Washington, DC National Children’s Museum Launch Zone at National Harbor: A Preview of the Coming New Children’s Museum

Last week the kids and I were invited to the Launch Zone to learn about the new offerings and programs, and a good deal has changed since I reported on the free children’s learning site back when it opened. Although the upcoming National Children’s Museum (NCM) at National Harbor is scheduled to open in 2013, kids can get a taste of what the museum will offer NOW at this interactive, free play space.

Here is what the Launch Zone has to offer for your family:

Toddler Tuesdays – Free Drop-In Programs for Children Age 2-4 and Their Parents from 10:30am-2:30pm

Tuesdays at the Launch Zone are all about toddlers and preschoolers. Activities have a different theme each month and include games, art projects, stories and movement for kids and parents to experience together (it’s a drop-in program, not a drop-off). No reservations are necessary.

• Upcoming themes: September – The Sun and Stars, October – The Wizard of Oz, November – The Human Body.

You can find Toddler Tuesdays on the A Parent in Silver Spring calendar.

Special Weekend Programming and Themes

On Saturdays and Sunday, the Launch Zone goes big with the learning projects for families who stop by. With a different theme each week based on a seasonal or interesting educational topic, kids age 3-8 are the stars of the Zone. Here are the upcoming weekend special celebrations in learning:

• September 10 and 24, 11am-4pm at Launch Zone : Get Eggcited for Better Breakfast Month - Come learn how to make your own breakfast with the School Nutrition Association.
• September 18, 12pm-6pm at Lane Manor Park in Adelphi: 30th Annual Hispanic Festival – The NCM is an exhibitor and invites families to take part in cultural dances, sample cuisine from various countries, enjoy live entertainment, an interactive children’s and teen area, carnival rides and games. Free admission.
• October 8, 11am-4pm at Launch Zone: Dino-Mite Dinosaurs – Join a dinosaur dig, skeleton puzzles, claw printing and more.

You can find all of the Launch Zone’s weekend activities on the A Parent in Silver Spring calendar.

Developing Programming for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Families with a child with ASD are invited to help make the upcoming NCM as accessible as possible. Be part of the prototyping by assessing the social story for the museum and help create a successful visit for children with ASD.

Drop-In Play and Learning ANYTIME

Looking for a fun way to spend a day with your child? Head to National Harbor and visit the Launch Zone. In addition to the free rotating open play and arts and crafts options available during the week for children, you can ride the ferry/water taxi, play on The Awakening, hit Family Fest the last two Saturdays remaining on September 3 and 10, climb on the Calleva Pirate Ship Course (there’s a weight minimum, best for bigger kids), visit the Peeps store, eat, shop and explore all the National Harbor has to offer.

Hours and Location

Now until September 6th: Open Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday & Saturday 10am-7pm

September 7 – October 31: Open Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm

Hours at other times of year

The NCM Launch Zone

112 Waterfront St.

National Harbor, MD 2074

Map and Directions

Disclosure: My children and I were invited to the Launch Zone to meet the staff, have lunch and play.

The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang is forecasting showers and winds for Saturday during the day, heavier rains on Saturday night and says, “It appears we may actually end up with a decent Sunday….”

However, I don’t believe we’re going to get through this weekend without having to call Pepco to report an outage (1-877-PEPCO-62 or 1-877-737-2662), do you? They have already been making the electronic rounds with their “expect loss of power for multiple days” automated messages. Fun!

J.J. Newby has the 4-1-1 for family preparedness for a hurricane over at the brand-spankin-new collaborative blog  The DC Moms, where I am an editor and contributor.  (We are officially launching in September, but I was never good at keeping a secret!)

HURRICANE WEEKEND ACTIVITY IDEAS

The Puppet Co. Playhouse in Glen Echo will be open for all performances this weekend – tickets still remain to Wizard of Oz at 11:30am and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Tiny Tots on is sold out.) To ensure that they are indeed open, note that if Glen Echo Park is closed, The Puppet Co. is also closed. Call the Glen Echo Park hotline at 301-320-2330 (the message on this line is updated by 7am for daytime activities; 3pm for evening activities) to double check. You can also check puppet house website at www.thepuppetco.org  and the park’s website at  www.glenechopark.org.

Great Kids Village is anticipating being open all weekend for regular play. You can call 301-309-2386 to double-check if you need.

The Playseum’s locations (Bethesda 301-807-8028 and DC 202-999-0510 ) are also usually open during inclement weather for indoor learning and play.

Thinking of heading to Arundel Mills for some back to school shopping? While you are there your big kids and tweens can attend the Radio Disney Shake It Up Dance Party on Saturday. The fun is happening from noon to 2pm in the Arundel Mills Mall Food Court, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Handover, MD 21076. Hang out with the Radio Disney Road Crew for the dance, play Shake It Up games and win awesome Shake It Up prizes.  They are giving away a Nintendo Wii, a Just Dance 2 game and the Shake It Up soundtrack every 15 minutes.

Know of other family weekend events still going on? Leave your info in the comments!

Rock-n-Romp Kids Fest THIS Saturday August 27 at the Silver Spring Fenton Street Market

On Saturday, the celebrated Rock-n-Romp Kids Fest  – featuring rocking music for parents and kids – is back! This series is famous for providing local families with a good time and featuring non-pandering live music played at a kid-friendly volume. This Saturday the lineup is fantastic local artists Ugly Purple Sweater, Lady Hatchet (the band you get when you combine Olivia Mancini + The Mates with The Scotch Bonnets), and Your Pal Pete.

The price? Totally free, baby!

In addition to the great music, there will be loads of booths for kids. There will be hot mini donuts, face painting, and even a  model train exhibit for Thomas and choo-choo fanatics. There will also be a Community Roundtable with Paulette Mpouma, inventor of the Africa Memory Game. Ms. Mpouma and volunteers will be teaching children ages 4 and up and adults how to play the game from noon to 1pm. Local artisans will be selling lots of baby- and kid-friendly merchandise like art, jewelry, hair accessories, clothes, plush toys, cloth diapers, and more. What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and the start of school on Monday!

WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 9 am to 3 pm

WHERE: The Fenton Street Market, Veterans Plaza, corner of Fenton Street and Ellsworth Avenue, Downtown Silver Spring

KidzRock at The Rooftop in Rockville’s Town Center on Sunday September 18

KidzRock at The Rooftop is a seriously fun dance party for kids age 2-10 and their parents and favorite grownups.  There will be dance instruction from street breakdancers, pro dance teachers from Studio-310 and a real live DJ spinning. The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance will also perform for the kids and Reptile World will be showing off their scaly friends.

This is also an event you can feel good about: Ticket sales raise funds for other kids through the City of Rockville’s Parks & Recreation Foundation and other local charities endorsed by the City of Rockville.

The event is rain or shine – if the rain hits, KidzRock will be moved indoors to the 2nd floor VisArts Event Gallery.

WHEN: Sunday September 18, 4-6pm

WHERE: The Rooftop at Rockville’s Town Center, 155 Gibbs Street, Rockville above the VisArts Event Gallery.

TICKETS just $5 each for adults and kids

SHARK WEEK, that annual summer programming of shark-tacular documentaries and shows on Discovery Channel, begins on Sunday July 31. And since we’re all so lucky to live near Discovery headquarters, we’re invited to the local Shark Week kick-off party.

The celebration will include a free preview screening in downtown Silver Spring of the brand new show Great White Invasion. The one-hour special looks into why great white sharks are coming closer to shore, swimming among unsuspecting humans more than ever before.

(Maybe that’s a little heavy for the little ones, but your middle schoolers and teens will find fascinating! Besides, it doesn’t start until after the babes are down in bed – 8:30pm.)

Cool bonus: The Discovery shark lovers will be giving away goodies throughout the night, including Shark Week hats, shirts and DVDs.

Also on hand will be Chompie Jr., the Shark Week mascot, who will be swimming around the plaza taking pics with people, which you should immediately upload to Discovery’s Shark Week Photo Frenzy. Also, have you seen the hilarious videos in the Shark Week Video Frenzy?

What: FREE community screening of Great White Invasion, featured in Shark Week 2011
When: Friday, July 29at 8:30 PM
Where: Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building
What to Bring: Family, friends, lawn chairs & an appetite for jawesome entertainment

Additionally, local restaurants are getting into the Shark Week spirit next week and offering  these special restaurant deals!

• California Tortilla, all locations – “In celebration of the highly anticipated Shark Week on Discovery Channel, California Tortilla is having a special promotion featuring one of its signature items, fish tacos. Guests who purchase a fish taco on Thursday, July 28, will receive a free Discovery Channel Shark Week fin hat. Fish taco enthusiasts who return on Wednesday, August 3, wearing their distinguished Shark Week fin hat will receive a free taco with any California Tortilla purchase. These one-of-a-kind toppers are a necessity for the ultimate Shark Week viewing experience, which begins Sunday, July 31, at 9 p.m.on the Discovery Channel. Discovery Channel is giving away California Tortilla catering to 10 fans with top-rated pictures of how they celebrate in the Shark Week Photo Frenzy. California Tortilla will also award free burritos for a year to the customer who posts the best Shark Week fin hat picture to the California Tortilla Facebook page. ” – from the California Tortilla press release

• Lebanese Taverna Cafe in Silver Spring – Tuesday July 26, 2011, 11:30pm–7:00pm: Mention Shark Week at the Lebanese Taverna Cafe in Silver Spring and take a 15% bite off a SHARKwarma or Chicken SHARKwarma sandwich platter.

Disclosure: My husband works for Discovery.

Photo of a past Family Day in the gorgeous (and air conditioned!) Kogod Courtyard. 

Washington Nationals Baseball Family Day at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum‘s Kogod Courtyard is this Saturday, July 9, from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

My family and I can’t wait to combine two of our loves: art learning and the Nats! And this event is totally free. It’s a summer Saturday home run!

A Q-and-A session with two Nationals players will begin at noon; between 12:15 p.m. and 1 p.m. children will be able to pose for pictures with the players. 

Highlights of the event will include:

• An opportunity to take pictures with players
• Decorating picture frames for your family’s photo with the players
• A station to make pennants and big fingers
• Face painting
• The Courtyard Café will offer traditional ballpark fare for purchase, including hot dogs, popcorn and ice cream
• After the event concludes a special, docent-led tour titled, “Runs, Hits, Errors: The Boys of Summer at the National Portrait Gallery” will be offered. The tour will meet in the F Street Lobby at 3:15 p.m

Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery at Eighth and F streets N.W.The museums are located above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25. Admission is always free.

See you there!

Kogod courtyard pic courtesy Elvert Barnes on ipernity via a share alike license, Nationals pic courtesy the National Portrait Gallery.