Jennifer Marino Walters
Jennifer Marino Walters is the DC and travel editor for Mommy Poppins and the author of over 20 beloved children's books. A proud mom of three—plus twins!—she lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and busy brood. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find Jennifer cheering from the sidelines of a baseball game, supporting her daughter’s cheerleading squad, diving into a good book, or exploring new destinations. Connect with her on Instagram @jmwalters718.
Latest posts by Jennifer
Visiting DC with kids can be very overwhelming, especially if you're only here for a long weekend. After all, DC is home to the iconic monuments and memorials of the National Mall, loads of free museums (including the incredible Smithsonian institutions), government buildings to tour, and historic neighborhoods to explore. So how can you narrow down all of these great things to do in DC if you only have three days?
If this is your first trip to Washington, DC, here is a three-day itinerary that will help you visit some of the city's top attractions. I've saved neighborhoods and attractions outside the city itself—like Arlington National Cemetery, Old Town Alexandria, and National Harbor—for a later trip. The best part? Other than the restaurants and shopping, every single attraction on this itinerary is absolutely FREE! Yes—you can spend a long weekend in our nation's capital without breaking the bank.
Read on for a three-day itinerary of 21 fun (and mostly free) things to do in DC with kids. If you have more than three days to fill, check out our Guide to Free Things To Do in DC with Kids or our list of 100 things to do in DC with kids for more fun ideas.
Here at Mommy Poppins we love to visit new places, and what a year of travel it was! In 2022 we explored some amazing US cities, frolicked on beaches from Texas to the Caribbean, and even visited fabulous destinations in Europe including Amsterdam and Paris. Along the way we got to enjoy some thrilling amusement parks, stayed at some great resorts with water parks, and took some epic road trips.
Here is our list of the best family vacation destinations of 2022, from warm and sunny vacation spots in the US and abroad to wintry adventures in Colorado.
After two years of pandemic-era closures and restrictions, DC opened back up in full force in 2022, and families flocked to enjoy all of the new goings-on. Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum reopened in October after a seven-month closure, four years into a seven-year, $1 billion remodel. The new Museum of Illusions came to CityCenterDC, and several buzzworthy exhibits—including a Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Hirshhorn and an immersive King Tut experience at the National Geographic Society—drew crowds.
Families also enjoyed several new parks, playgrounds, and indoor play spaces in Maryland and Northern Virginia, as well as a massive new fitness and wellness center in Baltimore. And beloved holiday events Boo at the Zoo and ZooLights finally returned to Smithsonian's National Zoo.
Read on for our favorite kid-friendly openings and happenings of 2022. Here's looking forward to more exciting openings in 2023!
Harry Potter fans, rejoice! A portion of Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia has transformed into Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, a magical walk-through that takes guests along a nighttime woodland trail filled with creatures, characters, and scenes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Spectacular lighting and sound effects, mist, and interactive elements make visitors feel like they've truly stepped into the Wizarding World.
My family recently had the opportunity to visit Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. Read on for my full review, and check out our review of the Yorktown Heights, New York experience. Be sure to purchase tickets soon: Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is only in town until January 29, 2023, and tickets are selling fast!
Few decisions can cause parents more agony than picking out a preschool. That decision can be even harder for DC-area parents because there are so many great preschools near DC to choose from, from dual-language and immersion programs to play- and nature-based preschools. And if you've got your heart set on a Montessori program, there is no shortage of Montessori preschools near DC.
Montessori is an educational philosophy developed over a century ago that encourages independence and self-directed learning. Classrooms are typically mixed-age, with younger students learning from older ones, and outfitted with specific learning materials. Specially trained teachers observe and facilitate the learning.
Here are some of the top Montessori preschools near DC, including programs in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District itself. For more solid preschool options, check out our list of 15 popular preschools near DC. If you want to extend your child's learning beyond preschool, visit our Guide to Classes for Kids Near DC.
If you're craving some waterfront family fun in the DC area, look no further than National Harbor. This 350-acre Maryland town on the banks of the Potomac River seemingly has it all: over 150 shops, 40 restaurants, a 180-foot Ferris wheel, world-class hotels, and gorgeous views and sunsets. Plus, there are so many things to do in National Harbor with kids, from free festivals, outdoor movies, and concerts to the famous Christmas activities at the Gaylord National Resort. Plus, it's only minutes away from the city, making it one of the best day trips from DC for families.
Here are 21 fun things to do in National Harbor, Maryland with kids, including fabulous National Harbor hotels and kid-friendly National Harbor restaurants.
If your family really wants to get into the Halloween spirit, skip your local pumpkin patch and make a pilgrimage to a truly terrific Halloween town. A Halloween town might be a city that goes all out on Halloween, like Los Angeles; it might be a town with a storied history, like Salem, MA or Sleepy Hollow in NY; or it might even be an actual ghost town.
Here are 15 of the best Halloween towns, haunted locals, and spooky cities in the country to visit with kids. Here you'll find haunted attractions, ghost tours, creepy parades, and more—these towns just ooze Halloween. For more Halloween happenings in your own city, check out your local Halloween Events and Activities Guide for Kids—if you dare!
Haunted houses and spooky Halloween trails are on many families' fall bucket lists. But some kids (and grown-ups, too) aren't into anything too terrifying or creepy. Luckily, there are plenty of Halloween trails and haunted houses near DC to suit any fear tolerance, from simply spooky to super scary. These Halloween attractions range from themed haunted houses for younger kids to terrifying jaunts through the woods for tweens, teens, and adults.
If you dare, add these spooky trails and haunted houses near DC to your list of things to do this Halloween. For more seasonal fun, check out our Halloween Events and Activities Guide for Kids in Washington, DC, our roundup of the top Halloween events in DC for kids, and our list of the best free Halloween events for families.
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