Need Advice Activities for preschoolers

I am planning on taking my 5 and 3yr old to the Natural History Museum over spring break and am looking for other ideas that don't require much spending.

 

Pretty much any of the smithsonian museumes will be good for kids (there are a few that might be a bit boring for them). Even art museumes can be interesting for kids as long as the pace is kept up with their short attention span.

The bontanical gardens is a wonderful place to visit and there is a lot for the kids to look at and learn (again, keep the pace approprate for the ages)

The key is for you to be prepared to talk with your kids during the visit so their interest stays high. Dragging a kid to a museum can be a very boring thing, but with the proper homework on the parients, it can be interesting at the right pace.

Congratuations on getting your kids into museumes. I think that is a wonderful thing to do for them (and you might learn good stuff too) LoL

 

1) Leesburg and Reston zoo will also be nice.

2) Air and space museum (Dulles) would be nice too as they have a tower from where kids can see airplanes take off and landing....

3) Picnic at Great Falls.....

4) Burke Lake park http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelake/

We are also planning to take our 2.5 yr old son to the above places during this spring/summer.

 

My kids at that age loved Frying Pan park, the library in Cascades or Ashburn, and the big play area at the Burger King on Elden in Herndon - all free or low cost for hours of fun. Great Country Farms out rte 7 was another favorite but not sure if they're open yet. Art and science projects around the kitchen table also great fun for that age. For the downtown museum idea, if you take the Metro it'll be a whole day of fun and excitement for them. My kids loved taking the Metro, more than they loved the museums. There used to be an incredible Children's Museum, good for an entire day of exploring, near the train station - I think it may have closed though.

 

Claude Moore is a great local place too.

I took our 20mos old to their Farm Museum, they have goats, lambs, bunnies a planting garden. I packed a picnic lunch and let him run crazy in the Park are too.
The riding horses were a ton of fun as well the General Store - plus it was FREE for kids under 2 and only $5 for me (the adult).

 

The Children's Museum in Winchester. We'll be heading there next week.

 

Is this a hands on museum similar to the Please Touch Museums? Would it be equally appropriate for my 3yr old?

 

I don't know anything about the please touch museums, but this is very hands on, things to play with -- many manipulative stations. NOT a place to wander and just LOOK. Your 3yr old would love it. Definitely!!

 

Here's an example... one of the rooms has a few things you can do with a golf ball and I couldn't DRAG my children out of there.

 

Sharse is talking about the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum. It's about an hour from here in Winchester and fun for the kids to play and learn.

http://www.discoverymuseum.net/

 

Some Easter related activities:
http://www.iammodern.com/hulya-aksu/easter-egg-hunt-activities-in-nova.html

 

I hear the National Building Museum in DC has a cool area for preschoolers (http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/building-zone.html).

 

That definitely sounds fun! Maybe we will head out there one day. There is also Port Discovery in Baltimore that I'd like to take the kids to some day. Similar hands on museum type place like the Please Touch Museum.

Thank you all for the great suggestions. We have already been to the Baltimore Aquarium, Udvar Hazy, Leesburg Animal Park, National Zoo, Frying Pan Park, and several other places and I wanted to introduce them to new places. I think I will take them to the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum, break for lunch, and then see the dinosaur exhibit. We'll take another day to go to the children's museum in Winchester. Thanks all!

 

The United States Botanic Garden
http://www.usbg.gov/

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers an IMAX theater and currently has a walk-through butterfly exhibit.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/

The National Building Museum in DC has a play area for preschoolers
http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/building-zone.html

National Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390

Leesburg Animal Park
http://www.leesburganimalpark.com/

Reston Zoo
http://www.restonzoo.com/

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo in Thurmont, MD
http://www.cwpzoo.com/

National Zoo in DC

Great Country Farms has animals, play areas, a store, and more
http://www.greatcountryfarms.com/

Frying Pan Farm Park has animals, a playground, and a tractor tour
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fpp/

Algonkian Regional Park offers walking trails, miniature golf, a playground
http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/algonkian/

Great Falls Park offers walking trails and views of the waterfalls and rapids
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/grfa/extend/

Claude Moore Park
http://www.loudoun.gov/default.aspx?tabid=885

Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum offers hands-on activities for children
http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=854

Lake Fairfax Park offers a lake, carousel, and walking trails
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lakefairfax/

Clemyjontri Park features a unique playground where children of all abilities can play side-by-side. It is a playground where every child is welcome. This park is a place where children who use wheelchairs, walkers or braces, or who have sensory or developmental disabilities, can have a parallel playground experience of fun and exploration.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/clemyjontri/

Temple Hall Farm Regional Park offers animals, walking trails, and a playground
http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/templehall/

Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for children. It's located about an hour from Ashburn in Winchester, VA.
http://www.discoverymuseum.net/

The Loudoun County Public Libraries offer activities for children.
http://library.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=36

Purcellville Roller Rink has open skate times and toddler playtimes.
http://www.pvilleskating.com/

Jammin Java Music Club and Cafe in Vienna offers live music for kids.
http://jamminjava.com/home/kids-events/list

Visit the playground near Wegmans

See the animals at Petco or PetSmart

Go to the open gym times at the local gymnastics centers and moonbounce places

Ride the Metro around DC?

 

Amazing list of activities......

thanks for a wonderful post....

 

Debbie, you rock! That's a great list. Thanks.

 

I have a sick child at home who has spent the morning watching TV. So I gots the time. Hubby is sick, too. :rolleyes3: