Beltway Bambinos

It’s Valentine’s weekend and President’s weekend. We’ll post a separate post on activities for Monday for those of you who are off with your Bambinos. Did you stop by any of the chocolate shops mentioned in our guide?   Hopefully you “like” our Facebook page because we noted a new chocolatier this week, not mentioned in the post and we are constantly sharing relevant articles and information. A yummy highlight this weekend is Sur La Table- Sweet Valentine’s Treats Cooking Class.
The Alexandria, VA and Arlington, VA locations are participating and will have a class on both Saturday & Sunday (see link for details). Bring your little one and join us for a family afternoon filled with baking, laughter, and plenty of tasty Valentine’s Day treats. Mom, grandparent, or special adult along with their kids will have a wonderfully sweet time creating yummy cookies, whoopie pies and chocolate-dipped hearts. Plus, our instructor will walk you through the steps for making delicious cream cheese frosting and share some fun decorating tips. This year, make Valentine’s Day extra special for your little loved ones by making delicious desserts—and precious memories—together.

Family Science Days will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am-4:00pm. Explore interactive science exhibits, learn about cool science jobs, and have your questions answered by scientists! Family Science Days is FREE and open to all, and feature hands-on demos, shows, talks by scientists, and other activities appropriate for K–12 children and their families.

Saturday-

9:00am-10:30am AND 2:30pm-4:00pm: Model Airplane Workshop at National Building Museum
(401 F Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001)
Are you an aspiring aviator or a pilot with potential? Want to learn what keeps a plane in the air? Construct your own rubber-band-propelled model airplane and learn about aeronautics with the D.C. Maxecuters, then try a test flight in the National Building Museum’s Great Hall. Register for am or pm session. $15 Member | $20 Non-member, ages 8 and up, adult assistance required. Prepaid registration required.

10:00am: Avalon Theatre shows Peanuts one final time
(5612 Connecticut Ave NW)
Tickets: $8 / $6.50 (Children under 2 are free.)

10:00am-4:00pm: Valentine’s Day Card Workshop at the National Postal Musuem
(2 Massachusetts Ave NE.)
Love is in the details! Come out and create heart-felt handmade cards and visit the museum’s stamp store to send the cards to your loved ones with a special Postal Museum postmark! Free event.

10:00am-12:00pm: Lego Love at Room and Board
(1840 14th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20009)
You’re invited to a fun-filled morning of modern design inspiration. Bring the family, escape the cold and enjoy Valentine’s Day fun with Lego Man, featuring a life-sized creation using Legos from Brixalot. Guests of all ages can build their own designs from thousands of Legos and create their own Valentine’s Day paper crafts. Enjoy healthy snacks and discover how to create an imaginative space for children using American-made furnishings.

10:30am: The Grandsons Jr at Jammin Java
(227 Maple Ave. Vienna, VA. 22180)
The Grandsons, Jr., is the kids band version of DC-area roots rock superstars, The Grandsons. Kids and their parents will dig the upbeat mix of rock, swing, New Orleans R&B, country, latin music we call Americana. Over the past 25 years performing asThe Grandsons, the band has noticed that many of their songs resonate with the younger crowd. As the grandsons, Jr., they combine new material learned especially for the younger set, with Grandsons tunes that have always been popular with the kids. Tickets are $8.

11:30am-3:00pm: Presidential Family Fun Day at Portrait Gallery
(8 F St)
Bring your family and celebrate American presidents with games, music and hands-on activities. Go on a scavenger hunt led by the Portrait Gallery’s Teen Museum Council. Write love notes like George and Martha Washington—just in time for Valentine’s Day—in a calligraphy workshop. Create and break codes, using codes that George Washington used during the Revolutionary War. Dress and pose like George Washington in their own Lansdowne-inspired portrait and more. See schedule online.

6:00pm-9:00pm: Family Valentine’s Day Dance Party at Port Discovery Children’s Museum
(35 Market Place Baltimore, MD 21202)
Don your best “play” attire and enjoy an evening of dancing, playing, exploring, and making great memories with your family at Port Discovery’s Valentine’s Dance Party! Family Dance Party with DJ Holly, Make a Light up Valentine for your loved ones, Valentine’s Cookie Decorating, Open play and museum exploration (without the crowds!) and Pizza and beverages. $15 for members/$18 for non-members. Children under 2 are free. $7 parking available at Harbor Park Garage.

Sunday-

10:00am-10:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20814)
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, movement, music, and visual art. Each session you leave with a completed craft, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. These popular workshops are themed around beloved children’s books. Story this week: You Are My I Love You. Best for ages 3-5. Tickets are $10.

11:30am: Frosty Films at National Gallery of Art
(East Building Auditorium)
Cozy up with heartwarming animated shorts celebrating the beauty of winter. From the deep forest of Robert Frost’s poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, to the icy crystals beneath the microscope in Snowflake Bentley, this selection shows that winter is a season of quiet wonder and discovery. Other films will include Winter Has Come, Knitted Nights, and The Mitten  Total running time approximately 45 minutes. Ages 4 +. (Also showing Saturday at 10:30am and Monday at 11:30am)

1:00pm-4:00pm: Takoma Park Mid Winter Play Day
(TP Community Center- 7500 Maple Ave Takoma Park, MD. 20912)
It’s a great chance for kids to have some creative, unplugged play time: hula hoops, giant chess, dungeons and dragons, costumes, balloons, face-painting, cookie decorating, tai chi, aerobics, origami, story-telling, and the wildly popular ROOM FULL OF EMPTY BOXES!  Music provided by Bach2Rock and Leveling the Playing Field.  It’s fun, it’s free – and it’s February, so where else can the kids play???