Spotlight Washington DC
Enchant Christmas: Reindeer Games transforms Nationals Park into a sparkling winter wonderland. Photo courtesy of Enchant DC
Hanukkah, Enchant Christmas, and More Fun Things To Do in DC this Weekend with Kids
Enjoy the coolest events this weekend throughout the DC area.
Those eight crazy nights are approaching and we’ve got everything you need to celebrate Hanukkah with your family. Photo courtesy Cottonbro Studios
8 Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah with Kids: Hanukkah Gifts, Fun Crafts, and a Little History
Put on your yarmulkes, it's time for Hanukkah!
GUIDE
Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for DC Kids
Find the best things to do near DC this holiday season.
Seasons Greenings at the US Botanic Garden is a DC holiday tradition. Photo courtesy of the US Botanic Garden
37 Must-Do Christmas Events and Holiday Activities in DC for Kids
Enjoy tree lightings, Santa sightings, holiday parades, and more festive fun in and around DC this...
Enjoy snow every night at Winter City Lights. Photo by Kyle Lanzer courtesy of the Winter City Lights .event.
Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Here are our picks for the best holiday and Christmas lights displays in the DC area.
Take a stroll through the Marshall Pond Christmas Village in Burke, VA. Photo courtesy of Kristy Case, from the Marshall Pond Christmas Village Facebook page
Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights Near DC in Maryland and Northern Virginia
These houses and neighborhoods near Washington, DC really bring the holiday magic.
The National Christmas Tree lights up the Ellipse every evening through New Year's Day. Photo by Kelsey Graczyk, courtesy of the National Park Service
33 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia for Kids
Discover holiday fun in and around DC that doesn’t break the piggy bank.
Find the perfect tree for your family at Snickers Gap Tree Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm
Christmas Tree Farms Near DC
Find the perfect Christmas tree at one of these area farms.
There are so many places to have breakfast with Santa throughout the DC area. Photo courtesy of Theissman's Restaurant's Facebook page
Breakfast with Santa in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Share a morning meal with Santa at these festive events in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
Take pictures with Santa and enjoy loads of other holiday activities at Gaylord National Resort. Photo courtesy of Gaylord National
Pictures with Santa Claus in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Santa Claus is coming to town! Take pictures with him at these fun events and places.
The rink at Gaylord National Resort is the perfect place to go ice skating in December. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters
Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia for Kids and Families
Bring the kids to one of these DC outdoor ice skating rinks for winter fun.
Enjoy milk and cookies and meet Santa aboard the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad's North Pole Express. Photo by Kimberly Byard.
All Aboard A Polar Express Train Ride, Plus More Christmas Trains Near DC
All aboard these magical Christmas trains for a dose of holiday cheer.
The Washington Ballet gives The Nutcracker a historic twist at the Warner Theatre. Photo by XMB photography
The Nutcracker Ballet and Other Holiday Shows for Kids in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Here's where to take the kids to see The Nutcracker and other holiday shows in 2022.
Many organizations are distributing free toys for kids in need this holiday season. Photo by Joe Shlabotnik, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
How To Find Free Toys for Kids this Christmas and Holiday Season—Apply Soon!
These amazing places are giving out free toys for kids this holiday season.
What masterpieces will your kiddo create at the National Building Museum’s PLAY WORK BUILD exhibit? Photo by Anne McDonough, courtesy of the museum
Best Museums for Kids in the DC Area: Children’s Museums and Family-Friendly Museums
It's worth reaching into your wallet to visit these fantastic DC museums with kids.
Kids will enjoy touching a real iceberg. Brrr!
Visiting Titanic: The Exhibition at National Harbor Near DC with Kids
Dive deeper into stories and artifacts from the Titanic at this National Harbor exhibition.
The new Kalahari Resort will be home to Virginia's largest indoor water park.
A New Kalahari Resort and Indoor Water Park is Coming to Northern Virginia
We can't wait for this massive new resort and water park!
Beat the Bomb combines the skill of an escape room with the thrill of a video game—and colorful paint or foam! Photo courtesy of the Beat the Bomb Facebook page
Best Escape Rooms for Kids in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Escape rooms are a fun and unique way to bond with the whole family.
With 75 themed walls for kids to tackle, it's impossible to get bored at ClimbZone. Photo courtesy of ClimbZone
Best Indoor Rock Climbing Gyms and Spaces for Kids Near DC
Kids and teens will have a blast tackling the climbing walls at these DC-area gyms and spaces.
Kids are allowed—and even encouraged—to touch Reclining Liberty. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Arlington
Reclining Liberty Statue Comes to the DC Area — and Kids Can Climb and Touch It!
If you're in the DC area, now's your chance to climb on a giant Statue of Liberty replica.

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SEE ALL ACTIVITIES EVENTS CLASSES ATTRACTIONS VIRTUAL CAMPS PARTIES
Family Fun Day with Santa
Publick Playhouse - 2:00 PM Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Light Up Arlington - Clarendon Menorah Lighting
Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington - 5:00 PM Pick
Reindeer Games
Gunston Theatre Two - various times Pick
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
The Kennedy Center Opera House - various times Pick
Portrait Gallery Kids
National Portrait Gallery - 11:30 AM Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Hanukkah Fire Truck Parade
Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Station 4 - 5:30 PM Pick
National Landing Menorah Lighting
Metropolitan Park - 5:30 PM Pick
Disney Encanto x CAMP
CAMP Washington, DC - various times Pick
Play Date at NMNH
Smithsonian Natural History Museum - 10:30 AM Pick
Hello, Museo
National Postal Museum - 10:30 AM Pick
Visit with Santa at the National Museum of the Marine Corps
National Museum of the Marine Corps - 1:00 PM Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Disney Encanto x CAMP
CAMP Washington, DC - various times Pick
STORYTIME at the Hirshhorn
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden - 10:00 AM Pick
Family Story Time at Rosedale Neighborhood Library
Rosedale Neighborhood Library - 10:30 AM Pick
Tudor Tots: What Are Your Traditions?
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden - 10:00 AM Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Disney Encanto x CAMP
CAMP Washington, DC - various times Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland
Capital One Hall - 7:30 PM Pick
Disney Encanto x CAMP
CAMP Washington, DC - various times Pick
Alegre Mente/Happy Brain
National Children's Museum - 9:30 AM
Play, Work, Build at the National Building Museum
National Building Museum - 10:00 AM
Dopamine Land: A Multisensory Experience
Friendship Center - 10:00 AM Pick
Lighting of the Menorah at District Wharf
District Wharf - 5:00 PM Pick
Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon - 5:30 PM Pick
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra's Annual Holiday Pops Concert
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts - 7:30 PM Pick
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live at The Lyric
Lyric Baltimore - 7:30 PM Pick
Dopamine Land: A Multisensory Experience
Friendship Center - 10:00 AM Pick
A Family Christmas Concert at the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - 11:00 AM Pick
The Mini-Nut: Special Meet and Greet with Photos
Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center - 2:30 PM Pick
Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon - 5:30 PM Pick
Nutcracker Night with Akhmedova Ballet Academy
Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center - 7:00 PM Pick

Latest Articles

Frolic in the flower petals in Isabela's room at Disney Encanto x CAMP. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters
Disney Encanto x CAMP: A New Immersive Experience Near Washington, DC
Jennifer Marino Walters, Dec 10 - Step inside the world of the family Madrigal at Disney Encanto x CAMP in Tysons Corner Center. READ MORE
During Christmas in NYC, Midtown Manhattan is chock-full of glittery eye candy. Photo by Ally Noel
Christmas in New York: Ultimate 3-Day Itinerary for a Magical Holiday with Kids
Jody Mercier, Dec 9 - There's no place like the Big Apple at Christmas. READ MORE
Enjoy Christmas dinner in a rustic setting at Mia's Italian Kitchen. Photo courtesy of the restaurant
Restaurants Open on Christmas Day in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Katie Sivinski, Dec 8 - Skip the cooking and cleanup and head to one of these restaurants on Christmas Day and Christmas... READ MORE
A smartwatch is just one of the many cool tech gifts available for kids of all ages. Photo courtesy of Canva
Cool Tech Gifts for Kids
Amelia Eigerman, Dec 7 - These fun gadgets will please any young tech lover in your life. READ MORE
Enchant Christmas: Reindeer Games transforms Nationals Park into a sparkling winter wonderland. Photo courtesy of Enchant DC
Hanukkah, Enchant Christmas, and More Fun Things To Do in DC this Weekend with Kids
Jennifer Swope, Dec 6 - Enjoy the coolest events this weekend throughout the DC area. READ MORE
Put on a holiday sweater—ugly or not!—and strike a pose!
Best Family Christmas Card Photo Ideas
Vanessa Leigh, Dec 5 - Want to make your family Christmas photo cards stand out this year? Here's how! We're making... READ MORE
More Latest

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Exploring DC's Top Attractions and Places with Kids
April is the ideal month to see the Washington, DC cherry blossoms. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service
Top Attractions in DC: The Best Things to See and Do with Kids
Here are the best things to see and do with kids in our nation's capital.
Kids will enjoy touching a real iceberg. Brrr!
Visiting Titanic: The Exhibition at National Harbor Near DC with Kids
Dive deeper into stories and artifacts from the Titanic at this National Harbor exhibition.
Explore amazing interactive exhibits at the National Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
3 Days in DC with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Have a fun-filled long weekend in DC—without breaking the bank —with this three-day itinerary...
See sculptures made entirely out of candy at Candytopia. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters
Candytopia Brings a Sweet Escape to the Washington, DC Area
Bring your family to this candy wonderland for a unique and sweet experience.
Climb the famous steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a gorgeous view of the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. Photo by anjanettew via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Visiting Washington, DC's National Mall and Memorial Parks with Kids
Here's what to see, where to eat, and how to get around at the iconic National Mall in Washington...
Get building tips from Master Model Builders in the LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC's Workshop. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters
  VIDEO
New LEGO Discovery Center Opens Near Washington, DC
LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC is a LEGO lover's paradise.
Day Trips & Getaways from DC
Leavenworth, WA transforms itself into a snow globe at Christmastime. Photo courtesy of the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
Visit a Christmas Town or Santa's Village Near You: 25 Christmas Villages That Absolutely Sparkle
Discover the country's best Christmas towns and Santa's villages. READ MORE 
Create cherished holiday memories at the Hotel del Coronado. Photo courtesy of the hotel
Best Family Resorts That Will Sell Out for the Holidays - So, Book Now!
Spend the holidays at one of these awesome family resorts. READ MORE 
Make memories to last a lifetime at the all-inclusive Beaches Turks and Caicos.
40 Warm and Sunny Family Vacation Spots: Winter Vacation Ideas in the US and Abroad
Check out these great warm-weather destinations for your next family vacation. READ MORE 
The indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland is the largest of all Great Wolf Lodge locations. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters
The New Great Wolf Lodge Maryland: An In-Depth Review
Take a peek inside Great Wolf Lodge Maryland, which opened in June 2023. READ MORE 
National Harbor has plenty of things for kids to do, including an Americana-themed carousel. Photo courtesy of the Capital Wheel
National Harbor with Kids: 21 Best Things To Do in National Harbor, Maryland
Enjoy shopping, dining, children's activities, and more at this waterfront destination in Maryland. READ MORE 
Experience what life was like in the 18th-century in America at Colonial Williamsburg. Photo courtesy Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg with Kids: 25 Best Things To Do in Williamsburg, VA
Williamsburg offers the perfect mix of history and modern-day fun. READ MORE