madteaparty Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I am taking DS and his friend (who is not homeschooled) to DC for a weekend. I think I have the educational part covered: we are doing the Spy museum, Library of Congress, the office of printing and engraving and possibly the Senate chamber (still waiting to hear). What i am looking for is really fun things to do. I am excited the friend is coming along and I want this to be a super-fun trip! Trying to stay in a hotel with a pool if I can afford it is the only thing I can come up with thus far :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azucena Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Maybe PM FarrarWilliams, who lives in the DC area with boys who are almost that age? My (younger) boys loved the Air and Space Museum when we went to DC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Maybe PM FarrarWilliams, who lives in the DC area with boys who are almost that age? My (younger) boys loved the Air and Space Museum when we went to DC. I did and she has given me great ideas.I found the Air and Space so very crowded. I guess that's always the case but we can try again. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 The Spy Museum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, it is worth that many exclamation marks.) Edit: Oh, I just read your initial post more closely. Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I did and she has given me great ideas. I found the Air and Space so very crowded. I guess that's always the case but we can try again. Thanks My kids did not like Air and Space. I bet yours won't either, unless they like to look at packs of dehydrated beef stew behind glass. It was okay, but my son wanted to hop in an old space craft. One kid did get to try on a space glove, though, and touch a shoe, although we were sternly warned not to wear it. The Natural History Museum is great. I highly recommend it. The insect area is fun. You are allowed to touch things! Be sure you ride the subway, unless you live in a place that has them already. Lots of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifesadream83 Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Smithsonian (Natural History) Has dinosaurs, prehistoric man and some cool imax videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I did and she has given me great ideas. Can you share some of her ideas so we don't all have to pm her? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 When my ds as 10, he liked heights, so perhaps the Old Post Office tower? DC Ducks are old WW II amphibious craft that take you on a land your and than go into the Potomac River. Bike on the C&O bike path in Georgetown; there are bike rental places nearby. My kids also loved the subways, especially the very deep ones, like Bethesda, but any of them are fine. Eat at one of DC's many Ethiopian restaurants. Fun for kids because you eat with your hands, wrapping your food in pieces of flatbread. Maybe the Vietnam Memorial. It is just so impressive, no words needed. Kennedy Center often has free pre performance shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I have a 10 year old son and live in the area. What kinds of things do your son and his friend like? When are you coming? Things we like... -Natural History Museum more than Air and Space -National Zoo -Building Museum (fun exhibit right now called Build, Work, Play that is all free-building kind of stuff) -Hiking at Great Falls (out of the city but not that far if you have a car) -Biking along the C&O towpath -Boating on the River, weather dependent -Hiking on Theodore Roosevelt Island -Taking a boat/ferry from Old Town Alexandria to the National Harbor, they have the old Awakening sculpture there. My kids just liked the boat ride but there are also shops and stuff there to see, not that interesting for 10 year old boys. :) -National Museum of the US Navy at the Navy Yard, where you can tour a battleship as well -Nationals Games if you are here in season -Rock Creek Park -Eating lunch or just fry bread at the Museum of the American Indian (they also have a good and fairly short introductory movie in a pretty cool theater on the top floor) -Botanic Garden (which is near the Capitol and the Museum of the American Indian) -Outside DC in Arlington is the Kettler Ice Rink where you can ice skate and it's also where the Capitals (NHL team) practice. Sometimes you can watch a practice if you time it right. -Printing and Engraving is also a fun tour, we liked that a lot. -Depending on when you are here, you could look for cheaper tickets to something at the Kennedy Center. They have a free stage called the Millennium Stage. You can see what's playing there online. The views from the roof of the Kennedy Center are good. -The National Cathedral is interesting and has a fun gargoyle tour, there is a Darth Vader gargoyle that is fun to find. The stained glass windows also have interesting themes. And the view from the tower is very good. Across the street is one of my favorite restaurants, Cactus Cantina. Next to it is very good pizza at 2 Amy's. -The Newseum is also a good museum for kids. There is a LOT there with some fun interactive parts. It is a bit pricey though. -My 10 year old is not much of an art lover but he does like the outdoor sculpture gardens (by the National Gallery on the mall and outside the Hirschhorn) If you are here when it's cold, there is ice-skating at the one by the National Gallery. -The spy museum is really fun and a great choice. Across the street is the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum, which is one of our favorites. It's two museums connected by an enclosed courtyard. The courtyard is a nice place to rest on a too cold or too hot day and has a small pretty good cafe. Some of the modern art in the American Art is very interesting and my kids like it and even my art-hater will tolerate the Portrait Gallery and searching for people he recognizes. The building also used to be the patent office so they have a fascinating exhibit of patent models. The Luce Center is also interesting, it's where they house all their collections not on display but you can go and look at what they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caclcoca Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 We were there last week with 5, 8, and 12 year old boys and a 10 year old girl. One of the things that they enjoyed that I didn't see mentioned is the postal museum next to Grand Central Station. They also enjoyed the Hall of Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian, and I saw online that it is closing soon for a long renovation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I have a 10 year old son and live in the area. What kinds of things do your son and his friend like? When are you coming? Things we like... -Natural History Museum more than Air and Space -National Zoo -Building Museum (fun exhibit right now called Build, Work, Play that is all free-building kind of stuff) -Hiking at Great Falls (out of the city but not that far if you have a car) -Biking along the C&O towpath -Boating on the River, weather dependent -Hiking on Theodore Roosevelt Island -Taking a boat/ferry from Old Town Alexandria to the National Harbor, they have the old Awakening sculpture there. My kids just liked the boat ride but there are also shops and stuff there to see, not that interesting for 10 year old boys. :) -National Museum of the US Navy at the Navy Yard, where you can tour a battleship as well -Nationals Games if you are here in season -Rock Creek Park -Eating lunch or just fry bread at the Museum of the American Indian (they also have a good and fairly short introductory movie in a pretty cool theater on the top floor) -Botanic Garden (which is near the Capitol and the Museum of the American Indian) -Outside DC in Arlington is the Kettler Ice Rink where you can ice skate and it's also where the Capitals (NHL team) practice. Sometimes you can watch a practice if you time it right. -Printing and Engraving is also a fun tour, we liked that a lot. -Depending on when you are here, you could look for cheaper tickets to something at the Kennedy Center. They have a free stage called the Millennium Stage. You can see what's playing there online. The views from the roof of the Kennedy Center are good. -The National Cathedral is interesting and has a fun gargoyle tour, there is a Darth Vader gargoyle that is fun to find. The stained glass windows also have interesting themes. And the view from the tower is very good. Across the street is one of my favorite restaurants, Cactus Cantina. Next to it is very good pizza at 2 Amy's. -The Newseum is also a good museum for kids. There is a LOT there with some fun interactive parts. It is a bit pricey though. -My 10 year old is not much of an art lover but he does like the outdoor sculpture gardens (by the National Gallery on the mall and outside the Hirschhorn) If you are here when it's cold, there is ice-skating at the one by the National Gallery. -The spy museum is really fun and a great choice. Across the street is the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum, which is one of our favorites. It's two museums connected by an enclosed courtyard. The courtyard is a nice place to rest on a too cold or too hot day and has a small pretty good cafe. Some of the modern art in the American Art is very interesting and my kids like it and even my art-hater will tolerate the Portrait Gallery and searching for people he recognizes. The building also used to be the patent office so they have a fascinating exhibit of patent models. The Luce Center is also interesting, it's where they house all their collections not on display but you can go and look at what they have. This is a fabulous list. Thank you for the off-the-Mall suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Thanks so much all. The other little boy is also very into baseball so I bought tickets to a Nationals' game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 ... the office of printing and engraving ... That was a big hit with my daughter when she was about eight or so. She called it the Money Factory! Have a great trip. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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