Wolf Trap

Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods Tickets On Sale Now!

From late June through early August, Theatre-in-the-Woods presents family-friendly shows Tuesdays through Saturdays. The stage is set for lively adventures in music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and theater.

2009 Theatre-in-the-Woods Line-up includes: Dinorock, Baba Jamal Koram , Furia Flamenca, Antonio Rocha, Hui Hula O Na Mele Aloha, Steve Roslonek, Happenstance Theater, Billy B, Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets , Cathy & Marcy's Song Shop Maryland Youth Ballet, Baltimore Opera, Rocknoceros, and Bob Brown Puppets!


Learn More About Theatre-in-the-Woods | View Theatre-in-the-Woods Calendar

Wee Play - Thanksgiving week

Special Thanksgiving Week

Open Play Sessions

for ages 1 - 5

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

9:30 - 11:00 AM

November 24, 25, 26

$5 each child enrolled families,

$8 non-enrolled children.

Non-walking siblings free.

Baron Cameron Playground

This is one of my favorite playgrounds. It really provides everything I need for the kids at this
age. It is located right next to a soccer field so they can run around. It has a shaded picnic area. The swings are great and the structure provides slides, a fire pole and a tunnel. There is also a dog park across the parking lot that is fun to visit.
When I had a toddler that like to wander off I didn't worry that much because I knew any dangerous area (the road) was far away.

Frying Pan Park

So much to do...How do you choose? These are the words on the brochure at Frying Pan Park in Herndon. I completely agree. I wish my pictures did it more justice but it was a little cloudy that day.
When you drive into the farm there is a mailbox with brochures in it - take one! They are very helpful. It also has a newsletter that explains the events that season. When you park you should be able to see the great playground next to the country store. The playground is wonderful and usually you can see horses from it.
The country store is adorable and has some really unique items. You also check in there if you want to take a hike. They have backpacks that you can borrow and use for your hike with children. It contains a map you can follow, and other fun things (bug magnifying containers).
If you don't want to hike (not for strollers), you can go see the farm animals: horses, chickens, peacocks, rabbits, goats, pigs, sheep, and cows. There is also a wagon ride ($3) that takes you through the woods and fields of Frying Pan Park. During the ride, you learn about the plants and animals that live there.
The web site shows the hours of operation and the 2008 birthing schedule :)

Wee Play Update

Wee Play in Herndon has started its Fall Classes but I wanted to make sure I corrected the Open Play schedule which has changed slightly.

Open play is now 4 - 5 PM Mondays and Wednesdays

This is better for my family since 5 - 6 pm was too late!

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

The last time I visited these gardens was about two years ago and I thought it was so beautiful. Last week was the second time and- WOW - I think I went at a perfect time. It seemed like so many of the gardens were in bloom and they were so amazing. Here is a list of the gardens that are blooming at different times of the year. The gardens are located in Vienna and admission is $5 for you (age 18 - 54) and free for the kids. We had a wonderful time walking around, looking at the flowers, seeing the turtles and the fish in the water, and saw some great birds. My kids love being outside and they were able to run ahead of me but I knew they were safe and I could usually see them. This is a great place to walk or jog and get lots of exercise. Here is their web site.

Reston Soccer

I am really embarrassed that I missed soccer registration for my 4 year old son. Hopefully by posting this information here you won't make the same mistake for the spring season. The web site is full of information including: Spring season sign ups start in December and Fall season sign ups start in June.
From the Age information provided, I read that the child must be at least 3 by July 31st if they want to play in the Fall Season. Here is more registration information for you.

Feel free to comment if you know something else!

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.