Last week I took a trip to Great Wolf Lodge Maryland for the unveiling of their newest collaboration with Celebrity Chef Duff Goldman. To my surprise, Great Wolf Lodge has now incorporated a snow globe experience into their winter offerings for Snowland, which takes place from November 24, 2025 to January 6, 2026. Snow globe rentals come with cookie decorating kits designed by Goldman himself. Stay tuned to social media for a special look at the unveiling + their new menu offerings dropping soon. For now, I've created a guide to help you plan your next winter trip to Great Wolf Lodge Maryland that includes tips for booking, favorite activities for kids & more! We normally visit during the winter season so I have tips for days!! This blog will be updated with each future visit as well.
Sarah Acors
Creator of 4DMV Kids & Founder of BCB DMV+
Note: This weekly listing is full of events happening all weekend long for kids (ages 3+) – teens. I place a special emphasis on literacy, STEM & other educational based events as well as family fun festivities. Please click the links to review the most up-to-date information prior to heading out. Happy planning!
Upcoming Events
Friday, November 14, 2025
Washington, DC
- 3:00 pm | TeenyBopper Cinema ~ Wicked at Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library in NW
Maryland
- 10:00 am | ICE! featuring The Polar Express Opens at Gaylord National Harbor ($)
- Use code MERRYDEALS25 for up to 25% off now through Sunday (11/16).
- 10:30 am | Pre-K Story Hour at Springhill Lake Recreation Center in Greenbelt
- 5:00 pm | November’s Paint Party at sweetFrog Laurel ($)
- 5:30 pm | Family BINGO at Locally Crafted Workshop in Gaithersburg
- 6:30 pm | WICKED for Good Themed Cookie Decorating Class & Milkshakes at The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar in Ellicott City ($)
- 7:30 pm | Cirque Italia at National Harbor ($)
- 9:30 pm | Disney Channel Skate at Herbert W. Wells Ice Rink in College Park ($)
Northern Virginia
- 6:00 pm | Holiday Kick-off Celebration at Tysons Corner Center
- Includes performances & holiday lighting experience & fireworks!
- [For Adults] 7:00 pm | Kids Gift Guide Live at Old Town Books Junior in Alexandria ($)
- Over hot chocolate, Melissa will present her top 2025 picks for ages 2-16, with an emphasis on books with extra-special gift appeal. Your ticket fee will be applied to store credit.
Saturday, November 15, 2025
10:00 am | Create a Holiday Letterbox at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores beginning throughout the DMV.
Washington, DC
- 9:30 am | Robotics Workshop at iGen Educational Academy at Eastern Market in SE ($)
- 10:00 am | Bol Coop Bookstore Grand Opening in NE ♥
- Includes chai, crafts, books + storytime, music & more!
- 10:00 am | Crafty Tales: Picasso and Minou at Merry Pin in NW (Best for ages 3-8)
- Story time and hands-on crafting activity based on an artist/book.
- 11:00 am | Art Enables Saturday Workshop ~ Scratch That! Scratch Paper Art in NE
- Participants will learn how to create their own scratch paper using layers of crayon, paint, and a scratching tool, then dive into intuitive mark-making to reveal vibrant patterns and unexpected textures beneath the surface.
- 11:00 am | The Brown Bookshelf Tour at MLK Memorial Library ♥
- Family-focused panel discussion and live reading from four renowned children’s literature authors from The Brown Bookshelf.
- 12:00 pm | Tara Hoot’s Free Family Fun Story Time at Shakers in NW
- 12:00 pm | Rolling Away from Violence Skate Party at Anacostia Park ♥
- Includes skating, sound bath, karaoke, hat making & more!
- 4:00 pm | Glitter Book Leaf Craft at Southwest Neighborhood Library (Best for ages 3-12)
- 5:00 pm | Parents Night Out at iGen Educational Academy Eastern Market in SE ($)
Maryland
- 10:00 am | ICE! featuring The Polar Express at Gaylord National Harbor ($) ♥
- Use code MERRYDEALS25 for up to 25% off now through Sunday (11/16).
- [MD STEM Fest] 10:30 am | Be Excited About Math (BEAM) Fair at Oxon Hill Library
- Families are invited to join a fun math event where K-5 students rotate through engaging math games led by math teachers and earn prizes.
- [MD STEM Fest] 11:00 am | STEM Lab: The Hidden Life of Spices at Upper Marlboro Library (Best for ages 7+)
- Join a chemist from the American Chemical Society for a hands-on program on the chemistry of spices.
- [MD STEM Fest] 11:00 am | Succulent & Sand Terrarium Workshop in Mount Rainier ($) (Best for ages 4-15) ♥
- Includes a light lunch, mockatils and a living masterpiece to take home.
- 11:00 am | Happy Theater: The Light House at Highland Elementary School in Wheaton (Best for ages 4+)
- An interactive storytelling show with shadow puppets.
- 11:30 am | Story Explorers: Beginning Readers at Largo-Kettering Library
- 11:30 am | Turkey Waddle at North Laurel Community Center ($) (Best for ages 2-10)
- Stations consist of fitness challenges, arts and crafts, and children’s activities. Light refreshments are provided.
- [MD STEM Fest] 11:30 am | Discovery Days ~ GIS and Maps at Gaithersburg Community Museum ♥
- Discover how maps and geography can be exciting as we showcase the history and work of the Latitude Observatory.
- 12:00 pm | Dinosaur Park Open House in Laurel
- [MD STEM Fest] 1:00 pm | STEM Fun: Snap Circuits at Mount Rainier Library
- Dive into the world of science, technology, engineering, and math with fun, hands-on experiments and activities!
- [MD STEM Fest] 1:30 pm | Community STEM Day at Rockville Science Center ♥
- Includes demos and activities with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection – Watershed Restoration Division, the National Electronics Museum, the Natural History Society of Maryland, animal ambassadors of Echoes of Nature & more!
- 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm | Cirque Italia at National Harbor ($)
- 2:00 pm | Indigenous Maryland: The Culture of Mishoonash at Accokeek Library
- Learn the past and present culture of Mishoonash, the northeastern Algonquin coastal word for boats, in this afternoon program! Explore how east coast nations built and navigated the numerous waterways of our continent and how they continue today to keep their roots alive!
- [MD STEM Fest] 2:00 pm | Egg Drop Engineering Challenge: STEM at Germantown Library (Best for ages 5+)
- Learn how NASA engineers landed the most recent rover, Perseverance. Apply some of the same techniques they used to plan, build, and test out your very own creation.
- 3:00 pm | Tanger Holiday Market at National Harbor
- Includes an ornament charm bar, foil calligraphy, holiday crafts. gourmet treats & more!
- 3:00 pm | Diwali Festival at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown ♥
- Includes cuisine, vendors, henna, and three dance performances!
- 3:00 pm | Style on Stage Fashion Show at Upper Marlboro Community Center ($)
- Intergenerational Fall Fashion Show
- 3:00 pm | Hoop it Up: Painting Workshop with Resident Artist Roger James at Arts’tination National Harbor
- Create a basketball-inspired masterpiece.
- 4:00 pm | Art Studio for Kids celebrates Native American Heritage Month at White Oak Library
- Art professor Michael Hilliard will bring Native American art to life after which participants will create their multimedia artworks.
Northern Virginia
- 9:30 am | Continental Army Family Day at Mount Vernon Estate ($)
- 9:30 am | Author Storytime: Matt Tavares of “Dasher and the Polar Bear” at Old Town Books Junior in Alexandria
- 10:00 am | Make Fall Leaf Cakepops at Tiny Chefs in Alexandria ($) (Best for ages 4-8)
- 10:00 am | Welcome Back to Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Alexandria
- Free grand reopening event to include sample classes & demos, family-friendly fun & more!
- 10:00 am | DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly ($) ♥
- Includes free samples, photos with mascots & kids crafts.
- 10:00 am | Gather & Cook with Thankful Hearts & Full Plates at Cookology in Arlington ($) (Best for ages 6-17) ♥
- Cooking class for a great cause – No Kid Hungry! Menu includes Butternut Squash & Mushroom Tart, Harvest Vegetable Stuffing Muffins w/ Acorn Squash & Pumpkin Pie in a Jar
- 11:00 am | Imagination Builders ft. Magnetic Wonder Tiles at Lakeshore Learning in Alexandria (Best for ages 3+)
- Make one-of-a-kind crafts and explore hands-on activities!
- 5:00 pm | 2025 Ice & Lights Opens – The Winter Village at Cameron Run in Alexandria ($) ♥
- Enjoy ice skating amidst a winter wonderland at Cameron Run Regional Park. Ice & Lights offers a fun, unstructured outdoor family experience to explore new, stunning light displays, snap family pictures or selfies with a variety of displays, sip hot chocolate, eat snacks and warm up by the fire, and even take a spin on the ice rink! (Ice skating tickets required).
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Washington, DC
- 9:30 am | Storytime: Cynthia Cliff for “A Day at the Museum” at People’s Takoma
- 10:00 am | Grandparent’s Day: M’dor L’dor at Capital Jewish Museum in NW ($) (Best for ages 5-12) ♥
- Join the Museum for a day of sharing family memories—and recording them for posterity!
- 11:00 am | Drag Story Hour with Tiffany D. Carter at Loyalty Books Petworth
- 1:00 pm | Puzzle Mania at Wheaton Community Recreation Center ($)
- 1:30 pm | Wonders of DC’s Trees Exhibition at Woodridge Neighborhood Library in NE
- Explore the traveling “Wonder of DC Trees” exhibit, meet the artists, make a “tree” bookmark, and take a tree walk to learn about the Langdon Forest Patch restoration project.
- 2:00 pm | Family Improv at Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library in NW
- 2:00 pm | Movie: Grand Prix of Europe at The Miracle Theatre ($)
- Edda is a young mouse who dreams of racing glory. Disguised as her idol Ed, she seizes a chance to drive in the Grand Prix. The prize money could save her family—but she’ll have to overtake rivals and prove she truly belongs.
Maryland
- 10:00 am | ICE! featuring The Polar Express at Gaylord National Harbor ($) ♥
- Use code MERRYDEALS25 for up to 25% off now through Sunday (11/16).
- 11:00 am | Sunday Workshop: Intro to Animation: Stop Motion at KID Museum in Bethesda ($) (Best for grades 2nd – 5th)
- [MD STEM Fest] 1:00 pm | MD STEM Fest: Closing Ceremony at Gaithersburg Library
- Includes talks by leaders in the STEM community, interactive STEM activities, and fascinating demonstrations!
- [MD STEM Fest] 1:30 pm | Native Project Runway! at KID Museum in Bethesda ($) ♥
- 1:30 pm & 4:30 pm | Cirque Italia at National Harbor ($)
- 2:00 pm | The Polar Express – Holiday Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor
- 2:00 pm | Happy Theater: The Light House at Highland Elementary School in Wheaton (Best for ages 4+)
- An interactive storytelling show with shadow puppets.
- 3:00 pm | The Great Laugh and Giggle Adventure at Arts’tination National Harbor ♥
- One-of-a-kind experience where kids and parents laugh, move, and breathe together!
- 4:00 pm | Have Fun with Mr. Jon & Friends at Long Branch Library in Silver Spring
- Mr. Jon makes music that inspires fun, laughter and dancing for kids and families. Bring your energy!
Northern Virginia
- 9:00 am | Heroes on the Highway Community Event at Strawberry Park in Fairfax
- Join the Fairfax County Police Department and community partners for a kick-off event dedicated to promoting safer conditions for all road users.
- 9:30 am | Continental Army Family Day at Mount Vernon Estate ($)
- 9:30 am | November Chapter Chasers Book Club: “The Fairy Tale Fixers” at Old Town Books Junior in Alexandria (Best for ages 6-8)
- Book club meeting!
- 10:00 am | DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly ($) ♥
- Includes free samples, photos with mascots & kids crafts.
- 12:00 pm | Kiddo Rave with K-Pop Demon Hunters Rumi at Shipgarten in McLean
- 3:00 pm | Two Small Pieces of Glass Planetarium Show at Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium ($)
- Follow along with two students as they interact with an astronomer at a local star party.
Along the way, the students learn the history of the telescope – from Galileo’s modifications to a child’s spyglass, using two small pieces of glass, to the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy.
- Follow along with two students as they interact with an astronomer at a local star party.
- 3:00 pm | Fall Engineering Challenge at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale ($) (Best for ages 6-11)
- Use your critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities to engineer a solution for our secret seasonal challenge.
- 3:00 pm | Make Room for Turkeys! at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly ($)
- Find out more about the role of turkeys in different cultures and how important habitat restoration will make room for turkeys.
- 5:00 pm | 2025 Ice & Lights – The Winter Village at Cameron Run in Alexandria ($) ♥
- Enjoy ice skating amidst a winter wonderland at Cameron Run Regional Park. Ice & Lights offers a fun, unstructured outdoor family experience to explore new, stunning light displays, snap family pictures or selfies with a variety of displays, sip hot chocolate, eat snacks and warm up by the fire, and even take a spin on the ice rink! (Ice skating tickets required).
Sensory Friendly & Accessible
- Saturday (11/15) at 10:30 am | Down Syndrome and Friends Community Playgroup at Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library in NE (Best for ages 0-12)
- Sunday (11/16) at 9:00 am | Sensory Friendly Sunday at Port Discovery in Baltimore ($)
For Tweens & Teens
Washington, DC
- Thursday (11/13) at 7:00 pm | Colby Cedar Smith in conversation with Elizabeth Acevedo for “The Siren and the Star” at Politics and Prose on Connecticut Ave in NW (Best for ages 14+)
- Friday (11/14) at 4:00 pm | 3D it! at Parklands-Turner Neighborhood Library in SE
- 3D print your own picture frame or game piece.
- Sunday (11/16) at 1:00 pm | Welcome to Lumiose City a Pokémon Event! at District E in NW DC ($) (All Ages)
Maryland
- Friday (11/14) at 2:00 pm | Reader’s Advisory: Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month on Zoom
- Learn about recent books to celebrate Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. Books for Teens and Adults will be shared!
- Friday (11/14) at 2:00 pm | Teen Zone at Bowie Library
- Friday (11/14) at 4:00 pm | Teen Life Lab: Creative Writing at Bowie Library
- Teens can earn service learning hours by attending this program.
- Saturday (11/15) at 1:00 pm | Write to Right: Social Justice Writing Workshop at Gaithersburg Library (Best for ages 9-15)
- Saturday (11/15) at 1:00 pm | Josiah Henson, his Descendants and the Underground Railroad at Marietta House Museum in Glenn Dale ($) (Best for ages 12+)
- Saturday (11/15) at 2:00 pm | One Maryland One Book Discussion: “Kin: Rooted in Hope” at Largo-Kettering Library
- Join a thoughtful conversation about the 2025 One Maryland One Book selection, “Kin: Rooted in Hope” written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford. Share your insights, hear different perspectives, and connect with fellow readers.
Northern Virginia
- Friday (11/14) at 6:00 pm | Teen Nights at Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington
- Saturday (11/15) at 8:30 am | 23rd Annual HBCU Festival at the St. James in Springfield ♥
- From college prep to financial aid, Greek life, and parent sessions — there’s something for every step of the journey.
- Saturday (11/15) at 11:00 am | DIY Teens: Popsicle Stick Paintings at Barrett Branch Library (Best for ages 11-18)
- Saturday (11/15) at 1:00 pm | Make Fall Leaf Cakepops at Tiny Chefs in Alexandria ($) (Best for ages 9-14)
- Saturday (11/15) at 7:30 pm | Dream Big Planetarium Show at David M. Brown Planetarium ($) (Best for ages 10+)
- Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small, and reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people around the world.
This Week's Book Recommendation
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Plan your Winter Getaway!
New Blog Alert: Tips for Families Visiting Great Wolf Lodge during the winter season! It also includes packing essentials, current offers and promotions + Snowland info, which starts November 24th.
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