Beltway Bambinos

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

Tudor Place programs for youth & family in Washington, DC

Tudor Place has Youth & Family Programs throughout the year but Fall & Winter have a few extra special events that should be on your radar as space is filling up. 

Tudor Tots on Tuesdays, through Nov. 13
Stimulate your toddler’s senses at Tudor Tots. Each weekly program is tailored to meet the needs of young learners and inspire creativity. Activities feature songs, stories, crafts, and movement, based around a theme. Parents/caregivers must remain with children at all times.

Trick or Treat at Tudor Place, Saturday, October 27
Get into the Halloween spirit! Explore the Tudor Place garden as the seasons change, and trick or treat throughout the site. Make your own superhero bracers and festive owl decoration. Play traditional outdoor games, enjoy face painting, and paint your own pumpkin to take home. Costumes suggested but not required.

Deck the Halls: A Family at Christmas, Saturday, December 1
Enjoy an interactive open house, send cheer to a servicemember, join carolers in song, make a festive stocking ornament, and sample sweets from 100 years ago. In the spirit of the Peters’ postwar service, Tudor Place will be collecting Toys for Tots, and new, warm men’s crew socks that So Others Can Keep Striding will distribute to the homeless community. Celebrate holiday traditions at Tudor Place, and discover ways the Peter family contributed to relief efforts after World War I, like Nannie Peter and her lady’s maid Miss Duvall continuing to knit socks to send to soldiers overseas.

 

Holiday Teen Tea, Sunday, December 9
Join fellow teens and families for an elegant tea and tour of Tudor Place celebrating the Centennial of the end of World War I. Start with a Victorian tea in the 1867 Dower House and enjoy tea sandwiches, scones, popular desserts from 1918, and historic tea blends. Next, take a guided tour of the historic house highlighting festive décor, holiday traditions, and the ways the Peter family served their community in the wake of World War I. For preteens and teens aged 11+.

Gingerbreadpalooza!, Saturday, December 22
Follow the gumdrops to Tudor Place for a family-friendly gingerbread-house crafting palooza! Enjoy a brief, kid-friendly architecture tour and story time, then design your own house, cottage, or mansion at our family-friendly gingerbread workshop. For families with children all ages.

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden
(1644 31st St., NW. Washington, D.C. 20007-3071)

(Photo credit: Tudor Place Historic House & Garden)

A night of adventure awaits at the National Archives

Your little ones might not be ready for National Treasure — or even Night at the Museum. But kids ages 8-12 get the chance to get close and personal with some of this country’s most-prized artifacts at the twice-a-year Sleepover at the National Archives. Started in 2014, the Sleepover recently held their latest installment — and we were lucky enough to check it out. Spoiler: The Constitution doesn’t snore — but the Bill of Rights might be a teeth grinder.

Arriving, locals and families from around the country (Washington state, Idaho, Texas, Iowa, Alabama, Florida, New York, Connecticut all were in attendance) lined up eager with anticipation — sporting backpacks and sleeping bags. Upon entry, families were treated to an itinerary of hands-on education (this year’s theme was Native Americans), a scavenger hunt and free time on their own to explore the treasures in the Archives. The night ended with a program in which Martin Sensmeier, the lead actor in the upcoming production Bright Path: the Jim Thorpe Story, addressed participants on how he is preparing to play Jim Thorpe, iconic Native American athlete and Olympic gold medalist.

We had a chat with the executive director of the Archives Foundation, Patrick Madden, to shed some light on the origin and purpose of the event. Madden explained that the Archives has two missions. First, of course, is to protect the documents and artifacts of this country. The second is to make these treasures accessible to the public.

The sleepovers were developed to get the public, and children in particular, a chance to get an un-rushed and immersive experience with the Archives. To get kids thinking beyond “hey, that’s just a document”; they get a chance to understand the stories behind them, learn about the people that wrote them and how they connect to their lives (and government) today.

The highlight(s) of the evenings, according to Madden, are the scavenger hunts, lights out in the rotunda (at 11pm) and pancakes made by the Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero himself in the morning.

As you would imagine, these sleepovers sell out — and quickly. But the next installment on Feb 2nd, 2019 (theme is Native Americans again) still has availability. They expect it to be booked up by November, so get on it now — plan your night, your trip. And for those coming from out of town, the price for you and a child will end up costing less than a night in DC hotel.

Other cool things we learned:

  • Kids can write letters to the president at the archives (and did so during the sleepover), and those letters will end up being part of the presidential libraries, which are part of the Archives.
  • There are over 16 billion documents as part of the National Archives.
  • One of the most popular activities at the Archives is genealogy work. Families visit the facilities to take advantage of the documents (and professional help) to trace family history. And there’s even a genealogy camp! You can even visit during the week and there are people who can assist you for free.
  • There are plenty of items beyond the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. One that we thought was cool to hear about was the original patent for Monopoly. Almost exactly the same — but a cannon was once one of the game pieces!
  • The most popular event at the Archives is the July 4th reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Not your typical kid gym

Need a place to escape the heat (or cold in the winter) and head indoors? Here are a couple of places that are sure to make your child happy and get some exercise when it’s too hot to be outside in the afternoon (or too cold in the winter). Most of these unique spaces offer camps, classes and birthday parties in addition to providing a space for your Bambinos to move. 

(Photo: Badlands)
Badlands Playspace– 5200 Randolph Rd. Rockville, MD 20852
Read about our fun there!

Scramble Indoor Play– 5412 Eisenhower Ave Alexandria, VA 22304
Scramble is the first European-style play center in Alexandria. Scramble offers incredible indoor play every day of the week, birthday parties Fri-Sun and a full program of summer camps for Elementary-age children this summer.

Elemeno– 709 8th St SE Washington, DC 20003
Formerly known as SkillZone. Parent coworking, SkillZone indoor play, early childhood STEM, family social events, kid-free time & private parties.

Magic Ground– 3100 14th St Northwest 3rd Level Washington, DC
See original review here.

Laugh Out Loud Stations Mega Fun Center– 6250 Greenbelt Rd. Greenbelt, MD 20770
CRAZY FUN Rides and AMAZING attractions all in one place to develop LOL Stations as the Best Indoor Theme Park and Birthday Party Place in the Washington metropolitan area, where the entire family can play together!! LaserTag, Challenge Course, Tumbler, Bumper Cars, Ball Blaster, Bouncers, 4-Level Playground, Himalaya, and much more!! Purchase a package or pay for single games.

Hyper Kidz!- 9309 Snowden River Parkway Columbia, MD 21046
Themed zones for kids ages 0-13. Other attractions include an interactive LED dance floor, laser light show, interactive screen games, bubble machine, glow-in-the-dark play, a concession stand, souvenir stand, and giant lite brite boards. Hyper Kidz encourages healthy and active social play.

(Photo: Nook)
Nook–  Nook Mosaic:Coming Summer 2018 & Nook Ballston Quarter:Coming Fall 2018
Nook is a play and learning space for the young, modern family. Not just a children’s play space, Nook is a blended play, work, and learning experience for the entire family.

Climb Zone-13200 Mid Atlantic Boulevard Suite 130 Laurel, MD 20708
Indoor rock climbing with individual walls, each with a theme. There are a few bounce houses, an area for kids 3 and under to play in, video games and a small cafe. Ages 2-5 are $12, 6 years and older $25. You can stay as long as you’d like. Outside food is permitted. You can have a birthday party here too. Put your harness on and climb aboard your favorite art whether it be Mt. Rushmore or the Alice in Wonderland themed wall, you’ll have a great time.

ZAVAZONE– 45685 Oakbrook Ct #110, Sterling, VA 20166 & 40 Southlawn Court Rockville, MD 20850
ZAVAZONE is an Indoor Adventure Park: a unique space dedicated to active fun for people from ages 5 to 105.  ZAVAZONE brings together ninja courses, ropes courses, trampolines, climbing challenges, zip lines, and more under ONE soaring roof.  It delivers a heart-pumping multi-action experience like no other.  Every visit to ZAVAZONE grants access to ALL of these exhilarating challenges, so you’re always free to create your very own active adventure. The state-of-the-art equipment is overseen by highly trained ZAVAZONE coaches who ensure safety while inspiring guests to make the leap or try a bold new move. All ZAVAZONE activities are included with admission.

Animated Child– 5167 Waterway Drive Montclair, VA 22025
Animated Child is an innovative enrichment center that encourages a child’s natural curiosity, independence and creativity. We engage children in every element of intelligence to highlight their unique way of learning. By exploring in which way a child is smart versus how smart they are, children are empowered to recognize ability within themselves. Great for ages 2-12. Open exploration times, enrichment classes, summer camps and birthday parties are available.

Sprout at Saffron – 3260 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201
The ultimate new business concept that combines your productivity (coworking), relaxation, fitness or yoga with your kids playing and learning.  Moms, dads and caregivers can catch up on work or relax in the cafe, take a fitness or yoga class while your kids are taken care of in a holistic and educational environment.  Classes vary from supervised open gym, music, ballerina classes and more! Classes are also offered for kids or adults.

Busy Bees– 11 Wisconsin Circle Bethesda, MD & 6110 D Arlington Blvd. Falls Church, VA 22044
An indoor play space where everything moves, spins or flies just for kids under 48″. $15 (or a pass) will get your kiddos inside, come and go as you please. Open 9-5 everyday. Complimentary coffee, tea and wifi. They also through amazing birthday parties.

Don’t forget these indoor spaces as well:

My Gym–5110 Ridgefield Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816
Kidville– 4825 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Gymboree– Various Locations

Kidville Bethesda keeps Bambinos wanting to go back for more {and more}

Kidville Bethesda offers award-winning gym, art, dance, music, preschool classes and summer camp for children aged newborn – five years old. Their customizable birthday parties are a blast for 1-8 years old and they even offer haircuts for kids of all ages. I brought my first child here for his first few haircuts; it was the perfect environment for an apprehensive first-timer. Kidville also allows you to try a trial class before committing to a series of classes, click here for more info. They are conveniently located in downtown Bethesda, sandwiched in between coffee shops and delicious restaurants at 4825 Bethesda Ave.

My three year old sampled a few classes and has left her wanting to go back at any dull moment we have. She loved the Big Muscle Workout and the Kidville Gymnasts classes. She was able to get acclimated with all of the colorful, fun equipment and meet other classmates before the class started. The classes began with a warm-up, followed by some strength and skills obstacles. She was constantly moving and had a smile on her face the whole time {you can watch your child from various windows} or leave to get that cup of joe if your child is old enough for one of their “drop-off” classes. The teachers are up-beat, get to know your child, professional and energetic.

You can browse their website by age to see the lengthy list of classes appropriate for your Bambinos. When you sign up for classes you also gain entry to the Playspace, which is like open gym time and typically has at least an hour window of time each day of the week if not more. Click here for a schedule of classes.

Snow Day presented by Arts on the Horizon + 4 ticket GIVEAWAY!!!


What: Snow Day presented by Arts on the Horizon

When: December 1-16 2017

Where: The Lab Theatre at Convergence (1819 N. Quaker Ln. Alexandria, VA 22302)

More shows at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St, NE Washington, DC 20002) December 17-19; 27-30, 2017 For information on tickets, click here.


One cold December morning, a young girl named Skip wakes up to find the entire neighborhood covered in a thick, dazzling blanket of white snow. A playful (if not a little mischievous) winter elf takes her on an adventure – showing her just how magical snow can be! Join Skip as she experiences all the excitement, joy, and wonder of her very first snow day. This nonverbal production features live music and lots of wintertime fun, just in time for the holiday season. Written and Directed by Rex Daugherty. 

Who: Best for children ages 2 – 6 and their families

Tickets are $9 and can be purchased here.

GIVEAWAY– 4 pack tickers to the December 9th at 11:30am showing. Like our Facebook page and Instagram page then comment on both sites with SNOW DAY for your chance to win, tag a friend for another chance to win! Winner announced Monday, Dec. 4.

logo design courtesy of New Leaf Design