Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

DCPS spring break camps {in-person and virtual options}

Don’t have plans for Spring Break? No worries, there are several of our favorites that are adhering to CDC guidelines and are offering an opportunity for your children to dip their toes back into the world of camp! As you have probably experienced the overwhelming demand for summer camps, spring break camp is no different so don’t delay in registering. DCPS spring break is April 12-16, 2021.

DC Department of Parks and Recreation (In-person)
Offering full-day Spring Break Camp programs in recreation centers for children, ages 3–13, during DC Public Schools’ spring break. DPR provides youth with a variety of structured games, sports, character-education exercises, and arts and crafts. Our goal is to plant the seeds of personal development and environmental responsibility in a fun and engaging recreation setting. Camp is from 9:00am-5:00pm, April 12-15 (no camp on Friday). See locations below:

Ages 6-12

  • Jelleff Recreation Center – Ward 2
  • Emery Heights Community Center – Ward 4
  • Edgewood Recreation Center – Ward 5
  • Arthur Capper Recreation Center – Ward 6
  • Hillcrest Recreation Center – Ward 7
  • Therapeutic Recreation Center – Ward 7
  • Barry Farm Recreation Center – Ward 8

Multi-Sport Camp –  ages 5-7 and 8 -13

  • Deanwood Recreation Center – Ward 7

Home Run Baseball (In-person) AU Park, DC
Spring break camp is April 12-16, from 8:30am to 2:30pm at Friendship Recreation Center. Camp is for girls and boys ages 4-11 (half-day option for 4 year olds), players can expect a positive mental attitude environment featuring long round of ground balls, batting practice and two games a day.

Confetti’s Spring Break Camp (In-person) Tenleytown, DC
Confetti fosters creativity, peer interaction, and positive thinking for elementary-aged children. This program encourages children to collaborate with one another through daily crafts, hands-on activities, and engaging games. The session will run from 1:00pm-4:00pm, April 12th through April 16th.

Red Panda Art Studio (Virtual)
Join from 9:30am-11:30am, April 12 to April 14 to celebrate all things Spring! Mini-camp is designed for ages 5 to 10. All supplies included and delivered to you!

Hoop Ed (In-person) Various locations
HoopEd Spring Break Camps offers families an active and exciting child care option during the holiday break. Spring break is a busy time for HoopEd Nation and that is why we offer full or partial week sign ups for kids in grades 1-8! Spring Break Camps are the best way for kids to see their friends, stay active and avoid “break boredom”! See you on the courts and playground!

The Children’s Art Studio (Virtual)
Have your child join us for one hour, April 12 to April 14 from 10am-11am, for Art Camp! They will learn technique, look at examples from art history, and have a blast making beautiful drawings and paintings. Small class size means your child will receive one-on-one attention and support. Your child will receive a prompt at the end of class, and instructions to keep working at home. Camp is best for ages 6-9. A materials list is on the above link.

DC Way Soccer Camp (In-person) Capitol Hill, DC
Spring into soccer with DC Way’s Spring Break Camp on April 12th! DC Way’s camp provides players the opportunity to work on technical soccer skills as well as participate in fun games. The DC Way team leads energetic games that combine learning and fun. Your kid will get the most out of their spring break while developing both soccer and cognitive skills in just a week.

School of Rock (In-person) Cleveland Park, DC
Want to play in a band onstage? Our Rock 101 camp is designed for beginners 7-11 years of age. No experience necessary! Students will explore their instruments through musical games and activities. The nurturing environment makes this the perfect camp for budding musicians. Students will work on songs Monday through Friday and the camp will culminate in a concert at the end of the week for family.

KID Museum launches Maker Girls for 4th-8th grade girls

STEM Women Leaders and AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors Karina Popovich, Danielle Twum, Dr. Corinna Lathan, Sarah Wilson, and Davina Durgana will be connected with 4th-8th grade girls for interactive, hands-on challenges in KID Museum’s MAKER GIRLS Live Event and workshops.

To celebrate the trailblazing contributions to the world by women in STEM fields this month, KID Museum, a pioneering experiential museum and educational makerspace, is launching Maker Girls, a  series of hands-on, invention-based workshops for 4th-8th grade girls.  A live, interactive virtual event on Thursday, March 25 from 4-5 PM ET will kick off the program, in partnership with AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors program, with a diverse set of top female STEM leaders — from a statistician featured in the book “Wonder Women of Science” and a biomechanical engineer studying 3D sports movement, to a cancer immunologist and the college-student founder of Makers for COVID-19. The event will feature a “Shark Tank”-style pitch event and a virtual tour of KID Museum’s new online Maker Playground.

“With Women’s History Month celebrating those who have challenged gender stereotypes and left a lasting legacy, Maker Girls is empowering the next generation of female leaders with maker skills, experiences and mindsets to invent the future,” said Cara Lesser, the Founder and Executive Director of KID Museum.  “Lyda Hill Philanthropy and AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors exemplify positive female professional role models in STEM for young girls. Partnering with them brings our commitment to girls to life, and challenges girls to be active makers while they interact with and solve problems with successful women STEM leaders.” 

Hosted by Dr. Corinna Lathan, a neuroscientist, technology pioneer, social advocate, and IF/THEN Ambassador, along with 11-year-old maker Zuri Davis, the live, virtual event will be highly interactive. Girls will hear from IF/THEN Ambassadors who will share examples of “How I Failed” and the lessons they learned; girls will experience new Maker Playground activities; and girls will serve as advisors to KID Museum in helping shape the direction of deeper dive workshops to be offered later this spring.

In a “Shark Tank” style pitch showcasing a range of STEM-based activities, girls will serve as the ultimate decision-makers, investigating topics and voting for those they’d like to see turned into the workshops they can join later in the spring.

Ambassadors include:  

  • Davina Durgana – Award-winning international human rights statistician who has developed leading global models to assess vulnerability to modern slavery. She was a Forbes Top 30 Under 30 in Science (2017), and is featured in the children’s book, “Wonder Women of Science: Twelve Amazing STEM Geniuses Who Are Currently Rocking the World.”
  • Danielle Twum – Cancer immunologist hailing from Ghana who blends scientific knowledge with social media influence to ignite interest in STEM careers for young people, especially minorities. 
  • Sarah Wilson – Mechanical engineer and former professional freeride skier who has made a career of “crashing STEM into her hobbies,” most recently using wearable technologies to measure athlete movements in 3D.
  • Karina Popovich – 21-year-old Head of Education and Policy at Women in 3D Printing, Founder of Makers for COVID-19, Cornell University student, KPMG Future Leader 2019, Amazon Future Engineer 2019 and Technovation Regional Pitch Competition Winner. 

Workshops:

The live, no-cost, interactive virtual Maker Girls workshops offer 4th through 8th grade girls the chance to join in hands-on, invention-based challenges covering topics such as game design, robotics, space exploration, cybersecurity, and science experiments. 

Each of the three workshops taking place in April and May is capped at 24 students to encourage side-by-side interaction with the Ambassadors, whose backgrounds range from engineering and astrophysics to computer programming and biology. Together, the Ambassadors and students will brainstorm, design, and prototype solutions to real-world, STEM-inspired challenges.  

Maker Playground: 

Maker Playground is designed to engage youth and families in experiences and activities inspired by real-life women inventors, engineers, and scientists; and then use maker skills and concepts to experiment, invent, and create something on their  own. Concepts explore the “art of STEM,” “robot explorers,” “sports and STEM,” “animal allies,” and “games for good,” with activities for kids to prototype a technology that improves athletic performance, create a digital 3D model of a robot that explores the unknown, design a game, and more.

About KID Museum:

KID Museum is the region’s pioneering experiential museum and educational makerspace. They foster the “Mind of a Maker” and empower the next generation with the skills to invent the future. Through hands-on programs, they challenge young people to be active makers, building agency, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills. They design and deliver programs across the full continuum of learning for kids in pre-k through middle school in partnership with educators and schools. Weekend onsite programs, community events, and live, virtual sessions encourage families to learn and explore together. They are part of a growing movement to remake education for every young person, putting them in the driver’s seat of their learning and trusting them to be agents of change.

Spy Academy and The Lost Treasures of Atlantis; an immersive online theatre experience

Not too long ago we were going to local performances at our favorite theatres, exposing our children to the arts. We are so happy Imagination Stage has adapted their art into something we can watch from home, for now and in this latest show, they definitely completed the mission!

For its second foray into the world of virtual theatre, Imagination Stage meets this unique moment with Spy Academy & the Lost Treasures of Atlantis, an immersive online experience best for children ages 5+. The show–part escape room, part spy adventure, and part online game–engages children in an interactive performance as meaningful as it is delightful. Our children– excuse me, Cadet Cheese and Cadet Spygirl are ages 6 and 9 and both really enjoyed this performance as it was interactive and suspenseful all while observing the actors in their element which was silly and entertaining. This was a Zoom they were actually engaged in and fit the bill for something they had been missing.

The audience which has no more than 15 households per performance, takes on the role of cadets at a spy academy. They are being taught by Pat, a live facilitator. When Pat gets notification that some of the academy’s adult spies need help evading the villainous Dr. Levinious as they search for the Heart of the Dragon, Pat recruits all of the cadets to help them by solving various puzzles and problems. Enter your household! Pat is played by nimble and comedic improvisational actors Jasmine Jones, Matthew Pauli or Amanda Haddock (at different performances), and directly urges the participation of the cadets in a “create your own adventure”-style exploration of numerous challenges. (Ssshhh: the adults in the household will have received instructions in advance to secretly prepare some key props to have nearby for their cadets.)

We were emailed documents to print out including an introductory letter to the cadets, activities and clues to use during the performance, and a certificate to be awarded to the cadets after the mission is completed. We put these in envelopes or hid them throughout our house. Silly enough, it was something my husband and I actually had fun doing as we knew this was so unique that our kids would be shocked to find these in real time as they watched the show– at one point Pat told viewers to check their front door for a package and to our kids surprise there was a small package waiting there for them to use with the show! Our kids think it was a ‘black bag job’ and didn’t ask if it was up who left the materials for them, which made it fun. However, if you do not have a printer Pat does an amazing job to share everything on screen and reassure those who may not have the items at home to have no fear and presents alternatives.

The artfully filmed segments of the spies getting into and out of jams in far-flung locations were filmed in all the nooks and crannies of Imagination Stage’s Bethesda facility, including against the back wall of the stage, which was transformed into an enormous green screen to allow for exciting special effects. Our cadets were amazed when we told them where it was filmed and how. They are eager to get back to seeing performances in-person but they both agreed that this was an amazing alternative!

Details:
Spy Academy & the Lost Treasures of Atlantis runs through May 23, 2021

Ticket cost: $25 per household

Run time: Roughly 45 minutes

You can even purchase a private performance if you have a cadet’s birthday approaching! Call the Box Office for more details 301-280-1660.

Cast and Creative Team:
Edima Essien- Newscaster
Danielle Gallo-Tank
Amanda Haddock-Facilitator
Jasmine Jones-Facilitator (swing)
Miss Kitty-Specs
Matthew Pauli-Facilitator
Ryan Sellers-Levinious/Locksmith
Strother Gaines-Concept and Co-Director
Doug Robinson-Playwright
Jeffrey Eagle-Co-Director and Producer
Chris Mariles-Director of Photography
Ted Hogeman-Sound Operator
Paige Smith Lee-Editor
Madison Booth-Costume Designer
Katie Moshier-Stage Manager

Also, be sure to check out Imagination Stage Summer Camp!

DC area summer camp guide

This guide has been updated, see the 2022 guide here.

While this summer may have some uncertainty to it, we are fortunate that camps are moving forward in safe ways. We have noted whether they are in-person, virtual or a hybrid of both. Some camps have not yet decided how they will operate so we have noted those with TBD and will modify the listings as decisions are made. Camps will continue to adjust to align with COVID-19 guidelines put in place by the CDC and state and local governments.

We are grateful for our 2021 summer camp partners; Pedalheads, CodewizardsHQ, City Dance and Imagination Stage.

This 2021 summer camp guide is officially sponsored by Pedalheads. Pedalheads provides learn-to-ride bike camps for kids ages 3 and up. They are best known for helping kids get off training wheels and riding on their own! NEW to the Washington, DC area this year, this camp has been offered in many cities across North America with over 500,000 children that have gone through their programs.

Mark your calendar: April 20th, 2021 Pedalheads summer camp registration opens

Pedalheads combines a fun group setting with specialized equipment, tailored cycling lessons, and incredible instructors to build confidence and get some of the most tentative kids biking on their own. They also offer advanced bike lessons that focus on road safety. NEW for 2021, they are excited to be bring their popular week-long day camps to the Washington, DC area.

Pedalheads plans to be running camps in Capitol Hill and the Northwest region, exact locations to be announced soon. Sign up for their e-newsletter for updates on where they will be offering camp. They will provide full day, half day and toddler camps. For more information you can email, call 1.888.886.6464 or visit their website.

Sports camps:

Bethesda Big Train Baseball: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Breathing Space Kids Yoga: Capitol Hill, DC- In-person
Brit-Am Soccer: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Camp Olympia: Rockville, MD- In-person
Circle Yoga: NW, DC- In-person
CP Basketball Academy: Georgetown Day School, NW, DC- In-person
Dance & Gymnastics camps
DC Fencers Club: Silver Spring, MD- In-person
Home Run Baseball Camp: NW, DC- In-person
HoopEd: Locations throughout DMV- In-person
Kids Elite Sports Camp: NW, DC- In-person
Koa: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Nationals Baseball/Softball Day & Overnight Camp: Locations throughout DMV- In-person
Next Level Lacrosse: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Nike Tennis Camp: GW University- In-person
Pedalheads: Capitol Hill & NW, DC- In-person
PPA: NW, DC & Bethesda, MD- In-person
The St. James: Northern, VA- In-person
Squash on Fire: NW, DC- In-person
TenniStar Sports: Georgetown, Bethesda, MD & Northern VA- In-person

Building, coding, STEM & technology camps:


Learn to program from the experts this summer! CodeWizardsHQ has 5+ years of online programming education experience.  Their proprietary tools, refined online teaching methods, and genuine educators make them the best online coding program around. Their extensive support network of students and teachers alike helps students feel connected, motivated, and supported throughout their journey. Classes are 3 weeks which meet once per day Monday – Thursday.  Students learn Python, Scratch, HTML/CSS, JavaScript & more. Certifications are awarded upon course completion.  Early bird pricing and sibling discounts are available. 

Apple Camp: Locations throughout DMV- TBD
ClubSciKidz: Montgomery County- In-person
Code Ninjas: Locations throughout DMV- In-person
Code WizardsHQ: Online
Coder Kids: McLean, VA- Hybrid
Digital Media Academy Tech Camp: Virtual
idTech: Virtual
Mad Science Summer Camp: Locations throughout DMV- In-person
Play-Well: Locations throughout DMV- In-person
Summer Institute for the Gifted: Bethesda, MD- In-person

Art, music & theatre camps:

CityDance School & Conservatory Summer Camps is offering a combination of online and in-person summer camps for ages 5-14 at the spacious Whittle School & Studios in Washington, DC and Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD.

Ignite your young dancers’ imagination with themed camps and summer programs – from Once Upon a Time to Dancing through the Universe! In-person camps include daily dance classes in multiple styles, arts and crafts, and an end-of-week showing for friends and family. Online camps provide dancers with daily classes in hip hop, ballet, modern, jazz and tap.

Dancers ages 10 and up can elevate their technique and learn challenging choreography in summer programs such as DanceUP and Musicals & More! A COVID-19 Health Safety Plan has been adopted in accordance with federal, state and local government regulations to ensure a safe and fun summer!

View the Summer Camp Schedule here. Looking for pre-professional training this summer? Audition for CityDance School & Conservatory Summer Intensives! CityDance School & Conservatory summer intensives provide challenging training in classical and contemporary techniques, world dance forms, dance history, improvisation / composition and repertory. PHILADANCO! and Koresh Dance Company join the ranks of world-renowned guest artists coming to DC, Maryland and online platforms this summer. Intensives are open to dance students ages 8 to 20. Each intensive requires an audition. Audition online Saturday, May 15!

Adventure Theatre Camps: Glen Echo, MD- Hybrid
All Fired Up: Bethesda, MD & NW, DC- In-person
Anna Banana Arts & Crafts: NW, DC- In-person
Bach 2 Rock: Locations throughout DMV- Hybrid
Camp Arena Stage: NW, DC- Virtual
Camp Levine: NW, DC, Bethesda, MD & Arlington, VA- Hybrid
Camp Shakespeare: NW, DC- Hybrid
CityDance Summer Dance: Bethesda, MD- Hybrid
Dance & Gymnastics camps
Encore Stage and Studio: Arlington, VA- In-person
Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD- Hybrid
McLean Project for the Arts (MAP): McLean, VA- Hybrid
Red Panda Art Studio: Bethesda, MD- TBD
Strathmore Art Camp: Bethesda, MD- In-person
The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts: NW, DC- In-person
Washington Episcopal School: Bethesda, MD- In-person

Imagination Stage Summer Camps will be offering 1, 2, 3, and 4-Week Arts Camps Starting June 14

For families ready to join in a safe environment, Imagination Stage looks forward to holding in-person camps at their Bethesda, Rockville, and Northwest DC locations. They are also excited to continue providing popular virtual programming with interactive and fun camps designed for the online format.

With acting, musical theatre, creative drama, dance, filmmaking, and performance opportunities for ages 3.5-18, there’s something for everyone at Imagination Stage this summer! Buy with confidence: learn about their Safety Guidelines and 2021 In-Person Camp Refund Promise here. This summer, Imagination Stage and its campers will embrace what theatre is all about: creativity, collaboration, and community!

Adventure, animal & nature-based camps:

Adventure Links Day & Overnight Camp: Northern VA- In-person
Adventures on the Hill: Capitol Hill, DC & Takoma Park, DC- In-person
Aiden’s Village of Choice Summer: NW, DC- Hybrid
Audubon Naturalist Society: Chevy Chase, MD- In-person
Beauvoir Summer: NW, DC- In-person
Calleva Outdoor Adventure Camp: Poolesville, MD- In-person
Camp Aristotle at The Auburn School: Silver Spring, MD & Chantilly, VA- In-person
Camp Sonshine: Silver Spring, Olney, Germantown & Ellicott City, MD- In-person
CASA at Sheridan School: NW, DC- Hybrid
CCBC (Camp starting at age 2): NW, DC- In-person
Clara Barton Center for Children (Camp for ages 2-5): Cabin John, MD- In-person
Cleveland Park Club: NW, DC- In-person
CommuniKids Language Immersion: (Camp starting at age 2.5)- NW, DC & Falls Church, VA- In-person
Concord Hill School Preschool Camp: Chevy Chase, MD, Hybrid
Confetti: NW, DC- In-person
Congressional Camp: Falls Church, VA- In-person
Edlavitch DCJCC Camp: NW, DC- In-person
Headfirst Summer Camp: NW & NE, DC, Bethesda, MD, & VA- In-person
Henry’s Sweet Retreat: Bethesda, MD – In-person
Humane Rescue Alliance: NW, DC- TBD
Kids Cocina Cooking Camp: Virtual
Landon Summer: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Lowell School Camp: NW, DC- In-person
Meadowbrook Stables: Chevy Chase, MD- In-person
Potomac School: McLean, VA- In-person
Rock Creek Park Horse Center: NW, DC- In-person
Sidwell Summer: NW, DC & Bethesda, MD- In-person
Spy Camp at the Spy Museum:SW, DC- Virtual
Steve and Kates Camp: Capitol Hill, DC, Alexandria , VA & Arlington, VA- In-person
Summer at Norwood: Bethesda, MD- In-person
Summer at Sandy Spring: Sandy Spring, MD- In-person
Summer Horizons Day Camp at NPS: NW, DC- In-person
Valley Mill Camp: Germantown, MD- In-person
Woodland Horse Center: Silver Spring, MD- In-person
YMCA Camps: Locations throughout DMV- In-person

County camps:

Arlington County Summer Camps– In-person
Fairfax County Park Authority Summer Camps – In-person
Montgomery County Parks & Recreation Summer Camps – In-person
Washington, DC Parks & Recreation Summer Camps – In-person

Tudor Place offers virtual, interactive free programs for children

Photo: Tudor Place 2017

Changing City: Tobacco, Transportation & Georgetown
March 3 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Delve into the founding of Washington DC through the port of Georgetown and its undeniable ties to the tobacco industry. Using primary sources, uncover the links between the tobacco trade, money, city growth, and enslavement in this urban setting. Free, grades 3-5. REGISTER

Tudor Explorers: Be the Curator
March 18 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Pull back a museum curtain to reveal the best practices of public history in this unique primary source workshop. Students learn how Tudor Place curators, historians, archivists and educators use primary sources to make decisions. Then, students replicate this work in their own projects. Free ages 11-18. REGISTER

Tudor Explorers: Garden Detectives
April 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Students become digital garden detectives as they virtually explore 5 ½ acres of historic gardens in search of plants, animals and other wildlife. They will learn principles of scientific investigation to study how plants grow. Free, ages 8-14. REGISTER

Tudor Explorers: Storytime in the Garden: Pollinators
May 12 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Students are invited to virtually explore Tudor Place’s magnificent 5 ½ acre garden. This kinesthetic program promotes sensory learning and development. Students enjoy an interactive storytime, then observe a variety of plants, flowers and wildlife. Free, ages 3-7. REGISTER

Holiday fun with My Gym Bethesda & My Gym Potomac

Zoom Holiday Fun with Santa:
Join My Gym for a special event where kids will spend time together on Zoom enjoying games, puppet shows, story time, and more with Santa.

When: Saturday, Dec. 19th from 3:00-4:00pm
Who: Perfect for ages 3 to 9 years
Member Price: $10 per family 
Non-member Price: $15 per family

Zoom New Years Eve Dance Party:
Kids will ring in the new year with their favorite My Gym teachers on Zoom enjoying dancing, games and fun!

When: Thursday, Dec. 31st from 4:30-5:30pm
Who: Perfect for ages 3 to 10 years (younger siblings are welcome to participate, but parental supervision is encouraged) 
Member Price: $10 per family 
Non-member Price: $15 per family

Winter break camp at My Gym Potomac has some spots left. Drop your kids off for three hours of active fun at My Gym including games, craft, gymnastics and sports!

When: Winter Break – Dec. 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 1:00-4:00pm
Member Price: $45
Non-members Price: $50

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Celebrate The Season With A Free, Virtual Holiday Crafting Workshop With The Station At Riverdale Park!

WHAT: Following the speedy sell-out of their first holiday crafting session, join The Station at Riverdale Park for a Letter to Santa Watercolor Workshop. Santa is pulling into The Station! Join Santa’s crafting workshop and unleash your inner elf with a Letter to Santa watercolor workshop. Pick up your complimentary crafting kit at The Station PLUS a $10 gift card from participating restaurants at The Station.

WHEN: Pick up your free watercolor kit at The Station (6621 Baltimore Avenue, Riverdale Park, MD 20737) on Saturday, December 19 from 11am – 2pm and then tune in for a Zoom workshop at 4pm with local artist and maker, Serena Martin Designs. Can’t make the workshop live? They’ll send a recording to all registrants.

HOW: This activation is free and open to the public, registration required. Click here to register.

logo design courtesy of New Leaf Design