Beltway Bambinos

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

Make It! Live at KID Museum

KID Museum is once again offering Make It! Live — online STEM/Maker workshops for Grades K-8.

Make-it! Live offers real-time, small-group, interactive programs for K-8th graders to inspire creative learning at home. Hour-long sessions are led by KID Museum’s maker educators, who work closely with kids, providing instruction and individual feedback. From physics and engineering to kinetic sculpture and costume design, there’s a workshop for every interest.

Groups are limited to no more than 10. Programs are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays through December 22, and vary weekly. See website for full program descriptions and registration. Pricing: $15 members/$20 nonmembers. Advance registration is required.

Share your love of reading with them!

Kid’s Cocina virtual cooking classes

Kid’s Cocina is a virtual cooking class for kids ages 6-11. Your kids can help prepare dinner for Thursday nights! This next session will be Mexican-inspired meals. All of the meals are simple or have been simplified so that children can join without much adult supervision. 

What’s on the menu?
Learn to make your own tortilla, enchiladas, salad-burrito bowl, and the delicious tres leches dessert!
 
When?
Classes are: Thursday, October 29, November 5, 12, and 19
Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Cost: $100 for all 4 classes or $30/class
Check out
Register here

Testimonial:
“My daughter loved it! Thank you for offering this.  You have a wonderful way the kids!” -parent of a 7 year-old

Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center hosts a free sampler day this Saturday

Art bot we made in an SEEC class last year

Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) is hosting a free sampler day this Saturday, October 10th showcasing virtual family workshops they offer. They recognize that some families may want more information about what a virtual class might look like before committing to several weeks of classes so this is a great opportunity.

What to expect:

  • There will be two preschool sample classes at 9 AM and 10 AM. 30 minutes will be spent experiencing a lesson from the Exploring Nature session that just took place. 
  • For the Early Elementary there will be three sample classes at 2 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM that will explore one of the Amazing Art lessons. 
  • Staff will also be there to answer any questions and share more about the approach they take and how they are making objects and artwork come to life through active learning even through a screen. 

More posts we have shared about SEEC:

–Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center: Bringing the wonders of the Smithsonian to your living room
-Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) community programs for all ages
–Museum Based-Learning: Ordinary is Extraordinary at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center

My Gym Bethesda & My Gym Potomac offer outdoor classes and more

This guest post is from My Gym Bethesda & My Gym Potomac. We hope you take advantage of their many programming options with your Bambinos.

My Gym Potomac and My Gym Bethesda are excited to bring new OUTDOOR CLASSES to both Bethesda and Potomac! Our same great interactive and fun fitness classes just with smaller groups, social distancing and we are wearing masks. Our traditional grown-up and baby, independent and sibling classes are available. We have also added gymnastics and dance to our outdoor offerings.

Want to learn more about our very popular private POD PLAY DATES? We can bring PE or gymnastics fun to your back-yard Pod school group just one time or on weekly basis with a fun My Gym teacher to lead kids safely in fitness and games and fun.

We also have opened INSIDE in Potomac for small group private play dates, camps (Weds. 1-4pm and Thursday 9:30am-12:30am,) in-gym classes and Birthday Parties. Click here to see our updated cleaning protocols.

We also have ZOOM classes available for those who prefer them for just $50 monthly for unlimited Zoom at home!

We hope to see all the kids at My Gym soon! Please feel free to email or text us any questions at My Gym Potomac or My Gym Bethesda or check out our complete websites: My Gym Potomac & My Gym Bethesda.

Fall classes {virtual & in-person} in and around Washington, DC

Fall classes look a lot different this year! Most of our favorite places however have gone virtual with their classes, while some are in person.

Adventure Theatre:  Join a musical theater class designed for children in grades K-5.

Anna Banana Arts and Crafts:  Offering small group art classes for children ages 4-8.

Bach 2 Rock: Weekly music and movement classes for toddlers.

Brazilian–American Cultural Center: What once offered Capoeira for youth and adults as well as Portuguese language classes, yoga, various types of Brazilian dance, youth art classes and more is now hosting neighborhood learning pods.

Brit-Am Soccer Academy: Small group soccer classes and lessons starting with toddlers and going up to 12th grade.

Children’s Art Studio: Virtual classes for children ages 4-13.

Dance & Gymnastics classes can be found here!

DC Stoddert Soccer: Soccer program starting at age 3 going through high school.

District Dabble Lab: DabbleBox is their newest endeavor. The first box ships out in September. This will be your child’s favorite extracurricular activity! A monthly subscription arts + crafts kit for your child to have a creative outlet and to fulfill the need for art in your child’s life during these isolated times. Plus they will be instructed by Emily via streamed video…it’s just like being in class at the DabbleLab! Find out more here.

Happy Little Art Studio: Join for six weeks of art exploration. Each week you will receive a box of supplies and links to a video with easy to follow instructions. No zooms. No stress. Students can work at their own pace.

Imagination Stage: For 40 years, Imagination Stage has offered programming that inspires youth to grow as artists and innovators. Their virtual arts education is no exception! Coming off of a successfully reimagined summer, they’re excited to bring interactive online classes into the fall semester Registration is now open! Click the search button below to browse online fall class options for all ages.

International School of Music: Offering in-person and virtual music classes.

Kicks are for Kids: Small group soccer classes at various locations.

Miss Amy’s Music Makers: Offering virtual class as well as class at an outdoor park for children under the age of 6.

Red Panda Art Studio: Virtual art class for children ages 1.5 to age 8. All supplies included— and organized by class.

Squash on Fire: Whether you are a beginner or an advanced player, the coaching staff has the talent and experience to help you improve your squash game.

Tinkergarten: Online circle time for families with children ages 0-8. A new Tinkergarten activity from this season’s Creativity curriculum will be revealed in each session, inspiring kids to reconnect with the outdoors and enjoy healthy, playful learning all week long. Each week, parents and caregivers get a how-to guide and see a demonstration of the activity, ask questions and get expert help on how to support their child.

Tunes 4 Tots: Music classes for a variety of ages.

Washington DC JCC: Just because we can’t gather in person doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with music and movement this fall!  Join us via Zoom for any or all of the live classes listed above.  All ages are welcome, but classes are geared towards the 0-4 year old crowd.  Session registration includes one weekly live class and also access to the recording of that class to watch anytime your kiddo wants. 

Indoor gyms:
My Gym Bethesda & Potomac
BusyBees offering neighborhood learning pods
Gymboree free first month of virtual classes
MoCo Movement offering limited in-person sessions

Related posts:
Yoga with your Bambino
Year-round classes

Don’t know if you want to commit your child to a session of classes? Pearachute allows you to drop-in to various classes, events, camps and they even have vouchers for gift cards. You can use the app to drop-in or make changes to your reservation; most places allow you to cancel your drop-in up to a few hours before the class so if you have a sick child or one who just doesn’t want to go to the class, try again a different day with no penalty.

Virtual camps from unexpected places

We understand the endless emails you receive with classes and camps which is why we condense our picks into just sporadic posts. This group of camps we are super excited for and the best part is that most are free and come from unexpected sources that are sure to having you fill up some more of your Bambinos day.

This summer, Apple Camp gives kids ages 8–12 FREE, fun, digital programs that they can experience from home. Choose from three creative projects to explore: video, art & design, and coding. Apple Camp projects include a self-guided Activity Book that Campers can complete at their own pace, and live, virtual Orientation sessions for guidance and Q&A sessions in case they need a little help. If you find that all sessions are full, we’ll be adding new sessions each week. Check back regularly for availability. In the meantime, Campers can download the Activity Book and work on their own

Camp TFK (Time for Kids) starts July 6! Join us for a whole new way to experience summer camp during a decidedly different sort of summer. Throughout July, the TFK team will create and curate daily roundups of FREE, kid-safe content that parents can trust and kids can enjoy on their own, or with minimal oversight. Campers will explore arts and crafts, sports and games, performance skills, scientific concepts, and the elements of storytelling—all in the safety of your base camp: home. Sign up to learn more!

Each day of Camp Kiwi Co is centered around a super fun theme. We’ve pulled together DIY activities, videos, printables, and more. Sign up for Camp and they’ll send more information about camp and other KiwiCo offerings! Purchase optional crates if you’d like. Note: all the content (videos, printables, DIY activities) for Camp KiwiCo are FREE and available to anyone! If you’d like to add more to your camper’s day, you can order the crates they have handpicked to go with each day’s theme. The content will be available all summer long, so you can access the sessions at any time that works best for you!

Camp Tinkergarten is 8 weeks of expert-designed activities that are easy on you and delightful for kids and are FREE. Releasing one new week of activities each Friday. The Camp Tinkergarten Map allows you and kids to get excited about our 8 themes and track your child’s progress throughout the summer. They’ll discover how to keep cool, enjoy a Silly Summer Olympics, and more. Sign up above to get your Trail Map by email today! With versions for baby, toddler, preschool and elementary ages, all kids can enjoy and develop our 8 core skills as they play.

DreamWorks Animation project presents #CampDreamWorks which is FREE. #CampDreamWorks is a seven week program that DreamWorks Animation has created to help families staying at home this summer due to COVID-19 by providing weekly show-inspired activities and livestreams, including arts and crafts, sing-alongs and more.

The Story Pirates Creator Camp $$
For the month of July, best-selling children’s book authors and illustrators will connect directly with hundreds of young people via the Story Pirates Creator Camp. Participating Random House Children’s Books authors and illustrators include Mary Pope Osborne (The Magic Tree House series), Nic Stone (Dear Martin, Clean Getaway), Danica McKellar (Goodnight, Numbers), Lincoln Peirce (Max & the Midknights, Big Nate), Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Grandma’s Purse, Just Like Me), and Judd Winick (Hilo). During four week-long sessions, kids will also enjoy hours of interactive live-streamed activities hosted by Story Pirates teaching artists.

  • July 6 – July 10: Illustration Vacation, featuring award-winning authors and illustrators Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Oge Mora, and Lauren Castillo talking about how they blend words and pictures in their books Just Like Me, Our Friend Hedgehog. and The Oldest Student
  • July 13 – July 17: Camp Cartoonist, featuring graphic novelist Judd Winnick sharing how he created the world of Hilo, his beloved middle-grade series. Artists Lincoln Peirce and Lucy Knisley will also discuss their recent works, Max & the Midknights and Stepping Stones.
  • July 20 – July 24: Story Pirates in Space! featuring author Danica McKellar talking about her new book, The Times Machine! Additional special guests this week are The Magnificent Makers series author Theanne Griffith, a brain scientist by day, as well as Dean of the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, astrophysicist,and author of Child of the Universe Ray Jayawardhana discussing “Our Cosmic Selves.”
  • July 27 – July 31: Time Travel Adventure is the topic of week 4, featuring author Nic Stone talking about her New York Times bestselling middle-grade novel Clean Getaway. Mary Pope Osborne, renowned for her internationally bestselling Magic Tree House series, will be discussing her William Shakespeare focused story Stage Fright on a Summer Night. Finally, fiction and nonfiction author Kate Messner will talk about her new series, History Smashers.

Related Posts:
Virtual Camps
Virtual Classes

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