Beltway Bambinos

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

Even more indoor spaces your Bambinos will love

Whether it’s the rain, heat or snow, families are always in need of some more indoor options. In addition to our Indoor  Fun Guide, we’ve found even more fun places to pass along to you. After you’ve covered the entertainment, treat yourself to a meal and feed your kids for FREE.

Go bowling.

Bowlmor Bethesda, now called Bowlero
White Oak Duckpin Lanes
Bowl America
Lucky Strike

Skate & Roll.

Skate N Fun Zone 
Temple Hills Skate Palace

Ice Skate.

Arlington MedStar Capitals Iceplex
Wheaton Ice Arena
Cabin John Ice Rink

Gyms for kids.

Not your typical kid gym 
Zava Zone
Busy Bees

See a show.

Our area has some amazing child-friendly theater productions
BloomBars uniting our community

Not a Smithsonian.

Madame Tussauds
Port Discovery Children’s Museum

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

Indoor options for kids in and around Washington, DC

Here is a long post full of great indoor options for you and your Bambinos 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~

Elemeno–(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, Washington, DC)

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.
[Read more…]

Ultimate camp guide in and around Washington, DC for Summer 2018

An updated 2019 Summer Camp Guide can be found here.

This 2018 Summer camp guide is sponsored by Beauvoir Summer Camp.

Beauvoir Summer
(3500 Woodley Rd, NW, Washington, DC 20016 on the National Cathedral grounds)
Located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Beauvoir Summer strives to create an inviting, collaborative and warm community for campers during the summer months. Beauvoir Summer offers camp programs open to Beauvoir and non-Beauvoir children ages 3 to 11 years old over four sessions that run a total of seven weeks.  Whether registering for one session or all summer, exciting activities include field trips, swimming lessons, outdoor adventure programs and specialty camps. Beauvoir Summer also offers a counselor-in-training program for students grades 6 to 12. Through a variety of offerings, Beauvoir Summer makes it easy for you to create a schedule that works best for your family, offering before and after camp care programs as well. Simply put, Beauvoir Summer can accommodate all of your summer camp needs!

Woodland Horse Center
(16301 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD. 20905)
Woodland Horse Center is the premier horseback riding center in Maryland and prides itself in offering the most spectacular Horseback Riding Summer Camp for horse-crazy kids from June 18-Aug 24. The 1-week Pony Pals Camp is for young riders ages 5-7. The 2-week Horsemanship Camp is for riders ages 8-16. All campers learn to ride correctly and confidently in twice daily riding lessons. Campers also learn comprehensive horsemanship skills which help them learn and love to care for the wonderful horses and ponies. Interactive, hands-on lessons outside of the ring include grooming, tacking, anatomy, health care, nutrition and more. Put the devices down, get outside and have a blast with the horses!!

Summer Safari Zoo Camp at The National Zoo
(3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008)
Each of the Summer Safari programs explores the lives, habitats, and conservation of animals around the world. Week-long sessions include exciting hands-on activities, lessons, craft projects, science experiments, and walks through the Zoo (but no direct contact with animals). Camp sessions are grouped into four grade levels: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7.

Spy Camp at the Spy Museum
(800 F Street, NW Washington, DC  20004)
Another sneaky camp that sounds like so much fun and full of thrills! Somewhere deep inside the Museum an elite group of recruits is lurking in the shadows preparing to take on top secret missions. No one really knows who they are, or for that matter, what they’re really up to. Now it’s your children’s turn to join their ranks. Each day is filled with top secret briefings and activities that will put spy skills and street smarts to the test. Aspiring Spy recruits will hone their tradecraft, learn from real spies, and hit the streets to run training missions. Develop a disguise for cover, make and break codes, discover escape and evasion techniques, create and use spy gadgets, uncover the science behind spying—all of this and more awaits young recruits! Ages 10-13.

National Building Museum Summer Camp
(401 F Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001)
One and two week sessions for campers entering 2nd-7th grade. Experience the world we build for ourselves in new ways and with hands-on activities and projects in one of our favorite buildings in DC! Attend one, two, or all of the unique sessions of, full-day summer camp at the National Building Museum. Campers will enjoy design challenges, exploring the Museum, and more!

Lowell School Camp
(1640 Kalmia Rd NW., Washington, DC. 20012)
Their respectful and caring atmosphere encourages campers, rising PreK-grade 9, to grow in self-awareness and confidence, while strengthening their cooperation and consideration for others. They have an expansive campus with fields, surrounded by towering trees, provides generous space for games, sports, exercise, and water play. Campers explore and investigate plant and animal life in a spring-fed stream, a tributary of nearby Rock Creek. The four-lane indoor pool, fully equipped technology center, three art workshops, library, and large gymnasium are also available to campers. 

Sidwell Summer
(3825 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016)
(5100 Edgemoor Lane Bethesda, MD 20814)
With an array of programs for campers and students Age 3 – Grade 12 throughout June,  July, and August, they have something for everyone. This camp has two locations to choose from with a variety of camps; day camp, sports camp and academic camp.

Bricks4Kidz
(1130 6th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Camp kicks off the morning session by grouping up the kiddos by age (two age groups: 4-6 year olds and 7-12 year olds) then the fun begins. Campers work in pairs and build projects through Bricks 4 Kidz lesson plans and make creations of their own during super fun free play periods. The afternoon gets “challenging” as the campers enter “Challenge Island”, that provides unique challenge-based programs designed to foster critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving methodology, and core STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) principles in children.

Arts on the Horizon Summer Camps
(1100 Wythe Street, #26093  Alexandria, VA)
From superhero to construction, this arts inspired camp has a session that is sure to appeal to your child. They offer one week, half day sessions. Ages 3-6.

(Photo: Imagination Stage)

Theatre & Arts Camps:

Adventure Theatre Camps

Little Loft

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

Meadowlark Guitar and Ukulele Camp

Red Panda Art Studio

McLean Project for the Arts (MAP)

Camp Arena Stage

Art in Motion via UpCycle/Local Motion

Takoma Groove Camp

Fit Kids Hit the Stage

Round House Theatre

Encore Stage and Studio

Imagination Stage

Lola’s Lab Camp

Levine Summer Music & Arts Day Camp

The Art League

Creative Youth

(Photo: Language Stars)


Language Camps:
CommuniKids

Language Stars

(Photo: Baseball Camp at Bethesda Big Train)

Other camps around the Washington, DC area:

(Photo: Calleva)

Need to sign-up for just one week of camp? Thanks to some locals parents, here’s a great list of drop-ins and places that will allow you to sign up a week at a time.

Bruce Murray Soccer Camp is in Potomac and has bus transportation
Humane Rescue Alliance for grades 2 & up
Bethesda YMCA tennis camp 
Woods Academy in Bethesda has a great summer science program
HomeRun Baseball Camp allows daily drop-ins and accepts kids ages 4-12
PPA offers soccer camps
Bethesda Soccer Club has tons of soccer camps
Sidwell Friends School summer camp
Washington Episcopal School summer camp
Calleva is an outdoor camp that has buses that pick up and drop off close-in and offer a variety of camp experiences
Brit-Am is a local soccer club that also has summer camps
Headfirst summer camp is very popular with various themes with two locations
Four Soccer at American University
Coach Sal Caccavale and his summer camps, they are all located in DC
Bach to Rock has a music camp in Bethesda
Landon camp is for boys and girls and provides bus transportation from a few neighborhoods

Weekday Adventures January 9-13

Escape the cold weather and take the kids bowling at Pinstripes in Georgetown. Every weekday from 10:00am-12:00pm they have Kids Club Bowling. Kids bowl for $3 per hour with a $3 shoe rental and parents bowl free!

professor-wingnut-wants-to-flyWednesday & Thursday Discovery Theatre presents Professor Wingnut Wants to Fly at various times. Join wacky citizen-scientist Professor Wingnut and his friend Seymour Seagull as they explore the amazing science of flight! From birds to airplanes, this pair loves all things airborne, and are in pursuit of the secret to just what makes them fly. Songs, science, and a flight-tastic dance party take off right under the planes in the Air and Space Museum. Tour the museum after the show!

 As always, DC Public Library has many great baby, toddler and teenager events all week long at several libraries.

Monday-

9:30am-11:00am: Rise + Rhyme at Busboys & Poets
(235 Carroll St NW  Washington, DC 20012)
A Busboys and Poets in-house series! Rise + Rhyme is a weekly morning storytelling and performance series for children ages 5 and under, stay-at-home parents, and early rising families of all kinds. $5 suggested donations performer are much appreciated.

[Read more…]

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