South Germantown Adventure Playground, Boyds, MD

The adventure playground in South Germantown is an amazing park located right next to the splash park, and several other amenities. The best part about this park is that the equipment is clean, sturdy, huge, and there is tons of space to run and play. The entrance is built like a castle, and kids can climb, swing, run, and jump all over this place.

Another area in the park is constructed in the shape of a ship. There is a main level and then plenty of places to run around under the main deck. The slides vary in size and speed, and kids of all ages can find something to do at this park. They also had a really cool climbing wall which was an instant hit with our kids.

The biggest downside to this park is also its largest benefit which is that it is huge. Our kids had plenty of places to go, but we also really had to follow them everywhere to make sure to keep them in our line of vision. In the summer months, this park can be very hot as it is in the open sun. However, there are several trees along the outskirts of the park that you can stand under for shade. We look forward to coming back in the fall when the weather is a little bit more cool so that we can really spend a good chunk of time here.

Accessibility: Concrete paths to get around the outside of the park, but not as wheel chair accessible as a park like Clemyjontri.

Website: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/facilities/south_germantown/#adventure_totlots

                                                      Hours: Sunrise-Sunset, year round

Age Level: 2-10



Book Recommendations before going to a playground

Please Play Safe! Penguin’s Guide to Playground Safety (Margery Cuyler)

Manners on the playground (Carrie Finn)

King of the Playground (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)

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Cal's Live Steam, Woodlawn, MD

Cal's Live Steam is a great miniature coal train in Woodlawn that runs free and open to the public on the second Sunday of the month during the warmer months. The track runs through a large open field, and the ride is about 8 minutes long. Our kids had a great time riding around in this little train and thought that it was cool that you could sit inside the train even though it is only about 12 inches off the ground from bottom to top. Each conductor works on the trains and donates their time as a service to the community and they stay open to the public solely from donations made. They have a lot of knowledge about the hobby and are thrilled to share the information with anyone that will listen.

The ride was just long enough to keep their interest, and when we finished our trip, we were able to get back in line, wait no more than 5 minutes, and get back on again. You can go on as many times as you would like, and the trains are modeled after local area historical trains. There are also tennis courts and a nice playground on the premises as well as plenty of areas to have a picnic. Right near the tracks a random band even came and sat down to practice and a crowd gathered to listen. We had a great time and will make plans to go back out next season.

Website: http://calslivesteam.org/
Cost: Free
Dates: http://calslivesteam.org/runday.htm
Hours: 11am-3:30pm

Book Recommendations about trains
Trains (Eye Openers)-Angela Royston
The Goodnight Train-June Sobel
Steam, Smoke, and Steel-Patrick O'Brien

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LOL Station, Greenbelt, MD

The LOL station is an indoor play area that offers several different rides and games. The mall itself seemed rather run down, and inside was really dark and expensive for what it was. However, they do have  two indoor mini roller coasters which were a good start to roller coasters for our 5 year old, and they also had bumper cars, an arcade, inflatable moon bounce, inflatable slide, and a gladiator course. There was also a smaller ride for younger children in the 3-5 year old range as well. In the front of the LOL station, they also had an area that was fenced in for children in the 2-5 year old age range which provided a smaller moon bounce and a few slides.

When we first arrived, we had to walk around to find a person so that we could pay and they were understaffed to the point where we had to ask a person to come over from one ride to the next in order to go on certain rides. That being said, the people that were on duty were incredibly nice and friendly, and were willing to answer questions and accommodate us when possible by letting our younger son go on the bumper cars when nobody else was on them. Overall, this place was a bit pricey for what it was, but we had a good time.

Website: http://www.lolstations.com/indexgreenbelt.html
Cost: See website for various pricing options
Age Range: 2-10 yrs old
Location:
6042 Greenbelt Rd.
Greenbelt, MD. 20770

Hours:

Summer Hours

Tuesday - Thursday 12 noon to 6pm

Friday - Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm

Monday-CLOSED

Regular Hourse

Monday - Thursday-CLOSED

Friday 12 noon to 8 pm

Saturday 12 noon to 9 pm

Sunday 12 noon to 8 pm

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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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Six Flags America, Largo, MD

 

More Flags, More Fun!!!!! Six Flags America is a fun theme park that is just a stone’s throw from the DC/Metro area in Largo, Maryland. There are a wide variety of different attractions for children starting at around 5 years of age and up. The park is broken up into many areas including Looney Tunes Movie town, Whistlestop Park, Hurricane Harbor (water park part open during warmer months), Gothem City, Southwest territory and more! For the older kids, they have a range of roller coasters such as The mind eraser, The Jokers Jinx, Superman, Batwing, and others which fluctuate in intensity and offer different types of thrills. They also have fun water rides such as ZoomAzon Falls and The Halfpipe. For younger kids, the rides include typical attractions such as tea cups, a flying swing, Flight school (little planes), a playground, Buccaneer Beach(water pools), a train parade and more. There are many arcades and carnival type games scattered throughout the park and a variety of food stands as well. Don’t expect to bring in anything other than water to the park as they want you to buy food from them. I believe you can leave your food in your car and they will stamp your arm to let you out to eat and then come back in. Overall, this is a really nice park for a wide variety of ages. Keep an eye out for discount coupons which can usually be found online or at places like supermarkets and local convenience stores like CVS. 

Website: http://www.sixflags.com/america/index.aspx 

TICKET PRICES AT THE PARK

 • General Admission $56.99

 • Junior Under 48" $36.99 

 • 2 & Under FREE 

DAILY TICKETS ONLINE SPECIAL: $36.99 

Buy online and save $20. 

Print your tickets at home and go straight to the gate. 

Hours: Hours vary but during the summer the hours are roughly 10:30am-8:00pm. 

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American Visionary Arts Museum, Baltimore, MD

 

Cooky! Bizarre! Fun!Extraordinary! These are just a few of the words that describe this museum (disguised as a fun house). Located in downtown Balitmore, the AVAM is the best starter museum for children in the DC/MD/VA region. All of the artists whose work is displayed in this museum have no formal art training and use a wide array of different mediums to create their works of art. Their out of the box thinking allows children to expand their thinking about the age old question, "What is art?". Pictures are not allowed to be taken in the museum but may be taken in the sculpture gallery as seen above. 

When we went to visit, they had fascinating exhibits in both the permanent and temporary collections which included, small hand made machines of every day chores, a sculpture of the city of San Fransisco made out of over 100,000 toothpicks (took over 35 years to make), and a sculpture of a man made out of phone wire.  Other artists had created faces carved out of common styrofoam cups and a fantastic 3D art exhibit (they provide glasses) as well. 

The museum is broken up into three buildings and a sculpture garden. The main building has 3 floors of fantastically wacky art, and one of the best and most affordable gift shops that I have ever seen. In the next building is a life sized metal chess set that kids can actually play a game of chess on (ala Harry Potter). Between the first and third building is also a small sculpture garden and a nice large hill area to bring a picnic. In the third building is bunch of small and large mechanical machines that can move with the push of a button. This facility also contains an art studio for artists to rent space and also an art camp that they run in the summer. 

I highly recommend this museum and we hope to go back there soon. The AVAM is perfect for kids starting as young as 7 and is intriguing for adults as well. Please visit their website to see pictures of art on display in their facilities.

Website: www.avam.org

Cost:

Adults: $15.95

Student/Child: $9.95

Children 6 and under are Free

Membership is available

Hours:

10:00am - 6:00pm, Tuesday - Sunday (Closed Mondays*)

Book Recommendations before going to an Art Museum

Beautiful Oops! (Barney Saltzberg)

Jack in search of Art (Arlene Boehm)

Ella's Trip to the Museum (Elaine Clayton)

Babar's Museum of Art (Laurent De Brunhoff)

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Great Falls, MD/VA

Great Falls can be accessed on both the Maryland side and the Virginia side. We visited the falls on the Maryland side (officially called the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal) and had a great time. This was a family-friendly outing, and we were fortunate to have good weather.

It costs $5 for a private vehicle, regardless of the number of people in the car, and parking is plentiful. There is a small snack bar that offers cold drinks and some ice cream treats and some water fountains to refill water bottles (there are also restroom facilities on-site). The visitor’s center features a museum about the history of the canal, and all of the rangers of the park are incredibly knowledgeable and ready to help.

The best part about this park is probably how stroller friendly it is as we were able to keep our toddler in his stroller while we walked on the paths. The park is mostly centered on the canal and offers miles of trails up and down the canal. There is also a path (about 1 mile) that leads to a falls overlook (also stroller-friendly). There are plenty of other hikes in the area for those looking for a bit more of a challenge.

The visitor center also sells tickets for the canal boat which costs $8.00 for adults (ages 15-61), $6.00 for seniors (ages 62 and over), and $5.00 for children (ages 4-14). Children aged three and under ride free. The boat rides were closed for the season so we were unable to take advantage of this opportunity. 

 This park was full of kayakers, runners, families, rock climbers, and others and made for a wonderful Sunday outing.

Website: http://www.nps.gov/choh/index.htm

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Cost/Value

Kiddie Crusoe, Timonium, Maryland

Kiddie Crusoe is a fantastic combination play area located in Timonium, Maryland. The largest focus is on three main rooms which include a large wooden climbing apparatus, several inflatable jumping toys and slides, and a small town designed for an active imagination.  The place was clean and well staffed, the equipment was in good condition, and there was plenty of room to run without feeling crowded.  The place is geared towards children 3-12 and is probably most fun for those aged 3-8 years old.

The small town contains stores such as a gas station, barn, fire department, supermarket, classroom, theater room, etc.  and offers a variety of imaginative play costumes to allow for role play. The inflatable room has some jumping equipment for younger children, slides for slightly larger children, and an inflatable two person basketball hoop which is perfect for a shootout. The climbing equipment is solid wood and has several slides of varying heights for different aged children. There are bridges and tunnels to run and climb through, as well as a few different swings for older and younger kids. There are also several small rock walls

designed for the little climbing enthusiasts. 

Also on the premises was two small rooms for athletics and gaming. One room had a basketball hoop up and the other had a Mario themed painting on the wall with a big TV and a Wii set up to play video games. Kiddie Crusoe also offers weekly classes in creative movement, art, and a variety of other learning groups. Additionally, there is a beautifully maintained cafe which offered both healthy and snack foods for kids and families to eat. Kiddie Crusoe was a great place for our kids to play and

we look forward to going back again soon.

Hours of Operation:

Monday: 10:00am to 2:00pm
Tuesday: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Wednesday: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
Thursday: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Sunday: 11:00am to 6:00pm 

Cost:

$12 dollars per child aged 1-12

Adults are free with paid child admission

                                                      

Website: www.kiddiecrusoe.com

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National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC

Located on the mall in Washington DC, the Air and Space Museum has been a favorite of mine for years. They have several changing exhibits, but they also have many permanent exhibits as well. The exhibit hall features include:
Explore the Universe (Herschel Telescope)
Looking at Earth (Lockheed U-2)
How Things Fly (great interactives for kids)
Early Flight (features the 1909 Wright Military Flyer)
Jet Aviation
Golden Age of Flight
Exploring the Moon (Apollo Lunar Module)
Moving Beyond Earth
Space Race (Missile Pit)
Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater
Milestones of Flight (which includes a piece of Moon Rock)                
                                                                             

 Gift Shop
America by Air (Boeing 747 Nose of plane and tour)
Flight Simulators
(This list is from their home page)

The museum is very large and will take several hours to see everything. Children as young as 3 can start to appreciate the exhibits, but I would say that 5 and up is the ideal age range. The museum is completely free, and is located in easy walking distance of several other great museums and national monuments. There are also several metro stations located nearby so that you can conveniently get to and from the museum very easily. Parking on the streets are very limited and garages will be expensive. There are many food vendors that sell snacks and there are a plethora of restaurants in the surrounding areas as well that cater to a variety of different dietary needs.

Free admission
Hours: 10am-5:30pm
Website: http://www.nasm.si.edu/

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Newseum, Washington DC

EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it! Newseum is a big hit in our nation's capital! From the moment you arrive at the Newseum, you are greeted by amazing exhibits. Every morning, along the outside of the museum, they have someone who posts the front page of a newspaper from each of the 50 states in America. Once you go inside, you are greeted by six floors of amazing current and historical news exhibits. News tickers continuously scroll up to the second information, news choppers are suspended overhead, and the museum provides a 3 minute introductory movie to tell guests what they will see.

On the concourse level is sections of the Berlin Wall and exhibit, changing exhibits, a comic hall, eatery, and a sports history theater. Level one has the Newseum store, the great hall of news, a 4-D news movie experience (3D movie with shaking chairs), and a really cool exhibit on Pulitzer Prize photos. Each one has an explanation that allows you to get a good grasp of the situation in the photo. Level two has an interactive newsroom and an ethics center, and level three has exhibits on world news, a tv studio, an internet, TV, and radio section, and a journalists memorial as well. On the fourth floor, is the big screen theater, a really cool first amendment gallery, five freedoms walkway, and the 9/11 exhibit which has the radio tower from on top of the World Trade Center. One of my favorite parts of the museum was on the 5th floor near the big screen theater and Great Books exhibits. News History had newspapers dating back 500 years with significant historical events. Hundreds of Newspapers were labeled and on display. The top floor was an observation spot and a great temporary exhibit on Katrina.

I loved spending time in this museum because it made history come to life, showed various ways that news is made, written, and the spins that are put on things. Throughout the exhibit, there were different questions being asked of visitors, which were thought invoking and fascinating. This museum is geared towards people starting from age 12 and up.


Pricing:
Children 6 and under are free
7-18 years old: $13
19-64 years old: $22
65+: $18

Hours:9am-5pm
Website: http://www.newseum.org/
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Monster Mini Golf, Jessup, MD

For a long time now, there has not been a decent mini golf place to go to in the Silver Spring area. Most are serviceable, but lack the appeal of the mini golf places that line the streets of beach towns. However, Jessup, MD (30 min from Silver Spring) is home to Monster Mini Golf, a totally cosmic, glow in the dark, indoor putting experience. We went during the day and it was very uncrowded, cool, and clean. The course is well maintained, has a variety of obstacles, and does not have a back at the end of each hole (which while narrow, was smartly built for wheel chair accessibility, yay!).

Each of the holes was fun, not too spooky, and challenging, providing us with about an hour of fun for the course (with no traffic). In addition to the mini golf, they also have a small arcade with prizes to be won. This place is perfect for kids 5 years old and up, assuming that the monsters are not too scary for them (there are fake monsters, but nothing that moves or jumps out at anyone). For mini golf, it is mildly pricey at 8 dollars per person for adults and 7 dollars each for kids, but it is indoors, and very well maintained. They also have great hours and offer several different discount deals (found on their website) such as Tuesday 12 dollar couple night, Pajama Thursday, etc... Definitely planning to go back soon!

(Note that they now also have a Gaithersburg location)

Cost:
Adults $8
Kids $7

SUMMER BUSINESS HOURS:
Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 9pm Friday: 12pm - 10pm
Saturday: 12pm - 10pm
Sunday: 12pm to 8pm

Website: http://www.monsterminigolf.com/fran-md-columbia/index.html
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