Frying Pan Park in Fairfax, VA

If a Lego fan, there's a big fun fest in Richmond this weekend.

My kids enjoy visiting the farm at Mt Vernon.

Baltimore Inner Harbor, water taxi to Fort McHenry when weather is nice.

Anonymous wrote:The Smithsonian museums are always fun. Natural History and Air and Space are popular with the 5 y.o. set.

Save those for when it's rainy or cold. Get out and enjoy the weather - the zoo, the various farms with their fall fests/pick your own fruit, or hec, just go watch the planes take off and land at National Airport. Rent a boat at Belle Haven marina.

The Smithsonian museums are always fun. Natural History and Air and Space are popular with the 5 y.o. set.

How about apple picking, a hike and a picnic? It looks to be beautiful out.

I have a 5yr old so I would love other ideas too. We are new to the area.

We're going to Shenandoah NP this weekend--no fall colors yet, but not horrible crowds either, and lots of neat views and easy little hikes.

Cumberland Falls State park is nice.

Butler's Orchard or Cox Farms or some similar place a 5 year old kid would love.

If you want a nice drive and a hike try the base of White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run.
We had a nice day trip to Sky Meadows, there's not a lot there but its pretty for a picnic and frisbie and not too far from Bluemont/Leesburg etc. They have a natural ice cellar by the old house that is neat.

Cox Farms in Centreville kicks off their fall festival on Sept. 27. Pumpkin patch, giant slides, farm animals etc. 5 year old would love it.
Old Ellicott City Md. has a ton of cute shops and place to eat and the B&B Railway Museum, it's not far from Clark's Elioak Farm which has farm animals, hayrides, and all these funky sculptures and buildings from the Enchanted Forest. Last time I was there they had a football viewing room set up on Sunday in an open barn that is sometimes used for birthday parties.

Richmond has some great children's museums.

You can spend nearly a day at one of the fall farm festivals like Cox, Ticonderoga, etc.

You could take a hike at Sugarloaf, Sky Meadows, or another state park.

We are thinking of doing a nice day trip this weekend with our 5-yr-old DD that is not to Baltimore or Philly. I know it's too early for Skyline Drive and we've taken her to Luray Caverns. Any other suggestions?