Walking the shoreline at Purse State Park in search of shark teeth
Monday – Play paleontologist for a day at Purse State Park, where you can hunt for fossilized shark teeth and other fragments of prehistoric sea creatures. Be sure to check the tides before you go (look for Potomac River and Liverpool Point), as there’s not much beach at high tide. There are no concessions or facilities there, so plan accordingly. Admission is free. (Update per a KFDC reader: “…when you’re almost there, 5 miles away, you run into a “ROAD CLOSED” sign and need to u-turn and follow detour signs around the closed road. It was about 15-20 extra minutes. The sign said road closed since June but didn’t seem to have an end date.”)
Tuesday – Spend a hot day enjoying some cool play indoors at The St. James in Springfield, VA. The Super, Awesome, and Amazing activity center is full of climbing structures, obstacle courses, and bouncy areas for all ages, and the indoor interactive waterpark is a blast for everyone from toddlers to teens to adults, too! Admission to each is $15 before 3pm, $23 after 3pm. Hours are 9am – 9pm Sunday – Thursday (9am – 10pm Friday & Saturday).
Wednesday – Experience hip-hop dance in a fresh new way as Culture Shock DC brings its groundbreaking style to the outdoor stage at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap. Showtimes is 10:30am, and tickets are $8. PS: This is the final week of the summer entertainment series!
Thursday – Hang out on the LAWN at the National Building Museum. The big summer installation transforms the Great Hall into an inviting, expansive green space that encourages recreation and relaxation, whatever your preference. Frolic along the turf, roll down hills, play lawn games, get bird’s eye views, enjoy lemonade and ice cream, or just relax in a hammock and listen to stories of summer. Hours are 10am – 5pm. Admission is $16/adult, $13/age 3-17, and that gets you into all of the museum exhibits, so plan to check them out while you’re there!
For an adult event in the evening, join Room & Board from 6:30pm – 8:30pm for an art reception with Mid City Artists, a volunteer-based art collective in the heart of DC. The reception will showcase pieces from some of the most talented local artists in the area. Admission is free.
Friday – Take kids ages 4-7 to Art Investigators, the National Gallery of Art’s wonderful drop-in program for children. This week, they’ll explore works by Thomas Moran, hear a related story, then create their own art inspired by it all. Sessions are at 10:30am, 11:30am, and 12:30pm. Sign-up begins at 10am in the West Building Rotunda. (Be aware that you may not get an early time slot and will have time to fill before your session, so plan accordingly.) And if you’re with kids who are too old or young for the program, then just tour the museum on your own — there’s plenty for all ages to love! Admission is free.
