Anonymous wrote:Op - don't mean to be nosey, but how on the world can you afford to pay for all of that (ie your long list)??? 95% of your list has a pricey admission fee and that adds up fast when it's you + 2 3, 4 kids in tow.

That is our limiting factor Yes, Smithsonians are free, but the other places (Spy Museum, UdvarvHazy parking (unless it's after 4pm but who wants to deal with rush hour traffic), rope courses, Amusement parks, etc).
Curious, too, what ages ate your kids. Mine would be hot and bored walking battlefields or visiting Arlington Cemetery.

There's definitely no shortage of things to do and sites to see in this area, but doing it on a family friendly budget is where it becomes limiting.

Not OP, but I feel like there are a lot of places that can be visited for free or cheap (e.g., state parks at $5-$10 per vehicle) in this area. In addition to all of the Smithsonians and the NGA, there are the monuments, plus county, state, regional, and national park sites. We always buy a national park pass (for visiting Great Falls, Fort McHenry, Prince William Forest, Shenandoah, etc. all year).... the savings add up fast for us, and anyone with a 4th grader can get a free pass for the year. I agree that walking around non-shady places like battlefields gets hot in the summer, but check out Shenandoah River State Park, Mason Neck State Park, Cunningham Falls, Purse State Park, Calvert Cliffs, or Flag Ponds. All have places to swim or at least wade and cost $10 or less (for the whole family) to enter.

Other suggestions for OP:
-Fort Washington Park and Piscataway Park (both free)
-rent a canoe or kayak at Lake Fairfax or Burke Lake
-Hemlock Overlook Regional Park (free, right next to Clifton, which could be fun to walk around)
-Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (free)
-Dyke Marsh Trail (free)

Planet Word (a museum of the written word) in Franklin Square is supposed to be fun for kids. It does cost money though.

Also, we do tons of stuff at libraries in the summer. Our local library has reading challenges in the summer with prizes, so we'll go weekly to pick up new books, collect prizes, and check out any activities they have. We will also do a couple trips to some of the bigger libraries around town as an outing. The renovated MLK library in Chinatown is amazing and has a roof deck that is fun as well. I fun day is to go to the Building Museum in the morning, get lunch in Chinatown, and then spend a couple hours at the library in the afternoon before heading home. This is especially good for a hot day because the metro takes you straight to the Building museum, and then you can hop back on right outside the library. You've got a few blocks of walking in between that you can break up with a stop for lunch. I save this for one of those 95 degree, 100% humidity days.

Another hidden gem is the kids section of the Library of Congress. If you haven't been, combine it with a guided tour, but we often just go for the kids area. They moved it during Covid and we're looking forward to checking the new version out. They sometimes do events as well.

Anyone else do local beaches? We will hit beaches around the bay throughout the summer for a change of pace. There are a couple right near the Bay Bridge that are fairly easy to get to even with weekday traffic, and we'll also head down to southern Maryland or even the Norfolk area a couple times. We usually time it so we get there just before noon and can eat lunch right away, then 3-4 hours of beach time, then home, stopping halfway home to grab dinner and take a break from the traffic.

Also public pools.

That's a great list! Thanks for sharing!

Just a suggestion:
Brainstorm a list together with them BEFORE showing them yours. I'm always surprised by some of the things my kids suggest that I probably wouldn't knows about if I started from a master list.

We also add in skills and home activities, like learn how to make a layer cake or try out inline skating or have a massive pillow fight or try to build a bird house or design a slip-and-slide. I love the suggestions about also having volunteer activities on the list!

You are a cool mom. Have fun. You seem to have covered most if it.

Anonymous wrote:Reasonably close, and often overlooked - Manassas Battlefield Park. A little further afield, but totally doable in a day - Luray Caverns and hikes in the Shenandoah. Still a little further, is Charlottesville.

Skyline Caverns is closer (and smaller and cheaper) and my kids loved it (even after having been to Luray.)

Age??

Anonymous wrote:I have a massive list similar to yours, OP, which I created in summer 2019. At the time we had two kids, aged 6 and 2.5. We've gotten to maybe half or a little more of the adventures on the list because summer passes so quickly.


Here are some other suggestions:

- National Arboretum (free)
- DC Splash pads (free)
- Paddleboats at the Tidal Basin or a Moco Park
- Go Ape Ropes Course
- Biking on rock creek trail (between Bethesda and Georgetown is great)
- Matoaka Beach (in Calvert County, went over Spring break, definitely worth the drive!)

Thanks!!

I have a massive list similar to yours, OP, which I created in summer 2019. At the time we had two kids, aged 6 and 2.5. We've gotten to maybe half or a little more of the adventures on the list because summer passes so quickly.


Here are some other suggestions:

- National Arboretum (free)
- DC Splash pads (free)
- Paddleboats at the Tidal Basin or a Moco Park
- Go Ape Ropes Course
- Biking on rock creek trail (between Bethesda and Georgetown is great)
- Matoaka Beach (in Calvert County, went over Spring break, definitely worth the drive!)

Anonymous wrote:Op - don't mean to be nosey, but how on the world can you afford to pay for all of that (ie your long list)??? 95% of your list has a pricey admission fee and that adds up fast when it's you + 2 3, 4 kids in tow.

That is our limiting factor Yes, Smithsonians are free, but the other places (Spy Museum, UdvarvHazy parking (unless it's after 4pm but who wants to deal with rush hour traffic), rope courses, Amusement parks, etc).
Curious, too, what ages ate your kids. Mine would be hot and bored walking battlefields or visiting Arlington Cemetery.

There's definitely no shortage of things to do and sites to see in this area, but doing it on a family friendly budget is where it becomes limiting.

Thanks everyone for the extra suggestions. I'm adding them to the list. Good tips on minor league keys vs. baysox. We have never been to a game, but my kids would like it.

My budget is about $150 a day for kid activities. I have two kids. I figure that if I was sending them to camps, it would be at least $700-$1000 a week. We won't do expensive activities every day, and will supplement with the pool, hiking, playing in the creek, libraries, nature centers and free museums. I view it as an investment in my relationship with my kids. Aside from their sports, this is the most expensive time of the year for me, and my summer credit card bills are pretty high, but I only have a few years with them, and I want to make great memories with them. I also look on groupon or kidfriendly DC for deals, and we won't do all of the things on the list. I just like to have a giant list to choose from when I plan out the week so we don't get stuck at home saying "what should we do?"

Anonymous wrote:Aquarium & train museum in Baltimore
Cunningham Falls State Park (swim in the lake)
Clara Barton House
Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown
Ann Marie Sculpture Garden
Harper’s Ferry
Huntley Meadows

Love Harper's Ferry. Depending on how adventurous you want to get you can also do some tubing/rafting around there too. Or for something more chill plan a winery picnic. Wineries are far far less chaotic and crowded on a weekday (as long as it's not Friday) and you can let the kids play without them being a bother to other guests.

Op - don't mean to be nosey, but how on the world can you afford to pay for all of that (ie your long list)??? 95% of your list has a pricey admission fee and that adds up fast when it's you + 2 3, 4 kids in tow.

That is our limiting factor Yes, Smithsonians are free, but the other places (Spy Museum, UdvarvHazy parking (unless it's after 4pm but who wants to deal with rush hour traffic), rope courses, Amusement parks, etc).
Curious, too, what ages ate your kids. Mine would be hot and bored walking battlefields or visiting Arlington Cemetery.

There's definitely no shortage of things to do and sites to see in this area, but doing it on a family friendly budget is where it becomes limiting.

One of the water parks in Fairfax County (Pirate’s Cove, etc.). Inexpensive and not super crowded on a weekday.

Aquarium & train museum in Baltimore
Cunningham Falls State Park (swim in the lake)
Clara Barton House
Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown
Ann Marie Sculpture Garden
Harper’s Ferry
Huntley Meadows

My kids love hunting for geocaches. There’s a ton in Old Town Alexandria. We find a few and reward ourselves with ice cream

Anonymous wrote:Go to a minor league game at Frederick Keys or Bowie Baysox Stadium. So much more fun than Nats games.

+1 This is a good suggestion. Maybe I've just had bad luck with timing, but a Keys game is much more relaxing than Baysox, largely because of traffic. On the other hand, it is a lower level of play, so sometimes the games take forever.

Closer to the Baltimore area, consider the various parts of Patapsco State Park, including the tire park (Hilton Area) and the swinging bridge and Cascade Falls trail (Avalon area). These are best done on a weekday, as the park tends to fill up quickly on the weekends.

Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont, MD, is great, albeit a bit further away. You can hike to the waterfall, and there is also a beach with boat rentals. There is also a smaller zoo in Thurmont (Catoctin Mountain Zoo).