Beltway Bambinos

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  • 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

Weekend Picks in and around Washington, DC

March 2, 2018

Badlands has launched Weekend Programs. Prices include 1 hour of play and a 1 hour workshop. This weekend your child can learn about lava and volcanoes and magnetic slime, age dependent. 

The Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival is back– February 22 – March 11, 2018 and is about presenting excellent art in all its forms that inspires a community to connect and create a vibrant neighborhood, city, and world. Now in its 9th season, INTERSECTIONS is a key layer in DC’s dynamic arts scene. New this year, a workshop series and an expanded Youth Summit – a full day of performances by young people followed by a youth-led summit. Here are a few free family fun days to check out. 

Saturday-

9:00am-12:00pm: Home Depot Kids Workshop: Periscope
Hone your powers of observation in our hands-on workshop. Just like an above-water viewfinder or historical trench optical instrument, you and your child can construct a periscope to expand your view. Once the periscope is built, your child can decorate it with paint and stickers. All Kids Workshop attendees must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last. Children must be present at the store to participate in the workshop and receive the kit, apron, and pin.

9:00am-11:30am: The Children’s House of Washington Montessori School Open House
Special Guest Patti Harburger, CHOW Founding Director, will speak about the importance of mathematics and language in a Montessori education.

9:30am AND 11:00am: Traveling Lantern: Pinocchio at National Theatre
A little wooden marionette is lovingly created by a master craftsmen…but what a bad little puppet he turns out to be! He’s selfish and greedy, and he lies. He doesn’t listen to the good counsel of anyone: his father Gepetto, a philospher Cricket, or a Blue Fairy. After many hair raising adventures, Pinocchio finally learns what it takes to become human…kindness, compassion, loyalty, hard work, and selflessness. Free

10:00am: Rainbow Rock Live at Avalon Theatre
Are you ready to rock the rainbow? Join the Rainbow Rock Band as they entertain your little dudes with tunes, laughs and more! Winners of a Parents’ Choice Fun Stuff Award for their debut CD, “Meet the Rainbow,” an absolute mix of musical genres from folk, pop rock to rockabilly, all the while being educational and fun. Your child will learn about shapes, colors, movement, and more! The Rainbow Rock Band encourages all rainbow rockers to participate in the show either on the microphone or at their seat. Either way your little one is sure to have fun! $8 / $6.50 (Children under 2 are free)

10:00am-2:00pm: Hirshhorn: Art Pop-Up + Library Program
Check it out! Find our cart in the galleries and check out a fun kit full of our favorite finds for kids. Each kit is an art meets reading adventure, with a special theme, children’s book, suggested artworks for viewing, and hands-on art making materials.

10:30am-11:15am: Saturday Song Circle at Imagination Stage
You and your child are invited to a fun, interactive musical experience! An Early Childhood Teaching Artist explores a popular children’s book with your family through song and musical instruments, and you will receive a list of all the songs to practice at home. Barnyard Dance is the featured story.

Sunday-

9:30am-11:00am AND 2:30pm-4:00pm: Model Airplane Construction at National Building Museum
Are you an aspiring aviator or a pilot with potential? Want to learn what keeps a plane in the air? Construct your own rubber-band-propelled model airplane and learn about aeronautics with the D.C. Maxecuters, then try a test flight in the National Building Museum’s Great Hall. Cost per plane/child:  $15 Member | $20 Non-member. Ages 8 and up, adult assistance required. Adults do not need to purchase a separate ticket, unless they would like to make their own plane.

10:00am-12:00pm: Purim Carnival at DCJCC
When was the last time you dressed up like a queen or king? Now is your chance – the EDCJCC’s Purim Carnival is the perfect time for children and adults to dress up and celebrate this festive annual holiday! Join us for carnival games, arts & crafts, hamantaschen (yummy Purim treats), songs and a Purim play! Don’t forget your costume!  Please bring an unexpired, unopened food item in a cardboard box (like macaroni and cheese or couscous) to decorate as a grogger to use during the Purim play. We will then donate them to those in need in our community. Price per family: $23

11:00am-11:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage
Bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, music, movement, and visual art. Each session you leave with a special take-home item we used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. These popular workshops are themed around beloved children’s books. Little Blue Truck is the featured story.

10:30am-11:30am: Sensory-Friendly Purim Celebration at Washington Hebrew Congregation
Does your child cover their ears in a crowd? Do they avoid loud noises?  We will minimize the noise and other sensory input but maximize the fun! Join us for crafts, an interactive reading of the Purim story (megillah), a mitzvah (good deed) project and treats to take home. Costumes encouraged but not required.$5 per family, plus bring a canned good to donate. Best for 4-8 year olds. Please pre-register as space is limited. This program is a collaboration of PJ Library in Greater Washington, Washington Hebrew Congregation and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

11:00am-2:00pm: The Rumpus Room: A Family Dance Party at U Street Music Hall
Welcome to the Rumpus Room, a daytime dance party for families, with sounds provided by DC’s top club DJs (who all happen to be parents themselves). Created by DJs who wanted to share the nightclub experience with their kids, the Rumpus Room adapts the club environment (think disco ball, lights, and of course music) into safe family-friendly fun. Get ready for a dance floor filled with little ones, parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. The soundtrack will be a family-friendly mix of dance hits and classics, all at a kid-friendly volume. We provide the shakers, hula-hoops, beach balls and other props. You come to dance. Rumpus Room is designed for kids 8 and under and their caregivers, but older siblings are welcome.

1:30pm AND 4:00pm: National Symphony Orchestra Music for Young Audiences: Two Divas and a Bear at The Kennedy Center
What happens when you bring together a concert violinist, an opera singer, and everyone’s favorite stuffed animal? You get Two Divas and a Bear! Join NSO violinist Marissa Regni and soprano Kari Paludan as they explore the human voice. As it turns out, the violin has a voice, too! As you listen to Schubert’s The Trout, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, and Rossini’s Two Cats, you’ll discover that the strings of the violin are very similar to our very own vocal cords. Most enjoyed by age 3 and up. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Come early for a Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo.” Starting one hour before the concert, hands-on activities let children get up close with the instruments they’ll see played on the stage.

2:00pm: Doktor Kaboom by McLean Community Center at the Old Firehouse
Doktor Kaboom is an over-the-top German physicist with a passion for science that knows no bounds. Sporting chrome goggles, orange lab coat, motorcycle boots and wicked cool hair, Doktor Kaboom travels the world, thrilling adults and children alike with his explosive comedic style of science experiments designed to involve, excite, educate and entertain! For ages 7+

Weekend Theatre-

 Feb 9 – March 31: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at Adventure Theatre

Feb 10 – March 18: The Princess & The Pauper: A Bollywood Tale at Imagination Stage

March 2 -24: Circulo/Circle at Encore Stage & Studio

March 3 – 4: Pinkalicious at Blackrock Center

March 3 – 17:  VolcanO:  Tales from El Salvador at GALA Theater

 

Chick rental is live at Rocklands Farm! The Chick Rental service is an educational opportunity for families, friends, school groups to take care of a pair adorable chicks for one week. Each rental includes everything you need for the week; their little home, feed, feeding and watering dishes, and care instructions. Link to reserve your chicks here. We are looking forward to seeing everyone out again this year!

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, art, dance, home depot, literature, music, National Building Museum, NSO, purim, rent chicks, science, stories, theatre

Weekend Picks: December 2-4

December 2, 2016

December snuck up on me! And for some odd reason, I am on top of the holiday shopping and prepping, for once. Lots of holiday happenings have started in our area. Check out the holiday guide for more details.

Celebrate the season with The Smithsonian Holiday Festival this weekend. They’ve got special events galore to help you get in the holiday spirit, including musical performances, book signings, trunk shows, activities for kids, and more!  Participating museums include: National Museum of American History, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, Sackler Gallery, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African Art, and The Smithsonian Castle. Hours are 10:00am-5:30pm and the Holiday Festival is free.

This weekend Baltimore will be having Dollar or Less Days. Many of your favorite spots will only be $1 for admission. Get there early as lines will be long but they’ll move fast. Check the above link for participating places. See our post on Baltimore for ideas of other places to go. You can also see Christmas Village while you’re there.

csm_key_visual_2016_christmas_village_in_baltimore_d108191905

(Photo: Christmas Village)

 

Saturday- Tenley WinterFest wraps up today. Check the schedule for fun events like a children’s book sale, tree sales, story time and movie night.

8:30am-9:30am: Capoeira for Kids Ages 3.5-7 at Bloombars
(3222 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Capoeira provides physical fitness for children, ages 4 and up. It is intended to be a no- to low-contact martial art that helps children with gross motor planning and gross motor skills. Children will also learn maculele (a dance done hitting sticks against your partner’s sticks), samba, capoeira instruments, and Portuguese through this fun, interactive class. Classes are $15 each or $120 for a series of ten classes.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, Chanukah, holidays, pajama, Santa, sing-along, winter, yoga

Weekend Picks: September 23-25

September 23, 2016

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at Adventure Theatre kicks off this weekend!

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-7:00pm Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23.  The festival is free to children 11 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

It’s here– the Grand Opening Weekend of the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Check out the link for all of the details.

smithsonian-african-american-museum-771x578

Saturday-
Museum Day Live!
thanks to Smithsonian Magazine. Museums who typically charge admission, are free today.

8:30am-10:00pm: National Book Festival
(Washington Convention Center)
Calling ALL bookworms, this event is for you. Fun for everyone, you can attend signings, Q+A’s, read-alongs and so much more. Make sure to check out the Children’s Guide.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, airshow, art, crafts, festival, garden, Maryland Renaissance Festival, museum, national book festival, rosh hashanah, stories, theatre, turkish, yoga

Weekend Picks June 17-19

June 17, 2016

This weekend makers from across the United States will convene in Washington, DC, at the Second Annual National Maker Faire. Kicking off the “Week of Making” (June 17-23) National Maker Faire gives curious, inventive people a place to share what they love to make. Attendees at this free, family-friendly event will have the opportunity to interact with such technologies as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, electronics, and 3D printers as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects, textiles, crafting activities, homemade robots, and more.

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Groovy Nate at National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
Groovy Nate performances are a unique blend of music, movement, silly games, puppet skits, and comedy.  The show encourages families to move, sing, and play creatively with one another, while exposing them to variety of music genres. Tickets are free.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, art, father's day, jazz, music, nova mini maker faire, yoga

Weekend Picks

September 18, 2015

Another busy weekend! Maryland Renaissance Festival is still going on and The Washington Nationals are in town playing this weekend. Want to start heading to Fall Festivals and Orchards? Check out our updated list.

 

Saturday-

Gates open at 9:00am:Andrews Air Force Base Air Show
(Park: FedEx Field and Branch Avenue Metro Station and they have shuttle service)
Guests will experience aerial demonstrations and learn more about the military personnel and equipment JBA uses to carry out the missions here. Open Ceremony 11:30am and Thunderbirds Performance at 3:00pm.

10:00am-4:00pm: The Big Build at National Building Museum
(401 F Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001)
Be a builder for the day at the Big Build festival! Amateur builders young and old can discover what it’s like to build a brick wall, carve stone, hammer nails, and much more as they work side-by-side with designers, builders, and artisans demonstrating their skills. Meet plumbers, ironworkers, landscape architects, woodworkers, and experts in many other fields to learn about their professions and hobbies. This year at the Big Build, visitors can; Climb aboard trucks and tractors, Construct a log cabin, Imagine the view from the beams of a skyscraper, Compete in a nail driving contest and Create a hardware windchime.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, build, Childs Play, dance, Fall, festival, health, music, stem, trolley, zoo

Free places to take kids in Washington, DC

July 6, 2015

Most people think of the Smithsonian Museums, Galleries and Zoo as being the only free places to take kids or offer to visitors who are in town. While those are definitely worth the trip and are family go-to’s when escaping bad weather, the city has many other free options.

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Park your car (off the northbound George Washington Parkway in Virginia) at Gravelly Point Park and head to a picnic table, the grass or sit on the dock and watch airplanes take off from Reagan National Airport. There are walking and bike paths that run through the park as well.

Your family can explore the exhibits and then create an art project through Freer and Sackler Gallery ImaginAsia Family Programming.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Indoor Play, Outdoor Play Tagged: airplanes, botanic garden, butterfly, capitol hill, cathedral, DC, engraving and printing, free, gravelly point park, Kennedy Center, meridian hill park, national theatre, performances, planetarium, Rock Creek Park, supreme court, swimming, tours, Washington, washington monument, wilson

Weekday Adventures: Aviation afternoon, boogie down and Spinosaurus

September 14, 2014

What a wonderful, cool day we had today in DC. Hopefully you were outdoors enjoying it. Speaking of fall weather, inbox us your favorite Orchard or Fall Festival so we can include it in our Fall Round-up that will be posted this week.

Head to the National Geographic Museum soon to view the Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous exhibit. Free exhibition tours offered daily at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (with admission). 

Spinosaurus-at-HQ_474FINAL

This weeks DC Library Events for Kids can be found here.

Monday-

9:30am: Harambe at Bloombars
(3222 11th St NW, Washington, DC. 20010)
Think of it as your little one’s first opportunity to express his or her voice (into a microphone), dance, play a drum or percussion instrument, shout, or sing-along to songs that build character, confidence and community.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekday Adventures Tagged: airplanes, apple, aviation, campfire, dinosaur, garden, library, music, outdoors, spinosaurus, storytime

Weekday Adventures: Our favorite places in and around Washington, DC

August 17, 2014

We’re switching up the Weekday Adventures this week and providing you with a list of some of our favorite and fun places to visit in and around Washington, DC.

See live animal encounters, pet an alpaca and feed the goats at The Leesburg Animal Park.

Rent a paddle boat, go fishing or hop on a pontoon ride on Lake Needwood.

Big_Bus_Company_10-5-07Take a fun ride on the hop on and off bus that tours around DC, your Bambino(s) will love the double decker Big Bus.

Pick your own raspberries and blackberries at Butlers Orchard. Stay and play on the climbing equipment and have a picnic.

Your kids will want to spend all day at Clemyjontri Playground. Designed for children with all abilities, this playground is colorful and has something that will appeal to every child. Arrive early as parking becomes hard. The carousel costs $1.50 to ride.

Your airplane enthusiast will love sitting at a picnic table and watching the airplanes from Reagan fly over their head at Gravelly Point. 220px-Gravelly_Point_airplane_couple

Celebrate Bao Bao’s birthday a few days earlier, beating the crowd at The National Zoo.

Taxi! Grab a water taxi from The National Harbor and relax on a 20 minute ride to Alexandria. The Potomac Riverboat Company charges $10 for children 2-11 and $16 for adults for a roundtrip.

Take a quick and simple trip to a farm at Oxon Hill Farm. Check schedule of events for the week as they offer story time, wagon rides and a chance to feed the chickens. Be sure and check driving directions before leaving since the newly 295 has been finished, my directions took me an old way and I couldn’t find the farm.

Looking for indoor fun on a rainy or hot day?

There’s many splash and water parks in our area to spend the day.

All aboard the choo choo train!

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Filed Under: Indoor Play, Playgrounds, Summer, Weekday Adventures Tagged: airplanes, animal, bus, indoor, lake, orchard, outdoor, paddle, playground, water, zoo

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