Beltway Bambinos

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

Outdoor ice rinks in and around Washington, DC

In the past you could typically show up at local outdoor ice rinks. Of course, this year things will be different- most require a reservation so be sure to check each rinks protocols before heading out.

Color Burst Ice Rink at Merriweather District– Downtown Columbia, MD
The new Color Burst Ice Rink at Merriweather District is opening for the 2020 – 2021 season until January 31! The rink welcomes you with festive décor – the perfect place for date nights and family outings. There will be plenty of Holiday celebrations and themed events throughout the season, as well as music, food trucks, and the nearby Symphony of Lights at Merriweather Post Pavilion. For the safety and convenience of all guests, a limited number of visitors will be admitted to the ice rink every 30-minutes.  All visits must be reserved in advance by purchasing a timed ticket(s) online. 

Pentagon Row– 1201 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA 22202
Reservations required this season

Canal Park Ice Rink– 202 M Street, SE Washington, DC 20003
Typically open November – February and open on holidays

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink– National Mall at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408
No information yet, typically open November 15 and continues through March 7, weather permitting.

Silver Spring Veteran’s Plaza Ice Rink– 8523 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD 20910
Reservations required this season

Rockville Town Square Ice Rink– 131 Gibbs St., Rockville, MD 20850
Typically open mid-October – mid-March

Wharf Ice Rink– 960 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Will not be opening this season due to the COVID 19 pandemic

Washington Harbour Ice Rink– 3050 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007               
Postponing the opening due to the COVID 19 pandemic

The Lodge at The Yards socially-distant outdoor dining experience

Following the sold-out success of Glamp Yards in October, The Yards, DC’s most exciting waterfront neighborhood for living, dining, shopping and relaxing, is bringing back the socially-distanced curated dining experience with a new twist. While it may not be cold enough to ski, The Yards will host a socially-distanced après ski-themed area called The Lodge at The Yards, which will accommodate 2-4 guests each. Similar to Glamp Yards, the instagram-worthy individual areas will feature alpine-chic decor and cozy seating in an exclusive section of the Sun Deck. Special snacks and drinks only available for Lodge patrons from several of The Yards’ restaurants will round out the rustic experience – no skis, boots or lift passes required!

Lodge seating is available by reservation only and can be reserved for 90-minute windows for the evening on Friday, November 20th and during the day on Saturday, November 21st and Sunday, November 22nd. 

On Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10:00am-11:30am, Lodge reservations will be kid and parent-friendly with safe, socially-distanced activities for young ones within the Lodge area. Now the whole family can enjoy a cozy outdoor experience with no waiting in line for ski lifts!

Reservations include snack boxes and drinks from a variety of restaurants in three different tiers: 

  • Trail Run (serves 2 guests) – $50 
  • Back Country (serves 4 guests) – $100
  • Double Black Diamond (serves up to 4 guests with additional exclusive treats) – $150

At the time of your reservation, you will pick up drink and snack boxes from your restaurant of choice and head to your Lodge seating area to relax and enjoy. Guests can also purchase items from other participating restaurants from The Yards via QR codes at their lodge site. 

WHEN: Reservations can be purchased (TODAY) Monday, November 9th at 10am on Tock while they last! Lodge seats are reservation-only for all seatings and can be reserved for 90-minute windows with 30 minutes in between reservations for sanitization. The Lodge will be open from:

  • November 20th
    • 4:30pm-10:00pm
  • Saturday, November 21st
    • 10:00-11:30am for families
    • 12pm-9:30pm 
  • Sunday, November 22nd
    • 10:00am-11:30am for families
    • 12pm-7:30pm 

WHERE: The Yards Sundeck, located between Ice Cream Jubilee and District Winery. Directions can be found here. The Yards is metro accessible via the Navy Yard Metro on the Green line and Capitol South Metro on the Orange/Blue line. Parking is also available on The Yards’ surface parking lots. The Lodge is rain or shine.

HOW: Reservations are open beginning Monday, November 9th at 10am via Tock. Reservations include snack boxes and drinks from the restaurant of your choice are available for $50, $100, or $150 per group. 

SAFETY MEASURES: Guests will have their temperature taken before they enter the Lodge area and each space will be sanitized between service. Per DC COVID-19 mandates, guests will be required to wear masks anywhere outside their designated seating area and the Lodge will not exceed 48 people at any given time. 

Breweries that have outdoor space for families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC

Last year we published a blog post on family-friendly breweries which is a favorite of mine. We have not been going inside restaurants or bars however, so we bring you a list of breweries that have outdoor space large enough to social distance. Be sure to check the websites for protocols and hours as many breweries are closed a few days of the week. An alternative to taking the entire family to enjoy a brew– you can plan a great day date or overnight with adults and check out this Countryside Bike Tour published by Edible DC where you bike, drink and eat along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) and the Rock Creek Trail. Note: not all have outdoor space necessarily.

Pictured: Lone Oak Farm

Maryland:

Lone Oak Farm– Olney, MD
Tons and tons of outdoor space. Bring a blanket incase the many picnic tables are occupied. They even have a small playground.

7 Locks Brewing– Rockville, MD
Pretty small outdoor space but there are picnic tables nonetheless. Perhaps a better place to go with adults.

The Brookeville Beer Farm– Brookeville, MD
A perfect brewery to bring a blanket and relax on the lawn, grab a brew and a pizza.

Denizens– Silver Spring, MD
They accept reservations in their beer garden for parties up to 6 people. The beer garden seating is weather dependent. They have some fire pits, but as the weather chills, they recommend you bring your own blanket!

Waredaca Brewing Company– Laytonsville, MD
Reservations are for two hours and a maximum of six people. Walk ins, dogs and families are welcome!

Virginia:

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery– Leesburg, VA
Another great place to spread out a blanket and play games. They have corn hole and other outdoor games to play along with a playground. A reader recommends to visit Temple Hall Farm while you are out that way; a working farm open free to the public.

Solace Brewing Company– Dulles, VA
Not much of an outdoor area for families– better for a date.

Dirt Farm Brewing– Bluemont, VA
Right up the hill from Great Country Farm with the most AMAZING views. Hang with the kids picking fruit at GCF and then head up the mountain to relax on the great lawn and play some games while you imbibe. They are open to outdoor seating only with plenty of space.

Port City Brewing– Alexandria, VA
Port City Brewing is thrilled to be open and accepting limited reservations for outdoor seating.

Caboose Brewery Company– Vienna, VA & Fairfax, VA
Both locations are incredibly family friendly. The Fairfax location seems to have a larger outdoor space.

Washington, DC:

Wunder Garten Beer Garden– NE, DC
Lawn games, a children’s play area and many outdoor tables.

Right Proper Brewing Company– Shaw & Brookland
With a small outdoor area, kids can keep themselves busy for a bit but take some games for more entertainment. They now take resvervations.

Bluejacket– SE, DC
The patio is open and you order online once you are seated.

Bardo Beer– SE, DC
The strangest setup but one of the most inventive. Situated between Nats Park and the water. You can enter from Riverwalk or Potomac Ave/S Capitol St SE. Perfect for pre-game or post-game hangout. TONS of seating and fun outdoor games, right next to the river! Also, dog friendly.

Fun from home: 3 ingredient sidewalk chalk paint

Our fun from home series has given you an easy and quick slime recipe, directions to make a bird feeder with a milk carton, a recipe for homemade ice cream without a machine as well as a mesmerizing cloud dough recipe. Last week we showed you a quick, 5 ingredient healthy and refreshing popsicle recipe for our hot summer afternoons. Today we give you a new way for your kids to use chalk because if they’re anything like mine, they are bored with just going outside to use typical sidewalk chalk. We present you with a 3 ingredient quick way to make sidewalk chalk paint!

Supplies:
1/2 cup corn starch
Food coloring (as much as you want)
1/2 cup water
Paint brushes
Cupcake/muffin pan
Masking tape (optional)

Directions:
Mix equal parts of corn starch with water in a bowl. Once the consistency isn’t lumpy (it will be thick), pour into the muffin pan. Add food coloring to each cup. This is a way your kids can experiment with mixing colors also. Use paintbrushes to paint your sidewalk or driveway. Optional: Use masking tape on your sidewalk to create designs to paint, once the paint is dry remove the tape and see a stained glass design.

Weekend activities, reopened museums and virtual fun in and around Washington, DC

We are excited to share a new weekend picks post; the last one we published was in March! Washington, DC is officially in Phase 2 of reopening the city. You may see summer camps adjusting their original plans, playgrounds are now open and restaurants are adopting safeguards as they begin serving.

Friday
5:30pm – 6:30pm: My Gym Bethesda & Potomac Kid’s Night In
A special one-hour “evening” event where kids will spend time together on Zoom enjoying games, puppet shows, story time, and more with their favorite teachers. Perfect for ages 3 to 10 years (Younger or older siblings are welcome to participate). Members $10 per family, Non-Members – $15 per family.

8:30pm: Tino’s Pizzeria presents movie night on the patio
Tino’s is thrilled to invite all of you for an opportunity for some socially-distanced summer fun right on our front porch. Beginning this past Wednesday and again on FRIDAY (6/26) evenings, and continuing on Wednesday and Friday evenings after that, they will have chairs and tables set up on the patio between Tino’s and Uptown Cinema with a movie starting at 8:30pm. Grab a friend, some pizza, a fresh Tino’s cocktail, and sit back and relax.

Sunday
8:30am-1:30pm: Dupont Circle Farmers Market faced backlash about the lack of diversity at the market and welcomed four new black vendors last weekend: Dodo Farms produce, organic Fight Juice, vegetarian/vegan foods vendor Sexy Vegie, and Cajun/Creole kitchen Puddin’.

All weekend
18th Street in Adam’s Morgan will close traffic and is open to pedestrians and bikes this weekend and also will be open for dining, shopping and drinking.

Reopened
International Spy Museum
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden 
DC’s Museum of the Bible
U.S. National Arboretum
Glenstone Museum
The Carlyle House
The Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
The Cold War Museum
The Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail
B&O Railroad Museum
The National Museum of Civil War Medicine
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Garden (open to the public on Saturday)

Virtual
Smithsonian Folklife Festival goes beyond the Mall this year and has a list of great virtual events.

Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm: Rosé All Day at The Yards
The unofficial kick-off to summer! This year, Rosé All Day has been reimagined—celebrating National Rosé Day Live on Instagram. They’ve got all the essentials for a rosé-filled party with your (literal) closest friends. Rosé All Day party kits will feature 1, 2, or 3 bottles of rosé from restaurants at The Yards and include a curated box of rosé-themed party starters. Every hour they’ll give away $100 gift cards live on Instagram for the most Insta-worthy and PINK party accents.

Sunday 11:00am-12:00pm: Groovin’ with CityDance
Join virtually for family fun day with CityDance POP!. Instructors will teach your family the dances from your children’s favorite movies and songs via Zoom. Get excited for a weekly family dance party in the comfort of your home! We will be Groovin’ as we learn iconic choreography from Hairspray’s, “You Can’t Stop The Beat.”

News
DC kids and teens under 18 have access to free meals at various DPR locations this summer

Bakers against racism raises over $1.6 million for racial justice

Recent posts
Trails, marshes and gardens
Beach and state parks 
Overnight trips
Outdoor post

Summer outdoor movies in and around Washington, DC

Bring blankets or chairs (check websites for what they prefer), some snacks and cozy up to a summer movie under the stars. Disclaimer: This is a list of child friendly and a few adult friendly movies. As you will see some of these don’t begin until sunset so perhaps it’s a late summer evening for some kids or a date night for parents. Have fun watching some free movies this summer.

Union Market Drive-In

Bethesda Outdoor Movies
Enjoy four nights of blockbuster hits at downtown Bethesda’s 15th annual outdoor movie series!Show times begin at 9:00pm at the corner of Norfolk and Auburn Avenues. A limited number of chairs will be provided and attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs. Admission is free!

July 24: 10 Things I Hate About You
July 25: Won’t You Be My Neighbor
July 26: Crazy Rich Asians
July 27: As Good As It Gets

Union Market Drive-In
The Drive-In at Union Market is back for a seventh season from May through October! Watch great films under the stars on the first Friday of every month. Delicious foods from market vendors, and fun pre-show activities for movie-lovers of every age! All films are shown with Closed Caption. Driving? $15 parking fee per car, purchase via links below. Walk-ups are free.

June 7: Con Air
July 5: A League of Their Own
Aug 2: Jaws
Sep 6: Coco
Oct 4: The Wiz

NoMa Family Film Night
The theme for the 12th season of Summer Screen — our longest-running free public event — is WHO’S GOT GAME? We’ve got a fun lineup of sports-related films. Chairs are encouraged, as are blankets, frisbees, dogs on leases and picnic coolers when the doors open at 7:00pm, movies begin at sunset.

June 5: The Karate Kid (PG) sunset: 8:30 p.m.
June 12: Love & Basketball (PG-13) sunset: 8:33 p.m.
June 19: Moneyball (PG-13) sunset: 8:35 p.m.
June 26: Rudy (PG) sunset: 8:37 p.m.
July 3: The Sandlot (PG) sunset: 8:37 p.m.
July 10: I, Tonya (R) sunset: 8:35 p.m.
July 17: Bend It Like Beckham (PG-13) sunset: 8:31 p.m.
July 24: Remember the Titans (PG) sunset: 8:26 p.m.
July 31: Bring It On (PG-13) sunset: 8:20 p.m.
Aug 7: Cool Runnings (PG) sunset: 8:12 p.m.
Aug 14: She’s the Man (PG-13) sunset: 8:04 p.m.
Aug 21: Best in Show (PG-13) sunset: 7:54 p.m.
Aug 28: rain date sunset: 7:44 p.m.

Adam’s Morgan Movie Nights
Theme of this year is: Movie Nights in Space. Movies begin approximately 30 minutes after sunset. Kids are welcome, but please no pets or alcohol. Please check the Movie Nights Facebook Page for cancellation information in the event of bad weather.

May 21: Armageddon
May 28: Alien
June 4: Spaceballs
June 11: Apollo 11
June 18: ET

Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor
Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor. Pack your picnic blankets, grab food to go from one of the delicious dining establishments, and meet at the Plaza’s big screen for a FREE evening of fun for all ages! Please note that movies will begin at 6:00pm and will be shown once. They also feature Date Night Movies on Thursdays at 7:00pm.

May 19: Incredibles 2
May 26: The Lego Batman Movie
June 2: Cars 3
June 9: Matilda
June 16: Ralph Breaks the Internet
June 23: Air Bud: World Cup
June 30: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
July 7: Mary Poppins Returns
July 14: CoCo
July 21: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
July 28: The LEGO Movie 2
Aug 4: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Aug 11: Learning to See: The World of Insects
Aug 14: Holes
Aug 18: Instant Family
Sept 2: A Wrinkle in Time
Sept 9: The Wizard of Oz
Sept 16: The Wiz (1978)
Sept 23: Despicable Me 3
Sept 30: DUMBO (2019)

Cinema Del Ray
The fun begins at 7:00pm. Free open air movie showings sponsored by The Jen Walker Team. Bring blankets and cozy up. No 4 legged friends.

May 18: Peter Pan
June 15: Ralph Breaks the Internet
July 20: Smallfoot (in Spanish with English subtitles)
August 17: How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World
September 21: Incredibles 2

Not yet announced for 2019:
Four Mile Summer Movie Festival at Four Mile Conservatory Building
Canal Park
Comcast Xfinity Outdoor Film Festival

Help us add to our list of outdoor movies, let us know what to add by sending us a message.

Our favorite family-friendly summer activities in and around Washington, DC

Summer is my all-time favorite time in Washington, DC, despite the hot temperatures, there is something always going on. An outdoor festival, fountains to splash around in, an outdoor sports game to watch or live music are a few of our go-to’s. We want to help you kick off your summer the right way so you don’t miss out on some of the great summer events in Washington, DC.

Photo courtesy of DC Mosquito Squad
  • Jazz in the Sculpture Garden: The Jazz in the Garden Series begins its 19th season in May. The free concert series features jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—Brazilian Folk Jazz, Alternative Modern, Blues, Reggae, World Steam Punk, Afro Funk, African Fusion Jazz, Cuban Charanga, Django Guitar, New Orleans Jazz, and more—every Friday evening from 5:00 to 8:30 in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Bring a picnic, buy a beverage, relax and enjoy the atmosphere, sculptures and music.
  • Local splash parks
  • Wolf Trap children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods: June 18- Aug 3, 2019- Across the meadow from the Filene Center, literally tucked in the woods at Wolf Trap National Park, the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods has been a summer tradition for generations of children and families. Performances range from music and dance to puppetry and storytelling—interactive, educational, and fun. All shows are about an hour long and are perfect for children ages 4 and up. Event calendar can be found here.
  • Play in your own yard! Our family loves good old fashioned chalk and bubbles on our front walkway but we also play tons of catch, water play and scootering. This wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have our yard sprayed by Mosquito Squad. The first year we lived in our house we weren’t able to sit on our front porch for more than a minute without being bitten by mosquitos. Mosquito Squad has made an amazing difference and after our treatment the mosquitos are gone! What I love most is that their spray techniques allow for kids and pets to return to playing just 30 minutes after service.
  • Pirate Adventure on the Chesapeake: Boat + Annapolis + Pirate Adventure = Outdoor Perfection
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival: The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is June 29 & 30, 2019 and you will experience living traditions from around the world. The goal is to work with communities to strengthen and preserve their cultures and share them with you on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
  • Strathmore Backyard Theatre: Enrich your little ones’ summer Thursday mornings in July with sunshine, music, and laughter at Strathmore’s Backyard Theater for Kids. This eclectic program is the perfect summer escape for busy families. Pack a picnic and enjoy live performances by highly esteemed and innovative family-friendly entertainers.
  • Montgomery County Agriculture Fair: The Fair will be August 9-17, 2019 and has animals, rides, entertainment, food, commercial, home arts, arts and crafts exhibits, and many others for the whole family to enjoy!
  • 11th Annual Ukulele Festival at Strathmore: It’s a celebration of the marvelous musicality of the ukulele on August 21, 2019. UkeFest features ukulele superstars Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Daniel Ho, and Peter Luongo along with a mass strum-along. This fantastically fun concert is the culmination of the 11th annual UkeFest intensive workshop and a highlight of summer at Strathmore!
  • Kayak, canoe and paddle boating: Ballpark Boathouse, Fletcher’s Boathouse, Mariner Sailing School, The Wharf

Mosquito Squad of Greater Washington DC is our communities’ leading choice for mosquito, tick, and flea control, as well as other forms of backyard pest control. Their work has made it possible for customers to enjoy their backyards for the first time without fear of bug bites or vector-borne diseases. Their work is backed by a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t like the results, they promise to spray your yard again for free or refund your money. Schedule your mosquito control treatment by calling (571) 364-6956 and find a service that is right for your family here.

This post was written in partnership with D.C. Mosquito Squad who is providing standard barrier treatment for our yard this summer.

Spring in the Valley is back!

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

logo design courtesy of New Leaf Design