Beltway Bambinos

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

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  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
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  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
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  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation
  • Home
  • Indoor Fun
    • Theater & musical productions
    • Guide to Indoor Fun for Kids
  • Fall
    • Halloween guide
    • Fall festivals, farms, orchards
    • Fall Foliage Spots and Drives
    • Fall events
    • Fall classes
    • Fall bucket list
    • Survive Daylight Savings
  • Winter
    • Holiday gift guide
    • Holiday shows, ballets and concerts
    • Hanukkah Celebrations
    • Holiday Tea
    • Christmas Trees, Lights & Markets
    • Ski and snowboard
    • Cut-your-own tree
    • Ice rinks and roller rinks
  • Spring
    • Cherry blossoms
    • Easter egg hunts
    • Easter basket & spring gift ideas
    • Spring bucket list
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day weekend
    • Tax day steals and deals
  • Summer
    • Summer Camps
    • July 4th
    • Ice cream
    • Sunflower Fields
    • Summer bucket list
    • Live outdoor music
    • Outdoor movies
    • Outdoor swimming pools
    • Splash parks
    • Trains!
  • Camps and Classes
    • Fall classes
    • Spring classes
    • Summer camps
    • Mid-winter break camps
    • Winter camps and classes
    • November 2, 4, 5, 11
    • DCPS spring break camps
    • Schools out, camps are in
    • Year-round classes
    • Gymnastics and dance classes
  • Neighborhood Guides
    • Annapolis, MD
    • AU Park, DC
    • Baltimore, MD
    • Bethany Beach, DE
    • Breweries in the DC area
    • Brookland, DC
    • Chevy Chase, DC
    • Georgetown, DC
    • Philadelphia, PA
    • Lancaster County, PA
    • Madison, VA
    • Frederick, MD
    • St. Louis, MO
  • Outdoor Play
    • 15 family friendly hikes
    • Pick your own fruit and vegetables
    • Beaches and state parks
    • Outdoor fun
    • Trails, marshes and gardens
    • 20 classic outdoor games
    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
    • Why Now is the Time to Plan
    • Travel Advisors Save You More Than Money
    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation

Spring in the Valley is back!

April 29, 2019

Returning this year to Spring in the Valley is the amazing team from Safe Kids DC.  Safe Kids of District of Columbia is led by Children’s National Medical Center, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving a common goal: keeping your kids safe. They will be providing complimentary car seat checks for kids of all ages. Sadly most car seats are installed incorrectly. Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%. So come out and have them check your car seats!

Kids will have a great time at this event as there will be so many fun activities for all. Bounce houses by Astrojump are generously donated by the Washington Fine Properties;Morrell Roth Group, Dr. Roya Pilcher, pediatric dentist and The Reishman Group. Don’t miss Fire Engine 29, Truck 5 which will be giving firetruck tours.

This year Capitol Crab Co. & Rocklands BBQ food trucks serving lunch. Compass Coffee will be providing their amazing cold brew for the entire crowd to enjoy. Squeaky Pops and Praline Bakery will also be serving samples to hungry attendees. Galley Foods is coming with samples of their home delivery meal service.

Local vendors to include:
–Beautycounter & Beltway Bambinos will be together with sun screen samples, bubbles and family focused giveaways! We are so excited to join in the fun this year! Please come by and say hi!

–Eliana’s Light will have a self care arts and craft booth to help you relax.

-Fun from Little Grace’s Playroom and the Workroom.

-Favorite medical offices, Bloom OB/GYN and Spring Valley Pediatrics will be present to answer questions about their practices.

-Dr. Perez, founder of Metropolitan Pediatric Dentistry has donated balloon art by Marsha Gallagher for all of the kids.

-For those of you expecting or who have small kids, while your car seat is being inspected you can chat with the Nanny Network, Hush Hush Little Baby, Metropolitan Breastfeeding, and Baby Joy 3D/4D.

-The team at Headfirst Camps will be coming to share their children’s programs.

–Cord Blood Registry and Abbott are there with raffles, information and snacks.

–Spring Valley Life Magazine, The Scout Guide and Spring Valley Neighborhood Association are joining to mingle with their hood.

-Talented photographer, Lenzy Ruffin will attend and share his work and family photo services. 

–Humane Rescue Alliance is coming with animals to play with!

–Two Birds just opened in Tenleytown, offer co-working and daycare. They will be on hand to answer any questions.

There will be $1 raffle tickets with all proceeds going to the non-profit Eliana’s Light. Eliana’s Light supports families with children who have complex medical conditions by providing a community-based collaborative approach to care that’s focused on whole health and well-being. Raffle items include Millie’s gift certificates, Georgetown Massage and Body Works gift card for a 45 minute massage, gift cards to Pizza Paradiso, free physical therapy evaluation for an adult or child from ITR Physical Therapy and so much more.

Come spend the day with us in Spring Valley! Goody bags are being handed out for the first 100 attendees.  All are welcome to join and we hope to see you there!

Address: 4900 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
(Upper and lower parking lots off of 49th & 50th Streets NW)

Date: May 11, 2019 from 11:00am-2:00pm

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Filed Under: Giveaway, Guest Post, Outdoor Play, Parent Workshop, Spring, Weekend Picks Tagged: Bloom OB/GYN, car seat, kid-friendly, outdoor, safe kids dc, safety, spring, spring in the valley, Spring Valley Pediatrics, weekend

Encore Stage & Studio presents Pinocchio + GIVEAWAY

May 29, 2018

Encore Stage & Studio is the artistic home for young people in the Washington, DC area, and a national leader in children’s theatre. Encore Stage & Studio was founded in 1967 as The Children’s Theatre of Arlington. The organization was run by a team of dedicated volunteers for over 40 years before hiring a professional staff beginning in 2010. Encore is unique in offering dramatic productions in which every actor and every backstage crew member is under 18 years of age. You’ll even find middle and high school students on our front-of-house team! 

Encore Stage & Studio presents Pinocchio

WHO: Encore Stage & Studio—Theatre by Kids, for Kids!

WHAT: Pinocchio

WHEN: June 1-10, 2018

WHERE: Gunston Arts Center – Theatre One (2700 S. Lang St. Arlington, VA 22206)

WHY: Travel with Pinocchio on his road of misadventures, meeting many kooky characters along the way. From Pleasure Isle, to his showdown with the Great Fish, Pinocchio tries to find his way back to his father, Geppetto. Will he learn to choose truth and kindness on his quest to become a “real boy?” Come and see! We recommend this production for ages 4 and older.

TICKETS:  $15 Adults, $10 Children, Students, Military, and Seniors. Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at (703) 548-1154.

GIVEAWAY: Tag a friend on Facebook & Instagram who would love to see Pinocchio for your chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets for the June 9, Saturday, 11:00am performance. Winner will be announced June 3, 2018.

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Filed Under: Giveaway, Sponsored Post Tagged: acting, arlington, childrens theatre, DC Metropolitan area, drama, Encore Stage and Studio, family-friendly entertainment, Giveaway, kid-friendly, Northern Virginia, performing arts, Pinocchio, puppetry, theatre by kids for kids, young performers

Madame Tussauds: No autographs, please ;)

January 9, 2018

What: Madame Tussauds

Where: 1001 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004

When: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm

Why: In the capital city with millions of things to see and do, there is only one place where your group can meet all 45 U.S. presidents, the world’s most fascinating celebrities, influential world leaders, historical figures, and sports icons. Walk the red carpet with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, shake it with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, and explore the nation’s history with George Washington and Barack Obama. I’ve lived in DC for ten years and never visited Madame Tussauds in Chinatown. My initial thought was that I didn’t think it would be a great spot to take my kids– after all what would they gain from looking at a bunch of wax people? I was incorrect in assuming this was a place to skip. It is definitely suitable for children. We took our three and six year old. It was surprisingly informational for our six year old. He read descriptions of people and was interested in when they were relevant while our three year old enjoyed seeing the wax figures and participating in the many interactive areas. There are areas that ask questions and you open a frame to see the answer- his favorite was determining the President’s Pets based on a photo. There were several areas where visitors could add flair or props to take a photo, grab a piece of equipment that went along with a player, read a famous speech or listen to an audio clip from an era– many compliments to the wax figures that really made the experience much better than just walking around reading about the person and moving along. The tour through the attraction is self-guided. It should take you approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete your tour. There is even a spot to stop and get a wax hand. (Purchasing Wax Hands separately is $10 at the door; with the purchase of the Extreme Value Ticket Online, wax hands is automatically included with your admission ticket.) An employee will take your hand or fist and create a cool, colorful wax impression. My six year old was brave enough to do it and it serves as a memory from our trip to Madame Tussauds.

Tickets: Prices vary depending on the package you choose

See more of our photos from our trip to Madame Tussauds on our Instagram page

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Filed Under: Indoor Play, Sponsored Post Tagged: history, kid-friendly, Madame Tussauds, wax museum

Sea Rocket offers Bambino friendly boat rides, parasail and fishing trips in Ocean City, Maryland

July 27, 2017

Headed to Ocean City, Maryland? We just got back and added a new must-do to our list of beach fun. Sea Rocket offers a thrilling speed boat guided tour, parasailing trips as well as a fishing charter. If you’ve been to OC this summer (just under a 3 hour drive if timed right) you have definitely spotted the red, white and blue boat speeding past the beach, which is the Sea Rocket! We took our 6 and 2.5 year old on a two-hour fishing trip and had a successful, FUN, memorable time on the water. My son went fishing last summer and had high expectations for this trip as he caught a few flounder last time and was hoping he’d have the same luck this time. He wasn’t disappointed as he actually lost track of how many he caught. The captain and mate were very patient with our kids and even encouraged our littlest to help “steer” the boat. About an hour and half into fishing, we spotted dolphins and the captain was determined to make our children remember this trip. He knew exactly how to make the dolphins follow us in our wake and we were able to get up close and personal with a huge pod of dolphins for about 20 minutes. After that he took us along Assateague Island National Seashore to see if we could spot any wild horses and sure enough our luck didn’t stop with the dolphins. Once we marveled at the wild pony just hanging out on the beach we headed back to dock. When we arrived the captain and mate were eager to capture a family photo of the flounder we caught and even printed out a picture for us. Since we had dinner plans, we let them keep the flounder for their dinner! This fishing trip was such a wonderful experience, we will absolutely be heading back next summer.

Want to ride along the coastline of Ocean City on the enormous Sea Rocket? Enjoy fun music, observe the scenic coastline, and watch for wildlife on the Sea Rocket. They have frequent encounters with Dolphin as they love to play in the rooster tail. They make 8 trips a day during the summer season so there is definitely a time to fit it in!

Prices:
Children Under 3: 
Free
Children 3 – 12: $10
Adult Fare: $22
Senior Fare:$13
Military & First Responders receive $2 off anytime!

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Fly high above Ocean City enjoying a breath-taking birds-eye view of the shore’s beautiful coastline on a parasail. Relax and enjoy your adventure on a state of the art parasail boat and feel at ease with the experienced, safety-minded crews & USCG master licensed Captains. Fly solo or bring a friend (or two) to enjoy approximately 12-15 minutes in the air!! You can choose to go 400ft, 600ft or 800ft. Keep in mind:

  • No experience necessary. Must be 4 to go up. (under 18 requires parent or guardian approval)
  • Weight 100 lbs. minimum, 450 maximum
  • Casual dress recommended shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits
  • Bring a towel, sunscreen, water bottle

Prices:
Parasailers – $85
Observers – $20

UPDATE: They no longer offer the fishing charters that we did, unfortunately.

For more information:
Phone: 410-289-4FUN
Address: 308 N 1st Street.

Below are some family-friendly places to eat. All of which have an outdoor sand area with playground equipment, allowing adults to enjoy themselves on the sidelines and imbibe or eat their meal at a normal pace because you aren’t rushed to get impatient children out of a restaurant. Each one of these are on the bayside so if you time it right you can be there for the sunset.

Ropewalk

Dead Freddie’s Island Grill

Fishtales

Big Eye Jacks

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Filed Under: Summer Tagged: boat, family, fish, kid-friendly, maryland, Ocean City, parasail, restuarant, thrills, water

Encore Stage and Studio presents Snow White

January 11, 2016

Prince and Snow White

What: Snow White

When: January 8, 2016 – January 17, 2016

Where: Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre
125 S. Old Glebe Road
Arlington, VA. 22204

Why: Snow White is a beautiful young princess who lives with her jealous stepmother, the Queen. When the Queen discovers that Snow White is truly “the fairest of them all,” she devises a plan to continue her reign permanently. After being banished to the woods, Snow White happens upon seven new friends that give her a place to call home. Your family will enjoy this musical adaptation of the classic fairytale. You won’t hear the name Grumpy or Sneezy and you won’t hear any familiar songs. The songs are so catchy, creative, fun and brilliant– they work as good as the songs in the classic. Your children will love the “theatre for kids by kids” approach and may leave the play asking to be enrolled in classes so they can perform in the next play. Recommended musical for ages 4 and older.

I especially love Encore’s mission– “to build life-long appreciation for live theatre by involving young people in all aspects of theater arts- onstage, backstage, in the classroom, and in the audience. Encore strives to educate and entertain by offering productions each season that are by and for young people, and through enriching classes, camps, and workshops. We believe that participating in live theatre builds problem-solving skills, teamwork, creativity, literacy, and self-confidence. We are cultivating the next generation of active and engaged art lovers.”

Details:
Running time is 1 hour and 40 minutes with an intermission

Tickets can be purchased here. Price is $15 for adults, $10 for children

(All photo credit: Photo by Larry McClemons)

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Filed Under: Music, Sponsored Post Tagged: childrens theatre, dancing, kid-friendly, live, performing arts, play, singing, Snow White

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