Beltway Bambinos

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

Ultimate Guide to Halloween in and around Washington, DC

Saturdays and Sundays only– 10:00am-6:00pm-: Eye Spy Train at Wheaton
All aboard the Wheaton Eye Spy Halloween Train! NO LONGER HAUNTED! This “not so scary” train ride is fun for the whole family – it’s all about fun, not fright! Each child will receive an Eye Spy card before boarding the train. As you ride through the woods of Wheaton Regional Park, look all around to find Halloween friends hiding, and mark them off the Eye Spy card. They’ll have fun Halloween activities in the Train Station Party Room, where snacks will also be available for purchase. Costumes are encouraged! Please bring a canned food donation for your neighbors in need – they’ll donate them to Mid-County United Ministries in Wheaton. [Read more…]

Tricks and Treats around Washington, DC this Halloween

Post has been updated and can be found here for 2018

I can’t count the number of times our son wore his “Max” costume from Where the Wild Things Are. Between parades, school, special celebrations and on Halloween he got lots of practicing saying, “Let the wild rumpus start”! Here’s a guide that will help your child get mileage out of their costume(s) this year. Of course, check out our guide to Festivals and Orchards, as many of them have a special Halloween celebration as well as their day-to-day happenings. DC Library also will have a variety of Halloween celebrations, including Creepy Crafts & Pumpkin Decorating! Check out Facebook and Instagram for updated events.

max
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Busy Bees indoor play and party space in Chevy Chase

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.

Indoor fun in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

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.
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