Tag Archives: Things to do with Kids in Maryland

Where to Play on Thanksgiving Day (2023)

Seasons Greenings at the US Botanic Garden opens on Thanksgiving Day

 

How about a side of recreation to go with your Thanksgiving meal? If you’re going to be in town for the holiday and are looking for pre- or post-feast activities, here are some ways to complement the main event of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Glide the day away at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink

1) Go ice skating! Many of the outdoor rinks in the area are open on the holiday, including our favorites in DC. Glide with beautiful Potomac views at Washington Harbour, right over the river at The Wharf, and on the National Mall at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink.  And after a little snafu, Canal Park should finally be opening on Thursday.  Find info on those and more in Virginia and Maryland.  And be sure to check ice rink websites for Thanksgiving Day hours!

 

 

Visit Zoo animals before you hang with the turkey

2) Visit a Smithsonian museum or the National Zoo. They are all open on Thanksgiving from 10am – 5:30pm, except for the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery which are open 11:30am – 7pm and the National Zoo 8am – 4pm. The National Gallery of Art (which is not part of the Smithsonian, just a neighbor on the Mall) is open, too, from 10am – 5pm. Admission is free at all of them, so they’re all easy pop-ins!

 

 

Last year’s Season’s Greenings train display at the US Botanic Garden

3) Experience Season’s Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden on the official opening day. The always delightful model train exhibit, constructed from plant materials, is outside in the National Garden again. And the Conservatory will be filled with its signature holiday decor, including sculptures of iconic DC sites, also made from plant materials.  Open 10am – 5pm. Admission is free.

 

 

Keep the day’s theme going at Turkey Run Park

4) Enjoy a holiday hike.  The forecast is looking great for Thursday, perfect some time on the trail.  In honor of the day, I suggest going to Turkey Run. 🦃😉  Rock Creek, Great Falls, Roosevelt Island, Huntley Meadows, and Riverbend are all nice parks for family tramping. This post has details on all of them along with even more recs for local walks in the woods.

 

 

The wonderful Wizard of Oz playground at Watkins Regional Park

5) Hang out at a playground.  BeauvoirHains PointClemyjontri, Watkins Regional Park, Cabin John Regional ParkWheaton Regional Park, plus loads of DC Parks and Rec locations, and many more in the DC Metro are good places to take littles to play while you’re waiting for the feast.

 

 

Fun on ICE! at National Harbor

6) Get into the holiday spirit at National Harbor.  There is a nightly tree lighting and light show in the Waterfront District that runs every half hour from sunset until 9pm. Plus, there’s much more holiday magic at the Gaylord National, including the popular ICE! exhibition, which you can can get a discount on using the code CYBER23.

 

 

Go for an evening swing at the Light Yards interactive installations

7) Take an evening drive or stroll (or swing) through a holiday light display— several around the area have started dazzling visitors with twinkling wonderlands.

 

 

Go see The Eras Tour movie if you haven’t yet (or even if you have)

8) Catch a flick.  Just about all of our local movie theaters will be open, and there some good films to see!   A few family movies:  Wish, The Marvels, Trolls Band Together, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbird and Snakes, and if you haven’t see it yet Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.  (On my list, with teens and older:  Priscilla, Dream Scenario, Saltburn, May December.)  See what’s playing at a theater near you.

 

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Filed under 2023, DC, Holidays, Maryland, Virginia

Where to Play on Thanksgiving Day (2022)

A plant material replica of the US Botanic Garden at the wonderful Season’s Greenings

 

How about a side of recreation to go with your Thanksgiving meal? If you’re going to be in town for the holiday and are looking for pre- or post-feast activities, here are some ways to complement the main event of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

1) Hit the ice to enjoy some active fun. You can ice skate under the sky at one of several outdoor rinks in the area that are open on the holiday.  Most of our faves, all DC rinks, will be welcoming skaters, so you can glide with beautiful Potomac views at Washington Harbour, right over the river at The Wharf, and amid the city bustle at Canal Park.  Find info on those and more in Virginia and Maryland.  And be sure to check ice rink websites for Thanksgiving Day hours!

 

2) Visit a Smithsonian museum or the National Zoo. They are all open on Thanksgiving from 10am – 5:30pm, except for the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery which are open 11:30am – 7pm and the National Zoo 8am – 4pm. The National Gallery of Art (which is not part of the Smithsonian, just a neighbor on the Mall) is open, too, from 10am – 5pm.

 

3) Experience Season’s Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden. The always delightful model train exhibit, constructed from plant materials, is back outside in the National Garden again. And the Conservatory will be filled with its signature holiday decor, including sculptures of iconic DC sites, also made from plant materials.  Open 10am – 5pm. Admission is free.

 

4) Enjoy a holiday hike.  Looks like it should be a pleasant Turkey Day this year, great for some time on the trail.  In honor of the day, I suggest going to Turkey Run. 🦃😉  Rock Creek, Great Falls, Roosevelt Island, Huntley Meadows, and Riverbend are all nice parks for family tramping. This post has details on all of them along with even more recs for local walks in the woods.

 

5) Hang out at a playground.  BeauvoirHains PointClemyjontri, Cabin John Regional ParkWheaton Regional Park, plus loads of DC Parks and Rec locations, and many more in the DC Metro are good places to take littles to play while you’re waiting for the feast.

 

6) Get into the holiday spirit at National Harbor.  There is a nightly tree lighting and light show in the Waterfront District that runs every half hour from sunset until 9pm. Plus, there’s much more holiday magic at the Gaylord National.

 

7) Take an evening drive or stroll through a holiday light display— several around the area have started dazzling visitors with twinkling wonderlands.

 

8) Catch a flick.  Just about all of our local movie theaters will be open, and there are so many good films to see! (On my list:  Glass Onion, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, TÁR, She Said, The Menu.)  See what’s playing at a theater near you.

 

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Filed under 2022, DC, Fall, Holidays, Maryland, Virginia

Where to Play on Thanksgiving Day (2021)

Work up an appetite for the big feast with some ice skating

 

How about a side of recreation to go with your Thanksgiving meal? If you’re going to be in town for the holiday and are looking for pre- or post-feast activities, here are some ways to complement the main event of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

1) Get gliding and enjoy some active fun. You can ice skate under the sky at one of several outdoor rinks in the area that are open on the holiday. Our faves are all DC rinks — National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Washington Harbour, and The Wharf  — because you just can’t beat the city locations on the National Mall, next to the Potomac, and right over the river. Find info on those and more here.  And be sure to check ice rink websites for Thanksgiving Day hours!

 

2) Visit a Smithsonian museum or the National Zoo. They are all open on Thanksgiving from 10am – 5:30pm, except for the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery which are open 11:30am – 7pm and the National Zoo 8am – 4pm. The National Gallery of Art (which is not part of the Smithsonian, just a neighbor on the Mall) is open, too, from 10am – 5pm.

 

3) See the Outdoor Holiday Display at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Get a glimpse here of the always delightful model train exhibit, all constructed from plant materials. It’s back this year, but outside in the National Garden.  Open 10am – 5pm. Admission is free.

 

4) Enjoy a holiday hike.  It looks like it should be a pleasant Turkey Day this year.  In honor of the day, I suggest going to Turkey Run. 🦃😉 But Rock Creek, Great Falls, Roosevelt Island, Huntley Meadows, and Riverbend are all great parks for family tramping. This post has details on all of them along with even more recs for local walks in the woods.

 

5) Hang out at a playground.  BeauvoirHains PointClemyjontri, Cabin John Regional ParkWheaton Regional Park, plus loads of DC Parks and Rec locations, and many more in the DC Metro are good places to take littles to play while you’re waiting for the feast.

 

6) Get into the holiday spirit at National Harbor.  There is a nightly tree lighting and light show in the Waterfront District that runs every half hour from sunset until 9pm.

 

7) Take an evening drive or stroll through a holiday light display— several around the area have started dazzling visitors with twinkling wonderlands.

 

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Filed under 2021, DC, Holidays

Scenes from a Lovely Fall Outing to Brookside Gardens

 

Is it just me, or has this fall been especially beautiful?  The scenery seems ablaze with golden yellow, fiery orange, and deep red as the foliage puts on its seasonal performance. Perhaps the general gloom of this past year makes the bright spots that much more vivid, or maybe Mother Nature just knows how much we need it right now.

The fam framed by fall foliage

It’s this autumn luster that brought us to Brookside Gardens this past weekend — well, coupled with a little photography agenda.  We wanted to get out and enjoy the day before the rain came, someplace relaxing that would showcase the season.  So, I checked the round-up of the best outdoor places for ideas (yep, I use my own blog!), and in one glance I knew where we were going: Brookside Gardens, the beautiful public display garden within Wheaton Regional Park in the Montgomery Parks system.

Owen, circa 2010

Owen, circa 2015

The lead image in that post, the one of oh-so-sweet, four-year-old Owen chilling in the tree, was taken at Brookside almost exactly 10 years ago.  We recreated the photo when we happened to be back there five years later, so when I saw it again and did the math, I realized it was time for the next installment.

Paved paths traverse the gardens…

…as do leave strewn dirt trails

As those photos indicate, we’ve been enjoying Brookside Gardens for a long time.  Along with an occasional fall visit, we usually go for the wonderful annual Wings of Fancy butterfly exhibit and Garden of Lights holiday display, however, both were among the many beloved area events cancelled this year.  But this autumn outing was lovely and serene and perfect for right now.  Plus, we got that shot.

Owen at 14

Of course, we had to capture our best girl, too

Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Avenue in Wheaton, MD.  Right now, the grounds are open to wander and enjoy daily from sunrise to sunset, and the Visitor Center 10am – 2pm.   The sweet Children’s Garden is not accessible during Covid.  Along with the links above, read more about Brookside in this KFDC post.

And get more of a glimpse of the gorgeous fall in the pics below…

 

Goose watching

 

And it was all yellow

 

Japanese maple…wowza

 

View from a gazebo

 

Shimmering woods

 

A serene pond scene

 

This pergola turns into a fab pink walkway during Garden of Lights

 

Masks highly encouraged!

 

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Filed under 2020, All ages, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Fall, Free, Maryland, Nature, Outdoor, Park, Seasonal, Social Distancing, Weekdays, Weekend

Anchors Aweigh, Kids, at Baltimore’s Port Discovery

[Note: This post was written by KFDC contributor Emily Moise, who visited Port Discovery with her family, including her 3-year-old daughter and baby son. In all the years our family visited the children’s museum in Baltimore, I never did a proper write-up, and my kids have aged out of a lot of it. But as Port Discovery recently underwent a major renovation, the timing is great for one now.]

As we await the *almost open* children’s museum here in Washington, DC, a half-day trip up to Baltimore’s Port Discovery will certainly tide you over. The Inner Harbor, and its historic seaport, provides the perfect metaphorical backdrop for this children’s museum that has, without exaggeration, something for every child, with every interest, to embark on.

Open since 1998, the museum completed a $10.5 million renovation in 2019, notably with the floor-to-ceiling “SkyClimber” and twisting slide, as well as a life-size ship facade where kids can play captain and load “cargo” on the third-story overlook. The museum has the latest and greatest in hands-on, creative play — though, like all children’s museums, things become “well-loved” so some of the 10+ exhibit spaces aren’t as brand-sparkling new as others.

If you have a preschooler in tow, your first stop will likely be at the “Store & Fill’er Up Station” which is one of the most authentic fake food shopping set-ups I’ve experienced. It’s a convenience store modeled after sponsor Royal Farms, allowing kids to fill up a grocery tote, get a pretend fountain soda, put gas in the car, and “drive.” A few levels up, “Tiny’s Diner” offers even more for the play food lovers with a large space conducive to collaborative play and parent engagement.

Perhaps the most unique exhibit space is “Wonders of Water” where my daughter’s love of squeegeeing grew exponentially with the addition of spray bottles and free-range windows. Also found here are STEM-infused water tables, a giant bubble hoop, and a musical water play (and spray) area. The most thoughtful touches are the amenities: raincoats, crocs, and a drying station for all sizes.

For those with younger toddler-age children, you won’t want to miss “Tot Trails” which is limited to children three and under. This exhibit space is set up with simple yet stimulating activities for all levels—sitters, crawlers, climbers, and walkers. Like most of the museum, STEM and arts are intertwined in a rudimentary, unintimidating way. For example, here you’ll find a classic wind tube with leaves for little ones to insert and catch with a butterfly net.

Lastly, “The Oasis” provided a much-needed wind down from the stimulation. It’s a children’s library-esque space stocked with books, cozy nooks, and exploratory play stations. By chance, we walked in just as story time was about to start—on this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend day, themes of community and connection were shared throughout the three books read. This was the perfect ending to our visit, leading to an instantaneous car nap for both of my children.

From the archives: Little Sasha serves up big sandwiches at Tiny’s Diner

Port Discovery is located at 35 Market Place on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. General admission to the museum is $17.95 for visitors ages 1+. If you think your family will go at least couple of times in a year, consider a membership starting at $140.

KFDC Tips:
* There are lockers to store your items (for free) in “The Pier” eating area — use them! The museum is three levels of non-stop movement, particularly for a first-time visitor trying to see and do everything.
* The Pier is also where you can take a snack or lunch break. Bring your own food or carry out from one of the neighboring establishments.
* There are many, many exhibits — more than mentioned here, including a bunch for grade school ages — so be ready for a long day (or plan on more visits!)
* Port Discovery hosts lots of special events and themed weekends — check the calendar for any you might want to experience.
* You could make it a longer trip to Baltimore, overnight or even weekend, and also visit the Maryland Science Center, American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Industry, or tour the historic ships docked at the Inner Harbor.

 

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Filed under All ages, Educational, Exhibit, Indoor Play, Maryland, Museums, Ongoing, Play, Weekdays, Weekend