We live in the Washington, DC area and since we will only be here for a short period of time (about 2 years) I am trying to take advantage of all
the cultural and educational benefits that the nations capital has to offer. Sure my kids are young but I really think that exposing them early will instill a desire to learn and explore in later years.
I have discovered that on the weekends heading downtown from my home just outside the city in Virginia is relatively inexpensive and a terrific adventure for the kids. It is free to park in the lots of the Metro stations on Saturday and Sunday and costs me about $5 round trip to ride (and I don’t have to deal with traffic, one way streets, and trying to find parking downtown!) Top this off with the free Smithsonian Museums and you have yourself one inexpensive and educationally fun and stimulating day! Just pop the kids in the stroller and take a 30 minute ride on the Metro!
This past weekend we decided to explore the Air and Space Museum. It was fantastic; all sorts of static displays with planes from every decade from the Wright Brothers on up to modern day Jets. You can also explore flight in outerspace with shuttle displays, astronaut suits, and everything you need to know about our solar system.
The Museum also includes a planetarium and Imax theatre (these we did not see) and a variety of flight simulators (my 3 yr old got the ride of her life!) each is a small fee but so much fun.
All in all, it was awesome and I highly recommend it! If you live in the area or are just visiting, don’t be afraid to take young children on adventures like these…you’d be surprised at how much they enjoy it!
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