ClimbZone, Laurel, MD

                                                                                                                                                                         ClimbZone in Laurel offers a unique opportunity for kids to get started on indoor rock climbing in a fun and safe setting. Upon entering, it is clear that this is no ordinary climbing gym. Since ClimbZone opened its doors last year, they have been bringing in people in swarms to climb these unique "rock" faces. In order to save time upon arrival, you can fill out the safety waiver online so that you can get climbing sooner.

Once you've paid and gotten harnessed, you are taken over to a practice climbing wall where an instructor shows each person how to use their unique climbing system, which involves one pulley system up top, attached to another belay clip on the floor. They show each climber (kid and adult) how to hook on your belay clip to the top rope and then how to un-clip from the floor. Once you have done your sample climb to show that you understand how to use the equipment, you are free to climb on any open wall. There are at least 20-30 different wall faces to climb and each one poses a different challenge and theme.

Throughout our time at ClimbZone, we found the employees to be friendly and helpful. If anyone  was having difficulties, they came over and offered help. Kids as little as around 5 years old seemed to be having fun climbing (sometimes with a parent and sometimes alone), and the slow release rope system that lets climbers down from the wall slowly allowed climbers to feel safe as they slowly rappelled down the walls. While this is mostly geared towards 6-16 year old kids, kids as young as 5 and all the way up to adults can grab a hold of these climbing walls and have a great time!

Additionally, most rock climbing places require you to take a course or be trained to belay in order to use their facilities. Otherwise you are confined to crowded open climb hours that charge you per climb. However, since ClimbZone has its special self-belaying system and training, you can go to whichever wall you would like, wait in line, and climb as many times as you would like. Instead of being charged per climb you are charged for 3 hours of climbing.In addition to the climbing, they also have several large inflatables available to play on at no additional charge, as well as a few arcade games, food for sale, tables to eat at, and an area to rent out for parties. We will definitely be coming back here soon!

ClimbZone Indoor Climbing
13200 Mid Atlantic Boulevard
Suite 130
Laurel, MD 20708
Phone: (301) 317-1970

Recommended ages: 6 and up

Cost:
2-5 years old: $12
6 and up: $25

Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10am-8pm
Friday: 10am-9pm
Saturday-Sunday and public holidays 9am-9pm

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Website: http://www.climbzone.us/

Atlantis Waterpark at Bull Run, Centreville, VA.

Atlantis Waterpark is just another one of Virginia's great waterparks at an affordable price. They have a kiddie pool with a mini slide, a very large pool with two giant slides as well as some smaller slides in the middle of the pool, and a splash and play area with no standing water and a massive bucket that dumps 500 gallons of water every few minutes (A bell alerts you to when this is about to happen). Additionally, there is a small sand area next to the kiddie pool that allows for kids to dig and get a sense of that beach feel without having to drive all the way out to the beach.

On the day that we went, the pool was a bit crowded, but due to the massive size of the main pool, it did not feel like we were cramped. They also had plenty of beach chairs on the premises. When the craving for food and drink hits you, they also have Neptunes Reef Cafe.


While most water parks will set you back at least $25 dollars per person, Atlantis is only $8.25 for those above 48" and $7 for under 48". They also offer reduced rates for seniors and for people that come to the pool after 4pm on weekdays. Overall, the park was clean and there were a lot of lifeguards on the premises rotating on and off duty.


Most appropriate ages: 2-13
Wheel chair accessibility: Yes for entry to facilities, no zero depth entry
Hours:
May 26 – June 18
Monday – Friday: Closed
Weekends:     11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
June 19:   12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
June 20 – August 23
Daily:     11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
July 4:     11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
August 24 – September 4
Monday – Friday:    11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays:     11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

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 Website: http://www.atlantisbullrun.com/

Patapsco Valley State Park, Ellicott City, MD

Looking for a nice place to hike, fish, picnic, camp, boat, and bike? Patapsco Valley State Park has many wonderful opportunities to be out in nature. One of the more popular trails is the Cascade Falls trail which is a 2.1 mile loop that is moderate in difficulty, and has a nice small waterfall that kids can play in. The water is no more than about 2.5 feet deep and is a nice first experience with waterfalls. It is not a really large area (the falls) and can get crowded at times, but people seem to move in and out of the area within 15 minutes or so, allowing for pockets of less crowded time.

In addition to the hike, there are also places that you can go right into the water and play where it is shallow. We saw kids of all ages splashing around, but because it is such a large park, there was plenty of room for people to spread out and have their own space. One thing to take into account is that there are several entrances to the different trails, and you should make sure to find the parking area that is best for where you want to enter. I believe that some entrances are in different cities, so plan ahead to know where you want to go.

Using Waze, we typed in Cascade Falls Trail rather than Patapsco Valley State Park in order to get directions to the trail we were looking for. There is a small entrance fee for cars coming in ($2 for Maryland residents).

Website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/patapsco.aspx

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National Geographic Museum, Washington, DC

With its frequently rotating exhibits, the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC is a fun place to take your kids. We went a few weeks ago to see the current exhibits which were Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Architecture as well as the Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants exhibit. Both exhibits were interesting, and provided about 2 hours worth of entertainment. While there were not a ton of hands on exhibits for really young kids, fish enthusiasts and Indiana Jones fans will go home happy.
The Indiana Jones exhibit was mostly movie props, a few archaeological finds, and tv screens. Each visitor received a headset and iPad type of device. As you walk through the exhibit each item or tv had a code on it. Once you type the code into your electronic device you essentially get to either watch a clip from the movie, or get an audio tour guide that explains the exhibit that you are looking at.

The Monster Fish exhibit had a kids fishing game, a boat to sit in and watch videos about fishing and fish conservation, as well as some large model fish that can be observed. They also had a few small hands on exhibits. Since the exhibits change semi-frequently, make sure to look on the website or call ahead to see which exhibits are on display before going.


Cost:
Regular: $15
Member: $12
Student: $12
Military: $12
Senior: $12
Child (5-11): $10
Under 5: Free

Website:
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic-museum/

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Ski Roundtop, Lewisberry, PA

Here’s an exciting new activity for most..... OGO balling!!! That’s right, if you aren’t a huge fan of the upside down, stomach is in your throat, jerking back and forth motion of a roller coaster, but love a fun and fast ride, OGO balling is the activity for you. Located at Ski Roundtop, this is the perfect summer activity. While there are only 3 locations in the U.S. that have OGO balling (also called Zorbing), Roundtop is the only one that charges a set fee for the day, meaning that you can go as many times as you’d like.  Children as young as 6 could be seen flying down the hill in this fun ride.

So what is an OGO ball? An OGO ball is a 10 foot plastic ball, with another plastic ball suspended inside of it. There is a small hole in the side that is opened up, and then the inner ball is filled with a few gallons of water. Once the bottom of the inner ball has water in it, up to 3 riders can climb inside and sit up to their waists in water (warning: the water is a little cold). Once seated, the staff zips up the hole, opens the gate, and sends you rolling down the hill. They use their winter snow tubing hill as their summer OGO balling track. Let me tell you, the first time going down the hill is a little unsettling due to the cold water, and not knowing where to place your hands. However, by the third and fourth times you go down, it’s just an amazing ride, and an incredibly unique experience. 

In addition to OGO balling, Roundtop’s summer activities also include a ropes course, maze, bumper boats, gem mining, paintball, ziplining and a scenic chair lift up one of their ski hills. They also have a great deck that overlooks the OGO balling course that is perfect for enjoying lunch. While we went during the summer to experience all of these great activities (for one price), they also are known for their great skiing and snow tubing in the winter. We are looking forward to making this a frequent summer stop for years to come!

Website: https://www.skiroundtop.com/

River & Trail Outfitters, Knoxville, MD

 

River and Trail outfitters is a really wonderful company that offers tubing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing,

camping, biking, team building, and specialty tours. The main office is located in Knoxville, Maryland,
and the staff there is friendly and knowledgeable. Once all of the registration is taken care of, and the
liability waiver is signed, it is just a short 10 minute drive down the road to the Millville, WV riverfront, where you can get situated with the staff. They bus you up river where you will be put on the river to float.

Depending on the type of trip that you take, you may be in the Shenandoah River, the Potomac River,
Antietam Creek, and other locations as well. While we were there, we did the Mellow Tubing trip down the Shenandoah River, which was about one hour long. They provide you with a life vest and an inner tube, and are the only tubing group that offers parking at the river take out.

The greatest thing about River and Trail is that once you’ve paid for your tubing, you can keep taking the bus back up river and getting back in, so if you wanted to take the day and keep floating down the river, they are happy to oblige. Most places are not as generous. The bus drivers are also wonderful about answering any questions that you may have on the way up to the river put in.

The great thing about the Mellow Tubing trip is that you can go as an individual or with friends. They also have an option to tie two inner tubes together, so that groups can move at the same pace. The water is also not that deep, so you can get out of your tube and wade through the water. This trip is ideal for younger children. I would say that most kids ages 5 and up would really enjoy this activity, and that it was equally enjoyable for adults.

Once we completed the Mellow Tubing trip, we also had the opportunity to try the kayaking at an
additional cost. The kayaking experience is more of a workout than the tubing, but allows you to feel as
though you are floating on the water. The kayaks that they provide are very light, so, much like a sports
car, you can really feel the handling of the boat based on your movements.

Working with the staff at River and Trail for both the tubing and the kayaking was really enjoyable, and I look forward to making this an annual trip! 

Website: http://www.rivertrail.com/index.php

Pricing varies depending on the trip, so please see the website for details.

Water Country USA, Williamsburg, VA

Williamsburg used to be known solely for its impact on the American Revolution. Now it has another claim to fame, Water Country USA! While most amusement parks are just roller coasters, or a mix of roller coasters and water rides, there are very few places on the east coast that offer a water park that is the size of a whole amusement park. Additionally, because it is located a few blocks from Busch Gardens, patrons can spend a few days in the Williamsburg area doing a variety of different activities.

Water Country USA offers water lovers the opportunity to ride on ten different water slides, a wave pool, lazy river, diving show, and three areas that are designated just for really little children. Unlike any other water park that I have been at before, the park was spotless. There was not a piece of trash on the floor anywhere, and all of the rides seemed well maintained.

The most impressive part of this water park was that while most parks restrict little kids from riding on the bigger attractions, there were only two rides that kids under 48 inches could not go on. All of the other rides allow kids fewer than 48 inches to ride with an adult, as long as they are wearing a life vest (which the park provides).  It appears that Water Country USA targets families with children that are 3-14 years of age. Due to targeting this demographic, there were a lot less rowdy teens running around, which made it a very pleasant atmosphere for families.

However, just because the park is incredibly accessible to younger children does not mean that they do not have any thrill rides. The two most exciting rides in the park are Vanish Point and the newly opened Colossal Curl! Opening Colossal Curl as another thrill ride shows that the park is making an effort to widen their demographic as well.  Vanish point, however, is far and away the most thrilling ride in the park. Once at the top of the platform, riders are confronted with the choice between entering into a pod whose floor drops out from under the rider, or a 300 foot slide that drops almost 90 degrees the second you push off.  Both options give riders the feeling of zero gravity!

Overall this is a really fun water park that is fun independently for a day trip, but can also be coupled with Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, and other attractions in the area to make a great short vacation as well. I will definitely be taking my kids back here next summer! 

Website: www.watercountryusa.com

Rates:

Water Country USA Single-Day Ticket

Adults 10+: $50.00 per person

Ages 3-9: $43.00 per person

Water Country USA Fun Card (Unlimited visits to Water Country USA through Sept. 1)
Ages 3+: $50.00 per person

Busch Gardens + Water Country USA 2-Park Fun Card (Unlimited visits to Water Country USA and Busch Gardens through Sept. 1)
Ages 3+: $97.00 per person

The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring, MD

 

Whenever I take my family out for an activity, the three main things that I look for are that the place is safe, fun, and has a friendly and helpful staff.  The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring fulfills all of these requirements and more! While most ropes courses have guides tagging along with you, or have a group of people taking turns while allowing one person to climb at a time, the technology at the Adventure Park allows for many climbers to be moving through the courses safely and effectively without feeling attached to a group. The ability to go with friends, but to also have freedom, make this park unique and exciting!

Upon arrival, you are greeted by a large number of friendly staff members. You can fill out the safety waivers online in advance, or sign up on their tablets at the front desk. Once you’ve paid, participants can go over to the harnessing area, get harnessed, and pick up a set of gloves (or you can bring your own gloves). Once they walk you through their training session, which is well run and efficient, you then have the opportunity to climb the main platform to the starting point for 13 different courses. There are 6 different levels of obstacle course which are color coded like a ski slope. The most basic levels (purple) allow kids as young as 5 years old to climb (with an adult), and each course offers different types of obstacles, ranging in difficulty, and including climbing, balancing, and zip lining challenges. They also range in height from 10 feet to 65 feet up in the air, so there are options for novices as well as for the more extreme daredevil type. In addition to the many options to attempt in the Aerial Forest during the day, they also offer several special events during the summer such as Glow in the Park, which is a night time climbing opportunity on the ropes course for a discounted price. The forest is well shaded during the day, and absolutely stunning when lit up at night. 

 

In addition to the Aerial Forest, this park also features the Labyrinth which is a separate structure designed specifically for groups, parties, and corporate events, as well as a newer area called Monkey Grove. Monkey Grove allows kids to climb 10 different trees that are covered with rock climbing wall grips. Climbers can tackle trees of varying levels of difficulty, and are given an hour of climbing time. The special equipment used, make it safe and fun to harness in, and climb to the top as many times as you would like during the hour.  Participants must weigh at least 35lbs to climb, and my 5 and 7 year old boys were able to make it to the top of several of the trees during our time there. I cannot say enough about how well trained, happy, and encouraging the staff was. At the end my boys were begging to come back again, and this is definitely a place that we will try to visit again!

Aerial Forest Adventure Park Tickets

3 hours of climbing + 30 min initial orientation period. Max weight limit 265 lbs)

• Age 12 & older: $49
• Ages 10–11: $44
• Ages 7–9: $39
• Ages 5 – 6: FREE (Each child must be accompanied on course by an adult age 18+. One adult per child, not available online)

Twilight Ticket Hours

On sale 3 hours prior to closing, all ages 7+. Valid for remaining time that day-typically max 2.5 hrs. Not available for advanced reservation.

•  All Ages:  $29   (Monday – Thursday/summer only)
•  All Ages:  $36  (Friday-Sunday & Holidays)

*Please note that our hardest courses (blues and blacks) close first. During Twilight Ticket hours harder courses may not be available to climb. 

Labyrinth General Admission Individual Tickets

2 hour climbing ticket + 30min orientation; weight limit max 265lb

The Labyrinth is typically available by group reservation only–however on Friday & Saturday afternoons, families have the chance to challenge themselves on this unique climbing structure! Max 24 seats per session–due to the limited space available, it is recommended to book online, in advance.

• All Ages:  $29

Monkey Grove Climbing Tickets

1 hour climbing ticket; min 30lbs/max 265lbs )

• All Ages:  $19

Website: http://sandyspringadventurepark.org/

Luray Caverns, Luray, VA.

Whether on summer vacation or winter break, Luray Caverns is a great place to take your kids. The temperature inside these caverns is consistently in the upper 50's, but with humidity, it feels like the 60's (no more than a sweatshirt is necessary). Additionally, this natural beauty is open 365 days per year, so any time is a good time to visit.

The ticket booth and building were built on top of the entrance to the caverns, so the purchase of tickets, as well as the wait to start the tour, take place indoors. Kids as young as 5 will truly enjoy the beauty and excitement of the natural caves. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, and stopped to let us take a multitude of pictures, and ask questions every few steps. From start to finish, the entire tour is 1.25 miles long, and takes roughly 1 hour to complete. Inside, you will see beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that have naturally formed over thousands of years.

In addition to the natural beauty, they have also installed an organ that uses the stalactites and stalagmites to be able to play music (which they will demonstrate). There were also a few spots where water had pooled up, and made the reflection appear as a mirror image to all of the formations hanging from the ceiling. Ending the tour was a large wishing well, which has the proceeds donated to charities every year.

When you complete the tour, you come out in the gift shop, which had plenty of unique items in it. Additionally, in the same shopping center were a few Luray Museums, which you get free entrance to with the purchase of your caverns tickets, as well as a small ropes course, and a tree maze (each of which cost less than 10 dollars per person to add on.

This small day trip took us a little less than two hours each way from Wheaton, and was definitely worth the drive.

Website: http://luraycaverns.com/

Cost:
Adults: $24
Kids 6-12: $12
Under 6: Free

Hours:

Tours begin each day at 9 am

The last tour departs at:

April 1 to June 14 – 6 pm

June 15 to Labor Day – 7 pm

Day after Labor Day to October 31 – 6 pm

November 1 to March 31 – 4 pm (5 pm on weekends)

(Tours run roughly every 20 minutes)

Trimpers Rides and Amusements, Ocean City, MD

Spending time on the boardwalk is one of our favorite family activities during the summer. There are tons of shops to visit, beach spots to play at, and most importantly, rides to enjoy. Trimpers Rides is a family favorite when visiting Ocean City, MD. Roughly three hours from the Silver Spring area, this can be a really long day trip or a day activity as part of a vacation. Our children love going here every year, and we have found it to really have a wide array of rides for kids ages 3 and up.

Rides include but are not limited to Bumper Cars, Bumper Boats, Merry-Go-Round, Mini Ferris Wheel, multiple mini-roller coasters, bounce toys, and more. The Happy Swing, Tea Cups, Rockin' Tug, Frog Hopper, Merry Mixer, and Tilt-a-Whirl are also popular rides. All of these can be enjoyed by younger children. However, they also have rides such as the Tidal Wave, Zipper, and Wipeout for older kids. There is a good mix of indoor and outdoor rides at this amusement park, which also includes individual pay games where kids can win prizes.

Tickets to the attractions cost $0.50 each, and most rides cost between 3-6 tickets. Sheets of 40 tickets can be purchased for 19 dollars each, but you can also buy a wristband which gives you unlimited rides for $23.00 per person. We found that the tickets went really quickly, and it was definitely worth it to buy the wristbands.

Website: http://www.trimpersrides.com/

Dynamite Gymnastics, Rockville, MD

Dynamite Gymnastics is a great gym in the Rockville Area, that has classes for all ages of children. Additionally, they have open gym hours in 50 minute and 90 minute increments that provide an affordable place for kids to run around and blow off some steam on a variety of different activities. The staff is incredibly friendly, and was very helpful in supervising the area, and answering any questions that we had. They also worked hard to praise the efforts of the children and keep them safe and happy.

The equipment includes, but is not limited to, multiple trampolines, a rope swing/climb, and a runway trampoline leading kids to a jump into the massive foam pit. They also have a huge open gymnastics floor, high and low bars, and high and low beams. After one days visit, my kids were asking to go back the next day. Children as young as 3 were playing on all different types of equipment, and the gym was in immaculate shape. Staff members were roaming through the gym wiping down the equipment, and all children were asked to wipe off their feet with baby wipes before they came in. having a fun and clean place to play was an enjoyable experience, and this will continue to be a great rainy (and sunny) day excursion for our family.

Website:https://www.dynamitegcregistration.com/Default.aspx

Ages: 3 and up

Cost: as low as $7.00 for the 30 minute open gym

Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

Are you thinking of taking to our nation’s capital for the day? If so, make sure to stop by the Museum of Natural History! While I am sure most people are have heard of this fantastic museum, most could probably only point out that it has a huge stuffed elephant in the rotunda of the building. However, this building contains so many interesting exhibits, that our children were entertained for hours.

While there are many new and changing exhibits at this museum, some of the most impressive features are part of the permanent collection. On the first floor currently, they have Natures best photography, a discovery room, ocean, mammals, a massive fossil exhibit (including plants and animals), human origins, and of course the dinosaurs! This floor was definitely fun to look at and with such great big open spaces, there were plenty of places to roam. 

On the second level, exhibits on display included an area on genomes, a lot of the rocks and gems (including the Hope Diamond), an amazing insect zoo, which our kids were allowed to hold a few of, and a live butterfly exhibit (for a fee). My kids truly loved this floor as one child loved the large number of different rocks of various colors, while the other enjoyed holding huge bugs! There are several other wonderful exhibits in this museum as well, some that are permanent, and others that are temporary, and meant to keep the museum fresh and new.

The main level had a very large café, and there were multiple gift shops in the building. One of my favorite parts about living in this area are the wide array of activities to do, and one of my true favorite parts, is the amazing culture and history that is free and available to the public. While this museum is usually crowded throughout the day, this is worth the experience!

Website: http://www.mnh.si.edu/

Cost: Free

Closest Metro station: Smithsonian

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes (there is a ramp to get into the building on at least one side, ramps throughout the museum when necessary, and several elevators to go from floor to floor.)