Parenting  |  Things to Do

Weekend With the Kids: Cold-Weather Adventures

Washington’s tourist locations make it easier to keep kids entertained inside

The weather is frightful, we’re willing to snuggle up and hibernate, yet children still have energy to burn. Finding indoor activities can be difficult this time of year, and we all easily get stuck in a rut. You can run the kids in the mall or take them to the movies only so many times. Below is a list of some ideas on where else to go with kids of any age.

For the Explorers Among Us
College Park Aviation Museum (1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park, Md.)
The College Park Aviation Museum is a nice change of pace. The museum itself isn’t very big, but its exhibits are interesting for adults and older kids. To appeal to the younger ones, there’s a section for dressing up for the budding aviators and even an old plane to climb through. My daughter had a great time dressing up like the Red Baron and pretending exploring the unfriendly skies of World War I. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for kids ages 2 to 18, free for those under 2. Parking is free and easy . The museum is open daily from 10 to 5.

A Walk Through Time—Stories and Crafts Included
National Museum of the American Indian
Being a tourist in our own town is surprisingly fun—and easy to forget to do. Most of us have likely spent plenty of time in the Air & Space Museum and the Natural History Museum. But how often have you hit the National Museum of the American Indian? Beyond its architectural originality and beautiful exhibits, NAMI offers weekly free activities for kids of all ages. Every weekday from 2:30 to 3 through the end of February, the museum offers free story time for ages 5 to 9, called “Hok-noth-da? (Did You Hear?)—Listen! I Have a Story to Tell.” I’ve heard rave reviews from friends. Most Saturdays through May, NAMI hosts Hands-On Family Activities from 10 to noon and 1 to 3. Street parking can be extremely difficult, so Metro is probably the easiest way to travel to the museum. The closest stop is L’Enfant Plaza, or if you and the kids are up for a nice stroll down the Mall, the Smithsonian station is another option.

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