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

Top Attractions in DC: The Best Things to See and Do with Kids

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Fri, 02/11/2022 - 9:39am

April is the ideal month to see the Washington, DC cherry blossoms. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Washington, DC is one of the top travel destinations in the US, and it's easy to see why. Our nation's capital is full of historic and cultural sites for families, including loads of free museums, government buildings, and the famous National Mall and Memorial Parks. With so many great tourist attractions in DC, it can be hard to determine which ones to visit with kids.

Mommy Poppins is here to help. We've pulled together the top 25 tourist attractions in DC, including popular restaurants, must-explore neighborhoods, and more kid-friendly activities in DC. These places are the very best DC has to offer for tourists and locals alike. Once you've made your way through all of these tourist attractions in DC, expand your reach with our list of 100 things to do in DC with kids.

22 Black-Owned Restaurants, Shops, and More to Discover in DC

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Fri, 02/04/2022 - 10:00am

MahoganyBooks is the place to go for books relating to the Black experience and culture.

February is Black History Month, which means there is no better time to get to know some of the many Black-owned businesses and African American cultural landmarks in the DC area. From Black-owned restaurants and retailers to African American historical sites and museums, you're sure to find plenty of places to wow and inspire your family on this list.

Here are 22 Black-owned restaurants, Black-owned shops and businesses, and African American cultural sites in and near DC to visit with kids all year long. Some of them also made our lists of free museums in DC and must-try ice cream shops near DC!

25 Fun Things to Do in Fairfax, Virginia with Kids

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Fri, 01/28/2022 - 9:50am

Kids can perform various experiments at the Children's Science Center. Photo courtesy of the center

If you're looking for a quick and easy day trip for your family that's only about a 30-minute drive from DC, consider visiting Fairfax, Virginia. This Northern Virginia suburb is home to so many kid-friendly restaurants, shops, parks and playgrounds, museums, and more fun things to do with kids. The city, which began as the Town of Providence in 1805, is also steeped with history—it was the site of several Civil War battles and home to many historic buildings.

Here are 25 fun things to do with kids in Fairfax, Virginia, including great places to eat, play, and walk around. For more fun day trips, check out our list of things to do in Clifton, Virginia with kids and our guide to visiting Kensington, Maryland with kids.

7 Summer Internship Opportunities for Teens Near DC in 2022

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Fri, 01/14/2022 - 9:00am

Student interns at MITRE put their STEM skills to work. Photo courtesy of MITRE

If it seems like colleges are becoming more competitive, you're not imagining it. These days good grades, great SAT scores, and solid extracurriculars don't always cut it—many colleges also want to see some hands-on, real-world experience. That's where summer internships come in. While many summer internship programs are geared towards college students, the DC area offers plenty of programs for high school students with a variety of interests.

Here are seven great summer internship opportunities near DC for teens. These internships in the fields of STEM, biomedical research, history, and more will really help your child stand out from the pack. The opportunities are listed in order of application deadline, so keep a close eye on them—the deadlines fall before most teens have started thinking about their summer plans. As these programs tend to be competitive, encourage your teen to get an early start on applications.

Whatever summer internship or job your teen ends up with, they'll still need to make time for fun. Check out our Summer Activities Guide for DC Kids and our list of 12 fun things to do with tweens and teens near DC for ideas that will impress even the most jaded teen.

15 Free Activities Near DC this Winter for Kids and Families

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Sun, 01/02/2022 - 10:00am

Admission to Planet Word is free and offers plenty of hands-on exhibits kids will love. Photo courtesy of the museum

When the weather turns colder, it gets harder to entertain the kids without spending money. Free outdoor events such as festivals and concerts in the park aren't happening. Splash pads and spraygrounds are closed. Playground equipment freezes up. Fortunately, there are still plenty of free activities near DC for kids and families to enjoy this winter.

Some of these free activities for kids are located indoors. Others require the family to bundle up and brave the cold. But all of these free events and activities will brighten up even the dreariest winter day.

Here are 15 free activities near DC to do with kids this winter. For more ideas for cold-weather fun, check out our Winter Activities Guide for DC Kids.

Our Favorite Family Vacation Spots of 2021: Great Cities, Beaches, Hotels, and More

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Sat, 01/01/2022 - 11:07am

West Palm Beach is not only gorgeous, it's packed with kid-friendly adventures. Photo by Jackie Jones

After the pandemic canceled way too many of our travel plans in 2020, our Mommy Poppins team and their families were eager to get back out there in 2021. And travel we did! We explored some amazing cities that are perfect for family vacations, from Charlotte to Seattle and all the way to Sitka, Alaska. There were also epic zoos to visit, lots of hands-on children's museums to explore, sunny resorts, and Christmas towns that made us light up inside.

Here is our list of the best family vacation spots of 2021, including warm and sunny family vacation ideas for winter or spring break, the Poconos Mountains if you want to get back to nature, and more.

12 Awesome Things That Opened Near DC in 2021 for Kids and Families

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 10:00am

The National Children's Museum in DC was well worth the wait! Photo courtesy of the museum

Venues across the DC area gradually opened back up in 2021 after being closed for much of the year prior due to the pandemic. And along with the reopening of many beloved museums, indoor play spaces, and other kid-friendly places, there were several new things that opened near DC for kids and families. They include the National Children's Museum, the newly renovated Franklin Park, and several other new exhibits, playgrounds, play spaces, and more.

Here are our picks for the 12 best things that opened near DC for kids and families in 2021. Be sure to check the websites for updated Covid policies!

Experience Christmas at Gaylord National with Kids

Submitted by Jennifer Marino... on Thu, 12/09/2021 - 10:00am

I Love Christmas Movies brings visitors on an immersive tour through scenes from five Christmas movies.

There is nowhere in the DC area that has more Christmas in one place than the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor. Each year, Christmas at Gaylord National seems to grow bigger and brighter, with more holiday decorations and more Christmas activities for families to enjoy. In fact, there is so much to do that it's become a holiday tradition for many locals to spend the night at the resort to experience it all. My family had our own December staycation at Gaylord National several years ago and did not run out of things to do!

When Gaylord National was temporarily closed in 2020 due to Covid, all of its Christmas programming was cancelled. But this year, Christmas at Gaylord National is back with a new experience called I Love Christmas Movies, new winter activities such as ice tubing and ice bumper cars, and tons of lights and over-the-top decorations.

My family of five—my husband, our 10-year-old twin sons, our 7-year-old daughter, and I—were invited to experience some of the attractions at Christmas at Gaylord National on a recent Sunday afternoon. Read on for my review, information about all of the Christmas activities being offered in 2021, and everything else you need to know about Christmas at Gaylord National.

Jennifer Marino Walters

Latest posts by Jennifer

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