Beltway Bambinos

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

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    • 15 family friendly hikes
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    • 20 classic outdoor games
    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
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    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation
  • Home
  • Indoor Fun
    • Theater & musical productions
    • Guide to Indoor Fun for Kids
  • Fall
    • Halloween guide
    • Fall festivals, farms, orchards
    • Fall Foliage Spots and Drives
    • Fall events
    • Fall classes
    • Fall bucket list
    • Survive Daylight Savings
  • Winter
    • Holiday gift guide
    • Holiday shows, ballets and concerts
    • Hanukkah Celebrations
    • Holiday Tea
    • Christmas Trees, Lights & Markets
    • Ski and snowboard
    • Cut-your-own tree
    • Ice rinks and roller rinks
  • Spring
    • Cherry blossoms
    • Easter egg hunts
    • Easter basket & spring gift ideas
    • Spring bucket list
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day weekend
    • Tax day steals and deals
  • Summer
    • Summer Camps
    • July 4th
    • Ice cream
    • Sunflower Fields
    • Summer bucket list
    • Live outdoor music
    • Outdoor movies
    • Outdoor swimming pools
    • Splash parks
    • Trains!
  • Camps and Classes
    • Fall classes
    • Spring classes
    • Summer camps
    • Mid-winter break camps
    • Winter camps and classes
    • November 2, 4, 5, 11
    • DCPS spring break camps
    • Schools out, camps are in
    • Year-round classes
    • Gymnastics and dance classes
  • Neighborhood Guides
    • Annapolis, MD
    • AU Park, DC
    • Baltimore, MD
    • Bethany Beach, DE
    • Breweries in the DC area
    • Brookland, DC
    • Chevy Chase, DC
    • Georgetown, DC
    • Philadelphia, PA
    • Lancaster County, PA
    • Madison, VA
    • Frederick, MD
    • St. Louis, MO
  • Outdoor Play
    • 15 family friendly hikes
    • Pick your own fruit and vegetables
    • Beaches and state parks
    • Outdoor fun
    • Trails, marshes and gardens
    • 20 classic outdoor games
    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
    • Why Now is the Time to Plan
    • Travel Advisors Save You More Than Money
    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation

Busy Bees indoor play and party space in Chevy Chase

July 7, 2017

Busy Bees:
An indoor playground and party space, designed for kids under 48″ only. They make no exceptions to this rule in order to create a space where little ones won’t be pushed around by the tall/older kids and will feel comfortable to jump around and play.

Pay each visit:
One Child All Day Play Pass: $18
Siblings All Day Play Pass: $15
Parents and kids under 1: Always free!
Silly hour (the last hour of the day): $12
Weekend of interrupted play(when we have private parties): $15
Military Rate: $15

Or purchase a BusyPass:
Admission is always discounted: 5 admissions for $75. That’s $15 per visit.

Hours:
Weekday open play hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm…..FINALLY a place that opens before 10:00am!!!!!!!
Weekend open play hours*: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm (*May change depending on partied etc. See Facebook page for updates)

​Seven reasons to LOVE Busy Bees:

  1. Everything at BusyBees moves, spins, or flies! Flying balloons, spinning climbing apparatuses, light up slides and more.

  2. Nut free! Snacks for sale.
  3. They offer fun and adorably themed parties.

  4. In-N-Out-N-In… your admission covers you all day during open play.

  5. Sparkling Clean C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y! Thanks to Dapple natural cleaning products.

  6. Complimentary coffee/tea for the sleep deprived.

  7. Free wifi with chairs for adults outside of the play area. A gate separates the play area from the seating area, my kids thought they were “locked” in– it was glorious!

Rules: 
Everyone requires socks at all times: no shoes / bare-feet.
Everyone requires a signed waiver before playing– once you sign it, your waiver is good forever.
Have fun! Play hard! Nap even harder afterwards!

Location:  
11 Wisconsin Circle Chevy Chase, MD. 20815
Conveniently located next to Friendship Heights Metro, Potomac Pizza, Sweet Teensy Bakery & Giant.

2 Comments
Filed Under: Indoor Play Tagged: Busy Bees, Chevy Chase, indoor, party space

Running list of year-round kid classes

December 16, 2016

A year-round resource for finding some amazing classes in our area for your Bambinos. We will keep the list updated and would love to hear of any you think should be added to the list.

                                                                               Soccer:

th-2Brit-Am Soccer

Love the Ball Academy

Player Progression Academy

Quick Feet Soccer

DC Stoddert Soccer

Music:girl-patting-hands

Levine Music

Meadowlark Music

Miss Amy’s Music Makers

Music Together

th-4Martial Arts:

Flying Kick

Master Method Karate

US Martial Arts & Fitness

World Karate

Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do

Washington DC Shotokan Karate Club

Senshi Karate

Dance & Gymnastics:

American Embassy of Danceth-1

Ballet Petite

City Dance

Dance Exchange

Dance Place

Dansez!Dansez!

Flamenco

The Washington Ballet

Joy of Motion Dance Center

The Washington Balletth

Tippi Toes

Tiny Dancers

Silver Stars Gymnastics

MarVa Tots n Teens Gymnastics

Dynamite Gymnastics Center

                                                                               Art:

th-5Art Works

ArtSpaceDC

Red Panda Art Studio

A Special Lee Sewing and Craft Cafe

The Children’s Art Studio

Little Loft Studio

VisArts

Anna Banana Arts & Crafts

More places that offer outdoor & indoor classes of all kinds!

Tinkergarten

Fairfax Sportsplex

Adventure Theatre

Koa Sports (Field Hockey, Flag Football, Basketball, Baseball and more)

Just For Kids

Imagination Stage

Blue Box Sports

Edlavitch DCJCC

Washington DC Parks and Rec

Montgomery County Parks and Rec

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Breathing Space Yoga

2 Comments
Filed Under: Classes, Indoor Play, Outdoor Play Tagged: art, classes, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, music, outdoor, recreation, soccer, sports, yoga

Subscription Boxes…For Children!

December 12, 2016

The last thing my children need are more toys and clothes this holiday season. I love giving my children (and others– this is a great gift!) experiences rather than another toy. Subscription boxes have become a great way for kids to make memories, create something hands-on and have an experience where all of the necessary materials come delivered to their doorstep. Choose a topic that interests your child and test a box out before committing to receiving one every month or every other month. Many of these subscription services offer first time sign-up deals as you visit the homepage which is an added bonus. I tried to cover a variety of topics which includes a cooking subscription box. I can get on board with this and perhaps my 5 year-old can begin to cook the family meals 😉

mainslider_img_5

Raddish is a culinary lesson, creative project, and mealtime solution all-in-one.

They make it easy for families to share delicious, quality time together. Raddish kits never repeat! Kids love mail. They’ll tear into Raddish kits filled with a collectible apron patch, illustrated recipes, tools, and thematic culinary fun like, “Ticket to Japan”, “Food is Art”, and “My Dream Restaurant”. Delicious recipes are packed with math, science, geography, history, culture, and more. Raddish takes the guesswork out of cooking with kids at a fraction of the price of a cooking class. 6 options to choose from for purchase.

Bits Box  provides monthly coding projects that teach gradeschoolers how to program apps. It’s a code academy for kids.

Kids look through the materials and pick an app. Every box comes with dozens of coding projects, ranging from simple to more advanced. Kids type the app into the Bitsbox website. Kids start with the code from the book, then change it to make it their own. Kids use and share their apps on any mobile device. Bitsbox apps run on any computer, tablet, or phone with a web browser. There are 4 different pricing options available.

Steve Spangler Science Club allows you to choose from one of three levels of hands-on science kits.

A new theme will be explored every month such as kitchen chemistry, glowing germs, the power of air or bubbling potions, electricity and more. Ideal for kids in grades K-6. Ignite the spark of science and creativity in your child. Learn the real science behind each amazing experiment. 3 packages to choose from for purchase.

how1Junior Explorers includes lots of fun and natural science learning that gets kids excited to explore a new habitat.

Select the right subscription plan for your Junior Explorer! Our monthly adventures are designed for elementary aged kids ages 5-11 and include both a physical and digital component for hours of fun. Every mission starts with a kit sent home to prep kids for their adventure that month.

Little Loving Hands provides a fun and educational method for parents and caretakers to engage children in learning about the importance of being kind and giving back to others.

Within each Little Loving Hands’  kit, they provide the materials for the craft project as well as the documents and other fun items to reinforce what the children are working on and how they are helping others.

Kiwi Crate, Inc  believe that children learn by playing and doing and children are naturally curious and creative.

Koala Crate was created to give preschoolers exposure to new materials, new tools, new techniques, and new concepts that encourage hands-on learning and fun. They are dedicated to inspiring these young scientists, artists, explorers. Below are the various crates they offer. They have 4 different options for purchasing.

Cricket Crate (Ages 0-2)
Koala Crate Play & Learn (Ages 3-4)
Kiwi Crate Science, Art & More (Ages 5-8)
Doodle Crate Art & Design (Ages 9-16+)
Tinker Crate Science & Engineering (Ages 9-16+)

Little Passports Science Expeditions, World Edition, Early Explorers and USA Editions are the subscriptions to choose from.

Select the adventure and subscription plan that’s right for your child. We offer fun and engaging products for children ages 3-14 and offer several different payment plans and gift options.

2 Comments
Filed Under: Indoor Play, Products I Love Tagged: box, coding, cooking, crafts, hands-on, learning, mail, monthly subscription, un-plugged

23 ideas for entertaining children after Daylight Savings Time

November 3, 2016

Most of us dread Daylight Savings Time. For parents, it’s a few months where our time spent outdoors comes to a halt and we wonder how to occupy the remainder of the evening with our children. And contrary to popular belief, the answer is not Benadryl =) Here are a few ideas I’ve compiled from readers and my own DST adventures to help you get out of the house with your Bambino(s) this winter. Don’t forget to check out our Indoor Fun Guide for other options!  

Swimming-Accessories-for-Children-Look-Amazing-and-Stay-Safe

Ideas for fun outside of your home-

1. Go for a dip at Wilson swimming pool.

2. Bloombars has evening performances.

3. Drop by a pet store to observe the animals and maybe see some dogs getting groomed.

4. DC Library holds late afternoon events.

5. Take a trip to Target or Whole Foods and walk the aisles. Try not to buy everything.

6. Cardoza High School Pool is opening their doors and allow the public to come swim.

7. Reserve a room at a public library and have a play date with friends.

8. Hotel lobbies can be fascinating, especially around the holidays. Plus, they have bathrooms.

9. Get creative at Treehouse Atelier,  Little Loft Art, Anna Banana or All Fired Up.

10. Child’s Play or Barnes and Noble (Bethesda location closes Dec. 31, 2017) can be great places for your kids toys and books. Again, try not to buy everything =)

11. Go out to dinner at one of these DC restaurants that offer entertainment for kiddos.

12. Grab a flashlight and go on an adventure walk.

13. Check the bus route and take a random ride.

14. Fairmont Hotel has a piano and a pretty garden, is fairly tolerant of children climbing up and down the stairs and enjoying the lobby’s holiday decorations.

15. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage has free, daily shows that usually begin at 6:00pm. Catch the show or just part of it , explore and walk the long foyer and look at the mirrors, ramps, etc. Go outside onto the terrace and watch the cars on the bridge or boats on the water.

 

Cooking-With-Kids

Ideas for indoor fun- 

1. Bake or cook something with your Bambino(s).

2. Make a fort, add pillows and blankets and watch a movie or read stories.

3. Put on a play.

4. Arts and crafts can provide endless fun (put your OCD tendencies aside).

5. Make your own play doh.

6. Download some educational apps on your device and set a timer.

7. Have your child help organize/fold socks when you’re doing laundry.

8. Get bath paints or crayons and let your child get artsy and messy.

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Holiday Options, Indoor Play, Winter Tagged: adventure, all fired up, bloombars, books, daylight savings time, food, hotel, indoor, Kennedy Center, library, Make Meaning, outside, pet, restuarant, store, swim, trains

Indoor fun in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

June 23, 2016

There’s an update to this post and it can be found here.

We figured we’d pull together some great indoor options for you and your kids in the Washington, DC metro area– plus some options up the road in Baltimore. So whether it’s raining, snowing — or just too cold or hot outside, here are some fantastic places to check out. They’ll keep your little ones engaged and might even tire them out enough to keep you happy. We’ll try to keep this list updated, so do add your suggestions to the comments below and we’ll keep building! Scroll all the way to the bottom as there are on-going lists of theatres, gyms and other great indoor spaces.

Washington, DC:

Skill Zone- (709 8th Street SE Washington, DC  20003)

SkillZone is a fun, fresh place to play and learn in Washington, DC., open for drop-in play time, classes, and private parties! A place in the city for children 6 & under. Registration is required.

Smithsonian Museum– (Various Locations)

Most are free of charge! Specific child-friendly areas in museums listed below.

U.S. Botanic Garden– (100 Maryland Ave SW)

Massive indoor exhibits, you can spend all day here. Check website as they occasionally have events such as cooking demonstrations, concerts, baby snuggler days and more.
[Read more…]

20 Comments
Filed Under: Indoor Play Tagged: Aquarium, art, bethesda, bocce, book, bounce house, bowling, Busy Bees, Family friendly, Glen Echo, gym, gymnastics, indoor, international spy museum, Loudoun, magic ground, mini-golf, museum, nature, nook, open play, pinstripes, playground, pool, postal, pottery, read, rock climb, science, smithsonian, Snapology, swim, theatre, trains, trampoline, U.S. Botanic Garden, video games, Wegman's Wonderplace, yoga, zavazone

Dance & Gymnastics Classes in the Washington, DC area

April 25, 2016

Bethesda Conservatory of Dance

City Dance

Dance Exchange

Dance Place

Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy

Edlavitch DCJCC

Dynamite Gymnastics Center

Flamenco

Imagination Stage

Joy of Motion Dance Center

Maryland Youth Ballet

Ovations Studio

The Washington Ballet School of Ballet

Tiny Dancers

Tippi Toes

Silver Stars Gymnastics

2 Comments
Filed Under: Classes, Indoor Play Tagged: ballet, classes, dance, gymnastics, hip hop

Snow(y) Days = What’s Open?

January 26, 2016

I got wrapped up in all of the commotion the snow brought and haven’t opened my laptop in 10 days. A dug out car, an igloo and snowman in the front yard (slowing melting), and one stir-crazy Mama later here we are…..Sorry MCPS parents you have another day of entertaining your wild ones and us DCPS parents have to find the clearest path to trek to school tomorrow. So for those parents trying to find something to do, here’s what’s happening tomorrow as well as Thursday & Friday—(is this the return of Weekday Adventures?!?) Don’t forget to refer to the Indoor Guide for other places that may be open. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Indoor Play, Weekday Adventures Tagged: indoor, snow days

Introducing Magic Ground in Columbia Heights

November 30, 2015

IMG_6429

A new indoor playground, Magic Ground has opened in Columbia Heights, just above Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond on the 3rd floor. You can park in the underground garage of DC USA or take the Columbia Heights Metro. You can purchase several “packages” like Winter or Summer Memberships as well as an Annual Pass and half-day/full-day passes they will offer Parents Nights Out.

IMG_6431 

The theme of Magic Ground is a magical castle and the motto is “a magical place to eat healthy and play safely.” Children will crawl, jump and climb, explore, discover and create here. Magic Ground has only been open a week but word has gotten out, as there were about 15 kids playing with us. However, The Restaurant, Game Tech (a modern time corner to ignite your senses) and Show Hall (costumes and face painting) were not open. There is a cute place with vanities and hair salon tools for kids to pretend. There are a few kitchens and baby dolls in an area to play with. My son loved sliding down the slide into the ball pit, shooting an air cannon with balls and swinging on a swing inside of the apparatus.
[Read more…]

3 Comments
Filed Under: Indoor Play Tagged: Columbia Heights, indoor, play, playground, Washington DC

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