crafts – Page 2

Weekend Picks: December 9-11

December 9, 2016

Nationals Winterfest is at the Washington Convention Center Saturday & Sunday from 11:30am-4:00pm. Join for Nats Winterfest, returning December 10 and 11 to the Washington Convention Center. Winterfest will again feature two days of fun! Activities include: Clinics with Nationals players and coaches, watch a Homerun Derby featuring the Nationals mascots, make a snow fort, participate in the steal home challenge and take batting practice, hear a winter or baseball themed story, read by a Nationals player, participate in the Kids Press Conferences, sign up for 2017 season Jr. Nats Kids Club memberships at the Jr. Nationals Kids Club Kiosk, ride down The Slider, a giant slide reminiscent of a sledding hill and a “Video Pitch”, where fans can give virtual batters their best pitch.

You are sure to find lots to do with our guide for getting outdoors this holiday season.

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival is happening at Dulles Expo Center December 9-11. A great festival to find gifts, treats, hear live music, see demos and children’s entertainment.

Great Train and Toy Show at Dulles Expo Center is Saturday & Sunday from 10:00am-4:00pm. Operating model railroads, tables of trains for sale, workshops, door prizes and more. Kids are free.

Friday & Saturday NSO Pops: A Holiday Pops! featuring Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana will play at The Kennedy Center. Warm your spirit with fresh takes on comforting classics and singalong carols in this NSO Pops tradition–this year featuring The Washington Chorus alongside Broadway stars Laura Osnes (Grease) and Santino Fontana (Disney’s Frozen). Most enjoyed by age 9 and up. Approximately 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission.

Saturday-

10:00am: Polar Express Pajama Party at Angelika Mosaic
(2911 District Ave. Fairfax, VA)
No need to dress the kids today. Show up in jammies for a showing of the Polar Express. Concession stand will serve hot cocoa and cookies.

11:00am-3:00pm: EdFest 2016
(DC Armory:2001 East Capitol St SE)
My School DC is excited to bring you EdFEST, DC’s only citywide public school fair! Come to EdFEST and explore the city’s many public school options (PK3-12) for your child. Representatives from DC Public Schools (DCPS) and DC public charter schools will showcase their programs. With the launch of the My School DC common lottery application on December 12, EdFEST is a timely event to help you make informed school selections for the 2017-18 school year common lottery. EdFEST will also feature many free services and fun activities for the whole family:Flu shots for adults, health services for kids and teens, and lots more family fun, games and entertainment brought to you by the DC Department of Health. Sports activities for all brought to you by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, including information about DPR Fun Days, Winter and Spring Break Camps, Cooperative Play, and story time with DC Public Library.

11:30am-3:00pm: Italian Holiday Festival at American Art Museum Renwick Gallery
(8th & F St)
There’s no place like SAAM for the holidays. To celebrate the vibrant culture of Italy, Simona Rodano returns as The Italian Fairy to engage kids with the beauty of her native language. Along with winter-themed crafts and holiday photo ops, she’ll be joined by The Washington School of Ballet and Faction of Fools Theatre Company, for a festival with all the Italian flair you’ll need to get in the spirit of this joyful season.

11:00am-4:00pm: Holiday Card Workshop at National Postal Museum
(2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E. Washington, DC 20002)
Kick off the holiday season by creating heartfelt handmade cards at the National Postal Museum’s annual Holiday Card Workshop! We’ll have pretty papers, vintage stamps from around the world and lots of other supplies to inspire your creativity as you create one-of-a-kind holiday greetings. After making your cards, visit the museum’s stamp store to send the cards to your loved ones with a special Postal Museum postmark. This fun program offers something for all ages who love arts & crafts activities.

11:00am (doors open at 10:30am): Rockin In A Rainbow Wonderland Holiday Show and Toy Drive! at Jammin Java
(227 Maple Ave Vienna, VA, 22180)
Are you ready to rock around the rainbow tree? Join the Rainbow Rock Band and ring in the holiday season by singing along to many of your holiday favorites!! Winners of a Parents’ Choice Fun Stuff Award for their debut CD, “Meet the Rainbow,” an absolute mix of musical genres from folk, to 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 of the 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!

12:00pm (Also a concert Sunday at 4:00pm): Cathedral Choral Society: Family Joy at National Cathedral
(3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington DC 20016)
Bring the whole family and get swept up in the sounds of the season! This one-hour program has something for all ages, including a kids-only sing-along. Purchase tickets here.

4:00pm-7:00pm: Winter’s Eve at Glen Echo
(7300 MacArthur Blvd Glen Echo, MD 20812)
Celebrate the holiday season at the Park’s annual Winter’s Eve event. Enjoy FREE activities including holiday crafts, sing-alongs, story-telling, open studios, and a hot chocolate bar. Browse and buy fine artworks at the Holiday Art Show and artist studios.

6:00pm: Target Family Night: Michael Hearst presents Songs for Unusual Creatures
(2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566)
Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer Michael Hearst presents a special music program featuring some of Earth’s strangest animals and interesting, uncommon instruments.

Sunday-

9:30am-3:30pm: Eastern Market Holiday Celebrations
(225 Seventh Street, SE Washington, DC 20003)
See schedule for juggler, crafts, tree decorating and more event and activity times.

Many theatre productions you can see this weekend!

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.

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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…]

Anna Banana brings meaningful arts and crafts to Georgetown

September 21, 2016

annabanana

Anne Freeman, Owner of Anna Banana Art and Crafts opened her art studio for kids ages 2-8 in January of 2013. Building on her Art History background, 20 years as an art dealer in D.C., teaching art privately and in preschools, Anna Banana Arts and Crafts is dedicated to teaching and encouraging the artistic process. Children learn about The Masters such as Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh and Lichtenstein. Art mediums such as painting, print making, sculpture and photography are presented in a child-friendly manner. Children explore materials such as charcoal, graphite, pastels, watercolors, paint and markers to encourage creative art making. Classes are for 2-8 year olds and Summer Camp for 4-8 year olds.

We were lucky enough to attend to a class in which the students were learning about Andy Warhol and creating a painting based on his work. Anne was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, engaging and just plain ole fun! The class began with kids free drawing and coloring, then followed the lesson and project. Once everyone finished at their own pace and cleaned their paintbrushes, Anne was eager to use her glow-in-the-dark paint she had just purchased hours earlier. Based on one little girls comment that she had a glow-in-the-dark rock at home, Anne excitedly found rocks and allowed them to paint their own on a whim. I love that she was so open to a last minute creation.

Classes fill up quickly, especially in the winter and summer camps. There are still spots available in the newest session (and she will prorate them), so check out the options and sign up today! Another perk: easy parking and for the older classes you can drop off at the doorstep! Anna Banana is also nominated for Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Award (in case you needed more convincing)!

Address: 3270 S Street, NW in Georgetown

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(Painting the rock with glow-in-the-dark paint)

Weekend Picks

December 11, 2015

Washington Nationals will host Winterfest this weekend at The Convention Center. Test your skills at a variety of baseball attractions and game. Transform yourself into a human snowball in the Steal Home Challenge. Jump into a giant stocking and slide down the “The Slider”. Strike a pose at the life-size snow globe photo station. Take a photo with Santa. Donate a toy to a child in need*. And much, much more! Tickets are; Adults: $30 per ticket, Kids, ages 4-12: $20 per ticket, Kids, ages 3 & under: Free. Open to public 11:30am-4:00pm, other times for season ticket holders.

Ice! Featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town is still going on at The Gaylord National Harbor. Guests can walk-through holiday attraction, kept at a chilly 9 degrees, marvel at two million pounds of hand-carved ice sculpture, have fun on five ice slides, walk and see the 7 individual rooms depicting the story of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and see The Frostbite Factory – a live carving zone. [Read more…]

Weekend Picks

December 4, 2015

Experience the Mall Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, to celebrate the season with Smithsonian. We’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 Museum of Air and Space, National Museum of Natural History, Freer Gallery of Art and Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African American Art, National Postal Museum, and The Smithsonian Castle. Hours are 10:30am-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.

Home Sweet Home Gingerbread Workshop at National Building Museum is Saturday and Sunday. Get in the holiday spirit and construct a gingerbread house at the National Building Museum. Participants will learn how to use gingerbread walls and royal icing to build a house. We’ll provide the supplies and treats to make your gingerbread home as sweet as can be. Register online!

‘Tis the Circus! A Holiday Party on High presented by Sweet Spot Aerial Productions at Atlas Performing Arts Friday-Sunday. The holidays can be a circus – quite literally, at this holiday party! As the guests arrive, one couple’s living room is transformed as acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and other performers dazzle with spectacular routines celebrating the magic of the holiday season. Fun for the whole family – prepare to be delighted, amazed and inspired. A unique and new holiday tradition. All ages. [Read more…]

Rainy days call for easy and fun crafts

October 3, 2015

We’ve all been stuck inside for a few days with this rain. While its easy to just turn on Disney Junior, engaging your children is so important. We did some easy seasonal crafts this week. I even made a trip to A.C. Moore to get the $1 foam craft kits that my son LOVES. All of the crafts below can be found on my Pinterest Halloween page. An added bonus: these are pretty mess free!!

[Read more…]

Weekend Picks: St. Patrick’s Day parades, truck touch and interactive music shows!

March 14, 2014

It’s mid-March already?! Put on the green this weekend and catch a local parade to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. If parades aren’t your thing there’s plenty to do, especially on Saturday.

9:30am and 11:00am- Rick Potter: Bert the Nerd at National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004)
Bert performs amazing feats of skill, daring stunts and incredible magic at this week’s Saturday Morning at the National performance.

10:00am-4:00pm- Touch-A-Truck Fundraiser at Walt Whitman Middle School
(2500 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306)
Children are invited to spend a day in the driver’s seat and explore trucks big and small at Fort Hunt Preschool’s annual hands-on, touch-a-truck event. Children will have an opportunity to climb on up into trucks of all shapes and sizes—to press buttons, to honk horns, and to learn about gadgets. Enjoy entertainment and refreshments —including delicious food by Red Hot & Blue— while enjoying a fantastic selection of vehicles. $5 for attendees older than 2 years old.

[Read more…]

Another snow day: Staying sane and having fun with your children

March 2, 2014

You got the email from OPM. Your child found their school on the School Closure list. We’ve seen most activities listed on our Weekday Adventures cancelled, so we come to you with some alternatives.

Watch:

We aren’t advocates of having our children sit in front of the TV typically but snow days can call for a bit of relaxation in between sledding and baking. We’ve highlighted a few movies that your child will be excited to watch whether you have Netflix or On Demand.

Netflix:
Dr. Seuss’ Lorax
Car Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales
Disney Hercules
Disney Mulan
Thomas and Friends

On Demand:
Frozen: Buy from$21.99
Planes: Buy from $16.99
Free Birds: Rent from $4.99

PBS:
Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday all-week long

Eat:

What’s a snow day with no treats? In our house we call these “Power Bars”. We do NOT add sprinkles to ours like the photo.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a saucepan heat the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter until melted and creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Pour over the oats in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly coated. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Stir in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. Take Tablespoons of oats in your hand and press very firmly until it forms a ball shape. Set on a piece of wax paper and let set. Makes 20 granola bites. **You can also press the mixture firmly into a greased 8×8 pan, then cut into 20 even squares. From there you can either eat them square or press into the ball shape.

Snowmen on a Stick:

You most likely have all of these ingredients at your house and won’t need to search empty shelves at the store in order to make these weather appropriate treats. We love the idea of these because your child can absolutely help make these!

Ingredients:

Bananas
Grapes
Carrot
Apple
Bamboo skewers/Toothpick
Mini chocolate chips
Pretzel sticks

Instructions:

For each snowman, you will need three thick slices of banana, a grape, a sliver of carrot, and a triangular piece of apple. (Tip: Poke a hole in the apple piece with a bamboo skewer first to make assembly easier.)

Have your kids slide the fruit onto the skewer, then use the carrot slivers for noses, mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons, and pretzel sticks for arms.

Move around:
Your weekly yoga class is cancelled, again….The gym is closed, again….here’s a fun family friendly yoga session you can do with your child.

Make:

It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and quite frankly we are tired of making snowmen and snowflake crafts. Have wine corks you’ve been saving for some reason? Take 3 together and have your child dip them in paint and make shamrocks. Dip their hand print in paint and make a cute leprechaun.

Do:

Sled! Besides the sledding hills we listed in a previous snow day post, we’ve come up with a few more.

Washington Waldorf School- 4800 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD
Takoma Park Middle School – 7611 Piney Branch Rd. Silver Spring, MD
Westgate Park- 7550 Magarity Rd. McLean, VA
Book Hill Park- 1693 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Wheaton Regional Park- 9500 Brunett Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20901
George Washington Masonic Memorial- 101 Callahan Dr, Alexandria, VA
Fort Reno Park- 3800 Donaldson Pl NW, Washington, DC 20018

Lastly on your snow day agenda, while your kiddos are sleeping, you can think of warmer weather and sign your child(ren) up for Spring Break and Summer Camp.