan on a pre-game dinner in Penn Quarter — there are plenty of family-friendly places to go in the neighborhood. Some recs: Jaleo, Carmine’s, Daikaya, Shake Shack, and Hill Country BBQ.
College Hoops
Where: Universities around the DC Area
When: Throughout the break
Admission: Ticket prices vary
With so many universities in the area, there’s always some good college hoops action going on. Here’s where you can check out schedules and look for tickets:
* Georgetown men vs UConn on Saturday at 12pm
* GWU men vs Duquesne on Saturday at 2pm
* American men vs Colgate on Saturday at 4pm
* GWU women vs George Mason on Sunday at 12pm
* Maryland women vs Ohio State on Sunday at 4pm (Go, Terps!)
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* In case you haven’t seen it, there’s a new round-up of Valentine’s Day activities around the area
* This Community Day celebration coming at the African American History Museum is sure to sill up fast.
* Essential pizza restaurants in DC.
* Schoolhouse Rock at 50.
* If you’re not yet watching The Last of Us, then start!
* Thank you to my 14-year-old daughter for telling me about this great dupe for the real Dior.
* Have and love these (in another color), and they’re now on sale!
* Are you there, Margaret? It’s me, God.
