We are planning a day out with an out-of-town moms group and need some ideas as on what to do. Especially in case it rains.
Any ideas? Recommendations? Even your disastrous vist at the National Art Gallery will be apprecited. It should be in the DC area.
Thank you so much for your input!
Well, it's been a while since I asked the question, but the weather was nice, so we went to the Zoo....
Thanks to everybody who took the time to answer and I like coming back here to look at some ideas if I need one.
If it rains you can go to the National Building Museum. They have a large, open space where kids love to run and play.
S.,
Odds are, you'll be getting many ideas from your posted question! I have a little 23 month old and have done many of the cool Mall museums already listed. Also neat and free/cheap are Frying Pan Farm (just went today and the farm is adorable with many animals to pet, a playground, a tractor ride and more), the Claude Moore Colonial Farm and nearby Clemenjontri Park, Roosevelt Island to see the big Teddy Roosevelt statue, Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington with a playroom and animals (free, with joining trails to hike/birds to see, and the National Aquarium (not free, but worth a looksee. But if you really want to visit an amazing globally-known aquarium, worth the trip to Baltimore!) Good luck!
That whole area particularly in Maryland has wonderful nature centers with programs that are low cost (usually only a couple of dollars). Also, Glen Echo Park has a puppet theater so check for any shows that may be happening. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has the dinosaur bones and on the 2nd floor the insect zoo which to get to takes you through every skeleton of every animal possible, too cool and after you can take a carousel ride on the mall. Another neat place is an aquarium in Washington D.C. It is located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building (Department of Commerce headquarters), which is bounded by 14th Street NW on the east, 15th Street NW on the west, Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the south, and Constitution Avenue NW on the north. Low cost and very secure so the little angels can't run off. It is smaller than the one in Baltimore which is just too big at this age. We used to live there so if you have any other questions just ask.
Hi S.. I created a huge list of fun sources entitled, "NoVA Kid Haps". It listed in the sidebar of my blog
http://motherrising.blogspot.com
I'm sure you'll find lots of fun things to do there.
Namaste,
W.
Haines Point. We used to go there all the time with our kids. It has a huge fenced in area with 2 playgrounds and picknick tables. There are also Bathrooms and ample free parking.
FREE Super Kid Friendly-
*the building museum... has a building are for kids.
*American History Museum has a kids area on the bottom floor.
*Natual History Museum- just cool and has a hands on area (never used it)
*Air and space museum- super fun with a kids learning area.
FREE Kid friendly outside-
*The Zoo- howevr lots of walking and hills
*The National Mall is fun to walk and see the monuments especially Lincoln and Washington Monument area. FDR is a pretty cool one for kids also. The Washington Monument is free to go up, but you can reserve ticket (to prevent line standing online, it cost like a dollar a ticket to hold them)
*Gravely point- is a big open park just outside of DC-we call it the airplane park because it is at the edge of the reagan airport and the planes almost touch the tips of the tree coming in and going out. Best to go to if the planes are going south...
Cool but not free (preschool age are usually free)
*Mount Vernon- pretty cool, lots of open outdoor space, neat feel- building and museums if the weather gets bad.
*The Duck Boat- tours the monuments on land and water. totally cool and if you really want to see alot- it is a great way to do it. then you can pick out what things you want to do from what you have seen.
*Trolly tour- cool also, it allows you to see the monuments and get on and off at will for two conseccutive days.
*Newseum- pretty cool and has some interactive area for kids.
Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to write me- My kids are 5 and 3 and 4 months. These are the things they have loved to do.... No matter what you do pack snack/lunches- everything takes time, time, time...
L.
All of the Smithsonian museums offer preschool classes. Also, the retail bookstores (Borders, Barnes & Noble) offer storytime sessions. There are several chains in the downtown area (around 13th street), I think. The local libraries also offer free storytime sessions, and you're close enough to Alexandria, VA, and Prince George's County or Montgomery County, MD, to visit those chains as well. The closest VA branch, I think, is the Charles Beatley library on Duke Street, which offers a weekly storytime. When the weather breaks, you'll find that the parks in the metropolitan area are beautiful and child friendly. Don't neglect out-of-the-box ideas, like taking your child to PetSmart or Petco. He'll LOVE watching the animals; and, if nothing else, there's always Chuck E Cheese! There's one on Rt. 1 in Alexandria, I think, and there's probably one in Montgomery Cty.
Wow, I'd never heard of the National Building Museum! Thanks moms!
http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/bu...
"Welcome to the Building Zone, a hands-on introduction to the building arts designed especially for the Museum’s youngest visitors, ages two to six. In this exploratory gallery, children can:
• Build a tower or brick wall.
• Curl up with an architecture picture book in the Book Nook.
• Drive bulldozers and other construction play trucks in the Construction Zone.
• Imagine being a craftsperson complete with a hard hat, tool belt, and goggles.
• Explore the National Building Museum's Project Playhouse, a life-size custom built "green" house sponsored by HomeAid and built by Pardee Homes."
We're about to move, too! To Ohio! that's okay, we plan to settle back here in four years...
Otherwise, the Smithsonian Natural History or Air and Space would be my recommendation if it has to be IN D.C. Although, as the other lady said, pack lunches!
If it doesn't have to be IN D.C. , you might want to check out Playwise in Columbia MD. I haven't been there (because I keep forgetting about it) but my former daycare provider / friend says it's great. http://www.playwisekids.com/directions.htm
The National History Museum also has IMAX which is fun for kids...and an eat in area.
I live about 2 hours south of DC and have just taken my first trip to DC with my kids. And honestly, it was for a doctor's appointment for me. But for them to get to ride the Metro, and then see all of the trucks, buildings, buses, etc that we do not see in St. Mary's County, they had a BLAST! We are going back in the near future to do the Natural History Museum and the Air and Sapce Museum. These are both kid friendly places and the mall is right there - perfect for a picnic and even a nap for the little ones with some shade :). Enjoy!
There are so many ideas in DC with all of the museums, monuments, the National Zoo, etc. I'd think my two favorite places are the National zoo -- what kid doesn't love animals? And my second would be the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum in Dulles. Its $10 per car to get in, but you could spend the whole day looking at all the planes and shuttle. There is a McDonalds there for lunch, and an IMAX theater to see a film. We always have a great time.
I hope you all enjoy your vacation here.
The National Building Museum is a fantastic place go. I have three boys, ages 2, 3, and 4 and they loved the play area -- a little house, giant foam blocks to play with, etc. The museum itself is huge! Check it out online. Another place of course is the National Zoo, free admission and free parking (also on the Metro line). We took our boys (we live in the area obviously!) to the Washington Monument "the big tower" and bought tickets online ahead of time, they give you a time to go up so you cut down the wait time for it. That depends if the little ones can wait in a line, depends on how old they are. Lincoln Memorial is a great place, kids love all the steps. Just walking around (bring a stroller for sure) is fun, even the Metro is fun for little ones. Air & Space Museum is a big hit too. Good luck, Have a blast! ~V.
Hi S.,
If it is a yucky day out and the kids need to burn off energy, Tyson's Mall has a good indoor play area by the food court. It's not really a "DC" experience but it will allow the kids to play and climb. Unless it is a weekend, it is NUTS there and the parent's are clueless.
The zoo is open in the rain and if it is warm and rainy the animals tend to move around more.
the smithsonian is an amazing national treasure that no one should leave the city without experiencing. free, kid-friendly, and unbelievably rich in resources, and fascinating even for littles.
the food in the museums themselves tends to be expensive and blah, though. you might want to pack lunches or check out restaurants nearby.
khairete
S.
The Butterfly Exhibit (live butterflies!) at the Smithsonian.
the museum of the native american indian is fabulous. there is a suggestionin the museum of where to start your tour, they have a short movie there that is projected onto three earthy formats on a rock form below a triad of white woven blankets which also receie a mvie projection and the doom above in this small intimate gathering space that feels like a yurt (spelling?) It is really neat and then you go out and explore little display venues of different tribes and there are free short films showing in some areas it is very multi media, and the restraunt is good, you can get taste samples if your not sure about it, they have several different indian style foods.. another favorite is air and space 9on the mall0 that has a space shuttle that is plexiglassed theoughout the inside so that you can walk through it also has a cool restraunt so far as the physical space of it and windows. there is a second air and space museum i think it is in dullus, this one is very cool and maybe even preferred for a 2 yr old because it is lika a wharehouse of space capsules and early flying machines, a bit more touchy feely for them and a relly cool gift shop and a big cafe. third at the zoo here is a baby gorilla! and a small farm animal area where i think you can feed them but can't go into their pen like at a petting zoo. the zoo has many internal animal displays as well as outdoor and some experiential short paths where kids try to do some of the things an animal does so they can relate to them in a physical way and not just looking and talking about what they see.
have a blast!
M.
That's a great ? I am too interested in the responses you receive.
The Spy museum. It's a bit pricey but is a lot of fun
