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  • Winter Activities

  • Nov09

    Holidays in Washington, DC

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Uncategorized, Winter Activities | No Comments

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    Halloween is over which means the holidays will be here before you can blink. Here are some things we are looking forward to this holiday season.

    Glen Echo Park Puppet Company

    nutcracker

    For younger children there is a Nutcracker puppet show at Glen Echo Park beginning on November 27th. Click here for more information on times and how to buy tickets.

    Old Town Alexandria

    old-town-alexandria-black-friday-shopping-tree-lighting

    On November 27th Old Town Alexandria will be kicking off the holiday season with their tree lighting. Click here for additional details on this free event.

    ICE at National Harbor

    ICE

    Bundle up and experience ICE at National Harbor. There will also be fireworks and a Christmas Tree lighting at National Harbor on November 29th. Click here for more information on dates, times and tickets.

    Wolftrap

    Holiday-Sing-640

    On December 5th the Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts is hosting a holiday sing-a-long at 4pm. The event is free and you can find more information here.

    Kennedy Centerfamily-christmas1

    The Kennedy Center is hosting a Family Christmas Concert on December 13th at 2:00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.

     National Botanic Garden

    Photo Credit: Architect of the U.S. Capitol

    Photo Credit: Architect of the U.S. Capitol

    The train display at the National Botanic Garden is a must for any age and is free. The display opens on November 26th and closes on January 3rd. Click here for details.

    National Zoo

    National Zoo Lighted Elephant

    The holiday light display at the National Zoo is a fun activity for families and is also free.The display opens on November 27th and runs daily through January 2nd from 5pm-9pm.  Click here for more information.

    Ice Skating

    National Sculpture Gallery Ice Rink

    There are lots of spots in the city to ice skate. Here are a few we love to visit.

    Mount Vernon

    Christmas at Mount Vernon

    Our first President George Washington’s home Mount Vernon is beautiful during the holidays and definitely worth visiting. Click here for information about the holiday schedule.

    Happy Holidays from Kids Will Travel!

     

  • Feb10

    Spy in the City

    Posted in: Holidays, Uncategorized, Winter Activities | No Comments

    Spy Museum DC

    Will you be here for the long President’s Day Weekend? Looking for a family friendly activity in DC? How about a game of spy? The Spy Museum has a great interactive game that sends you out into the city armed with an interactive GPS device that leads you from clue to clue as you work to track down spies that are trying to steal American national intelligence. It is great fun for all ages.

    Spy Museum DC

    Go online to the Spy Museum website to reserve your GPS device. The cost is $14.95 per device and one device is recommended for every four people, as it gets hard for many more people to crowd around the screen to see and hear. The spy mission takes about an hour and you will walk about a mile.

    After you have completed your mission spend the afternoon at the Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall or stop into Madame Tussauds Wax Museum to snap a picture with your favorite celebrities. Got kiddies with grumbly tummies? There are plenty of family friendly restaurants in the area. Click here for a few of our favorites.

    Have fun and watch out for spies!

     

     

  • Dec10

    Top 5 Holiday Activities for Kids in DC

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Winter Activities | No Comments

    It’s that time of year again…the time of year when the kids are out of school and you are looking for things to entertain them, not to mention the family that you have coming to visit as well. Here are my Top 5 activities for kids over the holidays in DC.

    Photo Credit: U.S. Architect of the Capitol

    Trains at the U.S. Botanic Garden

    I have mentioned this event before, but it is still one of my favorites. Trains take over the Botanic Garden during the holidays and turn it into a magical place. Click here for more information. The Botanic Garden is one of the few places open on Christmas Day so after the presents are unwrapped and you are looking for an activity, head down to the national mall. You’ll have the whole place to yourself, which is fabulous!

    Washington Capitals

    Washington Capitals Practice at Kettler Ice Rink

    Got a hockey fan? The Washington Capitals hockey team practices every morning at Kettler Ice Rink. The start times vary between 10:00 am and 11:00 am based on the Caps evening game schedule so be sure to visit the website before heading out. Also keep in mind that there is often a public skate time at the rink directly after the Caps practice so your kids can try out the new moves they have learned. Click here for more information on the Caps practice schedule and click here for the Caps game schedule. And for more general information on the public skate times at Kettler click here.

    National Harbor Holiday

    Christmas on the Potomac

    Each year National Harbor is transformed into a dazzling Christmas extravaganza. Be sure to get tickets for ICE, a winter wonderland made of 2 million pounds of hand carved ice sculptures, including two slides. While you are there take a spin on the recently installed ferris wheel, which is especially pretty at night.  Pack your patience, as it is a popular destination, even with a timed entry ticket lines can be long. Click here for more information on all of the seasonal activities and a list of the shops and restaurants at National Harbor.

    Santa White House

    Santa’s Workshop

    In the shadow of the White House and the National Christmas tree is Santa’s workshop – a well kept secret in town. Through December 21st, on Friday – Sunday Santa’s workshop is open from 12:30 pm – 9:30 pm. While you visit Santa you can also see model trains and the 50 Christmas trees representing each of the 50 states and decorated with ornaments made in that state. Click here for more information.

    Christmas at Mount Vernon

    Christmas at Mount Vernon

    Want to sneak in a bit of learning over the holiday break? How about a trip to President George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. During the holidays you can tour the home during the day and visit the rarely opened third floor of the mansion or you can take a candlelight tour during the evening where you will be welcomed by Mrs. Washington herself. You may even see a camel, as rumor has it Mr. Washington once brought a camel to the house over the holidays to entertain his guests. Click here for more information.

    Need More?

    In addition to these fun activities, there is ice skating, the Nutcracker, an indoor trampoline park and our wonderful Smithsonian museums. Two other great websites with weekly postings on current events are Red Tricycle and Kid Friendly DC.

    Have fun and Happy Holidays!

    Christmas Tree Washington DC

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Nov13

    Holidays = Family

    Posted in: Current Events, Holidays, Off the beaten path, Uncategorized, Winter Activities | No Comments

    Have you got family visiting you for the holidays? Are you looking for somewhere other than a museum to take them? Here are some suggestions…

    Rebounderz Indoor Trampoline Arena 

    Rebounderz Sterling VA

    Rebounderz in Sterling, VA is a huge warehouse of trampolines.The trampoline park is open from 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm on Monday through Thursday and 10:00 am – 10:00 pm on Friday through Sunday. Be sure to check out their daily deals like unlimited jumping on Friday nights for kids 12 and older and take advantage of the option to buy tickets for a specific time 24 hours in advance. Rebounderz is located three miles west of Dulles International Airport in Sterling, VA.

    Ice Skating

    Ice skating in DC has gotten a lot more scenic recently with the addition of two new ice skating rinks. The rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will always be a favorite, but now you can also skate away an afternoon at the Washington Harbor in Georgetown and at Canal Park near the Nationals Baseball Stadium. The ice skating rinks are scheduled to open soon so visit the below websites for more information about opening day and hours of operation.

    National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden – opening in mid-November

    Washington Harbor – opening the second weekend in November

    Canal Park – opening in mid-December

    While you’re there sip on a cup of hot chocolate and take in the views. The National Sculpture Garden has a small cafe with snacks and drinks and there are several restaurants surrounding the rink at both Washington Harbor and Canal Park.

    Imagination Stage

    Imagination Stage will take your child on a journey to one of their favorite books or most loved stories with a musical performance designed especially for children, and more importantly a child’s attention span. With an ever changing offering of plays, a great gift shop and kid-friendly cafe it is a fun outing for the entire family. Visit their website for more information on the upcoming plays scheduled for this fall and winter, Lyle the Crocodile and Rumpelstiltskin. Imagination Stage

     Washington National Cathedral 

    National Cathedral

    Fall is the perfect time of year to visit the Pilgrim Observation Gallery at the Washington National Cathedral. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful changing leaves in the city and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Currently the observation deck has an exhibit of the broken pieces of the cathedral that fell during the 2011 earthquake and the reconstruction is visible from many of the windows. The observation deck is open Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm and Sunday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you are able to visit on a Monday or Wednesday at 12:30 pm you will hear the cathedral’s enormous organ and every Tuesday and Wednesday a traditional English tea is served on the observation deck at 2:45 pm. The Cathedral is open to the public and free to visitors, but donations are encouraged. Visit the Washington National Cathedral website for additional information.

    ICE

    ICE

    Nothing puts you in the mood for the holidays like the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord National Hotel at Washington National Harbor. After putting on your complimentary parka you will enter a 9 degree winter wonderland made completely of ice. This year’s theme is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and your kids will love the hand carved life size Santa and the two story ice slide. After your visit stay awhile and warm up with lunch or dinner at one of the many area restaurants. There are many family friendly options such as Elevation Burger and Rosa Mexicano. You also don’t want to miss the holiday decorations and nightly indoor snowfall at the Gaylord National Hotel.  This year the holiday festivities begin on November 15th and run through January 5th. Visit the Gaylord website for information on purchasing tickets. Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac

    What are your favorite activities when you have family in town? Let us know…

  • Feb07

    Hot Chocolate in the City

    Posted in: Restaurants, Uncategorized, Winter Activities | No Comments

    Winter is hanging on and there is no better way to warm up than with a cup of hot chocolate. So where should you go in Washington, DC for a good cup of cocoa?

    Marvelous Market

    First up is my daughter’s favorite, Marvelous Market. This is a DC area chain and you will find these sandwich shops in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, downtown on K Street and in the Palisades and Chevy Chase neighborhoods. Not only do they have delicious hot chocolate, but they also have a great cup of coffee, sweets and pre-made sandwiches.

    Marvelous Market DC

    Paul

    Another Kids Will Travel favorite is the hot chocolate at Paul. Think true European hot chocolate that actually quite resembles a molten chocolate bar. Decadent. It’s especially good when you dip in a croissant, just a suggestion.

    croissant

    National Sculpture Garden Cafe

    If you’re looking for hot chocolate with a view then make a stop at the National Sculpture Garden where in the winter you will find a great ice skating rink. There is a cute little cafe overlooking the rink with sandwiches, hot chocolate, coffee and wine! It’s a great spot for an afternoon break and good people watching.

    National Sculpture Gallery Ice RinkSerendipity

    If you’re looking for over the top, head straight to Georgetown and Serendipity. This frozen hot chocolate may not warm you up, but your kids will love it just the same. It’s big enough to feed a family so grab a spoon and enjoy!

    Child eating ice cream

    What’s your favorite family winter warm-up activity? Leave us your comments…

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