Tag Archives: What to do with Kids in Wahsington DC

December 12, 2011 · 11:32 pm

Where to Play on the Weekdays: December 13-16

Checking out a display at the at the National Museum of American History

We all deserve a break now and then. My husband and I just took a much-needed one and enjoyed a couple of kid-free days in NYC. And that’s a quick explanation of why Monday is missing from these suggestions for weekday fun. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Tuesday – “Winter Wonderland” is the theme of this week’s Toddler Tuesdays program at the National Children’s Museum Launch Zone. Drop in for a variety of winter-inspired activities from 10:30am – 2:30pm. The free series is designed for children ages 2-4.

Wednesday – See a show especially for little ones as The Puppet Co. Theatre presents Nutcracker Fantasy, the Tiny Tots production of the holiday season. The lights stay on and doors stay open during these performances for the youngest audiences. Showtime is 10am. Tickets are $5 for everyone, including babies.

Thursday – Show the kiddos relics from your own childhood at the National Museum of American History, where collections include some of the best toys and games of our days of yore. While you’re there, check out some of the other exhibits, like America on the Move, a history of transportation in the U.S. featuring some of the earliest automobiles, a train car, and an old street car that guests can actually climb aboard. The museum is open from 10am – 5:30pm. (Note the Spark!Lab is closed for renovations.)

Friday – Join the Boogie Babes for their last show of 2011. Bridgette with Dawn on Conga will bring their island beats to the Atlas Performing Arts Center at 10:30am. Admission is $5/child, free for siblings 6 months and under.

The Weekend Round-Up: December 2-4

Enjoying last weekend's superb weather at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, post-Botanic Garden visit.

Holiday activities dominate this weekend round-up, but there are a few non-seasonal recommendations for all the Scrooge types, too. See a family-friendly film about Andy Warhol, visit Santa in his workshop, jam to folk music for children, sing along to holiday songs. That’s just a small sample of all there is to do; read on for the rest. Happy Weekend!

‘Tis the Season – The holiday season is in full swing, and DC is chock full of fun ways to celebrate it. A few special events are mentioned below, and this post listing DC’s best has even more recommendations. Think holiday train displays; festivities at the Botanic Garden, and at the National Harbor; light shows; a boat parade; and even more.

Holidays on Stage – Enjoy the ultimate holiday classic The Nutcracker performed by the Washington Ballet at Warner Theatre or catch a tot-friendly version at The Puppet Co. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead Scrooge on A Christmas Carol journey at Ford’s Theatre. Get details on these live shows and others at local theaters this season in this post about holiday entertainment.

Santa on the Ellipse – The National Christmas Tree was illuminated by the First Family last night, so festivities at President’s Park have officially begun. See the tree, a model train zipping around it, the Yule Log, and holiday displays representing all 50 states. But the biggest thrill for kids, by far, will be Santa’s Workshop, which is an actual little cottage on the Ellipse grounds, just down the path from the tree. There, guests can check out St. Nick’s “operations,” complete with a Naughty & Nice meter, letters to Santa stacked up on desks and posted on walls, sketches of toys, and a conveyor belt loaded with presents to be distributed to kids around the world. This is all there for kids to peep as they wait in line to meet Santa himself and sit on his lap for a photo op. It’s open this Saturday and Sunday from 12:30-4:30pm then again from 5:30-9:30pm. Beware that the line can get long — I’ve heard of waits up to 40 minutes — so plan accordingly. Read about our experience there last year.

Bethesda Winter Wonderland – Celebrate the holiday season in downtown Bethesda with a variety of free performances, a live ice sculpting presentation in Bethesda’s Veterans Park, and a visit from Santa Claus. Festivities kick off this evening with a concert at 8pm, and continue tomorrow with ice sculptures in Veterans Park (located at the corner of Woodmont & Norfolk Avenues) from 1-2pm, then a student concert and visit from Santa from 2-4pm. Admission is free.

Scribble, Art, Pop! – Kids can explore art through film at The National Gallery of Art’s monthly film program. This weekend they’ll present a series of animated shorts that celebrate the qualities that make artists. Guests can get a glimpse into the life and art of Andy Warhol in the fun and gentle film Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Andy Warhol, a family-friendly biography of Warhol and an introduction to pop art, along with a few other animated shorts about art, all of the kid-friendly variety. Sessions are at 10:30am on Saturday and 11:30am on Sunday in the East Building Auditorium. The program is free, and seating is offered on a first-come, first-seated basis. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Renwick Holiday Festival – Celebrate the holiday season in presidential fashion at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery. Go on a scavenger hunt through the exhibit Something of Splendor: Decorative Arts from the White House, where you might spot Grace Coolidge, Dolly Madison, and Teddy Roosevelt; enjoy a family day filled with music, crafts, and activities inspired by the exhibition. Create your own presidential china patterns, make holiday ornaments, and warm up with some hot apple cider. The event takes place on Saturday from 11am – 2pm. Admission is free.

Folk Jam for Kids – Boston roots musician and family entertainer Alastair Moock will perform an all–ages concert at Jammin’ Java on Saturday at 10:30am. The concert celebrates the release of Moock’s new CD entitled “These Are My Friends,” which just won a 2011 NAPPA Gold Award. The show is part of the venue’s ongoing family concert series. Tickets are $10 and available online or at the box office.

DIY Holiday Cards – Kids can exercise their creativity and get into the holiday spirit at a special Holiday Card Workshop hosted by the National Postal Museum on Saturday, from 12 – 3:30pm. Artist Thalia Doukas will provide stamp-centric inspiration and mailable ornaments that guests can use as they create two holiday cards. Be sure to make time before or after to explore the museum, which is full of interesting exhibits, many of them interactive.

Holidays Around the World: Kwanzaa – This holiday season, the National Children’s Museum Launch Zone is celebrating winter holidays around the world. On Saturday from 11am – 4pm, drop in to learn all about Kwanzaa, a holiday focusing on the values of African culture. Kids can make family tree place mats and mishumaa, traditional Kwanzaa candles. Admission is free. The Museum is located at National Harbor, so you can combine it with a visit to the Gaylord National Resort for Christmas on the Potomac.

Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long – Belt out the season’s most popular tunes at Wolf Trap’s annual gathering on Sunday at 4pm. Along with the opportunity to sing Christmas Carols and Hannukah songs along with choir and vocal groups from the metropolitan Washington area, you can enjoy a performance by the United States Marine Band. While admission to the event if free, Wolf Trap will be participating in Toys for Tots by collecting new, unwrapped toys at the entrance to the Filene Center before the Sing-A-Long. Donations are strictly voluntary and not a requirement. Parking is also free, though limited, so plan on arriving early.

Annual Holiday Sing at the Atlas – The annual free Holiday Concert at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, in collaboration with Capital City Symphony the Congressional Chorus, and the American Youth Chorus, is an H Street holiday tradition. Shows take place on Sunday at 4pm & 7pm. I checked the status of tickets on the website, and while it’s sold out, a note says to “Please come the day of the performance to join the waiting list. In years past, everybody has got in.” Hey, it’s worth a try. And if you don’t get in, you can grab a bite at one of the many eateries along the corridor or head up the street to Union Station to check out the Holiday Train Show.

Portrait Story Days: Henri Matisse – Drop in at the National Portrait Gallery from 2-5pm Sunday to listen to a story about a person who has influenced American history and culture and to create a special piece of art. This weekend, learn about French artist Henri Matisse.

Whether you want to bundle up and enjoy the sunshine or shed your coats and stay comfortable inside, these posts have even more ideas for ventures with the kids indoors and out:

Rainy Day Recreation (ie, Indoor Fun)

The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids

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Filed under Annual, Art, Chanukah, Christmas, DC, Festival, Free, Gradeschoolers, Holidays, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Museums, Music, Outdoor, Preschoolers, Preteens, Seasonal, Theatre, Toddlers, Trains, Union Station, Virginia, Weekend, Winter

Tagged as Alastair Moock, Andy Warhol, Annual Holiday Sing at the Atlas, Art, Bethesda Winter Wonderland, Children's Theatre in DC, Christmas in DC, Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Andy Warhol, Holiday Card Workshop, Holiday Sing-a-Long at Wolf Trap, Holidays Around the World: Kwanzaa, Jammin' Java, National Children's Museum Launch Zone, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, Pop!, Portrait Story Days: Henri Matisse, Renwick Holiday Festival, Santa's Workshop, Scribbe, Thalia Doukas, The Ellipse, The Nutcracker, The Washington Ballet, Things to do with Kids in Washington DC, Warner Theatre, Washington DC Family Activities, Washington DC holiday events, Washington DC Holiday Theatre, Washington DC Kids Activities, What to do with Kids in Wahsington DC

November 30, 2011 · 3:06 pm

Review: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas at Adventure Theatre

Adventure ensues in Santa’s Workshop

Our family experienced a milestone when we went to see ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, the holiday production currently running at Glen Echo Park’s Adventure Theatre: It was the first time ever that not-quite-three-year-old Sasha watched a play in its entirety without getting antsy and asking to leave. Instead, she sat through the hour-long performance utterly captivated by it all — the adventurous tale, the enchanting set, the playful musical numbers. All of it spliced together perfectly to produce a show that’s wonderfully entertaining for all ages.

The play is based very loosely on the famous Clement Clarke Moore poem, so loosely that other than its recitation in the opening scene and a stirring mouse (who is literally stirring cookie batter when he’s introduced), the title is as far as the association goes. But the story does, indeed, take place the night before Christmas, which sets the scene for one wild and whimsical holiday adventure.

It begins as we meet Uncle Brierly in the cozy living room, complete with twinkling Christmas tree and festively decorated bookcase-lined walls, as he gets ready to read “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” He barely gets through the first verse when Amos the stirring mouse, then his best friend Emily, burst in to reveal their own version of Christmas events the previous year when Santa skipped their house.

A wild airplane ride to the Norh Pole

When Uncle Brierly shuns their story and exits the room, Calliope, the Jewish elf from the North Pole, arrives to confirm that the two are telling the truth — Santa did skip their house last year — and seeks their help to prevent it from happening to even more houses this year, an entreaty relayed through a fun, chuckle-inducing “Santa Ain’t Coming to Town” rap.

And this is when the adventure begins, transporting the characters and the audience from Uncle Brierly’s living room to Santa’s charming little workshop. Shelves stocked with a colorful array of beautiful toys and presents line the whitewashed walls (you could practically see sparks being emitted from the audience as kids’ eyes lit up at the sight of it).

Calliope, Emily, & Santa plot to save Christmas

But the trio are here on a mission to save Christmas from Sir Guy, the rogue elf who stole and sold Santa’s sleigh to Wal-Mart and just pilfered the Naughty & Nice list with intentions to hawk it to Bloomies.

The chase scene and sword fight that follow is an exciting hoot. We’re treated to some Three’s Company-esque dramatic irony as Amos’ twin brother shows up and unknowingly helps the operation. And when the heist is thwarted and Christmas is saved, there’s more rapping, and this time a jubilant Santa joins the crew.

All in all, it’s an immensely enjoyable show, from the imaginative story and endearing characters to the inspired costumes and brilliant set. That’s not only substantiated by the raves I just bestowed, but also by my daughter’s watershed theatre moment.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is playing at Adventure Theatre through January 2. Tickets are $18 and available for purchase online and at the Box Office. (Note: tickets sell out quickly and may not be available at the theatre day-of).