Green Meadow Farm, Ijamsville, MD

If you are looking for a fun outdoor activity for kids that adore animals, then this is the ideal place for you. Green Meadows Petting Farm is located 10 miles south of Frederick, MD and just a few minutes off of I-270. Upon arrival, we were greeted by an adorable little girl named "Cowgirl Brooke" who welcomed us to the farm and lead us to our tour guide, Kenny. Kenny then proceeded to walk us through the countless areas of animals including piglets, cows, llamas, turkeys, chickens, kangaroos, goats, sheep, and more.

The 2-hour tour included the following activities: milking a cow, watching a pig race, lovely tractor ride and hand feeding the animals. The best part of the petting farm is how interactive everything is. There was rarely a barrier between the kids and animals and the kids were always encouraged to pet the animals and meet them up close and personal. After the tour, you are welcome to stay at the farm for as long as you'd like and revisit your favorite furry friends.

I would recommend this farm to any child that is walking and has already showed an interest in animals. Please bring plenty of water and snacks as it gets very hot being outdoors for so long but you hardly notice the heat when you're having so much fun!

Website:  http://www.greenmeadowsevents.com/home.php
PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE OPEN AS THIS IS A SEASONAL FARM

2 Locations:
Main location:
10102 Fingerboard Road
Ijamsville, MD 21754

Hours:
Wednesday - Friday: 9:30 AM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM
Closed Monday & Tuesday
The last visitor is admitted to the farm at 2:00 PM

but please stay as long as you like!

 Meadows Farm
8018 Max Blob Park Road
Jessup, MD 20794


Monday - Friday: 9:30 AM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM
(Weekends are better for family visits due to the volume of field trips during the week)
The last visitor is admitted to the farm at 2:00 PM

but please stay as long as you like!

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Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool, Hyattsville, MD

What a great indoor splash playground!!!! Rollingcrest-Chillum is only 15 minutes from the Silver Spring area and provided a fun adventure for my five year old. While this isn't the newest looking place, the complex is great for kids ages 5-12 but can be enjoyed by kids a few years younger and a few years older.  This venue is mostly wheelchair accessible as well.

A large portion of the playground is in 6-8 inches of water which allows kids that are new to water to walk around comfortably and splash around. Additionally, for a child who is 2-5 years old, they can go down the slides into very shallow water (again, 6-8 inches) without having to know how to swim (with supervision, of course). There were 5 slides that were geared toward children who can't quite swim yet. Then there was another part that had 6 inches of water with a mushroom, spraying water down gently for kids that weren't quite ready for the slides.

When you walk to the other side of the facility, there was a bigger water slide that went from the upstairs of the building to the outside, and then back in on the lower level of the building. The water on that side is much deeper and is meant for older children that can swim well. There were plenty of staff members standing at each slide and I felt that my child was being supervised properly as he went on each slide.

When you finish with water play, there is also an outdoor playground on the premises which allows for the kids to dry off before the ride home. This facility also offers swim classes, water aerobics, and fully equipped locker rooms with lockers for $0.50 (note that they do not have money to make change, so bring a few quarters). We look forward to coming back on both sunny and rainy days in the future!!!

Website:  http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Sports/Aquatics/Rollingcrest-Chillum_Splash_Pool.htm

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Address:
6122 Sargent Road
Chillum, MD 20782

Phone: 301-853-9115

Cost:
$5.00 for non-PG county adult residents
$4.00 for non-PG county child residents
Hours

	OPERATING HOURS  (the hours the facility is open for structured programs, patron inquiries, registrations, etc.)	GENERAL SWIM (the hours the facility is open for public swimming)
Monday	6:30 am - 8:30 pm	12 noon - 4:45 pm
Tuesday	6:30 am - 8:30 pm	12 noon - 4:45 pm
Wednesday	6:30 am - 8:30 pm	12 noon - 4:45 pm
Thursday	6:30 am - 8:30 pm	12 noon - 4:45 pm
Friday	6:30 am - 9:00 pm	12 noon - 8:45 pm
Saturday	9:00 am - 6:00 pm	12 noon - 5:45 pm
Sunday	12 noon - 6:00 pm	12 noon - 5:45 pm

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Play N' Learn, Columbia, MD

Play N’ Learn is a hidden gem in Columbia, Maryland.  Designed as a showroom for outdoor play equipment, Play N’ Learn has roughly 10 different wooden pieces of play equipment with slides, rock climbs, cargo nets, platforms, different types of swings, and playhouse areas. They also have a basketball court area with 5 hoops, 2 air hockey tables, 2 trampolines, and a pool table in the corner.

If you go to see the equipment in order to purchase a piece, there is no charge and they will talk with you about the different options available. However, if you just want a nice, clean, air conditioned place to let your kids run and play for a few hours, they charge 6 dollars per child for 2 hours of play. The owner is very kind and friendly, and he was very happy to chat about the different equipment available. We also found that it wasn’t overly crowded like other places in the area. They also do birthday parties.

Website: http://playnlearn.com/locations/maryland/columbia-md/

Admission:

$6.00 for two hours of play during weekdays
$8.00 on weekends

Hours:

Monday 10-6
Tuesday 10-6
Wednesday 10-6
Thursday 10-6
Friday 10-6
Saturday 10-5
Sunday 11-4

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