Please mark your calendars for a fun moms’ night out on Friday night March 19th at the Playseum in Bethesda.  Come join me for kids-free revelry and fabulous deals on the awesome children and baby clothing of Polarn O. Pyret.  Admission is totally free (and gives you the chance to scope out this awesome open gym/playland for kids gratis) and picking up some spring clothes for your kids and baby gifts for those on your list is optional of course.  But FUN is not optional…it’s a given!  RSVP here.

But I highly recommend the super high-quality clothes, and if you like them too, at this mom’s night out 20% off will be slashed from the prices and your choices will be mailed to your home two day air free of charge.

I personally heart the Polarn O. Pyret knit clothes for babies, kids and expectant moms too.  (In fact, if I didn’t already yearn to have another baby, these fabulous maternity tops would definitely put me over the edge.) The Polarn O. Pyret clothes totally remind of the stuff in the Crewcuts and Hannah Andersson catalogs…but the difference is that these Scandinavian knits, crisp cottons and outerwear last forever and are so classic-cute. Go ahead and browse here.

And the Polarn O. Pyret peeps are NOT paying me to say that.  (Maybe they’ll lob me a hostess pressie of a preppy button-down for Charlie or chic swimsuit for Eve, if I’m lucky.)

But what they ARE doing is hosting a girls’ night for all of us locals to get together and sip snacks and nibble on drinks (wait, you know what I mean) without me having to vacuum my house or mix up artichoke dip.  Afterward, if you’re free, we’ll head out to a bar in Downtown Bethesda…and you never know where the night will lead when moms are on the loose.

So who’s in?  RSVP your attendance on Friday night March 19th with an email to RSVPaparentinsilverspring@gmail.com.  I hope to see you there so I can thank you IN PERSON for reading this site!

National Building Museum Discover Engineering Family Day this Saturday

Reminder: Leave a comment, be entered to win $50!  Full details here.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Maple Sugaring Festival at Brookside Gardens, 11am-3pm both days, no registration required. Stop by and see an American tradition, watching the whole maple sugaring process from start to finish.  Everyone gets to sample a tasty treat too!

SATURDAY

Family Fun at The Electric Maid in Takoma Park: Let’s Pretend, 10:30am. Let’s Pretend will include an imaginative adventure with theater games and an interactive performance. Takoma Park’s very own Gretchen Weigel Doughty will lead the “actors” in a warm up, read a story, engage in exercise and experiments based and direct the groups performance. Fun for kids 8 and under! The event  will last approximately 45 minutes. Suggested donation is $5 per child. The Electric Maid is located at 268 Carroll St. NW near the Takoma Metro station.

Discover Engineering Family Day at the National Building Museum, 10am-4:30pm. Touch robots, make slime, build a few things, learn a bunch of things. The National Building Museum and the National Engineers Week Foundation invite you to debunk the myths of engineering and discover how professional engineers turn an idea into reality by participating in this free, hands-on and fun-filled festival.

African American Pioneers in Aviation at the National Air & Space Museum, 10am-3pm. Hands-on activities for kids and the chance to meet some of the original Tuskepee Airmen!

Magical Stories Out of Africa – free performance at The National Theatre, 9:30am & 11am, tickets distributed first-come-first-served 30 minutes prior to each performance, seating limited. Long before children heard Mother Goose rhymes or “Jack and the Beanstalk,” stories were told in Africa about wise lions, wily snakes, and how the world began.  Anna Mwalagho brings alive these tails in a cultural journey.  Helen Hayes Gallery at the National Theatre – 1321 Pennsylvania Ave, NW.

Black History Month Family Celebration at the National Postal Museum, 11am-3pm.  Family activities that celebrate the history of African-Americans in U.S. history and the postal service.

Rocknoceros Family Happy Hour at Jammin’ Java, 7pm. What’s a Rocknoceros Family Happy Hour? It’s a night out for the whole family, where the signature drink special is buy a beer, get a juice box, the kids hear their fave Rockno classic songs and the three guys even play some classic rock cover tunes for the parents.  $10 per person age 1 and older.

SUNDAY

Sixth and I Purim Party, 10am. Make your own costume, decorate Purim cards, assemble mishloach manot baskets and eat delicious hamentaschen. Bring your own king size pillow case for the costume making.  Cost is $8 per person/$18 per family in advance, $10/$20 at the door.

The Great Zucchini Performs Great Kids Village Silver Spring, 10:30am.  The children’s Adam Sandler takes the stage at this great children’s play space.  What could be better?  Melted snow?  Hey, we can’t have everything.

National Zoo’s Wild Side Stage: Lucas Miller Performs, 11am & 1pm.  This hilarious singing zoologist will entertain and educate kids.  Special exhibit tie-in at the Invertebrate Exhibit.  More info here.

Sunday Experiment for Families at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center, 1pm-3pm. Elementary school students and their families are invited to the Goddard Visitor Center on the third Sunday of every month, from September to May for a free afternoon of eye-opening, hands-on activities that will help you experience what it’s like to be a NASA engineer.

Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown, 2pm-5pm. Bring in the year of the tiger with a roar. There will be lion and dragon dances and a five-story high firecracker to be be lit at 3:45 p.m.

Bring On the Comets [Comments] – a little background music for your listening pleasure…

First off, THANK YOU ALL for your patience as I work to iron out any wrinkles in the new A Parent in Silver Spring website design. I transitioned from homegrown Blogger to professional-website-trying-to-be-bigtime Wordpress.  This means there are still some tweaks to be made, but in the long run all will run more smoothly.

Some items we are still working out:

• Please view A Parent in Silver Spring on the web through a Firefox or Safari browser.  In Internet Explorer, the website currently cannot be viewed…save for a wonky double exposure of the top header.
• Some RSS feed subscribers may have been lost. If you would like to read updates to APISS through your Google reader or other feed reader, please resubscribe.
• Broken links are currently being fixed as fast as I find ‘em!

Some items that have been fixed:

• The Activities Calendar and School Open House Calendar have now been fixed so that you can view them and navigate as before.  (I have been researching other calendar softwares, and so far, even amongst those programs for which I would have to pay a pretty penny, I’ve found that Google’s capabilities really are the best.)
• Here’s the famous lost 100 Things to Do in Washington DC With Kids.  It will be periodically updated and will permanently live in the middle sidebar and footer of the page for your use.

The reward for your loyalty and patience - every month I will be giving away a gift card or gift certificate of at least $50. 

This monthly giveaway is totally separate to any other giveaways that I may hold on A Parent in Silver Spring or APISS Reviews.

To be entered for the monthly giveaways, all you have to do is comment on posts.  Here are the deets:

• Leave a comment on any new post (starting with this one, posts earlier than this one do not count.)
• Leave one comment per post – multiple comments on the same post will be counted just once.
• This means if I write 30 posts a month and you leave a comment on each one, you’ll be entered in the drawing 30 times…and um, them’s purty good odds.
• When you leave a comment, please click the FOLLOW button directly below the comment text box.  This way I can notify you that you are a winner.  (I HIGHLY recommend simply clicking the follow button and entering your email for notification of replies to your comment, rather than leaving the text to your email address within your comment – this is how you get gross spam.)
• Constructive criticism, differences of opinion = completely fine.  Offensive comments or spam = will be deleted.
• Friends and fellow bloggers are eligible.
• All winners will be drawn completely Randomly.
• All winners must reside in the United States.
• Comments sent to me via email are always appreciated, but will not be counted for this monthly giveaway series.

Additionally, every new subscriber to the A Parent in Silver Spring email feed, in which you receive new posts to the website in your email box (typically 5 times a week), will receive a bonus entry!  Subscribe here.

Going forward, featured businesses may provide the gift certificates and gift cards.  All giveaways in this series will be worth at least $50 each and require no further purchase of goods or services from the winner.

(Have a business you’d like to promote through giving a gift to gracious A Parent in Silver Spring reading parents?  Send me a line!)

This month the $50 is totally on me and will be COLD HARD CASH…well, sort of – it’s a VISA gift card, that I will send to the winner via certified mail.

So please leave comments, comments, comments galore!  Write what you like, what you don’t, what you think needs to be changed, events that are happening in your community, your own great finds…whatever!

Bring on the comments!

100 Things To Do in Washington DC With Kids (and Grownups Too!)

What’s crazy is that this list is only the tip of the iceberg! There are oodles of incredible, fun activities for families in Washington, DC and the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. I hope you enjoy this list of field and day trips, and that it inspires you and your kids to explore something new.

1. Call your Member of Congress and obtain White House tour tickets
2. Visit Mount Vernon
3. Hop on a trolley tour of the Washington, DC monuments
4. Touch a real piece of the moon at the National Air and Space Museum
5. Dig in to Ethiopian food with your hands in Adams Morgan
6. Squeal over the pandas at the National Zoo
7. Delve into the basement of the Department of Commerce and visit DC’s National Aquarium
8. Cheer at a Nationals Game on T-Shirt Tuesday
9. Pretend you’re Orville or Wilbur at the College Park Aviation Museum
10.View the fireworks on the National Mall or wave a flag at a fun local 4th of July Parade
11. Pick your own seasonal produce at a nearby farm
12. Ride the carousel at Glen Echo Park
13. Smell the roses at a Family Day event at the U.S. Botanical Gardens
14. Tour the Bureau of Engraving & Printing and see money printed
15. Take the gargoyle tour at Washington National Cathedral
16. Ride Metro to Union Station and burst through the main doors like Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
17. Witness the changing of the guard at the Tombs of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery
18. Eat fish and chips at The Dubliner or Kelly’s Irish Times
19. Hike around Roosevelt Island
20. Sit in Albert Einstein’s lap
21. Paddle around the Tidal Basin
22. Rent canoes or kayaks in Georgetown and paddle down the Potomac
23. Play tourist and see the monuments by boat or Duck tour
24. Check out the view from the top of the Washington Monument
25. Play tag in the Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden
26. Play secret agent at the International Spy Museum (and FYI, FBI tours are currently closed)
27. Make peace with the creepy crawlers at the Orkin Insect Zoo at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
28. Drive through the Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive and take a family hike along the Appalachian trail
29. Play in the rocket garden of the NASA Goddard Visitors Center
30. Get lost in the hangars of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly
31. Ride the miniature trains at Wheaton or Cabin John Regional Parks
32. Take the Old Town Alexandria ghost tour
33. Listen to free concerts at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
34. Explore Luray Caverns
35. Fly a kite on the National Mall
36. Ride the rails at the National Capitol Trolley Museum
37. Feed the animals at the Leesburg Animal Park
38. Enjoy a voyage down the Potomac in a real riverboat
39. Hum along with history at the The Star Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore
40. Admire the majestic beauty of Great Falls
41. Go train-crazy at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore
42. Shiver your timbers on a Pirate Adventure Cruise in Annapolis
43. Go eye to eye with a shark or a dolphin at the National Aquarium in Baltimore
44. Have a free, old-fashioned playdate at one of the wondrous local playgrounds
45. Catch a kid-centric show at the Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo Park
46. Take family or butterfly photos amongst the beauty of Brookside Gardens
47. See a children’s show at Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods
48. Nosh on crab cakes on Kent Island
49. Go fishing in Little Seneca Lake
50. Frolic on the farm at the Agricultural History Farm Park
51. Make figure 8s at local ice rinks
52. Tour the inspiration for Uncle Tom’s Cabin
53. See why they called him Stonewall Jackson at Manassas National Battlefield
54. Hike a portion of the Underground Railroad
55. Learn about the life of an American slave
56. Cool off at the South Germantown Splash Playground
57. Get a hole-in-one at a local miniature golf course
58. Go camping at a local campground
59. Salute our nation’s veterans at Arlington National Cemetery
60. Remember Iwo Jima at the National Marine Corps Memorial
61. Walk through the Depression and the New Deal at the FDR Memorial
62. Hum the Star Spangled Banner from Fort McHenry
63. Play mad scientist at Maryland Science Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
64. Rent a cabin in the Virginia countryside
65. Schedule a dinosaur dig
66. Step back in time at a historic manor home
67. Take a free morning bird walk with the Audubon Naturalist Society in MD or VA
68. Cheer the Washington Mystics as a member of the Kids Club
69. Practice your acting skills at a Round House Theatre Free for All Friday
70. Take a horseback ride through Rock Creek Park
71. Eat cotton candy at a nearby county fair
72. Ride the kiddie rides at Six Flags America
73. Walk around historic Annapolis
74. Walk around historic Fells Point, MD
75. Walk through the Friendship Archway in DC’s Chinatown
76. Build and play at the Building Zone at the National Building Museum
77. Tour the US Capitol via the public tour or by private tour conducted by your Member of Congress
78. Experience the beginning of American history at the National Museum of the American Indian
79. Hear a story or see a performance at the Discovery Theatre
80. Kick up your heels at a Folklore Society of Greater Washington Family Dance at Glen Echo
81. Talk to the animals at the Reston Zoo
82. Solve a mystery as a Plantation Sleuth at Gunston Hall
83. Play, eat and enjoy wallet-friendly design at a nearby IKEA
84. Chow down on dim sum
85. Time travel to 1771 at Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run
86. Get soaked (in a good way) at Splashdown Waterpark
87. Drive out to Virginia’s Dinosaurland
88. Go on safari at Virginia Safari Park
89. Get interactive at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore
90. Report live from the Newseum
91. View sites of the city from a bicycle
92. Satisfy your very hungry bookworm at the Library of Congress
93. View the documents of democracy at the National Archives
94. Visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s
95. Build a sand castle at Sandy Point State Park
96. Grab weekend brunch on the Georgetown Waterfront
97. Tour the historic 1876 synagogue with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
98. Tour the gardens and re-creation of Christian holy sites at the Franciscan Monastery
99. Tour the Route 11 potato chip factory.
100. Eat and shop your way through Eastern Market

If you made it this far and your fave DC-area activity isn’t listed, please add in the comments!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13 FAMILY EVENTS IN WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA

Presidential Family Fun Day at the National Portrait Gallery
11:30am-3pm Annual event celebrating Presidents’ Day with music, storytelling, hands-on art projects, a scavenger hunt and encounters with the Presidents themselves – they’ll be walking around!

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Power of Chocolate Celebration
10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday.  Celebrate one of the world’s most beloved foods and a treasure of the Americas in a colorful festival of culture, music, dance, art, science, and, of course, food. Here’s a coupon for a discount at the yummy museum cafe this weekend.

The RTTs at the Avalon Theatre
10am, The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours are an award-winning rock and roll band from Washington, DC who combine Americana, roots rock, and pop into an infectious blend of musical fun for the whole family. Tickets are $8.50 each.

Steve Songs at Jammin’ Java
12:30pm and 2:30pm shows still have tickets.  Steve Roslonek of SteveSongs on PBS Kids has been writing/performing award-winning music for families for ten years. A rising star on the national kids music scene, Steve blends smart lyrics, catchy melodies and thoughtful messages into fun participatory songs that kids love.

Valentine’s Tea & Chocolate Workshop at Tudor Place
1:30-3pm, Enjoy a festive Valentine’s Day Tea complete with delicious sweet treats! Join costumed interpreters for a lesson in tea etiquette. Following the tea ceremony children will learn the basics of chocolate making and create their own chocolate flowers and hearts to take home!  Member Children: $20, Nonmember Children: $25, Adults: $10. Register online.

Parent and Child Baking Classes at Just Cakes in Bethesda
Saturday 4-6pm for kids age 7-11 with a parent, $70 per pair for class.
Sweets for Your Sweet dessert class – make Valentine’s sugar cookies, heart shaped brownies, a small single layer cake, and mini cupcakes. Call (301) 718-5111 to enroll.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14 – VALENTINE’S DAY FAMILY EVENTS IN WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA

Expressions of a People
1-6pm,  Arts/Harmony Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744.  Expressions of a People, a free Black History Month celebration of performances, children’s activities, workshops and entertainment, has something for everyone. This year’s festival will feature arts & crafts, caricature drawings, a puppet show, a movie room for the kids, and musical performances, including appearances by renowned gospel singer Robert Pearson, the Oxon Hill High School Gospel Chorus, and others.  All ages welcome.

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Power of Chocolate Celebration
10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday. Celebrate one of the world’s most beloved foods and a treasure of the Americas in a colorful festival of culture, music, dance, art, science, and, of course, food. Here’s a coupon for a discount at this yummy museum cafe this weekend.

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in NW DC Family Fun Sunday – Art From the Heart for Kids
1-5pm, Decorate a heart-shaped box, inspired by the French gold boxes displayed in the Mansion. Use stickers, ribbons, “gems,” and other materials to make your “heart of gold” sparkle!  Advance reservations can be made by emailing Reservations@HillwoodMuseum.org or calling (202) 686-5807.  This special program is included in the Hillwood suggested donation of $12 Public, $10 Seniors, $7 College Students, $5 Children ages 6-18. No donation is suggested for children under 6.

Parent and Child Baking Classes at Just Cakes in Bethesda
Sunday 1-2:30pm for kids age 3-5 with parent, $70 per pair for class. Sweets for Your Sweet dessert class – make Valentine’s sugar cookies, heart shaped brownies, a small single layer cake, and mini cupcakes. Call (301) 718-5111 to enroll.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 15 – PRESIDENTS’ DAY

Sandy Spring Museum Family Fun Day
11am-3pm, Spend the President’s Day Holiday with your kids at the Museum. Blacksmith demos, crafts, games, story telling, and other fun activities. Food available. Tasker’s Chance Trio will provide live music and dancing at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm; The Little Gym of Olney will provide special active “exploration” programs. Admission just $1.

SATURDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY

George Washington’s Birthday Celebration at Mount Vernon
9am-4pm all three days for hoecakes and history!  Free admission on Monday!

GET A SITTER SUGGESTIONS THIS WEEKEND

Ten Feet Tall plays Whitlows in Arlington
10pm-1am, 2854 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA
This is the bar where I met my husband in 2000 and the band of our friend Larry.  But even if I weren’t personally biased, both elements = a great date night, full of the funk and fun.  Don’t miss!  Facebook event page

Couples Massage and Couples Yoga Classes at Blue Heron Wellness
Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Too tired from shoveling snow to go out at night?  Have a great, tactile day date at Blue Heron.  Saturday there’s a two-hour couples yoga workshop from 1:30-3:30pm, and Sunday there’s a three-hour couples massage class from 1-4pm.  (Better than the standard 5 minute backrub during LOST, right?)

La Ferme in Chevy Chase
Like many restaurants La Ferme has a special menu on the 14th, but what’s unique is that Chef and Owner Alain Roussel is sharing three of his personal favorite recipes from La Ferme’s everyday menu (e.g. Caramel, Apple and Pecan cake) so we can make the fab recipes ourselves at home. 301-986-5255 for reservations.

Chef Scott Ryan Chef Table – Intimate Event
Saturday February 13th, Takoma Park at 8:30 pm. Maximum seating: 6 people.  The theme of this special Valentine’s dining event is “An Evening Tour of France” where we will explore the rich tastes and history of classic cuisine from selection of French culinary regions.  Wine pairings will be provided with each course. $75 per person.

FunFit Just for Kids Party – Drop the Kids Off and Go Out!
Friday night, 6:30-9:30pm, Pizza party, crafts and moonbounce kid gym fun while you go out for a date, $25/child, $22/sibling.  Kids must be 3-10 years old and potty trained.  Register online.