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

Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime

by Beth Hoffman

June 03, 2009

I keep swearing that I am sticking to one activity per kid for the summer and spending the rest of our time playing at the pool and visiting new places and attending all the kid-friendly events that happen around here in the summer.  But then I keep finding out about new activities that my kids would love, so I'm having a hard time sticking to it.  In case you are still in the market for some ways to pass the weeks until school starts back up, here are some of the things tempting me:

• Yoga!  Soccer!  Ballet!  Arts and Crafts!  Swimming!  Nature hikes!  Gymnastics!  Once a week classes or weeks-long camps!  And cheap!  Oh, Parks and Recreation, where have you been all my life?  Check out your local county, city or town rec center and see what they are offering for the summer.  My almost-four-year-old could keep herself very bus bouncing from camp to class to activity at the local community center.  We've done several programs there in the past year and they have beenalmost without exception fantatic.
• Most of the indoor playground places (Gymboree, Little Gym, My Gym, JW Tumbles, etc.) offer summer camps for preschool-age and up.  I've been considering Little Gym, where you can do morning or afternoon sessions and can buy anywhere from one day of camp to the entire summer.

No, wait, I have to stop looking or else I'm going to sign the kids up for something every day of the week.  What are your kids doing this summer?  Read more...

Tuesday List: Best Toy Stores

by Leticia

April 07, 2009

Sometimes you need that perfect gift for a special child and that big box store just won’t do.  Or you are looking to fill your home with those toys without batteries, seizure inducing lights, and ear splitting music.  

Here are a list of our favorite independent toy stores that are fun to browse, tend to provide more personal attention, and have unique items for kids of every age that foster creativity and open ended play.

 

Acorn Hill Little Shop (Silver Spring)- Located inside the Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery School office, this is a gem of a shop that has beautiful wooden Waldorf toys, hand made dolls, and high quality art supplies.  The shop also has a wide variety of crafting kits like wool felting kits and supplies to make delicate flower fairy dolls which are perfect for creative children wanting to practice their fine motor skills.  The Little Shop also has unique holiday items.  I always feel good when patronizing the Little Shop since all purchases made directly benefit the school.

 

Child’s Play (DC, Rockville)- Child’s Play reminds me of the toy stores I visited as a kid.  Treasures at every turn packthe shelves of the store.  Whethe ryou are looking for a bell for your Kettler, a wooden bento box full of sushifor your toy kitchen, or just a special doll, Child’s Play is the place to go.

 

Fun and Games (Kensington)- Located on the other side of the train tracks from the Kensington Train Station, Fun and Games is a great place to stop if you are in need of a gift or a gift certificate. The store staff is always super helpful and they have a wide selection of items from Melissa and Doug, Haba, Playmobil, eeBoo, and Kettler.

 

Marimekko (Silver Spring)- I’ve always loved Marimekko for their graphic designs so I love to head to the Marimekko Concept Store in Silver Spring to shop while my kids play in their well equipped children’s area that is always stocked with fun stuff I have a hard time leaving at the store.

National Building Museum Museum Shop (DC)- We love the Building Zone, the wide open space on the mainfloor, and yes, the Museum Shop.  It is filled with all kinds of cool stuff for your budding engineer.  Pick up a set of Capitol Blocks, recycled wood crane set, a Way Things Work game, and so much more!  So the next time you go, bring thatlist of upcoming birthdays to grab gifts for everyone on your list. 

Pajama Squid (Takoma Park)- I have a hard time not falling in love with every singlething that Tiffany, owner of the Pajama Squid, selects for her store.  Tiffany exhaustively researches and contacts manufacturers who demonstrate social responsibility in creating unique items like handmade wooden and plush toys from the US, France and the Netherlands.   She also stocks a wide selection of books (most of which you won’t find at a chain bookseller), super soft children’s clothing made of organic cotton, items for new moms, and some of the most amazing mobiles that I swear belong in the Museum of Modern Art.  If you don’t live enough to visit Tiffany at the Pajama Squid, her website makes it easy to shop online forthe perfect gift for a child of any age.

 

Sullivan’s Toy Store (DC)- Sullivan’s is well loved among DC parents for their wonderful customer service, fabulous selection, and high quality products.  It is an institution that brings back many happy memories from those born and bred District parents who shopped there as kids and are now taking a new generation to experience the store.  While some parents note that it is difficult to navigate crowded aisles with a stroller due, they tendto overlook this inconvenience in favor of supporting their favorite independent toy store.

 Read more...

Kid Art Auction for Earth Day 2009

by Beth Hoffman

February 05, 2009

Our fabulous Being Savvy Denver City Editor, Aimee, has recently announced the second annual Kid Art Auction for Earth Day. This effort was started last year when Aimee's six year old son suggested that they hold an art sale in their backyard. Things being what they are, the effort soon made the jump to cyberspace and raised nearly $800 for environmental causes. The concept is  Read more...

Homemade Lift-the-Flap Books

by Beth Hoffman

November 06, 2008

A couple of years ago, my brilliant friend Elaine sent my daughter a book that has been one of her prized possessions ever since. It is a homemade life-the-flap book where all the flaps open to reveal family pictures. My daughter still gets a huge kick out of opening those flaps and announcing that it is a picture of her underneath, or Daddy, or Mommy. They are simple, if a  Read more...

Tuesday List: Places that Inspire Imagination

by Leticia

October 14, 2008

With fall coming and the weather turning colder, Im increasing my stash of supplies for inside craft activities for those days when we really dont feel like going outside. We always find great products when wandering the aisles of art, fabric, and bead stores that inspire imagination. A glittery fabric remnant can be finished to create a play cloth that can be used for a tablecloth, doll  Read more...

Jim Henson's Muppets on the Silver Screen & Smithsonian International Gallery

by Leticia

July 13, 2008

The very first movie Little Miss Techie ever saw in a theater wasn't a big name animated DreamWorks or Pixar blockbuster in a theater with digital surround sound and stadium seating. It was The Muppet Movie. Seeing such American cultural icons on the silver screen at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Spring two years ago was as much as a treat for her as it was for me and my  Read more...