Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens... lots of lily pads, but where are the frogs?
Monday – Children up to age 5 can become Young Portrait Explorers and discover the National Portrait Gallery through history and art. During this session they will learn about writer Gertrude Stein by viewing her portrait and listening to a story about her, then participating in a related hands-on activity.
Tuesday – Go on a nature walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. See ponds filled with giant lily pads and other interesting marsh plants and look for geese, great blue herons, turtles, frogs, and tiny fish on the way. Open 7am – 4:30pm. Admission is free.
Wednesday – Let Mr. Gabe entertain little ones at Lebanese Taverna in Arlington. The show is part of their weekly Kid’s Day series that presents a different performer from 10-11am. Stay after for a yummy Middle Eastern lunch.
Thursday – Join in a jump session at Pump It Up in Lanham, Md. From 10-11:30am, kids ages 2-6 can pop in for pre-K play time. Admission is $8. Parents play for free and must accompany children. Don’t forget socks!
Friday – Head into the weekend with some fun at the National Zoo. Go during the day to visit the animals or do some early Halloween celebrating as Boo at the Zoo kicks off in the evening (tickets still available for Friday night as this post goes live).
Monday – Head to Old Town Alexandria for Tavern Toddlers at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Drop in between 10:30am and 12pm for playtime and a craft activity in the historic ballroom. Admission is $7 for a group of three, which must include an adult.
Tuesday – Enjoy the forecasted sunshine at one of the prettiest places in the city, the U.S. National Arboretum. Bring lunch for a picnic, a ball to kick around in the open spaces, and a camera for photo ops amongst the variety of flora collections.
Wednesday – Discover and play at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Kids can flex their green thumbs in the Children’s Garden, complete with water pump and fountains, shovels and watercans, a bamboo “forest,” and a mini garden house. The collections are also wonderful to tour, the jungle exhibit being a highlight for little ones. Stop in the West Gallery to sniff a variety of botanical scents. And be sure to visit the National Garden outside, too.
Thursday – Bounce on over to Pump it Up in Lanham for Pop-In Play Time from 10 – 11:30am. Kids ages 2-6 (and their accompanying grown-ups) can jump, slide, climb, and have a blast in a room full of giant inflatables. Admission is $8/child. Be sure to wear or bring socks!
Friday – Be among the first theatre-goers to see Tales of Beatrix Potter at The Puppet Co. Playhouse. Showtime is 10am. Tickets are $10 and available for purchase online.
It’s the final weekend of the summer break. For us, anyway. DC Public School students head back to the classroom on Monday, my Kindergartner-to-be Owen among them. And while I’m brimming with excitement and pride about this new beginning for him, I’m also going to miss the casual days of the last couple of months…and his pre-“big kid” school youth. Needless to say, I’m greeting these next few days with a little extra gusto. Whether your break is also winding down or you’re still savoring the season, here’s where you can enjoy summer with the kids this Friday through Sunday. Happy Weekend!
Fair Play – The county fair fun continues for two more days at the Montgomery and Prince Willima County Fairs. Find info on both in this post from last week.
Back-to-School Blast Off – Get a jump start on the new school year at Pump It Up in Lanham today from 5:30 – 7pm and on Saturday from 11:30 – 1pm. The Mecca of bounce is hosting special open play sessions that include an hour of jump time plus a slice of pizza and a drink for $10/person. You can also enjoy Sundaes on Sunday from 12 – 2pm, where guests can jump then create their own ice cream treats for $10/child, $3.50/adult.
The Old Ball Game – The Phillies are in town for a three-game series against the Nationals, with games at 7:05pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. If you’re thinking about taking the kids, plan to bring them on Sunday when the first 10,000 fans ages 12 and under will receive a Nats duffel bag. It’s also a Signature Sunday when select players are available for autographs at 12:15pm. Kids can also run the bases after the game. Be sure to check out the Family Fun Pack if you plan to go that day.
Peachy Keen – The pickings are still good at most local farms, so if the weather cooperates, head to a peach orchard to stock up on the fruits. Use this list of farms from a post about berry picking as a guide; most of them have peaches or other pick-your-own delights now, though it never hurts to give them a call to confirm.
The DC Scoop – Ice Creeeeam! Union Market, at 6th Street and Florida Avenue NE, will be the site of a sweet event on Saturday that the whole family will love — if you love ice cream, that is. Seventeen of the area’s best ice cream, gelato, and custard vendors are having a taste-off to determine the best scoop in the city. Enjoy live music, face painting, a glitter artist, and of course, ice cream tasting all for free!
Yellow & Blue Make Green – The Textile Museum is hosting its monthly Arts for Families event on Saturday from 2-4pm. Experiment with color mixing while making your own nature print on fabric. Explore and create within Museum’s beautiful garden, featuring the installation Garden Lace by artist Michelle Brody. The event is free, and no reservations are required.
See Stars at Rock Creek – On Saturday and Sunday at 1pm, the Rock Creek Planetarium (the only one in the National Park system) invites kids ages 5 and older to view the season’s brightest starts, planets, and constellations and learn their stories. Like all Rock Creek ranger-led programs, this one is free.
Cloudy with a Chance of… Documents? – As random as it may sound, the National Archives is hosting a screening of the hit kids’ movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” on Saturday at 12pm. See the film for free in the William G. McGowan Theater.
Rock out at Artisphere – It’s always a dance party when the Rocknoceros trio takes the stage, and this Saturday is sure to be no exception at Artisphere’s Dome Theatre. The show/fun starts at 11:30am; tickets are $12/adults and $8/kids and available for purchase online.
Family Fest on the Potomac– On Saturdays through September 10, families can enjoy water rides, live entertainment, food, and vendors at the National Harbor. In addition, Family Fest will present the Harbor Star Stage featuring local and national artists throughout the day. Gates are opn from 1-7:30pm. Admission is $10, food and drinks are sold separately.
Movies on the Potomac – The National Harbor hosts another family event on Sunday evenings when it shows free films starting just after sunset. This week’s feature is the “Chronicles of Narnia.”
Be sure to check out even more ideas in these popular posts:
Temps are still high, but the code red days seem to be behind us for now. Thus, both indoor and outdoor activities are among the recommendations this week. Water and shade get special mention, too.
Here’s what’s happening this week, July 25-29:
Monday – Get Up and Go! to the National Children’s Museum’s Launch Zone where families are invited to discover fun summer activities to make them healthy and strong. The program will run several more days through August 6.
Tuesday – Put a little bounce in the day! The Pump it Up Lanham location is hosting “Open Camp Jump” from 1-3pm. Registration is not required, and they will accept campers until space fills up. Admission is $8/camper. (FYI – Camp will also run on Wednesday 1-3pm, Thursday 12-2pm, and Friday 1-3pm).
Wednesday – Take the kids for a hike at Great Falls Park, where there are lots of shaded areas, easy hiking trails, overlooks with stunning vistas of the waterfalls, and picnic tables for lunch amid nature. Admission is $5/car.
Thursday – Swim, slide, and play in sprays at Ocean Dunes Waterpark in Upton Hill Regional Park. An all-day (11am – 7pm) daily pass is $6.75 for individuals under 42″, $8 for those taller than 42″, and free for children under 2. Go after 4pm for the $5 rate.
Friday – As of now, temps are predicted to near 100, so it’ll be a great day for some indoor theatre. Catch The Puppet Co.’s latest production, The Wizard of Oz, at 10am or 11:30am. Tickets are $10 and available for purchase online or at the box office.
A random bit of trivia about me: I met my husband on Valentine’s Day. And if it weren’t for the fact that it was in a bar, it would make for quite the idyllic love story.
I’m not sharing this tidbit of personal information for no reason. It’s a means to get us on the topic of Valentine’s Day, which, although is still a couple of weeks away, is already popping up on the kids’ activities radar. Starting as early as this weekend, there are several V-Day-themed events happening around the area that welcome families to celebrate love.
The first is taking place this Saturday at Paper Source in Georgetown. From 11am – 12pm, the store is hosting a “Be Mine” – Parent-Child Valentine workshop, where participants can create accordion books with Valentine themes using all kinds of neat art supplies provided by Paper Source. Cost is $25 (add just $10 for a second child), and the class is recommended for ages 5-10. A Tween Valentine Accordion Collection workshop for ages 9-13 will be offered on February 5, also for $25. Register for both online or in the store.
Tudor Place is also hosting a cupid-inspired event on February 5. The Be My Valentine: Valentine’s Day Card Workshop for Children will start with a tour of the historic mansion in search of Valentine’s Day cards from years past. After the tour, children will design their own Valentine cards to take home. The event, recommended for ages 5 and up, begins at 10:30am. Cost is $7/member, $10/non-members, adult chaperons are free. Register online by February 4.
Home Depot is also hosting a workshop with heart (literally) on Saturday, February 5. The hardware store’s monthly Kids Workshop will teach guests how to create a heart shelf. The free session runs from 9am – 12pm at all Home Depot stores. For more information, visit the website or give your local store a call.
For some Valentine fun that will really get hearts racing, head to Pump It Up in Elkridge the evening of February 9. From 5:30 – 8pm, they are hosting a Valentine’s Day Family Event, offering families two hours of available jump time, two slices of pizza, drinks, and a special treat for the kids. Cost is $8/person for families of up to 3, $8.50/person for families of 4 or more. Register online for this event.
Art and science will be part of the National Children’s Museum Valentine-themed event on Saturday, February 12, from 11am – 4pm. Hearts of All Sorts will celebrate happy hearts with fun Valentine crafts and healthy hearts with hands-on activities and demos on how to keep hearts healthy. This is a free event.
Get literal with your heart-focused activities at the National Museum of Health & Medicine. On Saturday, February 12 from 10am – 12pm, Exploring the Heart: A Valentine’s Program will offer a look at how a heart begins and grows, as museum staff dissect hearts from a reptile, mammal, and bird to demonstrate similarities and differences between bird and mammal anatomy. Guests can also try making a medical illustration from the dissections or create an anatomically-correct Valentine’s Day card. Supplies will be provided. This free program is open to all ages, but probably not recommended for the faint of heart (har har).
Keep the quease factor down at Hooray 4 Books’ Valentine Workshop with Sharon Hickey. Kids ages 3 and up can join the local author (Card Auntie’s Wonderful Workshop) for a card-making workshop and create Valentines to take home and to send to soldiers overseas. Operation Write Home coloring sheets as well as stickers, markers and crayons will be provided for children to write with and decorate their Valentines. Call 703.548.4092 or send an email to info@hooray4books.com to reserve a spot.
Celebrate V-Day with the Smithsonian at the Freer/Sackler Galleries. On Saturday and Sunday, February 12-13, the Museums of Asian Art are hosting In Every Language Love, an open house for all ages. After a slideshow of images representing love in Asian art, guests can use printing blocks inscribed with the word “love” in more than a dozen Asian languages to make valentines. The free program runs from 12 – 4pm.
