Pride of Baltimore II | KidFriendly DC

Where to Play on the Weekdays: September 24-28

Art outside of the museum on the Mall

Monday – Wow, this weather! Get out and do something, anything, outdoors. The list of the best places in the DC area to enjoy a beautiful day outdoors with the kids will help get you started.

Tuesday – Make a day of it on the Mall. See whimsical art in the National Gallery of Art and Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens, go for a spin on the Carousel ($3.50/ride), visit the monuments and memorials, and/or hang out in the Enid A. Haupt Garden at the Smithsonian Castle.

Wednesday – How about a hike? It’s a perfect way to savor a pretty day and the season’s changing colors. This post listing some good walks in the woods is a couple of years old, but the trails are still some of our favorites.

Thursday – Jam out at the Smithsonian as Discovery Theater presents Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips as part of their “Tot Rock: Jammin’ at the Smithsonian” series. As this post goes live, tickets are still available for 11:30am (and there are two shows on Friday, too). Tickets are $8/adults, $6/ages 2 and up, $3/children under 2.

Friday – How about storytime at the largest library in the world? The Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress hosts readings every Friday at 10am and 11am. The free sessions are designed for babies and toddlers (0-3 years old), but older children are welcome, too. Each lasts about 25 minutes, with 20 minutes of play afterwards, then clean-up. The Young Readers Center is located in the Jefferson Building (Room LJ G29) at 10 First Street SE.

Where to Play on the Weekdays: September 17-21

View from a water taxi about to dock at the Alexandria waterfront

Monday – Read, build, and play with LEGO DUPLO as they host free, fun-filled programs for little ones at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library from 10-11am and the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library from3-4pm. (And programs will take place at several DC Public Libraries every day this week and at the National Book Festival this weekend. Go here for locations and times.)

Tuesday – Attend Mommy & Me (& Daddy Too!), the Rockville Town Square’s free monthly program for kids. Storytime, interactive movement, arts & crafts, and merchant sponsored activities are part of the active learning and creative play. The program runs 10am – 12pm on the third Tuesday of every month. Admission is free. Go early at 9am to try a free Stroller Strides workout before the session begins (tomorrow only).

Wednesday – Cruise the Potomac from National Harbor to Old Town Alexandria (or vice versa) on a water taxi adventure. The Potomac Riverboat Company operates daily between the two destinations at various times throughout the day — see the schedule here. Tickets are $7/ages 12 and up, $4/kids under 12 each way (infants are free), and you can get a $2 discount on online round trip ticket purchases. Plan to hang out, have a bite to eat, shop, and play while you’re on land.

Thursday – Take a tour of the Pride of Baltimore II, a reproduction of an 1812-era topsail schooner privateer that will be sailing into the Washington Navy Yard and docked there later this week. Free general deck tours will be available to the public from 1-4pm on Thursday and Friday. The ship can be reached by the Riverwalk Trail, along the Anacostia River.

Friday – Celebrate the official start of autumn at Ticonderoga Farm’s Fall Pumpkin Festival. Take a hayride, pick a pumpkin from the patch, play on the Noah’s Ark playground, guzzle some yummy apple cider, and much more. Admission is $8.95 on weekdays ($14.95 on weekends and holidays when more attractions are open), hours are 9am – 6pm.