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

Fresh Hot Tips for Visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore

by Beth Hoffman

May 27, 2009

We have been talking about a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for months, and we finally made it up there on Memorial Day.  So, here are my newly-updated tips for your visit.

• Remember the stroller ban.  You can check your stroller when you get to the aquarium, but lines to check them in and out get long.  You might want to leave it in the car and fetch it later if you are staying in Baltimore for the day.
• If you want to see the dolphin show, buy your tickets in advance or be prepared to wait for an afternoon show.  We bought our tickets at 10:00 (the aquarium opens at 9:00), and the next available show was at 3:30.
• Check the aquarium's website for a list of their highest traffic days.  The aquarium basically tells you not to come on those busy days, and you would do well to heed their advice.  Memorial Day was not too crowded, at least in the morning while we were there, but the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend is one of their high volume days.
• Plan a stop at the Harbor View Cafe.  It is about halfway up in the main exhibit and a great place to let the kids have a little more freedom to wander and blow off a bit of steam from all their good behavior.  It is also a great place to let the little kids out of whatever backpack/Ergo/Baby Bjorn you've strapped them into for the visit.
• Pay attention to what the fish are eating.  We saw zucchini, lettuce, and bok choi, and my hgihly vegetable-averse preschooler suddenly wants to try "that thing the polka dot fish was eating."
• Warn the kids well in advance about the sharks.  Also warn the kids that much of the aquarium is rather dark to allow better viewing of the fish.
• Either be prepared to buy tickets to tour the submarine right outside the museum, and rent a paddle boat, and possibly go sailing in the pirate ship that my kid spotted in the harbor, or have your firm nos ready to go.

Weekend Update

by Beth Hoffman

April 02, 2009

Here are some of the kid-friendly goings-on about town this weekend.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade:  Saturday starting at 10 AM.  It happens every year, it is a madhouse every year, and you will spend the day begging your children not to touch the cherry trees (it is bad for them, remind the tourists, would you?), but it is also the most beautiful time of year to be downtown and a heck of a lot of fun for the kids.  Alex Trebek is the Grand Marshall this year, there are musical guests that I have never heard of but who will surely delight the tween set, the DC Roller Derby Skaters, performances from two Broadway shows, and, of course, Elmo.  Take Metro, pack snacks, the kids will love it.

Rainforest Alive! at Discovery Theater:  Special family performance at noon Saturday.  Got a critter lover?  This live animal show features a boa constrictor, caiman crocodile, iguana, and other rainforest animals.  The Saturday show is followed by a reception with "Earth-friendly treats."

Our Ocean Planet at National Aquarium in Baltimore:  Saturday and Sunday 11 AM to 3:30 PM.  The Baltimore Aquarium introduces a new dolphin show this weekend with special events including games, face painting, and a "build a dolphin" activity.

Polar Weekend at the Maryland Science Center:  Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM.  Tired of the warmer weather?  Missing the winter chill?  Check out the cold weather tents, displays of cold weather animals and a polar science fair at the Maryland Science Center.  Anyone else think they should have saved this for August?  Read more...

National Aquarium Washington

by Beth Hoffman

March 04, 2009

Have you been to the National Aquarium?  I mean the one in the basement of the Commerce Department, not to be confused with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  (And if you have been to both, there is no risk of confusing them.)  My parents used to take me to the National Aquarium when I was a kid, and I remember really liking it.  They had these shallow pools full of starfish and you could touch them and even pick them up, if you were brave enough (they aren't there anymore).  My parents always seemed to giggle when I requested a trip to the National Aquarium, and the first time I visited as an adult I understood why.

The National Aquarium is, in many ways, an embarrassment.  It is a basement, it is small, it is cramped, it is poorly lit, the exhibits are insufficiently annotated, and it is frequently populated by incredulous tourists, shaking their heads and wondering how they were duped into spending their time and money on such a lackluster attraction.

However!  It is an ideal outing for a young kid.  It is small enough that the preschool set hardly has time to get bored and start whining before you have seen all there is to see and it is time to get lunch.  It generally isn't too crowded (word about its shortcomings has apparently gotten out) so you get fewer dirty looks about your kid pressing their nose against the glass at a favorite exhibit.  And then, there are two major areas where the National Aquarium Washington has it all over the National Aquarium Baltimore: a family of four can visit Washington for the price of a single child's admission to Baltimore, and Washington allows strollers. 

If you are visiting D.C. for a week, do not under any circumstances take the time to visit the National Aquarium.  But if you live here and are sick of the bugs at Natural History and are looking for an hour or two of family togetherness with your preschooler, definitely check it out.  You will be disappointed, but your kid will have fun.

99 Things To Do in DC

by Leticia

February 24, 2009

In no particular order, here’s a list of 99 things to do in the DC Metro Area with a child before they grow up:

1. Head out the night before and brave the elements to obtain coveted tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll
2. Witness the beauty of the cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial at their peak 
3. Go kayaking at Mason Neck State Park in Virginia since it is a great place to spot a bald eagle 
4. Step back in time and go on a canal boat ride in Great Falls or Georgetown 
5. After dinner and a bath, take your PJ-clad child on a tour of the Monuments at night
6. Appreciate the grandeur of the interior space of the National Building Museum then head to the Building Zone to satisfy your child’s inner Bob the Builder 
7. Play at Turtle Park and don’t miss Turtle Park Day  
8. Attend a performance at Glen Echo Puppet Theater 
9. Catch a show at Glen Echo Adventure Theater, DC’s longest running children’s theater 
10. Take a spin on the Glen Echo Carousel and witness the amazing Wurlitzer band organ 
11. Witness air acrobatics at Bealeton Airport Flying Circus 
12. Choose a local farm, bring your own containers, and an appetite to spend a couple hours berry picking
13. Introduce your child to the wonders of live performances at Wolf Trap Theater in the Woods 
14. Attend afternoon high tea at Strathmore Mansion 
15. Witness the power of water at Great Falls
16. Take a seat at the end of the runway at National Airport’s Gravelly Point and watch airplanes zoom overhead 
17. Explore all areas of the National Zoo, including the naked mole rats
18. Feed the koi at the National Arboretum
19. Ponder what George Washington used to think about while sitting on his back porch on Mount Vernon high above the Potomac River 
20. Ride the train and feed the trash pig (a trash can that talks when you throw garbage in it) at Cabin John Park 
21. Throw rocks in Rock Creek
22. Hike part of the Billy Goat Trail 
23. Spend time in the woods just exploring
24. Go camping at a local campground for the weekend
25. Bike the Monuments and the sights of The Mall
26. Go to Sky Meadows State Park for Astronomy Day or a Saturday Star Party
27. Let a butterfly land on you at the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens 
28. Attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival to witness sheep shearing, partake in the fabulous lamb sold at the concession stands, and be dazzled by all the beautiful hand knit items for sale by vendors 
29. Experience the plethora of fried goods, carnival rides, and animals at a County fair
30. Have a hands on learning day at Port Discovery 
31. Go train crazy at the B&O Railroad Museum 
32. Go plane crazy at the College Park Aviation Museum 
33. Have a cultural experience at an Embassy
34. Ride a restored DC trolley car at the National Capital Trolley Museum 
35. Hunt for shark teeth at Calvert Cliffs State Park 
36. Hum The Star Spangled Banner while paying tribute to the inspiration for our National Anthem during a visit to Fort McHenry 
37. Step back in time to 1771 at Claude Moore Historical Farm 
38. Attend Claude Moore Historical Farm’s Market Fair offered three weekends a year 
39. Engage in hands on science at Discovery Creek Children’s Museum 
40. Enjoy more hands on science fun at the Maryland Science Center 
41. Stare in awe at the most amazing stained glass rosettes at the National Cathedral 
42. Stare in awe at sheets of uncut money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing 
43. Stare in awe as you take in the scenery from the top of the Washington Monument 
44. Explore every corner of the 2 acre Clemyjontri Park 
45. Procure tickets to an afternoon performance of Cirque du Soleil and witness acrobatics like you’ve never seen before 
46. Cruise the Potomac
47. Attend Art-o-Matic, the free art festival featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, music, theater, poetry, dance and workshops 
48. Visit Cunningham Falls
49. Attend the lighting of the National Christmas Tree
50. Visit the bonfire on the Ellipse during the holidays
51. Catch Vienna based kid rock band, Rocknoceros, in concert for music the whole family will enjoy
52. Join up with Stroller Strides for a great workout and fun scenery and songs for your kiddo
53. Attend the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
54. Marvel at Jim Henson’s creations, First Ladies gowns, and the ruby slippers at the Museum of American History
55. Give your child unrestricted access to the hose one hot humid summer afternoon
56. Go swimming at an indoor pool in the middle of winter
57. Cool off at an ice skating rink during the summer
58. Be a pirate for a day 
59. Visit Meadowlark Gardens 
60. Begin to culture a love of art with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery or National Gallery 
61. Catch a summer movie outside under the stars at the Strathmore Film Fest or Screen on the Green
62. Practice using chop sticks at dim sum 
63. Go fishing 
64. Root for the home team at an O’s or Nat’s game
65. Pretend to be a rocket scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 
66. Go apple picking
67. Take advantage of Free for All Fridays classes at the Roundhouse Theater 
68. See the sights in the snow
69. Visit rescued owls and experience the cave slide at Meadowside Nature Center
70. Enjoy the spectacle of a Chinese New Year’s parade
71. Root for the Ravens or the Redskins either live or on TV
72. Have a SmartTrip card and know how to swipe it to ride the Metro
73. Know which Metro station is closest to home
74. Marvel at the sculptures in the National Gallery Sculpture Garden
75. Seen the inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner at the Museum of American History
76. Witnessed the grandeur of the space shuttle at Udvar Hazy
77. Indulge in a hot dog at Ben’s Chili Bowl
78. Visit all the monuments on the National Mall
79. Write a letter and mail it from the National Postal Museum
80. Visit Roosevelt Island 
81. Walk among the dinosaurs or visit the butterflies at the National Museum of Natural History
82. Visit the butterflies at the National Museum of Natural History
83. Have an ice cream themed birthday party and create your own flavor of ice cream at Moorenko’s
84. Go spelunking at Luray Caverns 
85. Rock out with your kids while sipping coffee at Jammin’ Java 
86. Go on a tour of the White House with tickets from your local Member of Congress
87. Visit an aquarium- either in Baltimore or the one right here in DC!
88. Cool off at Deep Creek Lake
89. Test furniture at IKEA until you get a craving for meatballs and lingonberry sauce
90. Visit a lighthouse
91. Practice espionage at the International Spy Museum
92. Go fly a kite at the Smithsonian Kite Festival on the Washington Monument grounds 
93. Gaze at the stars at the Rock Creek Planetarium 
94. Enjoy a free summer concert at Carter Barron Amphitheater 
95. Watch the tennis pros practice for free before competing in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic
96. Become one with nature at the Audobon Nature Fair 
97. Ogle at sailboats at the United States Sailboat and Powerboat Shows in Annapolis
98. Walk in the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure 
99. Watch 4th of July fireworks on the National Mall
100. Spend a whole day doing what your child wants to do!

Tuesday List: Best Bodies of Water to See Your Reflection

by Leticia

January 13, 2009

When you think of seeing your reflection, you generally think of a mirror. Water can have mirror-like properties too so this Tuesday Iâ??m thinking about warmer weather and the best bodies of water in the DC Metro Area where you can go to see your reflection or just walk along and reflect. The Reflecting Pool- The long stretch of water that is the Reflecting Pool is perfect for using as a  Read more...

Kicking off the New Year

by Beth Hoffman

December 31, 2008

So, schools have been closed for a long, long time now and I'm sure many of us are looking for ways to get the kids out the house for a day. The good news is that many things are open on New Year's Day. Here are my recommendations for getting the new year kicked off to an educational start. The Smithsonian - all Smithsonian museums are open tomorrow, and most open at 10  Read more...

Tuesday List: Gifts that Give All Year Long

by Leticia

December 16, 2008

If you feel like your house is inundated with endless toys at the holidays, why not ask for gifts that keep giving throughout the year? Magazine subscriptions, classes, theater tickets, memberships, or a coupon book good for activities that can be done throughout the year make great gifts. Here�??s a list of ideas to get you started. Magazine subscriptions are great because they show up  Read more...

August Posts to Help You Plan Your September and Beyond

by Leticia

August 29, 2008

With the month ending on Sunday and older siblings are heading back to school, I thought I'd provide a list of my favorite activities that can easily carry into September: Brookside Gardens is a place to visit each season. Changing leaves and glorious fall colors makes this a wonderful cooler weather destination. As winter approaches, head over for Garden of Lights, a beautiful light display  Read more...

Tuesday List Day: Best Places to See the Fish

by Leticia

August 19, 2008

There is no shortage of places in the DC Metro Area to see fish. Especially live fish for free. If you aren't into traveling to see the fish, you don't need to look farA local pet store, a grocery store, and online are also great places to go. Check out my list of best places to see the fish: The United Stated National Arboretum is home to more than plants. Visit the ginormous brightly  Read more...

Get Away Without Getting Too Far Away

by Leticia

July 16, 2008

As much as we love DC, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. Leave the Beltway, politics, and Metro, and all other aspects of DC life far behind for the day or the weekend. Since we have spent a fair amount of time together poolside, talking about getaways while our children splash in the sun, I collaborated with local resource expert Jessica McFadden, from A Parent in Silver Spring ,  Read more...