50 Things to do with your child in DC before they grow up!!

I saw this posted today on Being Savvy and love the list … I think it is something we will work on … once we do them I’ll change the color to red.

In no particular order, here’s a list of 50 things to do in the DC Metro Area with a child before they grow up:

1. Head out the night before and brave the elements for your tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll just to say you’ve done it
2. Witness the beauty of the cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial at their peak
3. Go kayaking at Mason Neck State Park in Virginia since it is a great place to spot a bald eagle
4. Step back in time and go on a canal boat ride in Great Falls or Georgetown
5. After dinner and a bath, take your PJ-clad child on a tour of the Monuments at night
6. Appreciate the grandeur of the interior space of the National Building Museum then head to the Building Zone to satisfy your child’s inner Bob the Builder
7. Play at Turtle Park and don’t miss Turtle Park Day
8. Attend a performance at Glen Echo Puppet Theater
9. Catch a show at Glen Echo Adventure Theater, DC’s longest running children’s theater
10. Take a spin on the Glen Echo Carousel and witness the amazing Wurlitzer band organ
11. Witness air acrobatics at Bealeton Airport Flying Circus
12. Choose a local farm, bring your own containers, and an appetite to spend a couple hours berry picking
13. Introduce your child to the wonders of live performances at Wolf Trap Theater in the Woods
14. Teach your child the importance of giving back to your community
15. Attend afternoon high tea at Strathmore Mansion
16. Witness the power of water at Great Falls
17. Take a seat at the end of the runway at National Airport’s Gravelly Point and watch airplanes zoom overhead
18. Explore every corner and each animal exhibit (including the naked mole rats!) at the National Zoo
19. Feed the koi at the National Arboretum
20. Ponder what George Washington used to think about while sitting on his back porch on Mount Vernon high above the Potomac River
21. Ride the train and feed the trash pig (a trash can that talks when you throw garbage in it) at Cabin John Park
22. Throw rocks in Rock Creek
23. Hike part of the Billy Goat Trail
24. Spend time in the woods just exploring
25. Go camping at a local campground for the weekend
26. Bike the Monuments and the sights of The Mall
27. Go to Sky Meadows State Park for Astronomy Day or a Saturday Star Party
28. Let a butterfly land on you at the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens
29. Attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival to witness sheep shearing, partake in the fabulous lamb sold at the concession stands, and be dazzled by all the beautiful hand knit items for sale by vendors
30. Experience the plethora of fried goods, carnival rides, and animals at a County fair
31. Teach your child the importance of recycling by having them help sort paper, glass, and plastic in your home and take a tour of your local recycling center
32. Have a hands on learning day at Port Discovery
33. Go train crazy at the B&O Railroad Museum
34. Go plane crazy at the College Park Aviation Museum
35. Have a cultural experience at an Embassy
36. Ride a restored DC trolley car at the National Capital Trolley Museum
37. Hunt for shark teeth at Calvert Cliffs State Park
38. Hum The Star Spangled Banner while paying tribute to the inspiration for our National Anthem during a visit to Fort McHenry
39. Step back in time to 1771 at Claude Moore Historical Farm and attend the Market Fair offered three weekends a year
40. Obtain a library card for your child
41. Engage in hands on science at Discovery Creek Children’s Museum
42. Stare in awe at the most amazing stained glass rosettes at the National Cathedral
43. Stare in awe at sheets of uncut money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
44. Spend a couple hours on the couch snuggling under a blanket reading a stack of your child’s favorite books
45. Stare in awe as you take in the scenery from the top of the Washington Monument
46. Explore every corner of the 2 acre Clemyjontri Park
47. Tour the White House
48. Cruise the Potomac
49. Attend Art-o-Matic, the free art festival featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, music, theater, poetry, dance and workshops
50. Spend a whole day doing what your child wants to do!