(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children
Another wonderful post by my friend, Patricia Masi. Patricia works as Director for Edible DC and has two beautiful children whom she takes on lots of fun adventures in the DMV area. Most of us dread the thought of driving to Tyson’s Corner; the idea of endless traffic convinces me not to go every time but this post may change my mind! Patricia recently spent an afternoon there with her girls and found many ways to keep her girls entertained.
A new indoor playground, Magic Ground has opened in Columbia Heights, just above Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond on the 3rd floor. You can park in the underground garage of DC USA or take the Columbia Heights Metro. You can purchase several “packages” like Winter or Summer Memberships as well as an Annual Pass and half-day/full-day passes they will offer Parents Nights Out.
The theme of Magic Ground is a magical castle and the motto is “a magical place to eat healthy and play safely.” Children will crawl, jump and climb, explore, discover and create here. Magic Ground has only been open a week but word has gotten out, as there were about 15 kids playing with us. However, The Restaurant, Game Tech (a modern time corner to ignite your senses) and Show Hall (costumes and face painting) were not open. There is a cute place with vanities and hair salon tools for kids to pretend. There are a few kitchens and baby dolls in an area to play with. My son loved sliding down the slide into the ball pit, shooting an air cannon with balls and swinging on a swing inside of the apparatus.
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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!!
Looking for an unforgettable outing filled with fun and creativity? Just walk in or plan ahead by making a reservation for a one-of-a-kind experience for kids and adults of all ages at
Make Meaning. Perfect for a mother daughter day or a fun activity for the whole family! There were enough choices for younger kids but I can imagine this is a pre-teen/teenagers dream. Planning a party? They have that covered too.
Recently, on a rainy morning my son and I decided to head to Bethesda and check out the newish art space. We were greeted by a friendly employee (an Associate Creativity Enthusiast to be exact) who took us to an immaculate, organized and color coordinated area where she explained the options to us; candle making, soap making, plaster painting, glass making, ceramics painting, canvas painting and cake decorating were the choices. Each activity had an assigned color and chairs to match where children would work. My son chose to paint a plaster treasure box (after I discouraged him from decorating a cake) which included using quick dry acrylic paint so we were able to take it home immediately. They gave him a disposable apron as well as a clean, large area to work and let us be. They have a snack bar you can purchase treats and drinks. The restrooms are clean and have changing tables. [Read more…]
A few weeks ago my son and I had a day-date and I wanted it to be a meaningful day. I decided against his favorite places that we typically go to and instead headed to an awesome indoor spot (because it was a rainy, cold day); Climb Zone USA which is in Laurel, Maryland. We had no traffic and it was a quick 30 minute drive.
Climb Zone has 76 themed climbing walls and each wall is 28 feet tall. My son has never been rock climbing, besides of course those small 3 foot walls at playgrounds. He was definitely nervous as the instructor strapped on a harness to his waist. I figured he’d need encouragement and assistance so I decided not to climb, but adults are more than welcome to. The instructor explained how to attach his carabiner to each climbing wall and then we were off, on our own. We walked around, admiring all of the familiar scenes recreated on walls and he found his favorite climbable art wall and up he went.
Once your little one has had enough climbing, they can jump over to the bounce houses or test their luck at some video games. A small cafe offers treats and cold drinks. There is a small fenced in area for children 3 and under to play in as well. Children ages 2-5 cost $12 and children 6 years and older will cost $25. There is no time limit so you can stay all day if you’d like. You can also host a birthday party at this fun indoor spot.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Westfield, Montgomery Mall. Perhaps, it should be tagged as “Indoor Fun” as we brace ourselves for yet another snow storm.
Having a newborn in the Winter has been so much more difficult than it was when my toddler was born in the Summer. She sleeps much better when on the move and well I haven’t exactly been able to take many stroller walks. So, enter my routine when my toddler has school. Drop him off at 8:50am, drive to Montgomery Mall, bolt to the Starbucks on Level 2 around 9:15am and get a Grande coffee, mall walk and say hello to the regular walkers I’ve come to recognize, make a few phone calls and voila the doors of all the stores slowly open at 10:00am. From there I make returns from purchases I made last week when I was wandering aimlessly because I needed my baby to sleep and I now feel guilty about buying. I use my Godiva Rewards card at some point…that’s right Rewards card at a chocolate shop. Inquire about it, you won’t be sorry. Errr maybe you will, perhaps that’s why I’m having trouble losing some baby weight. After about an hour baby begins to wake up and I have to make my decision to head to the Mother’s Room at Nordstrom or the Family Lounge in the Food Court to change her diaper and feed her. Which was the real reason I’m writing this post. I hadn’t put much thought into decent malls for parents with newborns. Do I want to sit on a couch to nurse her and change her on a pillow top changing table or do I want to walk past the delicious smell of McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches that still lingers and change her on large open changing tables where cartoons play and curtains hang from the private feeding areas for privacy? I’ve tried both and when I’m alone with the baby, I head to Nordstrom and sit in silence (with the occasional flush you hear from the restrooms next door) and when I’m with both kids I go to the Family Lounge so my toddler can be kept busy playing with the games or watching cartoons. The Family Lounge also has a microwave in case you need to warm up a bottle as well as family restrooms. So, escape from the cold (or heat in the summer) and head to Montgomery Mall to shop, walk, eat, nurse and be warm.
Pictures are from the Family Lounge located in the Food Court
Montgomery Mall has been remodeled and is unrecognizable. They kept the play area which is located on the lower level across from the maternity clothing store. It has a garden theme and insects and logs children can climb on and crawl through. They also have a new movie theater, Arclight, which can be accessed through the Food Court. Met Bethesda, Crave Sushi Bar, Cava Mezze Grill, Chipotle and Jamba Juice are a few places you can grab a bite.
Photos of Food Court
Play area on lower level
We’re switching up the Weekday Adventures this week and providing you with a list of some of our favorite and fun places to visit in and around Washington, DC.
See live animal encounters, pet an alpaca and feed the goats at The Leesburg Animal Park.
Rent a paddle boat, go fishing or hop on a pontoon ride on Lake Needwood.
Take a fun ride on the hop on and off bus that tours around DC, your Bambino(s) will love the double decker Big Bus.
Pick your own raspberries and blackberries at Butlers Orchard. Stay and play on the climbing equipment and have a picnic.
Your kids will want to spend all day at Clemyjontri Playground. Designed for children with all abilities, this playground is colorful and has something that will appeal to every child. Arrive early as parking becomes hard. The carousel costs $1.50 to ride.
Your airplane enthusiast will love sitting at a picnic table and watching the airplanes from Reagan fly over their head at Gravelly Point. 
Celebrate Bao Bao’s birthday a few days earlier, beating the crowd at The National Zoo.
Taxi! Grab a water taxi from The National Harbor and relax on a 20 minute ride to Alexandria. The Potomac Riverboat Company charges $10 for children 2-11 and $16 for adults for a roundtrip.
Take a quick and simple trip to a farm at Oxon Hill Farm. Check schedule of events for the week as they offer story time, wagon rides and a chance to feed the chickens. Be sure and check driving directions before leaving since the newly 295 has been finished, my directions took me an old way and I couldn’t find the farm.
Looking for indoor fun on a rainy or hot day?
There’s many splash and water parks in our area to spend the day.
All aboard the choo choo train!
Well another school closure for us tomorrow so our fingers are crossed that the below events are ON. We need to get out of the house, pronto! We will try and update you if any are cancelled but recommend calling or checking on their individual websites before heading out.
If you are from an area that hasn’t been highlighted much on Beltway Bambinos please reach out to us and let us know so we can research your area and find great events going on.
Tuesday, March 4:
9:00am-5:00pm- PB & Jack
(9540 Main St, Fairfax VA 22031)
Bead it Baby at 2:00pm (included with admission). Join the PB & Jack crew for 45 minutes of beading and necklace making. No supplies necessary. Kids 3-5 years old welcome. Open play is from 9:00am-5:00pm and is open everyday.
10:00am- Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Pavilion (2nd floor) 
(10th St. and Constitution Ave., NW)
Every Tuesday at 10:00am you can get into the magnificent butterfly pavilion for free! Make sure and get a free ticket by the entrance. We visited this last month and were amazed by how many butterflies were flying around, some even landing on a shoulder. Look closely and you could spot a frog under some trees.
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