Almost everyone has a wish list of places they’d like to visit and things they’d like to do in their lifetime. Although my son is only eight months old I’ve already started a list for him. It includes many of the family friendly spots in and around the Washington DC area.
Not only are these activities great for the whole family they are also free. If you find cheap lodging outside of the city and venture into DC via metro (it’s a fun ride for kids) you can experience days and days of interesting activities without spending a lot of money.
Since we live just across the DC border we can reach the heart of the city in less than 20 minutes.
Here are a few places at the top of my list:
- Bureau of Engraving & Printing (Since I’m One Frugal Girl I have to take my son to the bureau of engraving and printing where he can see currency printed, stacked, cut and checked for defects.)
- National Air and Space Museum (This museum includes the largest collection of air and spacecraft in the world. You can learn about the history and technology of aviation and space flight. It’s a staple field trip for most children who grow up in this area, but it is definitely one of the coolest museums in the area.)
- Washington Monument (Travel to the top of the monument and see one of the best view’s of the city.)
- National Zoo (On quiet days I used to walk to the zoo from my old job. This is where you’ll find the famous Giant Pandas.)
- National Postal Museum (Lots of kids are fascinated and thrilled to receive mail. This museum features exhibits explaining how mail is sent, received and delivered.)
Of course there are other fun, (not so free), places we must visit. This list includes:
- Watching a Baseball Game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards or Nationals Park
- Visiting an Amusement Park (Busch Gardens, Hershey Park, Kings Dominion and Six Flags America) are all close by.
- Watching dolphins, sharks and sea turtles swim at the National Aquarium (This is an all time favorite of mine.)
- Attending a family friendly performance at Wolf Trap National Park.
And of course there are the simple pleasures like
- Picking peaches in the summer from local farms and pumpkins in the fall.
Washington, DC has thousands of activities for children. In fact, I can’t imagine a city that has more to offer young children. My son is only eight months old now, but I can’t wait to explore all that DC has to offer him.
Do you have any favorite activities in and around the Washington, DC area? If so feel free to leave me a comment below. I’ll add it to my to-do list!
We went to DC for Memorial Day weekend. I LOVED the Metro! I had never used the subway anywhere. I would add all of the war monuments. We were bummed out because the reflecting pool is drained right now. It’s not nearly as pretty as the pictures I have seen!
Oh yeah DC isn’t the same without water in the reflecting pool. Glad you got to visit our great city though. The war memorials should definitely make the list too!
Cox farms has pretty fun stuff for fall (hay rides, petting animals, slides, pumpkins)
There’s another place i forget what its called which is a farm with a petting zoo in Maryland.
There’s a new waterpark in Georgetown.
There’s an awesome playground in McLean.
There’s a children’s museum in SE.
There’s a Science Museum opening up near the Navy Yard.
And of the course the big one you missed…. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (Dinosaurs and Elephants!)
Thanks for the comment Alex. Those are great spots to visit and the Natural Museum is definitely a favorite of mine. How could I forget that one?