Summer – Page 9

Sea Rocket offers Bambino friendly boat rides, parasail and fishing trips in Ocean City, Maryland

July 27, 2017

Headed to Ocean City, Maryland? We just got back and added a new must-do to our list of beach fun. Sea Rocket offers a thrilling speed boat guided tour, parasailing trips as well as a fishing charter. If you’ve been to OC this summer (just under a 3 hour drive if timed right) you have definitely spotted the red, white and blue boat speeding past the beach, which is the Sea Rocket! We took our 6 and 2.5 year old on a two-hour fishing trip and had a successful, FUN, memorable time on the water. My son went fishing last summer and had high expectations for this trip as he caught a few flounder last time and was hoping he’d have the same luck this time. He wasn’t disappointed as he actually lost track of how many he caught. The captain and mate were very patient with our kids and even encouraged our littlest to help “steer” the boat. About an hour and half into fishing, we spotted dolphins and the captain was determined to make our children remember this trip. He knew exactly how to make the dolphins follow us in our wake and we were able to get up close and personal with a huge pod of dolphins for about 20 minutes. After that he took us along Assateague Island National Seashore to see if we could spot any wild horses and sure enough our luck didn’t stop with the dolphins. Once we marveled at the wild pony just hanging out on the beach we headed back to dock. When we arrived the captain and mate were eager to capture a family photo of the flounder we caught and even printed out a picture for us. Since we had dinner plans, we let them keep the flounder for their dinner! This fishing trip was such a wonderful experience, we will absolutely be heading back next summer.

Want to ride along the coastline of Ocean City on the enormous Sea Rocket? Enjoy fun music, observe the scenic coastline, and watch for wildlife on the Sea Rocket. They have frequent encounters with Dolphin as they love to play in the rooster tail. They make 8 trips a day during the summer season so there is definitely a time to fit it in!

Prices:
Children Under 3: Free
Children 3 – 12: $10
Adult Fare: $22
Senior Fare:$13
Military & First Responders receive $2 off anytime!

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Fly high above Ocean City enjoying a breath-taking birds-eye view of the shore’s beautiful coastline on a parasail. Relax and enjoy your adventure on a state of the art parasail boat and feel at ease with the experienced, safety-minded crews & USCG master licensed Captains. Fly solo or bring a friend (or two) to enjoy approximately 12-15 minutes in the air!! You can choose to go 400ft, 600ft or 800ft. Keep in mind:

No experience necessary. Must be 4 to go up. (under 18 requires parent or guardian approval)
Weight 100 lbs. minimum, 450 maximum
Casual dress recommended shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits
Bring a towel, sunscreen, water bottle

Prices:
Parasailers – $85
Observers – $20

UPDATE: They no longer offer the fishing charters that we did, unfortunately.

For more information:
Phone: 410-289-4FUN
Address: 308 N 1st Street.

Below are some family-friendly places to eat. All of which have an outdoor sand area with playground equipment, allowing adults to enjoy themselves on the sidelines and imbibe or eat their meal at a normal pace because you aren’t rushed to get impatient children out of a restaurant. Each one of these are on the bayside so if you time it right you can be there for the sunset.

Ropewalk

Dead Freddie’s Island Grill

Fishtales

Big Eye Jacks

Outdoor movies this summer in Washington, DC

May 24, 2017

Bring your blankets or chairs (check websites for what they prefer), some snacks and cozy up to a summer movie outside. Disclaimer: This is a list of child friendly and adult friendly movies. As you will see some of these don’t begin until sunset so perhaps it’s a late summer evening for some kids or a date night for parents. Have fun watching some free movies this summer.

Bethesda Outdoor Movies
(Woodmont Triangle, Corner of Norfolk & Auburn Avenues)

Enjoy five nights of blockbuster hits at downtown Bethesda’s 14^th annual outdoor movie series! Show times begin at 9pm at the corner of Norfolk and Auburn Avenues. A limited number of chairs will be provided and attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs. Admission is FREE! Spend an enjoyable evening in Woodmont Triangle and have dinner at one of the neighborhood’s delicious and diverse restaurants before the show!

July 24: Remember the Titans
July 25: Casablanca
July 26: The Big Sick
July 27: Mean Girls
July 28: The Post

Union Market Drive-In
(1309 5th Street NE Washington, District of Columbia 20002)

$10 parking fee per car. Advance purchase is highly recommended. Free for walk-ups. Excited for the drive-in but don’t have a car?

Friday June 1 | Clueless
A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil’s popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way. 1h 37 min, rated PG-13
Lot opens at 6:00, Lot closes promptly at 8:30, Film begins 8:45; Film ends at 10:20

Friday July 6 | Like Water for Chocolate
When tradition prevents her from marrying the man she loves, a young woman discovers she has a unique talent for cooking. In Spanish with English subtitles. 1 h 45min, rated R
Lot opens at 6:00, Lot closes promptly at 8:30, Film begins 8:55; Film ends at 10:20

Friday August 3 | Black Panther
T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, rises to the throne in the isolated, technologically advanced African nation, but his claim is challenged by a vengeful outsider who was a childhood victim of T’Challa’s father’s mistake.
2h 15 min, rated PG-13
Lot opens 6:00, Lot closes promptly at 8:15, Film begins 8:45, Film ends at 11:00

Friday September 7 | The Lion King
A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father’s death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities. 1h 28 min, rated G
Lot opens 6:00, Lot closes promptly at 7:30, Film begins 8:00, Film ends at 9:30

Friday October 5 | Cool Runnings
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team. 1h 38 min, rated PG
Lot opens 5:30, Lot closes promptly at 7:45, Film begins 8:15, Film ends at 9:55

Friday November 2 | Hocus Pocus
After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all. 1 h 36 min, rated PG
Lot opens 5:30, Lot closes promptly at 7:45, Film begins 8:00, Film ends at 9:50

NoMa Family Film Night 
(The Lot @ 1st & Pierce 1005 First Street, NE)

Bring your friends, family and neighbors for music, giveaways, food trucks, picnicking, and of course, great films under the stars. Movies start at sunset and are screened with subtitles. We encourage moviegoers to bring chairs, because the site is covered in asphalt. Bring blankets, frisbees, dogs on leases and picnic coolers when the doors open at 7:00 PM. Every movie is subtitled. NoMa Summer Screen has been ranked one of the Top 10 Best Outdoor Movie Theatres in America by Travel and Leisure Magazine and one of the top five outdoor movie series in the country by Travel Pulse.

6/6 — 10 Things I Hate About You (PG-13) | 8:40 p.m.
6/13 — Mulan (G) | 8:44 p.m.
6/20 — Chicago (PG-13) | 8:46 p.m.
6/27 — Mad Max: Fury Road (R) | 8:47 p.m.
7/4 — no movie on account of Independence Day!
7/11 — Matilda (PG) | 8:44 p.m.
7/18 — A League of Their Own (PG) | 8:40 p.m.
7/25 — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13) | 8:35 p.m.
8/1 — Pitch Perfect (PG-13) | 8:29 p.m.
8/8 — Moana (PG) | 8:21 p.m.
8/15 — Thelma & Louise (R) | 8:12 p.m.
8/22 — Ghostbusters (2016) (PG-13) | 8:03 p.m.
8/29 — Wonder Woman (PG-13) | 7:52 p.m.
9/5 — rain date | 7:42 p.m.

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Pick-your-own summer fruit

May 10, 2017

Butlers Orchard (22200 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD 20876)
A large variety of Pick Your Own crops are available at Butler’s Orchard on a seasonal basis. Please see the Crop Calendar. They grow over 23 different varieties of fruits and vegetables each year. $3 per person visiting our Farm. Children under 24 months are free. Passes grant access to our Pick Your Own Fields, the Farm Park Picnic Area, the Giant slides, the Nature Trail, and our Farm Park Animals. (Some exclusions do apply.)

Homestead Farm (15604 Sugarland Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837)
Pick-Your-Own Fruit. Expected to reopen in late May or early June.

Shlagel Farms (12850 Shlagel Rd Waldorf MD 20601)
Pick your own strawberry fields and greenhouses will be open 7 days a week from 8am-6pm during the berry picking season which is typically all of May and into the first 2 weeks of June. Strawberries are priced by the pound for you to pick and we have containers or you can bring your own. They also allow you to pick berries by the quart or flat for you if you don’t want to pick. During berry season the greenhouses are open and full of beautiful and unique hanging baskets and annual flats. There is even a milkshake trailer serving huge strawberry shortcakes, milkshakes and cones!

Wegmeyer Farms (38299 Hughesville Rd, Hamilton, VA 20158)
Known for their delicious strawberries in the spring and unique and colorful pumpkins in the fall. They take great pride in what they grow – the taste, the quality, and the appearance – and strive for the best pure experience for all visitors. They invite you to visit and enjoy our top-rated products and the authentic farm experience! Be sure and check out their other locations; Gilbert’s Corner Market, Oatlands Plantation and Hamilton The Home Farm. Special for Beltway Bambinos readers — 25% off weekdays Monday-Friday at their 3 u-pick locations, just mention Beltway Bambinos at register.

Larriland (2415 Woodbine Rd, Woodbine, MD 21797)
The strawberry plants are blooming now and may ripen around May 25, 2017

Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont, VA 20135)
Pick your own strawberries OPEN 9am-5pm or until we are picked out. Check here for updates on availability. Strawberry Festival May 6, 7, 13 & 14, 2017

Readers also recommend:

Mackintosh Fruit Farm

Sharps at Waterford Farm

Westmoreland Berry Farm

June 3, 2017: Sandy Spring Strawberry Festival
Sandy Spring Museum is gearing up for the 36^th Annual Strawberry Festival! This event has grown to over 6,000 attendees and is something you won’t want to miss! Taking place throughout the museum’s 7 acres along Route 108, the event features live music and entertainment, food trucks, a beer garden, and activities for children of all ages. Over the years the Strawberry Festival has featured a rock climbing wall, pony rides, a petting zoo, and much more!

2017 Guide to summer camps around Washington, DC

January 4, 2017

Once again I publish the annual summer camp guide and there is snow in the forecast. But alas, it’s time to start thinking about your summer plans…in January, as registration has started for some. We’ve highlighted some camps with detailed information and included links to other notable camps at the bottom of the post. As always, add to this post by commenting with your own suggestion– first or second hand. Here’s to a fun and busy summer!

p_hero_int_soccer_17 (Photo: Headfirst Summer Camp)

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The Not-Its! come to Wolf Trap

July 12, 2016

Written by children’s music blogger Carolyn Ross. View her monthly live music and arts calendar for families across the Washington, D.C. metro area at Kindiemusicdc.

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“All politics is local.” A saying familiar to those in Washington D.C. and all around the beltway where bambinos and their parents live and work. So what does a kids music band out of Seattle have to say about that? Well, quite a lot actually!

As we look toward the 2016 Presidential elections, The Not-Its! are hoping both kids and adults are listening to their message of speaking up and speaking out. The band’s new album title: Are You Listening? echos this sentiment, as do the lyrics from the single named for our own town, Washington D.C.

A bit like the travelouge, Places to Go With Kids in Washington D.C., “Washington D.C”. by the Not-Its! starts out all about monuments and ruby red slippers at the Smithsonian, but then spirals quickly into a kind of punk activist’s lesson asking what many in the national electorate seem to be saying these days, “D.C. do you hear me, D.C. are you tuned in to me?”

As parents of young children, we often teach them to stop and think about what to say when someone gives you a gift. Or how to apologize for bad behavior. But when was the last time you encouraged your bambinos to tell you what they might have to say to the leaders of our country?

Other Are You Listening? highlights include Kid of the Week a song about basking in the glow of classroom leadership, and Bird on A Wire a kind of introspective song that reminds us to think of our feathered friends when it comes to lunch.

Get tickets for The Not-Its! performance on July 26 & July 27, 2016 at Theatre-in-the-Woods and experience these positive jams in person.

Things to know before you go to a Theatre-in-the-Woods performance;

There is free parking
Plan for about a 5-10 minute walk from the parking lot to the performance area
Bathrooms are located near the parking lot
Only water is allowed in the performance area
Strollers can be brought up to the entrance of the performance area
All performances start at 10:30 a.m. and last about 45 minutes
Seating is not assigned

See a full schedule of performances at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods this summer at Wolf Trap.

Lisa Loeb plays at Wolf Trap Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods

June 15, 2016

Interview with Lisa Loeb written by children’s music blogger Carolyn Ross. View her monthly live music and arts calendar for families across the Washington, D.C. metro area at Kindiemusicdc.

Remember the song about the wayward meatball, On Top of Spaghetti from you summer camp days? Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, who opens Wolf Trap’s summertime Theatre- in-the-Woods series June 21, remembers well this example of storytelling in music. Finding herself in a position to write a souped-up version of sorts, she wrote about a pancake. Along with co-collaborators on the nostalgic summer camp songs album, Camp Lisa, she shares a similar message of perseverance through the point of view of a pancake that never quite makes it from the griddle to the plate like everyone expects, but makes a fine breakfast anyway.

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Swim lessons in and around Washington, DC

May 31, 2016

Swim lessons are an important step in keeping children safe around the water. Lessons will also help your child gain confidence, stay active and alleviate any fears of water they may have while also learning lifesaving skills. Below is a list of some places and swim schools that offer swim lessons to individuals and groups. As always, let us know of any other places we should add to the list. Looking for a pool to join? Look no further! For summer fun at water parks, pools and spray parks see this list.

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DC Department Parks & Rec (Various Locations)

Wardman Pool (Woodley Park)

Sunsational Swim School (Shaw)

Cleveland Park Club (Cleveland Park)

Aqua Mobile Swim School (Various Locations)

Tenleytown Sports and Fitness (Tenleytown)

YMCA (Columbia Heights)

DCJCC (16th & Q St NW)

Arlington Parks & Rec (Various Locations)

Potomac Swim School (Ashburn, VA)

Montgomery County Parks & Rec (Various Locations)

British Swim School (Various Locations in MD & VA)

Ann’s Aquatics (Embassy Suites at the Chevy Chase Pavilion)

Live music this summer in Washington, DC

May 16, 2016

One of my favorite parts about summer in Washington, DC are the (mostly) free, outdoor concerts you can find. A few summers ago we took a sporadic drive to the Mall, walked around, played some ball by the reflecting pool with our then three year old and walked towards the Capitol where the U.S. Air Force Band was performing a free concert. A huge crowd was gathered on the steps and in chairs taking in the gorgeous evening and patriotic tunes. I had no idea they performed for free and for the public on random evenings. This post will help you take advantage of some great music that will help you relax after a long day and see a bit of our city while doing so. Also, included are family focused shows at some favorite venues. Get out and enjoy the lighter evenings, let your kids stay up a little longer and enjoy the music our city offers.

The Yards Park Friday Night Concert Series
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 8th Season. Every Friday night this summer, come to Yards Park to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a few minutes walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike.

Strathmore’s Backyard Theatre for Children
Enrich your little ones’ summer mornings with sunshine, music, and laughter at Strathmore’s Backyard Theater for Kids. This eclectic program is the perfect summer escape for busy families. Pack a picnic and enjoy live performances by highly esteemed and innovative family-friendly entertainers. From folk and jazz to the amazing sounds of the steelpan, Backyard Theater makes it easy to engage kids at every stage. We promise to keep both kids and parents entertained, so bring your family for a morning of inspiration and celebration!