Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Washington, DC

Hi, I'm Beth, the new girl, and I'm going to be joining Leticia here at Being Savvy DC starting, well, now.  I'll be focusing on things to do with your kids in and around Northern Virginia, and will probably even venture into the city or roam a bit father afield from time to time.  I'm a not quite native of Northern Virginia, but have spent nearly 30 years in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties so I hope we can all just overlook my first few months in California.  I am mom to an inquisitive three-year-old girl and a curious seven-month-old boy and I spend my days hauling them all over town, and now I get to tell you about it.

I will try hard not to dwell too much on how things have changed over the past 30 years, such as complaining that you can no longer feed the ducks at Burke Lake.  Now obviously, it is better for the ducks if there is not a passel of preschoolers constantly winging stale bread crusts at their heads, and I am all for the responsible stewardship of wildlife and protection of their natural life and migration cycles, but feeding those greedy ducks was one of the absolute joys of my childhood and I was a bit sad to learn that it wouldn't be able to share that particular happiness with my children.

That aside, I heartily recommend a trip to Burke Lake, and this is the perfect time to go.  Crowds are small this time of year and entry is free for Fairfax County residents (and very reasonable for everyone else).  Attractions include the lovely namesake lake with rowboats available for rent, a footpath for walks through the woods, picnic grounds, an adorable train ride, a merry go round, a playground, and an ice cream shop.  The ducks are on their way to Florida, but there are still some geese around to admire.  

My favorite thing about Burke Lake is the way the varied activities available present opportunities for many different conversations with your young kids.  On a recent trip, we covered how train tracks work, why geese preen their feathers, what tree roots do for trees, why birds migrate, and why one should not dart out in front of an approaching bicycle.  Oh yes, and why we couldn't feed the bread I had brought along to the waiting geese.