Beltway Bambinos

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

Dino Safari drive-thru experience invades National Harbor

Dino Safari is a fun and educational drive-thru experience that features 40 full-size animatronic museum-quality dinosaurs you can experience from the comfort and safety of your vehicle and is invading National Harbor!

Dino Safari takes audience members – in their vehicle – to “Pangea National Park,” for an up-close-and-personal journey with the most fascinating prehistoric creatures from the mighty T. rex of North America to the giant amphibious Spinosaurus of Africa. 

Dino Safari was created in consultation with paleontologist Dr. Gregory Erickson and features fact-based, educational content in addition to an exciting storyline. Kids and families are guided through the fictional “Pangea National Park” by an audio tour (available in both English and Spanish) that plays through each car’s audio system, featuring fun and friendly characters. Each vehicle is given a “Survival Pack” containing your passport to Pangea with a scavenger hunt and other fun surprises for a more interactive experience.

On the Dino Safari adventure, audience members will learn through an audio narrator how dinosaurs evolved, where they called home, and the discoveries paleontologists have made about how they ate, moved, and behaved. Beware: along the journey, earthquakes might erupt, dinosaurs could battle, and audience members may have to help save a baby dinosaur’s life! So, buckle up for the adventure of a lifetime in this socially-distanced experience, and the perfect family spring break staycation activity.

DATES:
March 18 – April 11

Tickets are priced per car, beginning at $49.95 per vehicle of up to seven individuals, and are available through Dino Safari. Demand has been unexpectedly high with sellouts anticipated. Advance purchase is strongly recommended. 

LOCATION:
The Plateau at National Harbor
Intersection of National Harbor Blvd. & Waterfront St.
National Harbor, MD 20745 

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!

Celebrate Passover with PJ Library

PJ Library has updated their Passover hub with dozens of fresh ideas and resources for families, including stories and songs, games, activities and recipe ideas, and printables.

One of the new resources in 2021 is the free downloadable, intereactive PJ Library Family Haggadah. Downloadable translated PDFs are also now available in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and French.  Additionally, there’s an interactive component that makes the Seder that much more engaging!

Whether you’ll be celebrating Passover virtually or with your family in real life, PJ Library’s pre-Seder checklist is a handy parent helper.

As a reminder, you may sign up each child {for free} to receive their own books each month. And, what a perfect gift a subscription to PJ Library will be for expectant parents and newborns!

If your kids are aging out of picture books, PJ Our Way is a highly interactive site designed to engage kids ages 9 to 12, allowing them to choose their own books each month.

Purim activities and Carnivirtual event from PJ Library

Photo: PJ Library

Purim is coming up soon; February 25-26, and PJ Library wants to remind you of the free books, podcast episodes, and excellent resources for families. Is your child receiving free books from PJ Library?

The message of Purim goes way beyond costumes and festive food. Kids and parents alike will find discussion-starters in the Purim story, so that we can all explore the meaning of bravery and heroism in ways that are meaningful and kid-friendly.

PJ Library has a plethora of amazing resources for your family to celebrate with:

·         Listen to the Purim Story for Kids on the PJ Library podcast

·         Explore Five PJ Library books about Purim 

·         Purim recipes

·         Make your own Mishloach Manot Basket with a printable origami template

As a reminder you can join PJ Library for free and every kid likes receiving mail AND books! The award-winning non-profit sends more than 200,000 books per month to families raising Jewish children across North America (since their founding in 2005, they’ve shipped more than 12 million books overall!). Expertly curated, the age-specific monthly selections, for children ages 6 mos. to 8 years old, exemplify the very best of Jewish children’s literature and offer books certain to capture children’s imaginations with cheerful characters, compelling stories, and vibrant illustrations. 

Purim Carnivirtual: Sunday, February 21, 4:30‑5:30 PM

Celebrate Purim as a family with a virtual carnival of games! PJ Library has invited mainstages to provide entertainment and lead a fun and interactive “family game night.” Costumes optional. Most appreciated by ages 5-9. Cost is $10 per family

This program is a collaboration between The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, PJ Library, and the following partners: Agudas Achim Congregation, Bender JCC of Greater Washington, Capital Camps, Congregation Olam Tikvah, Edlavitch DCJCC, HoneymoonIsrael, Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia’s Growing Jewish Families in Northern Virginia, Ramah Day Camp of Greater Washington, DC, and Temple Shalom.

PJ Library celebrates Jewish Earth Day with Plant for Tomorrow

Photo credit: PJ Library

Stewardship for the earth and a deep love and respect for trees go back to the earliest days of Jewish tradition. To address the importance of these treasured principles, PJ Library is launching the “Plant for Tomorrow” matching donation campaign to help plant tens of thousands of trees for future generations. The campaign, which may be accessed here, celebrates Tu B’Shevat — the holiday often described as Jewish Earth Day — on January 27th. All proceeds will go to the National Forest Foundation (NFF). Highlights for Children is partnering with PJ Library to help spread the word about this valuable undertaking and get kids involved in caring for the environment.

America’s national forests are in crisis. Wildfires, invasive insects, and overuse have left 1 million acres of the nation’s precious land in urgent need of reforestation. Each dollar contributed through PJ Library’s campaign will help plant one native tree, making an immediate and tangible impact. Through the end of January 2021, families are invited to contribute to the campaign. PJ Library will match donations up to a total of $50,000, and NFF will plant trees where they are most needed.

“Jewish tradition emphasizes both taking care of the here-and-now and creating a better world for generations to come,” says Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library’s parent organization. “With the ‘Plant for Today’ gift that PJ Library sent to more than 250,000 children and families, and the introduction of the ‘Plant for Tomorrow’ matching donation campaign, children are introduced to the beautiful world of nature and their obligation to care for it into the future.”

Sign up for join PJ Library for free here where you will find so many great activities and resources, books and podcasts and so much more.

Hanukkah guide from PJ Library

With Hanukkah coming up quickly – and the possibility that 2020 celebrations may be very different than years past PJ Library has created a robust, activity-and-recipe-filled Hanukkah Hub! I hope you have signed up to receive free books, music and more through PJ Library but if not, click here to do so!

This year Hanukkah will be December 10-18. If you’re trying out leading a night of celebrating on your own for the first time, this holiday “cheat sheet” supplies parents and kids with a story book to read each night of Hanukkah, a gift idea to make or exchange, a recipe to cook together, and more. You’ll also find a virtual “Get Togethers” section to help you share the holiday from afar.

Below we have some wonderful activities and recipes perfect for all.

Books — There are so many wonderful Hanukkah books to choose from leading into the holiday season!  You can view all PJ Library Hanukkah selections in the Books section. Among the fanciful and entertaining stories that work well for mixed age groups and that your family will enjoy reading again and again you’ll find “Hanukkah Hamster” by Michelle Markel, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” by Eric Kimmel and “Meet the Latkes” by Alan Silberberg.  For another suggestion, PJ offers up some outstanding Hanukkah Books for Interfaith Families

Recipes – As you well know, Jewish holidays often have food at the center — and Hanukkah is no exception.  Everyone knows about latkes, but have you ever made traditional sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts? (How could you possibly go wrong – so good!)  If you want to share a new spin on latkes or try your hand at sufganiyot, below find 10 easy to make, delicious, and well-loved, PJ Library Hanukkah recipes, including, Bimuelos, Hanukkah Gelt (via Nosh & Nibble), Personal Dessert Pizzas (via Nosh & Nibble), Nutella Pockets, Stained Glass Cookies, Sufganiyot Donut Holes and more!

Family Activities – Looking for some creative ideas for fun-filled family time (and getting the kids away from various screens?)  Try upcycling crayons into candles, making an oil menorah,  turning aluminum foil into menorah-art, or making salt dough candle holders. Or, maybe just unplug for the night!

Have you signed up to receive free books through PJ Library? Multiple children in the same household can each receive their very own subscription – whether they’re the same age or not.  Families can sign children up from birth onwards – PJ Library is an incredible program!

Share your love of reading with them!

PJ Library LISTEN hub offers family-friendly story podcasts and other entertainment options

We are reminding you of a wildly popular post we shared back in January because we know you will want to check it out if you didn’t then. PJ Library provides curated, free entertainment through their Listen hub– available both online and off for kids with age-appropriate audio and video entertainment. You’ll find family-friendly story podcasts, sleepytime tunes, holiday playlists, dance mixes, read-alouds, sing-alongs – something for everyone with new featured content each month. Be sure to check it out so you don’t miss something.

Remember to subscribe (for free) to PJ Library to receive all of their exciting posts delivered directly to your inbox. PJ Library is an award-winning non-profit which sends more than 200,000 books per month to families raising Jewish children across North America (since their founding in 2005, they’ve shipped more than 12 million books overall!).

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