Udvar-Hazy Center - National Air and Space Museum

This morning we made our way to the Air and Space Museum out in Chantilly. It took me about 15 minutes to get there once I was on the toll road. It truly is a fun place to go, especially for little boys. My sister and I had four boys with us, all under the age of 7. We parked right next to the fountain in front (the easiest place to unload small children because of the sidewalk area and the distraction of the fountain). They admired it for a while, threw pennies in (they could have done that for hours) and then we were on our way. The National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor is beautiful and a great 'runway' for the kids. By the way, parking is $12 but the museum is free to all visitors. There is a bag check in front where they tell you that drinking throughout the museum is ok, but snacks can only be eaten in the McCafe area. Which is where we usually finish our museum visit. Kids will probably be very excited to get a McDonald's Happy Meal after they run and walk around the museum!
We decided to go straight to the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower where you can watch the airplanes take off and land at Dulles Airport.
After the observation tower we headed downstairs to see the other exhibits. As you can see from the picture there is so much space and we actually did not lose any children, thank God! The boys were so interested in all the planes and interactive touchscreen computers that we were there for about an hour and a half before we realized we should end the trip (meltdown time). We enjoyed eating our lunches (half packed, half McDonalds - it is a little pricey) and then we said hello and goodbye to the gift shop and made our way to the car (with another stop at the fountain).
Oh this is important! The bathroom facilities all have changing table areas and are SO clean!
So go check it out, if you click on these pictures you can zoom in and get a better idea of the place. Have fun!

Lake Anne Park

What a great park- right here in Reston! This is located down the street from the village center and it has so much to offer. My boys were able to control the fountains with a button, and there is a mist that comes from the sides of the structure. They loved it! You can see that behind it is a fun playground and down a path is a volley ball court where the kids can play in the sand. It also has a covered area with picnic benches, tennis courts, and a basketball court. There is just so much to do for kids of all ages. Go see for yourself! Here is the Reston Association's info about it.

Lake Anne Village: updated

I wanted to add these pictures to the blog since my last post only had a tiny picture of Lake Anne. There is a fountain that kids can play in and you can also feed the ducks. They still have a few more summer shows so check it out if you get a chance! Here is the link that contains the web sites of all the stores and restaurants located there.

Reston Zoo

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to the Reston Zoo a few months ago. There was so much space for the kids to run around and my 2 and 3 year old boys loved it. It was just the perfect size for a fun morning activity. They had some animals I had never seen before too! Check the web site for admission prices and hours.

Reston Town Center Sprayground

This blog title may shock you since I am not sure if Reston Town Center has a "sprayground". So I am hoping someone will tell me if this is in fact a fountain that is ok for children to run around in.
I took this picture in the middle of a weekday and it was obviously empty, but I was so excited since I had heard that in the new area of the Town Center there were fountains similar to Fairfax Corner. Well, they certainly don't compare to those, but they are closer!

Fairfax Corner Sprayground

I am a new fan of "spraygrounds". If you are a parent you probably know exactly what this is but may not have heard the word for it yet. According the the Washington Post article it is a play area of fountains. The article highlights several in the area. Two parks it mentions in Arlington are right off of 66 so it might be worth a stop in or out of the city!
You definitely need to see the one in Fairfax Corner though- The same man who designed the fountains at the famous Bellagio Hotel in Vegas designed these fountains. Click here for hours and more pictures of the fountain. They are especially wonderful for parents with multiple young children. It is less stressful than going to the pool!

Movie ratings

To go along with the last post this is a great web site. It is called Common Sense Media and it rates movies, books, TV shows, web sites and games. Please check it out because I would love to see it grow and have more ratings. I can look at it to see which videos are appropriate for my 3 year old and it will tell me the content just in case I haven't seen it in a while, or at all. I hope it can help you too!

Movies!

Some days you really just want to see a movie - maybe when it is in the 90s outside or raining or you just feel like some popcorn! Fairfax Corner has "G" rated movies every Saturday and Sunday morning at 10 am. This month the new Thomas movie is playing and I think my boys will love it. Tickets are $3.50 and you can get a discount at the concession stand as well. Enjoy!

Here is a link that will give you more info. There is also great shopping at Fairfax Corner. Check out their web site for all the stores.

Map of Parks in Reston

Reston Asociation does have a link on their web site that shows parks/ playgrounds and recreational areas. If you click on this link and then the district that you want to look at it will give you a brief description of the park and some images of the structures available. It is fairly limited but it does help!

Cabots Point Playground

I was just introduced to this playground It is a great area close to the South Lakes shopping center. Not only does it have this structure with swings and wonderful trees to give you shade but it has a field to play in as well.

If you pass the South Lakes Village Center on the right, you turn left onto Cabots Point Lane. You can't miss the park, it will be on your right when you turn down the road.

We really enjoyed our day here!