Beltway Bambinos

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

Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

In Washington, DC, on Saturday June 22th from 6:00pm – 11:00pm, visitors will be a given a free guided tour of the sky at theAstronomy Festival on the National Mall.  This free public festival is organized by Dr. Donald Lubowich, Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach at Hofstra University.  The Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM) will feature solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; hands-on activities, demonstrations, hand-outs, posters, banners, and videos; a planetarium show under a 25-foot blow-up dome, and a chance to mingle with astronomers.

This year the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall will be presented in association with the Smithsonian Solstice Saturday events. The National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Museums will be open until midnight featuring free parties, programs, and performances.  Representatives from some of the nation’s foremost scientific institutions, organizations, and universities will present exciting demonstrations and answer questions about the latest astronomical discoveries or careers in science.

Dr. Lubowich and local amateur astronomers will set up twenty-five telescopes on the Mall. Starting at 6 pm, visitors will be able to view sunspots with the help of specially filtered telescopes.   After dusk and until 11 p.m. telescopes will provide close-up views of Jupiter and its moons, the Saturn with its beautiful rings, colorful double stars, and star clusters that sparkle like diamonds on black velvet.

Saturday, June 22, 2019; 6 – 11 pm;  in front of the Smithsonian Castle (1000 Jefferson Dr. SW)
Metro: Smithsonian (Mall exit)     Rain Location: Smithsonian Castle

Coding Lab for Kids: Sphero Robot Obstacle Challenge and more at Apple

Do more with the Apple products you love and join a creative session! Did you know Today at Apple offers various hands-on and free classes for kids and adults relating to Photography, Video, Music, Coding & Apps, Art & Design and Health & Fitness. Today my 7 year-old attended the Coding Lab for Kids: Sphero Robot Obstacle Challenge which was more than I expected. 

The students helped a Sphero robot navigate obstacles using code in the Sphero Edu app on iPad. They explored block-based coding by programming simple movements, adding voice commands, changed colors, and more. The instructor set up obstacles throughout the Apple store and the kids used iPads to program a path for their robot to navigate. iPad devices are provided or you can bring your own. This particular class was recommended for ages 6–12.

Other Programs for Kids & Families:
  • Coding Skills: Programming Robots with Swift Playgrounds
  • Art Lab for Kids: Make Your Own Emoji
  • Music Lab for Kids: Making a Theme Song
  • Photo Lab for Kids: Fun Family Portraits

Museum Based-Learning: Ordinary is Extraordinary at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center + GIVEAWAY

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Before being contacted by Cynthia Raso the Director of the Office of Engagement at Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) a few years ago, I had no idea the school existed. The SEEC is a school located on the Smithsonian campus serving infants through kindergartners. What makes SEEC extraordinary? First, it utilizes the Smithsonian and surrounding community as part of its classroom. Students make daily trips to museums, parks, libraries, shops, and monuments and integrate these visits into what they are learning. SEEC is more than just museum-based learning; it is also a school that thinks carefully about educating the whole child. From social-emotional learning to practicing fine motor skills, SEEC classrooms are invested in nurturing young children by employing a range of techniques that we believe will support a child’s growth and development. SEEC utilizes their almost 30 years of experience as a school to shape their family programs while taking into account the role of the parent. SEEC wants to help parents understand how best to engage with their young child at home and in museums. 

At the beginning of the summer I had the opportunity to visit SEEC for a Preschool Pioneer class with my then four year old son. The class was focused on learning about light and colors. We met in the SEEC classroom, found in the Natural History Museum where children were allowed to wander, touch and interact with the various stations that were set-up. Each one being carefully selected and relating to the class lesson of light and color. The teacher began class with a small group lesson introducing the concept of light using CD’s and talking about colors. The group then took a “field trip” out into The Natural History Museum where we found a display on the color wheel. Kids learned Sir Isaac Newton created it and what it meant by allowing them to place various colored plastic sheets on top of one another to create a new color.   Class ended with a hands-on activity of mixing paint and creating colors. It was a great chance to have my son see the museum in an up close and personal way with a sense of purpose. Research has shown that museum based-learning has many benefits for children and promotes the value of museums for kids. One of SECC’s goals is to help educate families on how to utilize museums in fun ways with their young children and I clearly saw this first-hand.

smithsonian2

 
SEEC provides the community with opportunities to learn at every age. There are several options and you’re sure to find a program for the Bambinos in your family. Check them out below:
 
Community Programs you can enroll your child in:
GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Caravan brings digital art to you for the holidays and special occasions + GIVEAWAY!

Caravan has been featured on The Today Show for their artistic, creative and accessible designs. No doubt, going forward your holidays will include place mats, posters, coloring table cloths and more from Caravan. There’s still time to order something festive and fun for Halloween and Thanksgiving and if you don’t want to even think about that because you still have to determine where you are spending the holidays, consider checking out the elaborate Christmas or Birthday sections. They offer holiday tablecloths to be colored, holiday coloring posters to keep Bambinos busy and happy and Halloween activity packs including memory game and pin the spider on the web to name a few fun printables worth checking out. Make sure to read the entire blog post for your chance to win a generous giveaway from Caravan!!!

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Caravan is the best kind of small. We are composed of just two young families and one big idea. And we think that is just enough.
 
We believe that art can invoke change for the better. Everyone, no matter their age or income, deserves to be surrounded by beautiful and affordable pieces of art. Well designed environments inspire cheer and happiness. And we want everyone to be happy! Children should be taught and inspired by the games they play and adults need to be reminded that there is value in the colorful and playful. Caravan was created to remind each of us that that we deserve lives of bright inspiration and creative exploration.
 
We specialize in digital downloads for home, family, and fun. Pay once for your artwork, print your downloaded piece of art as often as you like, and create beauty for yourself, your home, your children, and loved ones!

We want to make great art and design accessible to YOU, so we keep your wallets in mind. The average price to download a piece of Caravan artwork is just $5. Printing costs stay between $0.50 and $6. Our printing tips and all-around know-how are plentiful and free.

Caravan is giving away a gift card worth $20.00 – good for anything on their website to one lucky Beltway Bambinos reader. Tag a friend on Beltway Bambinos Facebook page for your chance to win! Winner will be announced November 10, 2017 so you have plenty of time to choose some holiday decor. 

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Weekend Picks: June 30-July 2, 2017

The 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between Seventh and Twelfth streets and in the Arts and Industries Building. The free festival is taking place June 29-July 4 & July 6-9. Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with evening dance parties at 5:30 and circus performances most nights at 7 p.m.

 

Friday-

5:00pm-8:30pm: Jazz in the Garden
(Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive entrances  at 9th Street, NW Washington, DC)
Jazz In The Garden at Pavilion Café in the National Gallery of Art features an eclectic mix of jazz is performed by top Washington-area artists. During jazz concerts, the Pavilion Café offers a special menu of creative American cuisine and refreshments, including a beer and wine menu.

6:30pm-8:30pm: Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert at Yards Park
(355 Water St SE)
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 7th Season, this year back on the Yards Park boardwalk! Every Friday night this summer, come to Yards Park to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a few minutes walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike.

Saturday- 

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.

9:30am AND 10:30am: Harambe with Baba Ras D at Bloombars
(3222 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001)
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.With more than 10 years of experience in youth development, education and conflict resolution, program instructor Baba Ras D’s “Harambe” is a morning jolt of inspiration for parents, caregivers and children. Recommended for ages 0 to 7 years.  $7 per child $3 per adult suggested donation.

10:00am: First Studio at The Kreeger Museum
(2401 Foxhall Road, NW Washington D.C. 20007)
Children are invited to use their imagination as they explore the paintings, sculpture, and architecture of The Kreeger Museum. Each program includes a gallery tour, a story and a hands-on art-making experience. Adult companion required and art-making attire recommended. $10 register online. To get a glimpse into the program see my review here.

10:30am: Dinorock at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods
(1551 Trap Rd. Vienna, Va. 22182)
This Grammy-nominated audience favorite returns and invites you to travel back in time to meet some of their favorite dinosaurs. In this interactive production using giant colorful puppets and original music, children learn the fascinating world of science, nature, and history.

11:00am-2:00pm: Summer Hands-On Science – Health & the Human Body at Koshland Science Museum
(525 E. Street NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Explore how the human body works through hands-on science this July at Koshland. Each session investigates a different aspect of the body – everything from DNA to why our skin burns after too much sun exposure. Visitors can compare DNA and amino acids, experiment with biomedical engineering, discover the different lobes of the human brain, and much more! This program is free; registration is recommended but not required. Appropriate for ages 10+.

Saturday, July 1 OR Sunday, July 2 from 9:00am-10:30a.m. “Who’s New at the National Zoo” a preschool class for 2-3 year olds! Kids will learn about some of the new animals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Friends of the National Zoo preschool classes use hands-on activities, crafts, stories, songs, and the Zoo’s animal collection to help your child learn about environmental conservation and life science while building important cognitive and social skills. $28/child for FONZ members. $35/child for non-members.Pre-registration is required. Registration fee covers one child with adult.

 

Catch a show this weekend–

Wonderland: Alice’s Rock n Roll Adventure at Imagination Stage

Junie B. Jones is not a crook at Adventure Theatre

¡Ratón en Movimiento! at Imagination Stage

The Kennedy Center presents The Sound of Music

The Puppet Co. presents The Wizard of Oz and Mother Goose Caboose is the featured Tiny Tots show at the puppet theatre in Glen Echo

 

 

*** Plan ahead for Fourth of July!

Subscription Boxes…For Children!

The last thing my children need are more toys and clothes this holiday season. I love giving my children (and others– this is a great gift!) experiences rather than another toy. Subscription boxes have become a great way for kids to make memories, create something hands-on and have an experience where all of the necessary materials come delivered to their doorstep. Choose a topic that interests your child and test a box out before committing to receiving one every month or every other month. Many of these subscription services offer first time sign-up deals as you visit the homepage which is an added bonus. I tried to cover a variety of topics which includes a cooking subscription box. I can get on board with this and perhaps my 5 year-old can begin to cook the family meals 😉

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Raddish is a culinary lesson, creative project, and mealtime solution all-in-one.

They make it easy for families to share delicious, quality time together. Raddish kits never repeat! Kids love mail. They’ll tear into Raddish kits filled with a collectible apron patch, illustrated recipes, tools, and thematic culinary fun like, “Ticket to Japan”, “Food is Art”, and “My Dream Restaurant”. Delicious recipes are packed with math, science, geography, history, culture, and more. Raddish takes the guesswork out of cooking with kids at a fraction of the price of a cooking class. 6 options to choose from for purchase.

Bits Box  provides monthly coding projects that teach gradeschoolers how to program apps. It’s a code academy for kids.

Kids look through the materials and pick an app. Every box comes with dozens of coding projects, ranging from simple to more advanced. Kids type the app into the Bitsbox website. Kids start with the code from the book, then change it to make it their own. Kids use and share their apps on any mobile device. Bitsbox apps run on any computer, tablet, or phone with a web browser. There are 4 different pricing options available.

Steve Spangler Science Club allows you to choose from one of three levels of hands-on science kits.

A new theme will be explored every month such as kitchen chemistry, glowing germs, the power of air or bubbling potions, electricity and more. Ideal for kids in grades K-6. Ignite the spark of science and creativity in your child. Learn the real science behind each amazing experiment. 3 packages to choose from for purchase.

how1Junior Explorers includes lots of fun and natural science learning that gets kids excited to explore a new habitat.

Select the right subscription plan for your Junior Explorer! Our monthly adventures are designed for elementary aged kids ages 5-11 and include both a physical and digital component for hours of fun. Every mission starts with a kit sent home to prep kids for their adventure that month.

Little Loving Hands provides a fun and educational method for parents and caretakers to engage children in learning about the importance of being kind and giving back to others.

Within each Little Loving Hands’  kit, they provide the materials for the craft project as well as the documents and other fun items to reinforce what the children are working on and how they are helping others.

Kiwi Crate, Inc  believe that children learn by playing and doing and children are naturally curious and creative.

Koala Crate was created to give preschoolers exposure to new materials, new tools, new techniques, and new concepts that encourage hands-on learning and fun. They are dedicated to inspiring these young scientists, artists, explorers. Below are the various crates they offer. They have 4 different options for purchasing.

Cricket Crate (Ages 0-2)
Koala Crate Play & Learn (Ages 3-4)
Kiwi Crate Science, Art & More (Ages 5-8)
Doodle Crate Art & Design (Ages 9-16+)
Tinker Crate Science & Engineering (Ages 9-16+)

Little Passports Science Expeditions, World Edition, Early Explorers and USA Editions are the subscriptions to choose from.

Select the adventure and subscription plan that’s right for your child. We offer fun and engaging products for children ages 3-14 and offer several different payment plans and gift options.

Tinkergarten: Learning through outdoor play

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Under an old oak tree on a late October morning, a four year old boy crouches down to add acorns to his collection of autumn leaves, seed pods, and a blue jay feather that he carries in a little metal pail. Across the park, a grandmother admires her two year old granddaughter’s persistence as she repeatedly picks up and drops small pebbles one at a time with big plastic tweezers into her pail. Not far away, several parents and caregivers discuss the book Blueberries for Sal while their children drop red spicebush berries into their pails: Kurplink, kurplank, kurplunk. Suddenly a duck call rings out and the children all go running through the short grass and autumn leaves to their “class room”, a blue tarp nestled into a patch of trees, where they excitedly show one another the “nature treasures” they just discovered. Once everyone is gathered, children, ages 0-8 (Explorers) and adults (Guides) form a circle and sing their welcome song. Then the Leader reads a Halloween book to the class, sets a large pot in the middle of the tarp, and they launch into the activity of the day: making witches brew! Taking turns stirring the pot, the cackling Explorers sprinkle in a little of this and dump in a little of that to the chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” from the observing Guides.

This is Tinkergarten, a class that meets weekly in local parks where a trained leader facilitates expertly-designed, seasonally- themed curriculum for local families.

The mission of Tinkergarten is to teach caregivers how to share authentic outdoor learning experiences with their children, so those children may develop into curious, capable and well-balanced people. This happens through independent exploration and well-designed activities that encourage a host of important capabilities including self-reliance, compassion, creativity, leadership, and problem solving. With the support of vetted and trained local leaders (most of whom are parents themselves), parents and caregivers will learn how to support their children’s developmental stages in a communal setting while their kids get to explore, expend energy, and work together in nearby green spaces. Tinkergarten Leaders throughout the Beltway would love to share this awesome program with you and your child!

tinkergarten3

Below is a list of the fall classes currently offered in and near the DC Metro area. Please note that this list changes from season-to-season as local Leaders’ schedules change – check the website for more information including up-to-date schedules, free trial classes (usually offered at the beginning of each season), prices, and to sign up for free DIY activities. Some classes have begun for this session and if you sign-up the cost will be pro-rated. While you’re there, be sure to check out this video introduction to Tinkergarten.

Washington DC –

Capitol Hill, Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon

Maryland –

Baltimore, Saturday morning

Catonsville, Tuesday morning

Chevy Chase, Wednesday morning, Thursday afternoon, Thursday morning

Fredrick, Tuesday morning, Friday morning, Sunday afternoon

Silver Spring, Wednesday morning, Saturday morning

University Park, Tuesday morning, Saturday morning

Wheaton-Glenmont, Wednesday morning

In & near the Beltway in Virginia –

Arlington, Saturday morning

Bristow, Tuesday morning

Lorton, Saturday morning

Purcellville, Friday morning

Springfield, Saturday morning


This Guest Post was written by Elizabeth Auerbach, a Tinkergarten Leader in the DC area.

Museum Based-Learning: Ordinary is Extraordinary at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center

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Before being contacted by Cynthia Raso the Assistant Director of the Center for Innovation in Early Learning at Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC), I had no idea the school existed. The SEEC is a school located on the Smithsonian campus serving infants through kindergartners. What makes SEEC extraordinary? First, it utilizes the Smithsonian and surrounding community as part of its classroom. Students make daily trips to museums, parks, libraries, shops, and monuments and integrate these visits into what they are learning. SEEC is more than just museum-based learning; it is also a school that thinks carefully about educating the whole child. From social-emotional learning to practicing fine motor skills, SEEC classrooms are invested in nurturing young children by employing a range of techniques that we believe will support a child’s growth and development. SEEC utilizes their almost 30 years of experience as a school to shape their family programs while taking into account the role of the parent. SEEC wants to help parents understand how best to engage with their young child at home and in museums.

smithsonian-light

At the beginning of the summer I had the opportunity to visit Smithsonian’s Center for Innovation in Early Learning for a Preschool Pioneer class with my then four year old son. The class was focused on learning about light and colors. We met in the Smithsonian Early Education Center found in the Natural History Museum where children were allowed to wander, touch and interact with the various stations that were set-up. Each one being carefully selected and relating to the class lesson of light and color. The teacher began class with a small group lesson introducing the concept of light using CD’s and talking about colors. The group then took a “field trip” out into The Natural History Museum where we found a display on the color wheel. Kids learned Sir Isaac Newton created it and what it meant by allowing them to place various colored plastic sheets on top of one another to create a new color.   Class ended with a hands-on activity of mixing paint and creating colors. It was a great chance to have my son see the museum in an up close and personal way with a sense of purpose. Research has shown that museum based-learning has many benefits for children and promotes the value of museums for kids. One of SECC’s goals is to help educate families on how to utilize museums in fun ways with their young children and I clearly saw this first-hand.

smithsonian2

SEEC’s outreach arm, the Center for Innovation in Early Learning, provides the community with opportunities to learn at every age. SEEC’s programs include both weekly workshops, weekend workshops for children 5 and under and a monthly art studio for children in K-3rd grades. On weekdays, they offer a part-time program for families with children aged 18 – 24 months that meets in the National Museum of Natural History. In January, they will roll-out a new program for adult caretakers of infants that will feature coffee and conversational tours. There are several options and you’re sure to find a program for the Bambinos in your family. Check them out below:
Community Programs you can enroll your child in:

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