National Air and Space Museum

Ultimate Guide to Halloween in and around Washington, DC

October 11, 2018

Saturdays and Sundays only– 10:00am-6:00pm-: Eye Spy Train at Wheaton
All aboard the Wheaton Eye Spy Halloween Train! NO LONGER HAUNTED! This “not so scary” train ride is fun for the whole family – it’s all about fun, not fright! Each child will receive an Eye Spy card before boarding the train. As you ride through the woods of Wheaton Regional Park, look all around to find Halloween friends hiding, and mark them off the Eye Spy card. They’ll have fun Halloween activities in the Train Station Party Room, where snacks will also be available for purchase. Costumes are encouraged! Please bring a canned food donation for your neighbors in need – they’ll donate them to Mid-County United Ministries in Wheaton. [Read more…]

Tricks and Treats around Washington, DC this Halloween

October 9, 2017

Post has been updated and can be found here for 2018

I can’t count the number of times our son wore his “Max” costume from Where the Wild Things Are. Between parades, school, special celebrations and on Halloween he got lots of practicing saying, “Let the wild rumpus start”! Here’s a guide that will help your child get mileage out of their costume(s) this year. Of course, check out our guide to Festivals and Orchards, as many of them have a special Halloween celebration as well as their day-to-day happenings. DC Library also will have a variety of Halloween celebrations, including Creepy Crafts & Pumpkin Decorating! Check out Facebook and Instagram for updated events.

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Weekend Picks

February 19, 2016

An exciting program we’ve been to a few times that occurs each Saturday is at Glen Echo: Saturday Art Explorers. This Saturday it will be from 11:15am-1:00pm (slightly different time than usual). Drop in for an art activity and play in the Candy Corner Studio for $10, no need to pre-register. Play on the playground afterwards, look around the Glen Echo Park Aquarium or catch a show at Adventure Theatre or the Puppet Co.

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Saturday-

10:00am-3:00pm: African American Pioneers in Aviation and Space at National Air & Space Museum
(Independence Ave at 6th St)
Each February, the Museum celebrates the significant contributions African Americans have made to flight and space exploration despite the overwhelming obstacles they had to overcome. Visitors enjoy presentations, hands-on activities, and stories, and may have the opportunity to meet astronauts, fighter pilots, and others who will share stories of their challenges and accomplishments. They also learn about inspiring historic figures like Bessie Coleman through reenactments or story times.
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Weekend Picks

October 1, 2015

Not sure if all of the activities will take place as Hurricane Joaquin approaches so check individual websites before heading out. Check out our Pinterest page for seasonal crafts and recipes when you start to get stir crazy from being indoors this weekend.

Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 25. The festival is free to children 6 and under this weekend. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment for you and the kids, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

Mariko’s Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure is playing at The Kennedy Center Oct. 2 – Oct. 11. The show is about a restless girl finds inspiration from her mom’s old records to move to her own beat in this new dance work from Chicago’s acclaimed Hubbard Street 2 in collaboration with the shadow puppeteers of Manual Cinema. Age 5+, tickets are $20 and is an hour in length.

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Weekday Adventures: ‘Make Meaning’ with art, watch a play and listen to catchy tunes

November 16, 2014

As the weather turns bitter, reserve your seats at a play this week. Adventure Theater and Imagination Stage have great plays showing. Remember, our Indoor Guide has you covered for some fun and unique indoor places to turn to as it’s windy and cold outside. And for you cold weather fans, we will publish a Winter Outdoor Guide soon.

Monday-

9:30am-11:00am- Rise and Rhyme at Busboys and Poets
(5531 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, Md. 20781)
Rise + Rhyme is a weekly Busboys and Poets series for local stay-at-home parents and early rising families of all kinds! Featuring performances and stories for children ages 5 and under. This week Marsha Goodman-Wood is performing.

9:30am: Harambe at Bloombars
(3222 11th St NW, Washington, DC. 20010)
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.

9:30am and 10:15am: Storytime at Noyes Library
(10237 Carroll Pl, Kensington, MD 20895)
Come Sing, Read, and Rhyme With Us! Music is a fun way to learn about sounds, rhythm, rhyme and is a natural support for your child’s early learning. Appropriate for all ages.

10:15am and 11:30am: Coyote Mischief Tales at Discovery Theater
(Ripley Center, Smithsonian)
Coyote Mischief Tales introduces the culture and legends of Native Americans in a show featuring the famous trickster Coyote, his friend Hastali, and his loving wife Mole, in a trio of tribal stories that will entertain, inspire and teach. Walk the Medicine Wheel in four directions, each with a different lesson—alternately funny, warm and wise. “Coyote Gets his Name” teaches us that the most important lesson is to be true to ourselves; “Coyote and his Pups” reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously and to always value others; “Coyote’s Big Giveaway” is a story about friendship and true giving; and the message in “Coyote Visits the Land of the Spirits” is that true love is the strongest medicine of all. Recommended for ages 5-10.

10:30am-11:00am: Songs and stories at Politics and Prose
(5015 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008)
Come sing-along to your favorite songs. Grab a treat in the cafe afterwards or hang out reading books.
[Read more…]

Weekday Adventures: Veteran’s Day and Bollywood Blooms

November 9, 2014

For those with older kids who have Tuesday off from school to honor our Veteran’s you may want to check out Interstellar playing on IMAX at The Air and Space Museum. We saw Big Hero 6 this weekend, which was good for most ages– (there is a death in the movie, however). This is playing at many theaters in our area as is Interstellar if you don’t feel like fighting for parking down on the Mall.

Also, if you want to send your Bambino(s) to keep them entertained all day, we have a few options here.

Monday-

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Weekday Adventures: Coyote Mischief, Geocaching and Postal Museum Storytime

November 2, 2014

Brrr– November is here and Fall weather has arrived. I’m ecstatic because that means I’m only 2 weeks away from meeting our second child but I am also fully aware that today was not *that* cold and I still had to run screaming to my car tonight on our way out of Comet Pizza because I was so cold. I’m admittedly a big baby when it comes to cold weather (in my defense I lived in Florida for 6 years). With that being said, I will keep a few events outdoors but it’s that time of the year where I will search for fun indoor events mostly. The heat is on at DC Libraries and you can find the Children’s Library Events for the week here. Also, our Indoor Fun Guide has plenty of places to check off your list this winter and escape the cold.

Monday-

10:30am: Storytime at The National Postal Museum
(2 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002)
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum invites adults and young children (ages 2-3) to discover the world around them together at our monthly StoryTime. Children will build important developmental and social skills through books, activities, songs and self-guided gallery exploration. Explore themes, such as shapes, colors, and sizes, in a relaxed setting at your neighborhood museum. Feel free to bring snacks and enjoy the space after the program! Free- no reservation required. Featured story is Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats.

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Weekend Picks: Paper Lanterns, Innovation Festival and The Amazing Max

October 30, 2014

Take a break from the candy eating and check out most of these sugar-free activities! Remember to turn your clocks back for Daylight Savings Time on Sunday and read our post on how to spend the darker afternoons.

Saturday-

9:00am-2:00pm: The Mount Pleasant Children’s Puppet Hour hosts Paper Lantern Making at La Casa
(3166 Mount Pleasant Street Washington, DC)
We create lanterns by collaging tissue paper and other things onto pre-built paper lanterns. It makes a good activity for even the youngest kids (with grown-up help!) but it also allows a lot of creativity and craft and is great for older kids and adults. Lantern-making supplies, including battery-powered lights – will cost $5 per lantern. Lantern walk is at 5:30pm, see below.

10:00am: John Henry the Guitar Playing Man will perform at Avalon Theater
Costume party and live children’s music! Performing for the 10th year in a row, John Henry once again brings his playful musical style to the Avalon’s annual Halloween party. Children of all ages welcome! $6.50 / $5 for Avalon members.

10:00am-5:00pm: Innovation Festival at National Air and Space Museum
(Independence Ave at 6th St, SW Washington, DC 20560)
Join us for a festival for the whole family that celebrates the accomplishments of American inventors and the spirit of innovation that has led to so many of today’s technologies. Exhibits, crafts, talks, and performances will showcase ingenuity at the Smithsonian and across America. Meet inventors and the patent examiners who worked with them on their inventions, hear directly from experts about how an idea is molded into a working product, and try your hand at making your own invention.

10:30am: Rocknoceros at Jammin Java
(227 Maple Ave E Vienna, VA 22180)
As every family with youngsters in the DC area knows, Rocknoceros (pronounced like rhinoceros) is three guys: Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie. They have been making award-winning music for the whole family since 2005.

10:30am: Saturday Song Circle at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814)
You and your child are invited to a fun, interactive musical experience! An Early Childhood Teaching Artist (playing a ukulele!) explores a popular children’s book with your family through song and musical instruments, and you will receive a list of all the songs to practice at home. Featured story today is Five Little Pumpkins. Best for ages 1 month-3 years. Tickets can be purchased here.

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