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

Tuesday List: Raising Citizens of the World

by Leticia

May 26, 2009

The DC Metro Area is a pretty diverse place.  Living here makes it easy to teach children about becoming a citizen of the world by exposing them to cultures and beliefs that differ from their own while giving them an introductory geography lesson.

Here are some ways to get started:

Visit an embassy-  You don’t have to be a dignitary to gain entrance to an embassy.  Many of the embassies offer free programming for families that is listed in The Washington Post Weekend section.  Check the For Families section for something that you think your family would like and go!  Once we went to a Marimekko exhibit at the Embassy of Finland and enjoyed learning as much about the country as we did seeing my favorite graphic florals!

Plan a global playdate- I can’t take credit for this great idea which comes courtesy my Delhi Bound friend and former Being Savvy Cleveland City Editor, Naomi.  Naomi wanted to celebrate diversity by having a global playdate.  All moms chose a country to research with their children, planned a craft, and provided a snack that went with their country.  Children were given homemade passports to get a stamp at each station.  Click here or Naomi's how to guide on creating your own global playdate.  

Choose a dinner table destination- Stuck in a dining rut and wanting to try something else for dinner?  If you are feeling super adventurous, spin the globe and put your finger on a country to choose where you are going for dinner and Google to see if there is a restaurant close by that happens to serve food from that country.  You could also put the names of your favorite ethnic restaurants on little slips of paper and have your children pull one out of a hat.  Or feel free to consult my Dinner Table Destinations: Mexico post for ways you can enjoy food from South of the Border in your own kitchen.

Attend a festival- We missed the annual Greek festival at one of the large churches on 16^th Street again this year but know that there are plenty of others.  Sometimes cruising the city, following your nose, or word of mouth is the best way to find lively cultural celebrations.

Listen to music- We love the Putumayo Kids line for fun musical tours that take us all over the world but don’t require packing a suitcase, a visa, or a lengthy flight.  The newest CD, European Playground, features music from Finland, Sweden, Belgium, England, Denmark, Hungary, France, Greece, Portugal, German, Scotland, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Ireland.  We also like the Global Wonders CD and DVDseries.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Children's Activities- Texas

by Leticia

June 23, 2008

Today is the third day in a row that I've devoted Being Savvy DC to the ways the Smithsonian Folklife Festiva l can be enjoyed by the whole family. I covered Bhutan , wrote about NASA, and am highlighting Texas today. My goal through this series is to provide you with a kid-friendly guide to enjoying each part of the Folklife Festival when it opens this Wednesday. After learning about space  Read more...