Watkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro, MD

Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro is a great little park that has great facilities. As you enter, follow the yellow brick road as this park is themed to The Wizard of Oz! In addition to a mix of shaded and sunny spots, this park is also equipped with a colorful rubber mat, Dorothy's house, ruby red slipper slides, and more. There are also several slides, places to climb, and many swings, so the lines never seemed to long. We also really appreciated that there were clean restrooms (not portapotties), a water fountain right on the premises, and many shaded picnic tables lining the back of the park.

When you are finished having fun at the park, simply walk across the parking lot and you will also find Watkins Regional Park's other great amenities, including a small walking farm, mini golf, carousel, nature center, tennis bubble, and train. They also have camping sites and hiking trails that allow you to immerse yourself in nature. This park definitely has what it takes to keep younger and older kids happy for quite a while. I would say 2-9 years old are the most appropriate ages to enjoy the park. (Note: The park is wheelchair accessible, but the actual playground does not have much in the way of ramps. However, the small walking farm is wheelchair accessible).

Hours for the train, mini golf and carousel:
-Summer hours (Tues-Sat, 10am-7pm; Sundays 12 noon-5pm)
-These amenities are closed on Mondays
-Operating hours are subject to change without notice due to inclement weather and unforeseen emergencies

Park is open from dawn to dusk

Contact Info:
General Information:
301-218-6700; TTY 301-699-2544 
Camping Information:
301-218-6702; TTY 301-699-2544
Picnic Area Reservations:
301-699-2400; TTY 301-699-2544
Athletic Field Permits:
301-446-6800; TTY 301-699-2544

Website: http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Nature/Watkins_Regional_Park.htm

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Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington DC

Were you ever curious about how money was made? Did you ever wonder why it would be so difficult to make counterfeit money? Or perhaps you might have interest in how much money they print each day? All of these questions and more are answered on this tour. 

There are certainly a great deal of benefits to living so close to our nation's capital. One of those benefits is the ability to visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. With only two locations in the United states where paper currency is made (the other is Texas), this is a very cool tour that kept my 7 and 9 year old boys interested for the full 40 minute tour. As you walk through the building led by a tour guide, she takes the group through the 4 stages of how money is made. My kids were fascinated by the huge printing presses and the box showing what 1 million dollars in 10 dollar bills looks like. They also loved the friendly factory worker who made sure that even though we were at a window above the factory, he held up the sheets of money for us to see, and then behind the glass wall, he pulled out a laminated sign that he made that said "I love my job"! We all got a good chuckle from that.

In terms of acquiring tickets, there is a ticket booth on the side of the building, where you wait in line for FREE tickets. The line opens up at 8am. You wait in line and get tickets based on availability (you get to choose from the available times). The booth is only open until they are all out of tickets. We got there at 8:15am and there was already a long line. The line did move quickly, but by the time we got to the front, all of the 9:00am and 9:15am tickets were already given out. We could have chosen a time in the afternoon and went to do something else, but we chose 9:30am, and waited by the front of the building until it was our turn. Once you go inside, you are not allowed to take pictures other than in the lobby before the start of the tour, and afterwards in the small gift shop that you come out into at the end of the tour. All in all, this was an enjoyable trip that my boys will remember.

Website: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/washingtondctours.html

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Capital SUP, Annapolis, MD

Summer is the time for new experiences. If you are looking to get your feet wet (put intended), stand up paddle boarding is the way to go. Capital SUP is located in Annapolis, is a great company that has wonderful staff, and a nice venue for enjoying time on the water. If you have never SUP’ed (stand up paddle board) before, they offer lessons. I chose to forego the lesson and just figured out the balance on my own. They provide you with the board the paddle and a life jacket. However, even though I didn’t sign up for lessons, the staffer on the dock gave me a few basic tips to make sure that I did okay. In the end, I only fell in the water 3 times (not bad for a first timer). The feeling of floating on the water without being in a boat is a as close to surfing as you can get without being in waves. This was a very cool experience.

In addition to hourly rentals and lessons, they also offer guided tours, LED night tours, race training, special events (such as Full Moon LED lit Sup Yoga), day time SUP Yoga, and more. I went with my son (8 years old at the time) and he and I had a blast. Make sure to bring lots of sunscreen as it gets hot on the water.

Website: http://capitalsup.com/

Cost:

1-Hour

Standard Rate $25

Local/Military $20

2-Hour

Standard Rate $45

Local/Military $40

Special Pricing

Monday-Wednesday

1-Hour $15; 2-Hour $30

Ladies Night (TH) 4PM-8PM $15

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Zava Zone, Rockville MD

Growing in popularity all over the country, ninja warrior  and ropes courses have rapidly started popping up all around the country. Recently, a new place called Zavazone opened up in Rockville, MD. This new gym offers a wide array of great options for a quick drop in, membership, or parties.  Some of their features include, a two leveled ropes course, a foam jousting pit, trampolines (regular, dodgeball, and basketball, as well as a rock climbing wall. They also have a tall pole walk and a timed ninja warrior challenge course.

The gym had children of all ages, as well as many adults who came for a challenge. Each participant was able to find things that fit their skill level. I would say that the most ideal ages are 6 and up as the larger obstacles will not be doable for really small children. The staff was friendly, and the place was very clean. They also do training sessions before anyone goes on the ropes courses to make sure that everyone is safe. I highly recommend that anybody planning to participate bring work out gloves as the ropes will wear on your hands. If you forget them, they do sell gloves as well.

Website: www.zavazone.com

Pricing:

All ZAVAZONE activities are included with admission.  

 1 Hour   ------------------------------ $19.50

2nd Hour ---------------------------- $14.50

3rd Hour ----------------------------- $10.00

4th Hour ----------------------------- $10.00

 Add and Hour ---------------------$16.00

*There is a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more and 20% for groups of 20 or more on non-holiday weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday)

Hours:

ZAVAZONE will be open on the following schedule from June 27th through August 28^th 2016:

 Monday:              CLOSED

Tuesday:              10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Wednesday:        10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Thursday:            12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Friday:                  12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Saturday:             10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Sunday:                10:00 am to 8:00 pm

*All Hours Subject to Change

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Frontier Town, Berlin, MD

If you happen to be in Ocean City on a nice summer day, but you are tired of spending your time on the beach and the boardwalk, you should definitely make a stop at Frontier Town. Just 10 minutes from the boardwalk in Berlin, Maryland, This place has tons of fun for families. In addition to offering camping sites and cabins, Frontier Town also offers Mini Golf, Wild West shows, and a High Adventure Ropes Course. Not interested in dry activities? Well, they also have a wonderful water park complete with lazy river, kiddie pool, multiple slides, and a flume ride. Our kids spent most of their time in the water park, with my youngest preferring to stick to the play pool, and my older children sticking with the flume and lazy river. Needless to say, this is a great change of pace when at the beach at a more affordable rate than some of the larger water parks.

Website: http://www.frontiertown.com/

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Rates:

Unlimited Water Park & Mini-Golf | 10:00AM-6:00PM

42" tall or taller

$14.00

Under 42" tall

$12.00

Children 3 & under

FREE!

SEASONAL PASS

$90.00 per person

Unlimited Day Mini-Golf | 10:00AM-6:00PM

Ages 11+

$4.00 per person

Ages 4 to 10

$2.00 per person

Children 3 & under

FREE!

Unlimited Night Mini-Golf | 6:00PM-10:00PM

Ages 11+

$4.00 per person

Ages 4 to 10

$2.00 per person

Children 3 & under

FREE!

Wild West Show, Unlimited Water Park & Unlimited Mini-Golf | 10:00AM-6:00PM

42" tall or taller

$24.00 per person

Under 42" tall

$20.00 per person

Children 3 & under

FREE!

Shadowland Laser Tag, Gaithersburg, MD

Shadowland Laser Tag has multiple locations, including Gaithersburg, Columbia, Alexandria, Chantilly, and Frederick. Speaking on behalf of the Gaithersburg location, I can tell you that the staff is friendly, the arena is clean, and the activity provided a ton of fun for my 6 and 8 year old children. In addition to having a big arena, there are lots of ramps and alleys to hide in, and a lot of action depending on the size of the group. While the activity is a ton of fun, you should keep in mind that the arena is dark (black lights are used), so it is important to prep your child(ren) before going in so that they know what to expect.

Note: This is not an activity for kids that are terrified of the dark. Additionally, it always helps to call ahead to see if they have people there, because you could end up going and if you only have 3-4 people with you, and nobody else is there, it could be a pretty quiet game. Alternatively, if there are a ton of people there, you may have to wait in the lobby for a bit until it is your turn to go in.

When you arrive at Shadowland, you will have the option of playing arcade games or filling out the waiver and going into the training room to begin learning how to play. In the training room, a staff member will debrief you on which type of game you are going to play, how the game is played, and how much time you will have in the arena. Most games, including the explanation of rules takes about 30 minutes. After they give you all of the instructions, you will follow them into a vesting room, where they will give you your laser tag vest and gun. You will then be let into the arena, where you can quickly get set up on a spot that you would like before the game starts. Once the game starts, know that you may not be with your child unless you request that they put you on the same team when you sign in and fill out the waiver.

The first time we went to this location as a group of parents with our kids. Expecting that this would be more of an activity for our kids was certainly a mistake. The adults not only had an amazing time as well, but a few weeks later, we arranged a couples night out at laser tag. They were great at accommodating for our group, for which they offer discounts once you have at least 10 people. This activity also provided for a ton of great exercise. Be prepared for a lot of running and a great workout. At the end of the game, the “Marshall” (who is in the arena the whole time in case of an equipment malfunction) calls everyone out of the arena, and participants can wait for their score cards to see how well each person did, where they finished in the rankings overall, how many times they shot each person, and how many times each person shot them. We are planning on going back again soon!

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Website: http://www.shadowlandadventures.com/

Hours:

Monday: 11am-6pm

Tues-Thurs: 11am-10pm

Friday: 11am-midnight

Saturday: 10am-midnight

Sunday: 10am-10pm

Ski Liberty, Fairfield, PA.

 Only an hour and 20 minutes from the Silver Spring area, Ski Liberty is a great winter activity which provides hours of fun in the snow! In addition to being a resort and conference center, they offer snow tubing on Boulder Ridge, as well as skiing and snow boarding. It is important to call ahead to make sure that they are open and that the conditions are right for your activity.

We went for the snow tubing which allows for tickets to be purchased for either 1 or 2 hours at a time and includes the cost of the tube rental. Rates range from $20-$32 dollars per person depending on peak and non-peak times. Depending on the day and time, you might find shorter or longer lines, so I advise calling ahead to see when their busier hours are.

I took my 6 and 8 year old children on this trip, and each one got their own tube. They also have a small tubing area (at a reduced price) for kids that are 2-4 years old so that the really little ones can have fun too. They also have a lodge if you need to go in before, during, and after your tubing experience to warm up. The lines moved relatively quickly for the number of people at the ski hill, and they had a covered electric ramp which took you from the bottom of the hill to the top.

The day that we went, the lines were bigger at first, and died down a bit towards the end of our two hours. I believe that we went down the hill 6-7 times during our two hours, and the staff was friendly and maintained a safe environment. Before each person went down the hill, you could request to go regular or fast, and straight down or spinning. My more adventurous son preferred the fast spinning while my more timid son chose fast but straight down.  By the end of the day, my kids were exhausted and had smiles on their faces.

Website: http://www.libertymountainresort.com/

Contact:
Liberty Mountain Resort
78 Country Club Trail
Carroll Valley, PA 17320
(717) 642-8282

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