Immersive Gamebox. There's one at Ballston.

Top golf

I'm in VA, so here's what I'd suggest around here --

Christmas lights at Bull Run or Meadowlark Gardens
Wreath-laying at Arlington Cemetery on Dec. 13
Level 99 at Tysons Corner
Bowling at Bowlero or Lucky Strike

Here's a holiday escape room: https://www.dmvescaperoom.com/sleigh-what-holiday-popup

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old DS likes musicals and doesn't like sports.

If you're picking to appeal to a particular 15 year old boy, presumably his parents know what he likes, as opposed to a generic teen boy.

I am one of the parents of the teen boys, neither I nor the other parent has come up with an idea.

You said the activity didn’t have to include the whole family. I have the 15 & 17 yr old boys from above. They would enjoy doing a tour of DC, although we’ve lived here for years, tours are always fun.
But it’s hard to think of ideas because the interests are so different. I think this is a time when grandparents who can’t go zip lining, for example, enjoy the activity by sitting and watching the kids take off or come back. Or I could ask my kids to just suck up a day pleasing their grandparents and pretending to have fun with whatever they planned for the good of the family.

But genuine interest? for all those ages? It isn’t really likely, tbh.

Wizards or caps game
Escape room (there are holiday themed ones sometimes)
Cirque + Ice at national harbor
Fancy dinner out downtown + seeing the national christmas tree
Ice skating at the art museum downtown
Axe throwing
Metal forging (there is a place in sterling)
Rage room destroying stuff
Cooking class
Renting a limo for the night and driving around to see christmas lights
Lunch out + dave and busters or laser tag or whatever

Movie? If just going as a group is not special enough you could rent a theatre (it’s like $250 to rent an AMC theatre near me for up to 20 people and they offer holiday movies.)

I think a Caps game is a great option (if they like hockey). Or a Wizards game?

Depending how spry the grandparents are, would an indoor go-karting place work?

Top Golf

Ifly? Laser tag? If you want something active, you may not find a lot where the grandparents want to go.

You could also find a good escape room.

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old DS likes musicals and doesn't like sports.

If you're picking to appeal to a particular 15 year old boy, presumably his parents know what he likes, as opposed to a generic teen boy.

I am one of the parents of the teen boys, neither I nor the other parent has come up with an idea.

Anonymous wrote:Does it have to be christmas themed, or is it just togetherness for the cousins? The latter is much easier.

It’s about the kids doing something with the adults. Christmas is ideal, but not 100% mandatory. But given that grandparents are included not ziplining or something like that.

Does it have to be christmas themed, or is it just togetherness for the cousins? The latter is much easier.

My 15 year old DS likes musicals and doesn't like sports.

If you're picking to appeal to a particular 15 year old boy, presumably his parents know what he likes, as opposed to a generic teen boy.

Mt. Vernon's Christmas fireworks.

Amusement park, horseback ride, zipline/adventure park, pro basketball game, some theatre (my teen boys, 15 and 17, like these activities though they likely would have more fun doing them with their friends rather than their family!).

We have a large family with many cousins, mostly local. Ages of the “kids” are 0-25. A generous family member likes to buy activity gifts, so they choose a few Christmassy activities and ask the kids to choose which ones to attend. Parents pick on behalf of little ones. Kids can pick as few or as many as they like. It’s easy to find events for the youngest, and the older girls and some of the boys like the Nutcracker. But one of the teen boys is rejecting everything, and we’d like to have at least one event that he will enjoy.

One idea we had is a Caps game, but I’d love other suggestions. It can be something that appeals to the whole age range, or something that is just for older kids.

Ideas?