Need to decide quickly: Should we take a 4 1/2 and 7 year old to D.C. ?

[snickelfritz]

Due to the circumstances, our only expenses would be airfare for me and the kiddos. Dh will go, regardless.

 

We had decided not to, but when dh went to book his own ticket..... he found out that tickets to D.C. are REALLY cheap. Much cheaper than we had assumed they would be.

 

But....... will they remember it? Get anything out of it? Even if we do a mini-unit, will they really be interested in any of the historical sites? I know there is a zoo and an aquarium, but we have both of those nearby and I wouldn't travel all that way for those.

 

Dh and I were just there a couple of years ago, so I had decided not to leave the kiddos and just go with the two of us. Although, that might be an option.

 

I don't do well with quick decisions.

[K&Rs Mom]

I think they'll still get something out of it. The Smithsonian has a bunch of choices to fit whatever you're studying; the Mall (main bunch of monuments) is always cool and they'll remember the sculptures/buildings even if they don't remember WHY we're memorializing those particular people or events. They might be impressed by the capitol & government buildings when you explain that they're in charge of the whole country.

[Snickerdoodle]

Take them.

 

Even if they don't remember the details, they will remember and become attuned to having a sense of adventure.

[cillakat]

absolutely. I took my kids at 3 and 5.5. we had a *blast*. Such a great walking city. Great public transportation. Incredibly easy to get around.

 

We loved it.

 

K

[stripe]

Yes! I took my kids, who are similar in age, to DC last year, and we had a blast!

 

We loved, loved, loved the Natural History Museum --- do NOT miss it, no matter what! The insectarium is so neat; a child can crawl inside a model termite mound, they have a bees' nest where the bees come and go from the outside, and there are other insects ready to be handled. The space museum, which I thought would be the highlight was not. It was very crowded, and everything had "do not touch" signs on it. We went to the Natural History Museum two days in a row, and would have gone back another time! We were encouraged to touch so many things in there; my kids were so happy. And it just wasn't very crowded. And I heard someone remark in there, "If ever there was a place to homeschool, Washington DC is it."

 

I never got to the zoo or any of the other museums, but wanted to. It was really neat to see all the government buildings, too. (My travel book strongly discouraged going to the DC aquarium, by the way, as it's supposed to be tiny and not free, whereas so many things in DC are.)

 

We went to the National Geographic Museum, I would say that should be skipped; my travel guide said there was a giant globe...The lady at the museum said it was removed about 7 years ago but should be coming back in any expanded section because everyone comes looking for it. When we were there, it was TINY and we were out of there within 10 minutes.

 

The subway was also fun to ride in.

[pryde55]

Definitely take the kids with you!! We just moved to DC last August & may be moving again this summer. DC has so much to offer little minds. One of the best places I took my then 6 year old & 11 year old was the National Archives to see our nation's original documents in the actual "vault" built around them. It was awe-inspiring for my kids. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has a hands-on area downstairs that my kids loved! My son especially liked the National Museum of the Amerian Indian with its collections of Native American knives, garments, crafts. Even walking in front of the White House is something they won't forget! Besides, depending on how long you visit, you might even catch the Cherry Blossom Festival. My sister, who is 47, is from Chicago. She will be visiting us next weekend & will get to see Washington DC for the first time in her life! 47 years would be too long to wait!

[cathmom]

I took my five year old last summer and he loved it! We went to Mt. Vernon and to the zoo. He knew who George Washington was from Liberty's Kids.

[Aggie]

I agree...GO!!:001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

Go, and come visit me! lol

 

Take them to DC and then make a side trip to Mt. Vernon. Even if they don't get everything, they will like the new education wing.

[mariposa]

I hope that you decide to go. We live in the area and my kids are 8, 6, and 4. We've done tons of things and they do remember and love it.

Couple suggestions (sorry if they're repeats, I just skimmed the responses):

-Air & Space

-Natural History museum

** both of these have great IMAX movies if you can afford it; my kids have seen a couple and some in 3D and still talk about them (even the 4 year old)

-if you go the the OLD Post Office Pavilion, you can take a glass elevator up to the top of the clock tower. It's a fabulous view of the city (much better than from the stuffy Washington Monument) and there's never been a long line. The kids really just loved the elevator, but I love the view. There's also a tone of cool shops in the building and places to eat

-Mt. Vernon - not super cheap, but my kids really liked this last year as well. The museum has a fun kids room where they can dress up in colonial clothing and there's lots of cool hands-on stuff for them too.

Okay, I'll quite now - I could go on and on and we have plans to see a lot more in the next couple of months.

Hope you get to go and enjoy it!

Sarah

[delaney]

Sure! My kids have loved DC since they were toddlers!

[Jen in PA]

I would go. I have had success taking kids that age to the Natural History Museum, Air and Space, and the National Gallery of Art.

[Cera]

Definitely! My kids are 3 and 5 and love DC.

[Mom0012]

They will love the Natural History and the Air and Space museums.

 

Lisa

[RebeccaS]

YES! Go! We took our kids this past December-they were 4, 5, 6, and 7 at that point. It was terrific! The kids had a blast, we walked them all over D.C. from the Mall to the monuments to the Navy Yard. They talk about our trip all the time and are planning for what they want to see "when we go back". :001_huh: You won't regret it. We spent nearly 2 full days in the Natural History Museum and I could have spent another one if we had it. :001_smile:

[snickelfritz]

ok, ok.....We're going to take them.:D

 

We decided that they would benefit from the life experience, even if they forget the details of the museums.

 

We took them to San Francisco in October. We did the trolley, Alcatraz, all of the usual and I even took older dd to see the King Tut exhibit that was visiting. What do they remember? Riding the bus to the park one day when dh was in meetings. It was in (near? Chinatown) and there were groups of people doing Tai Chi. THAT'S what they still talk about.

[Jamee]

ok, ok.....We're going to take them.:D

 

We decided that they would benefit from the life experience, even if they forget the details of the museums.

 

We took them to San Francisco in October. We did the trolley, Alcatraz, all of the usual and I even took older dd to see the King Tut exhibit that was visiting. What do they remember? Riding the bus to the park one day when dh was in meetings. It was in (near? Chinatown) and there were groups of people doing Tai Chi. THAT'S what they still talk about.

 

So glad you decided to take them. Their memories will probably be VERY different from yours, but not in a bad way. My boys were almost three and seven when we went to Cambodia and they had a blast! Do they remember some of the things we did, no, but they remembered the trip differently. We were somewhere not too long ago and my youngest said it "smells like Cambodia." Once we thought about it, yeah it did. His memories were more on smells and foods. Take lots of pictures, prep for the trip, I'm sure they'll have a fantastic time! (We're looking forward to going to DC this summer, the boys can't wait!)

[Stacia]

Glad you are taking them. I have taken my kids numerous times since they have been little. You've already gotten lots of great suggestions.

 

Many of the museums & sites have great hands-on activities/areas for kids. If you look on the Smithsonian website, some of the art museums (& others too) have special art classes/events on the weekends (free), in addition to the regular hands-on kids stuff. The outdoor sculpture gardens on the Mall are fun for kids.

 

Be sure to take plenty of outdoor breaks & try not to do it all. What worked for us when my kids were little & we were near the Mall.... We carried a small cooler w/ drinks & snacks w/ us (you can take them in the museums, just not eat in the museums), plus a small frisbee or a few small toys. When the kids needed a break or at the end of the day (when it was rush hour on the metro & we wanted to avoid the crowds for a bit), we'd head out to the Mall, play, snack, etc.... It's beautiful, plenty of running space, etc...

 

If you have a car, visit Mt. Vernon's Gristmill & Distillery. It's a few miles from Mt. Vernon & is small. Every time we've been it has not been crowded. You get to see how the gristmill works (& the distillery too, if you want to tour it). They also have a lovely little grassy area by the mill (which is by a creek) & it's a great place for a picnic lunch.

 

All along the George Washington Parkway are numerous parks & pull off areas. By Reagan Nat'l Airport, there is Gravelly Point Park, which kids seem to love because you can watch planes either taking off or landing over you. (Very loud, though.)

 

The Botanical Gardens are neat for kids too & there is a kids play garden there.

 

Oh, if you do go to the zoo, check a metro map. There is a suggested 'arrival' metro station for the zoo & a different 'departure' station. That's because the zoo is very hilly & the arrival station they list is near the top of the zoo. After walking around all day (& probably being at the bottom area of the zoo), it is easier to walk downhill to a different station rather than trek back uphill.

 

Of course, riding the metro will probably be the highlight. LOL! (My kids love riding the metro.)