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...

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...

Savvy Indoor Activities for Winter Months

by Leticia

December 19, 2008

It is that time of year when the days are short, weather is cold, kids are sick, and we find ourselves spending more time inside than weâ??d like. When we start to go stir crazy indoors I find that a good activity puts everyone in a better mood. Luckily the Savvy Source Activity Finder is full of great ideas for the cold winter months. Browse the section called Around the House and find lots  Read more...

Looking back at November

by Leticia

November 28, 2008

The cold weather reminds us that winter is on its way. While we are hoping for lots of snow this year, weâ??re also gearing up for some indoor activities. Being Savvy DC has been full of tips for indoor activities this month. Celia Kibler of Funfit wrote about Keeping Your Family Healthy Through Winter while the National Childrenâ??s Museum staff provided Tips to Beat Winter Boredom . Beth  Read more...

Waldorf Style Puppet Shows and Savvy Links for Creating Your Own

by Leticia

October 16, 2008

Little Miss Techie attends a Waldorf preschool where stories told through oral language are a big part of the curriculum. Puppet shows with Waldorf dolls are the main way that stories are conveyed to children instead of through books. While I didnt love the fact that the Waldorf philosophy doesnt believe in books in the preschool classroom at first, Ive come to value oral storytelling because it  Read more...

A Backyard for the Birds

by Leticia

July 14, 2008

After the tragedy of a baby bird dying in our yard , it was a pleasure to watch a robin build a nest right outside our kitchen window one night during dinner. As we've sat together at each meal over the past two weeks we've watched Mama Bird sit on her three eggs. We've watched her come and go and hunker down in her nest, protecting them during summer rainstorms. Little Miss Techie and Captain  Read more...

Explore Savvy Source's Resources

by Leticia

June 25, 2008

Luckily there's never a shortage of activities to cover in the DC Metro Area but sometimes I get so caught up in sharing all of the great things to do that I forget about resources right here on Savvy Source , parent site to Being Savvy DC. Savvy Source is an awesome resource for parents. I only wish that it was around when Little Miss Techie (now 4 1/2 ) was a baby to provide me with some  Read more...