Launch Trampoline Park, Columbia, MD

Do you want to make your kids “Hoppy?” Perhaps a trip to Launch Trampoline Park is in order. Housing a 16,000 square foot trampoline with horizontal and vertical trampolines, your children can literally bounce off the walls!!!! But this place does not just offer a place to bounce, they also have a trampoline dodgeball court,  and a launch pad (large air bag for jumping). They also have three basketball hoops of varying sizes on the trampolines, so you can practice shooting and springing to massive slam dunks if that is more your style. They have great music, and periodically have black lights come on.

Not interested in the trampoline features? Well then try your luck at “Meltdown!” Meltdown is a piece of equipment with long beams sticking out. Each child stands on a pod, and as the beams start to spin, the children have to survive by staying on their pod. . The one left standing is the winner, and then the kids can play again. In order to do Meltdown, just let a staff member know that you would like this operating, and they can come over and help you out. If this doesn’t get you jumping for joy, check out the “Adrenalator,” a ninja course where you can race your friends through different obstacles.

If these activities are not enough, and you want to try your hand at something less active, they also have an arcade as well as gaming pods for those who want to play Xbox or Playstation!. In addition to the actual activities, they also do birthday parties, group events, and special glow nights! We went to the Rockville location, but due to its closure, the closest location is in Columbia, MD

Rates:

1/2 hour jump   $12.00 

1 hour jump       $16.00 

1.5 hour jump   $22.00 

2 hour jump       $26.00

Hours:

Hours vary in the summer, but general hours are:

TODDLER TIME

FRI: Toddler Time 9:30 - 11am

SAT: Toddler Time 8:30 - 10am

OPEN JUMP

MON: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

TUE: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

WED: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

THU: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

FRI: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

SAT: 11:00am – 9:00pm

SUN: 11:00am – 7:00am

GLOW JUMP

FRI: 8:00pm - 10:00pm

SAT: 9:00pm - 11:00pm

Website: http://launchcolumbia.com/

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This location has since shut down.

Museum of the Bible, Washington DC

Opened only one year ago, the Museum of the Bible is an excellent addition to the museums in DC. This museum is a beautiful blend of antiquities and cutting edge technology that could take several hours if you want to see everything. With six floors plus a basement, it is definitely worthwhile to use their website to research what you want to see before going. The museum itself is beautiful, and they do a great job of labeling what is in each area so that if you just want to focus on the Old Testament, or just on the New Testament, you can plan your trip accordingly. Additionally, the museum does a good job of not coming off as preachy, and more from a historical perspective, so whether you are looking for a religious or non-religious experience, this museum seems to offer something for everyone.

 In addition to the museum’s permanent collection, they also have several exhibits that are not permanent. General admission to the museum is suggested donation as their entry fee, so you can either pay the suggested $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 12 and under, or pay what you want based on your level of comfort. The museum operates solely on the donations. You can walk up and get tickets at the museum or order your tickets online. Some of the changing exhibits require an extra ticket for timed entry, and some also carry an additional fee, while others are free, but you need the timed ticket.

During our visit, we focused on the Old Testament. Below is a breakdown of what is on each floor.

First Floor: Vatican Library and Museum, Couragous Pages (Kids area), Gift Shop, and a small bistro.

Second Floor: Impact of the Bible: Bible in America, Bible in the World, Bible Now, and Washington Revelations.

Third Floor: Stories of the Bible: The Hebrew Bible Experience (need separate tickets) (click menu, visit, attractions to get your ticket for this part), World of Jesus of Nazareth, and The New Testament Theater (need separate tickets) (click menu, visit, attractions to get your ticket for this part).

Fourth Floor: The History of the Bible: The History of the Bible Artifacts, Drive Through History of the Bible Theater, Bible Reading Room, and illumiNations.

Fifth Floor: World Stage Theater and The People of the Land: History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel.

Sixth Floor: DC Views, a restaurant, and a garden area.

Basement Level: Stations of the Cross.

Our favorite parts of this museum were the add on ticket for The Hebrew Bible experience which is a 30 minute multi-sensory experience of the Old Testament, the kids area where my kids enjoyed playing the games, and seeing the scribe who they brought in from Israel to give demonstrations on how the Old Testament is written. My children enjoyed asking him questions as he wrote the parchment scrolls which were projected on a screen behind him.

Additionally, our whole family marveled at the videos that we saw, the number of scrolls on display, and the area that showed a massive amount of bibles each one written in a different language. From the artistry to the technology, this museum was great for kids ages 7 and up.

Website: https://www.museumofthebible.org/

Hours: 10am-5pm

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Hyper Kidz!, Columbia, MD

This place was the true embodiment of its name! It's a small warehouse, filled to the brim with children running around and climbing on various inflatables and obstacles courses. They have three areas that are broken up by age. The smaller areas are the “Mini Zone” in the back where kids ages 0-2 can explore, and the “Kid Zone”, which is an area for 2-7 year olds in the front that has slides and spinning equipment.  However, the main attraction was the “Big Kid Zone,” a huge 4-story climbing course that is geared towards 3-13 year olds that spanned the entire length of the room.  Due to the wide age range of the “Big Kid Zone”, little children may need a bit of adult help as it got a bit confusing which direction to turn at times, but older kids can climb safely by themselves.

The place itself was very clean, and the bright colored equipment was very visually appealing to both children and parents, making this a place that allowed for hours of fun. There is a small cafe area in the front to have a snack or sit and watch your kids. It can be very crowded at times, so check the website first to make your reservation as it often fills up quickly. Additionally, once you are there, make sure you have a plan with your kids for where you will be sitting or come prepared to climb with them due to how crowded it can get! We also appreciated that they will stamp your hand and let you sit outside to eat, before coming back in to continue climbing. We had a great time and would recommend this when you need an activity that is indoors.

Rates:

FREE Infants (0-12 mos) with paid sibling

$7 Infants (0-12 mos) w/o sibling (Mon-Thurs)

$9 ages 1-2 (Mon-Thurs)

$11 ages 3-13 (Mon-Thurs)

$12 Infants (0-12 mos) w/o sibling (Fri-Sun*)

$14 ages 1-2 (Fri-Sun*)

$16 ages 3-13 (Fri-Sun*)

Adults are always FREE (w/ paid child’s admission; 3rd adult will be $5)

UNLIMITED Open Play 7 days a week!

Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 10am - 8pm

Friday - Saturday: 10am - 9pm

Sunday: 11am - 7pm

Website: https://www.hyperkidzplay.com/

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Calvert Cliffs State Park, Lusby MD

Located on the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County Maryland, Calvert Cliffs State Park is a beautiful beach with great options to hike and enjoy the nature that surrounds the cliffs. If your family loves archaeology and sea life, the beaches contain the remains of a variety of prehistoric species including sharks, whales and rays. Our children loved looking for (and finding) fossils and shark teeth! However, please read all of the signs in the area as it is important to enjoy the actual cliffs from a distance, as erosion has made it unsafe to climb in that area. You can also go swimming in the Bay, but please be aware that there are no lifeguards, so swimming is at your own risk.

When you get tired of swimming and collecting fossils, there is also a great playground made out of tires that kids enjoyed climbing.  There are also a variety of trails to follow throughout the park depending on the amount of time you have, and the rangers were at the entrance to the park to answer any questions. These trails included dirt paths and small boardwalk areas. Our kids had a great time and we would definitely go back again.  Although, it is about 1.5 hours from the Silver Spring area, so it definitely needs to be on a day where we have a large chunk of time to block off, as well as good weather.

Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/southern/calvertcliffs.aspx

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Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Washington, DC

Just over the MD/DC border, Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is a quaint little park that is filled with small pools of water lilies and other beautiful flowers. There is a nice dirt path that is about 1/2 mile long, with many small paths to walk in between the many pools of water. This is not a large park, but the fact that it is not in the center of downtown and that it has lots of free parking available make this a nice activity.

Known for its annual Lotus and Water Lily festival, the park also has a long boardwalk area with observation benches along the way. Although much of the vegetation was pretty dried out when I went, there were also several spots where the greenery was quite lush. There is also a separate path that you can walk which is less than a mile until you get to the Anacostia River. All in all, this is a nice small activity, but I wouldn't plan for more than an hour or two here.

Website: https://www.nps.gov/keaq/index.htm

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Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, St. Leonard, MD

For the past few years, I have been meaning to take my kids out to the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. I was finally able to do so at the start of this summer, and was truly happy we were able to make the 1.15 hour drive. During the months of May and June, they offer a wonderful free archaeology program, which is what we made reservations to do. Make sure to check the calendar and make your reservations before going. Certain days are field days where you can dig, while others are lab days where you help to clean and catalogue the finds from the field.

When we first arrived, we went into the visitors center which was clean, and had a small discovery room and a gift shop to look at. The focus of this visitors center and the entire park focuses on life on the Chesapeake Bay. After the visitors shop, we went down to the lab area, and met up with our guide, who took us down to the field site. 

Once at the field site, our guide was kind and patient with the kids, and explained about life on the plantation. He then told us what we would be digging for, and got us started. The kids were very excited to find a piece of an old pipe, as well as lots of pieces of brick, old nails, etc...They also learned quite a bit about the history of the house, the family that lived there, and how do be an archaelogist!

While they were tired after a few hours, there were certainly several other hikes and trails in the area, as well as an "Indian Village" that was created about 10 years ago in honor of John Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. This could definitely be a 1/2 day or full day trip depending on what you want to do. Always check their calendar of events to see what is coming up in the future.

Website: http://www.jefpat.org/index.html

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