indoor – Page 3

nook– a modern indoor play space

July 26, 2017

nook™ is a modern indoor play space for kids that parents can enjoy too. They have removed the overstimulating, chaotic elements of the typical crowded play place to create more room for your child’s imagination and a relaxed space for you to watch it unfold.

The photos on nook’s social sites don’t do this place justice. I was expecting a small space with minimal things for kids to do. I WAS WRONG! The space is huge and the options are endless. We spent over 2 hours there and the only reason we left was because we had to pick up older brother at camp.

nook’s mission is to create opportunities for children to develop their imagination, confidence, and social skills through play. Designed by an award-winning architecture and product design studio, nook is divided into several different play areas or “nooks”, each with its own play theme. You’ll find nooks for art, music, reading, building, climbing, and sensory play. To keep up with your child’s growing imagination, play themes in each nook will change periodically throughout the year.

My daughter was drawn to the dress-up area that had costumes and a mirror (to check out your new look). Once she had a favorite on– an owl, she went exploring and found a climbing structure that ended with a ball pit! After bouncing around we played with art supplies; stickers, dot paint, play dough, cookie cutters and markers. There was an interactive music class being held at 10am and again at 10:45am which admission in the summer covers the cost of. There was an adorable tent setup with camping supplies inside. The train table was taken to a new level as it was built into a wall with small wooden buildings alongside. Animal crackers, popcorn, cheerios and coffee are complementary and you can enjoy them with your Bambinos at the center table reading one of the many books they have displayed. There is even a nook for infants with a rocker, soft rug and baby toys. Everything felt so pristine, modern, white and tan. The feeling was comfortable and it was apparent there were regulars there who had formed friendships by being members.

As mentioned above, they also offer a variety of classes to provide endless opportunities for development, discovery, and learning. nook has included the cost of the class in your admission cost for the summer only.

nook is designed specifically for 0 to 4 year olds. One parent or caregiver must accompany their child at all times.

Details:

2905 District Ave, Suite 115 Fairfax, VA 22031

Nook Ballston Quarter: Coming Soon

Monday-Thursday, 9am to 5pm, Friday-Sunday, 10am to 3pm

A reservation is required on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. Purchase a pass online and call 703-270-6388 to reserve your spot.

Prices:
1 day pass: $20
10 day pass: $150
Membership: $120/month

The space is available for birthday parties, play dates, baby showers, or any reason to gather.

Busy Bees indoor play and party space in Chevy Chase

July 7, 2017

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:

Everything at BusyBees moves, spins, or flies! Flying balloons, spinning climbing apparatuses, light up slides and more.
Nut free! Snacks for sale.
They offer fun and adorably themed parties.
In-N-Out-N-In… your admission covers you all day during open play.
Sparkling Clean C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y! Thanks to Dapple natural cleaning products.
Complimentary coffee/tea for the sleep deprived.
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.

Weekday Adventures January 9-13

January 8, 2017

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!

Wednesday & 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…]

A birthday party at My Gym Bethesda: A rare hands-off affair

November 23, 2016

We had a chance to celebrate our daughter’s 2nd birthday at My Gym Bethesda this weekend (Spoiler alert: You should book your child’s party there ASAP). Before you hear all about our birthday experience we wanted you to get to know the owner of the gym and learn more about it.

(Photo: Ball pit was a HUGE HIT!!)

Mandy Lemar has owned My Gym Potomac for 11 years and opened My Gym Bethesda 6 years ago. She is a member of the local community and had been taking her kids to My Gym for years and loved it so much she bought it! It has been an intricate part of her kids childhood and she’s so pleased that so many other kids have made My Gym a part of their childhood. Mandy met some of her best mom friends at My Gym and I know other moms have as well.

My Gym is such an amazing part of how kids grow and develop. Their goal is to teach kids how to be strong physically but also teach teamwork, cooperation and taking turns. They model kindness and thoughtfulness to all the families.

My Gym Bethesda and My Gym Potomac is family-owned and is an intrical part of the local community. There are My Gym teachers who have worked at these two gyms for many years. They have seen the My Gym families grow from 1 to 2 to 3 and more kids! And they love that keep coming back because My Gym is such an important part of the children’s and families lives. They make donations to local school auctions and charity events and strive to be an important part of the community and give back when they can.

They offer discounted pricing to members who book parties but non-members can and often do host parties at My Gym!

gym

(Mr. Nick assisting the birthday girl and getting her used to the Gym before her friends arrive)

There are three available party packages, the Grand is the base and the other two packages offer more.

What was included in our Grand Package:

Exclusive use of the entire facility
2 party specialists
1.5 hour private party (Additional cost for 2-hour party-must be last party of the day)
Up to 20 children (Birthday child is FREE!)
Balloon decorations
Special My Gym gift for the birthday child
Service of cake, food and beverages
My Gym Evite invitation
One free class for the birthday child (Currently enrolled members receive a complimentary 2nd class per week)

gym-party

My experience: Scheduling a date and time for the party took less than 5 minutes and the information above was re-iterated to me over the phone. My Gym Bethesda checked in with me 2 weeks prior to find out if I wanted to add anything to our package. A week prior to the party they contacted me again to get a final number and to remind me to arrive 10 minutes ahead of time. You read that right– 1o minutes ahead. I heard that and had some anxiety about not being able to bring in cute decorations and set up like I wanted to. But, we walked in 10 minutes prior to the party and tablecloths already covered the areas the children would eat at and where food would be placed. The 2 employees swiftly stepped in and started helping us plan, unpack, set the table, set up decorations and…voila in less than 10 minutes (with 2 kids in tow) we were set.

Mr. Nick and Mr. George were our My Gym employees and were absolutely amazing. Their energy and enthusiasm really showed how much they loved their job. They were engaging and fun while making sure everyone was safe. They had a plan and I was able to enjoy the party and actually play with our kids and socialize with guests while they ran the entire show. The kids enjoyed a fun stretch, circle games, swings, ball pit, climbing, bubbles, zip line, trampoline, songs and a lot more all to a fun, catchy soundtrack playing! Mr. Nick and Mr. George even put on sanitary gloves and served all of the kids plates and had them ready for when it was time to eat. They knew exactly how long before we should do cake so the kids didn’t grow tired of sitting and waiting. Once the food portion was over they assisted with wiping hands so the kids could get back out and enjoy the gym.

As a parent of the birthday child you usually are stressed out before the party begins because you’ve been juggling decorations, a menu, guest list and planning the itinerary of a 1-3 hour party that once the party actually begins you are ready for it to be over with. This party was SO much different. We showed up and My Gym took care of everything. I love you can add-on to each package which again the employees will take care of so you don’t have to. It was a fantastic party and everyone had a blast, including adults. I hadn’t ever been to My Gym so this was a great opportunity. We will be signing up for weekly classes as well as winter camps and parent night outs. Thank you My Gym Bethesda for an unforgettable and stress-free 2nd birthday party.

Call or book your party online today!

Winter Classes and Camps in and around Washington, DC

November 13, 2016

kids-playing-soccer

Winter Classes:

Children’s Art Studio:
Anna Banana

Homerun Baseball: 2, 8 week sessions throughout winter for boys and girls ages 4-11 can be found here.

Imagination Stage: Theme-based Class Schedule for children ages 12 months-age 21 can be found here.

Just For Kids: Sports classes for ages 18 months-9 years old can be found here.

Montgomery County Recreation Department: You can find The Guide which is full of classes here or you can pick one up at a Montgomery County Library or Recreation Center.

My Gym Bethesda & My Gym Potomac: Winter classes for kids ages 3 months – 10 years old. Specialty classes for sports and tumbling, as well as mommy and me movement classes during the week and weekend. Also offering winter break camps and parent nights out which are themed drop-off programs. Check out my experience at My Gym!

Round House Theatre: Classes consist of 8-week sessions on Saturdays. Classes for children ages 2-Grade 8 can be found here.

Silver Stars Gymnastics: Classes for children ages 18 months and up can be found here.

Smithsonian National Zoo: Preschool classes and after school classes for children ages 6-10 throughout the year can be found here.

Tinkergarten: Classes for ages 18 months-8 years old can be found here. Refer to a previous post for more info.

Quick Feet: Soccer for 2-5 year olds in DC, MD and VA. Classes can be found here.

Edlavitch DCJCC: Classes can be found here.

Super Soccer Stars: 12 months to 12 years old. Classes can be found here.

**Don’t see what your Bambino may be interested in? Here is a running list of year-round classes and a Dance and Gymnastics list that may be helpful.

2018 Winter Camps:

Dec. 18-Jan.2: HoopED Sports Camp

Dec. 18-Dec. 22: Hopper Heroes Camp at Georgetown Day School

Dec. 27-30: Children’s Art Studio Winter Camp

Dec. 26-29: Snow Safari Winter Camp at The National Zoo

Dec. 26-29: School’s Out Day Camp at Adventure Theatre

Dec. 26-29: Bach to Rock Winter Camps

Dec. 26-29: Gymnastics Camp at Silver Stars

Dec. 26-30: Winter Camp at Little Loft

Dec. 27-29: Imagination Stage Winter Camp

Mom’s Groups:

Group for first and second time Moms PACE

8 Week New Mom’s Group at Lemon Tree

DC Parents of Multiples Group at Lemon Tree

Parent-and-me classes and experiences at Petite DC

A school for Toddlers and Parents and Caregivers at Intown Playgroup

Six Week Hook-Up with Mama’s Link

Indoor Gym Spaces:

My Gym Bethesda

BusyBees

Magic Ground

Gymboree

Kidville

Other helpful posts:

Yoga with your Bambinos

Dance and Gymnastics classes

Year-round classes

23 ideas for entertaining children after Daylight Savings Time

November 3, 2016

Most of us dread Daylight Savings Time. For parents, it’s a few months where our time spent outdoors comes to a halt and we wonder how to occupy the remainder of the evening with our children. And contrary to popular belief, the answer is not Benadryl =) Here are a few ideas I’ve compiled from readers and my own DST adventures to help you get out of the house with your Bambino(s) this winter. Don’t forget to check out our Indoor Fun Guide for other options!

Ideas for fun outside of your home-

1. Go for a dip at Wilson swimming pool.

2. Bloombars has evening performances.

3. Drop by a pet store to observe the animals and maybe see some dogs getting groomed.

4. DC Library holds late afternoon events.

5. Take a trip to Target or Whole Foods and walk the aisles. Try not to buy everything.

6. Cardoza High School Pool is opening their doors and allow the public to come swim.

7. Reserve a room at a public library and have a play date with friends.

8. Hotel lobbies can be fascinating, especially around the holidays. Plus, they have bathrooms.

9. Get creative at Treehouse Atelier, Little Loft Art, Anna Banana or All Fired Up.

10. Child’s Play or Barnes and Noble (Bethesda location closes Dec. 31, 2017) can be great places for your kids toys and books. Again, try not to buy everything =)

11. Go out to dinner at one of these DC restaurants that offer entertainment for kiddos.

12. Grab a flashlight and go on an adventure walk.

13. Check the bus route and take a random ride.

14. Fairmont Hotel has a piano and a pretty garden, is fairly tolerant of children climbing up and down the stairs and enjoying the lobby’s holiday decorations.

15. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage has free, daily shows that usually begin at 6:00pm. Catch the show or just part of it , explore and walk the long foyer and look at the mirrors, ramps, etc. Go outside onto the terrace and watch the cars on the bridge or boats on the water.

Ideas for indoor fun-

1. Bake or cook something with your Bambino(s).

2. Make a fort, add pillows and blankets and watch a movie or read stories.

3. Put on a play.

4. Arts and crafts can provide endless fun (put your OCD tendencies aside).

5. Make your own play doh.

6. Download some educational apps on your device and set a timer.

7. Have your child help organize/fold socks when you’re doing laundry.

8. Get bath paints or crayons and let your child get artsy and messy.

Indoor fun in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

June 23, 2016

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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Snow(y) Days = What’s Open?

January 26, 2016

I got wrapped up in all of the commotion the snow brought and haven’t opened my laptop in 10 days. A dug out car, an igloo and snowman in the front yard (slowing melting), and one stir-crazy Mama later here we are…..Sorry MCPS parents you have another day of entertaining your wild ones and us DCPS parents have to find the clearest path to trek to school tomorrow. So for those parents trying to find something to do, here’s what’s happening tomorrow as well as Thursday & Friday—(is this the return of Weekday Adventures?!?) Don’t forget to refer to the Indoor Guide for other places that may be open. [Read more…]