Kid-friendly Weekend Activities in DC, Maryland & Virginia (8/23 – 8/25)
Back-to-school season is here! Whether your kids are going back on Monday or after Labor Day, I think we all have a case of the "runnings around", lol. Well, don't forget that many organizations around the DMV are throwing back-to-school bashes and school supply drives as we speak. Most city and county recreational departments throw at least one. DC DPR hosted a handful this week and their Back to School Day at RFK, happening on Friday (listed below), should be a great experience for kids of all ages. From free backpacks to haircuts and gaming activations, much to do and see at RFK! I'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe back-to-school season. And with that, on to these events...
Sarah Acors
Creator of 4DMV Kids & Founder of BCB DMV+
Events
Friday, August 23, 2024
Washington, DC
- 10:00 am | Book Bags & School Supplies powered by Amerigroup at Edgewood Recreation Center
- 11:00 am | Strong Start Playgroup at Woodridge Neighborhood Library (Best for ages 12-24 months)
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) playgroup
- 11:30 am | Kids Camp featuring The Muppets Take Manhattan at Alamo Drafthouse DC ($)
- 12:00 pm | Back to School Day at RFK
- 1:00 pm | Featured Movie: Aladdin at The Miracle Theatre ($)
- 6:00 pm | MOAPIA Presents: 2024 Mid-Autumn Lantern Making and Movie Night featuring Raya and the Last Dragon at Chinatown Park
- [Last Chance] 7:00 pm | Late Night Hype at Banneker Pool & Recreation Center
Maryland
Prince George’s County
- 10:00 am | President’s Conference Committee (PCC) Cars Celebration at the National Capital Trolley Museum ($)
- Family activities include a scavenger hunt, streetcar designing, movie screening and used book sale.
- 5:00 pm | Back to School Giveaway Extravaganza in the town of Edmonston
- 7:00 pm | The Town of Edmonston presents Concert in the Park Series: Hispanic Heritage at Edmonston Recreation Center
Montgomery County
- 10:00 am | A “Grand” Adventure: Grandparent and Child Pontoon Boat Tour at Black Hill Discovery Center in Boyds ($)
- 10:30 am | DinoRock: Dinosaur Babies presented by The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park ($) (Best for ages 5+
- 10:30 am | Music with Teresa Jiménez at Kensington Park Library
- 11:00 am | Dance Party at Long Branch Library
- 1:00 pm | Write to Right: Social Justice Writing Workshop at Gaithersburg Library (Best for ages 7-16)
- This is a week long workshop happening daily through 8/23.
More Maryland Events
- 1:00 pm | LEGO Mosaic at B&O Railroad ($) (Best for ages 8+)
- Part of Back to School Brick Week
Virginia
Arlington County
- 11:15 am | Kids Camp featuring The Muppets Take Manhattan at Alamo Drafthouse Crystal City ($)
- 12:00 pm | National Banana Split Day 2024 at Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Free banana split while supplies last!
- 3:00 pm | Meet Our Animals! at Long Branch Nature Center (Best for ages 6-10)
- 7:00 pm | Met Park Movie Nights featuring Elemental
- 8:00 pm | Night Insect Campfire at Long Branch Nature Center ($)
- [Last Chance] 8:30 pm | Columbia Pike Movie Night featuring Haunted Mansion at Arlington Mill
City of Alexandria
- 3:30 pm | Bilingual Spanish/English Friday Stories: Sara Gavrell Ortiz at Charles Beatley Central Library
- 6:30 pm | Ultimate Family Game Night at Armstrong Recreation Center
More Virginia Events
- 7:30 pm | Sunset Cinema: Kung Fu Panda 4 at Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Washington, DC
- All Day | Local Theatre Festival at The Kennedy Center ~ some kid-friendly choices:
- 10:00 am | A Book of Judges (Best for ages 7+)
- 10:30 am | Marjuan Canady: Imagine (Best for ages 3-6)
- 12:00 pm | Elena Velasco: Inside the Rainbow/Dentro del arcoiris (Best for ages 4-6)
- 1:30 pm | Spooky Action Theater: Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show (Best for ages 13+)
- 3:00 pm | Faction of Fools: An Introduction to Commedia dell’Arte (Best for ages 10+)
- two-hour workshop that introduces attendees to Commedia dell’Arte, a Renaissance-era form of masked theater
- 9:00 am | National Book Festival at the Washington Convention Center
- 10:00 am | L.O.L. Leading our Lives at Stead Park in NW
- Youth will engage in yoga, art, breathing techniques, healthy eating and some fun surprises!
- 10:00 am | Zion Hill Baptist Church and Petworth Recreation Community Outreach Day
- 10:30 am | Play Hour at Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library (Best for ages 0-5)
- 12:00 pm | Family Arts & Crafts at the Anacostia Community Museum
- 12:00 pm | Emery Heights Backpack Giveaway on Georgia Ave.
- [ASL] 12:00 pm | In-Gallery Portrait Signs: A Tour in American Sign Language of the National Portrait Gallery
- 1:00 pm | Lil Scrappy Dolls Workshop at Merry Pins ($)
- 2:00 pm | CatVideoFest 2024 at The Miracle Theatre ($)
- CatVideoFest is a compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. The Miracle will donate 10% of all ticket sales to City Dogs and City Kitties Rescue.
- 2:00 pm | Hi Lawn’s Caribbean Festival in NE ($)
- Kids under 7 are free ~ Extreme weather date is August 25th!
- 6:30 pm | Opera in the Outfield at Nationals Park
- 7:30 pm | DC United v. FC Dallas ($)
Maryland
Prince George’s County
- 12:00 pm | President’s Conference Committee (PCC) Cars Celebration at the National Capital Trolley Museum ($)
- Family activities include a streetcar parade, scavenger hunt, streetcar designing, movie screening and used book sale.
- 1:00 pm | STEM-tastic: Snap Circuits at Mount Rainier Library
- 1:00 pm | Afternoon Aviators: Space at the College Park Aviation Museum ($) (Best for ages 8-12)
- 1:00 pm | Community Voices – An Intergenerational Multicultural Poetry Affair at Surratts-Clinton Library
- 2:00 pm | Writing Revolution presented by the Hurston-Wright Foundation at Bowie Library (Best for teens & adults)
- 3:30 pm | All Ages Family Show at Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar at National Harbor
- 5:30 pm | Water Lantern Festival at National Harbor SouthPointe ($)
Montgomery County
- 10:00 am | MCPS Back to School Fair at Westfield Wheaton
- 10:00 am | Butterflies of Brookside at Brookside Gardens ($) (Best for ages 6-8)
- 10:30 am | Bubble Dance Party at Potomac Library (Best for ages 2-5)
- 10:30 am | Chomp, Chomp ! A Nutritious and Delicious Storytime followed by Stay and Play at Aspen Hill Library
- 11:30 am & 1:00 pm | DinoRock: Dinosaur Babies presented by The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park ($) (Best for ages 5+)
- 1:00 pm | Roots to Rocks – Youth Mountain Bike Ride at South Germantown Recreational Park (Best for ages 6+)
- 2:00 pm | Jenny Wilson Trio featuring Veronica Cox on vocals at Kensington Park Library
- 2:00 pm | Pokemon Afternoon! at Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library in Silver Spring
- 4:00 pm | STEM at the Library: Popsicle Stick Catapults at Marilyn J. Praisner Library in Burtonsville
More Maryland Events
- 10:00 am | Set Sail for School at Port Discovery in Baltimore ($)
- 10:00 am | Brick Universe LEGO Mosaics at B&O Railroad ($)
- Part of Back to School Brick Week
- 10:00 am & 11:00 am | Historic Farmhouse Tours in Woodstock
- 10:00 am | Elkridge Summer Celebration at Elkridge Branch Library ~ activities include:
- 10:15 am | Under the Sea Adventure Cooking Class (Best for ages 3-5)
- 10:30 am | Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Tournament (Best for ages 10+)
- 12:00 pm | Tekken 8 Tournament (Best for ages 10+)
- 2:30 pm | Paper Pinwheel Craft
- 3:00 pm | Dance Party
- [Limited Seats Left] 6:00 pm | Silent DJ Party at Bensville Park in White Plains (Best for ages 11-17)
Virginia
Arlington County
- 10:00 am | NoVA Sports Card Show at the Cooperative Plaza Conference Center
- 4:00 pm | Tiny Tot: Crayfish Hike at Long Branch Nature Center ($) (Best for ages 18 – 35 months)
- 6:00 pm | Awesome Owls Campfire at Gulf Branch Nature ($)
- [Last Chance] 8:30 pm | Columbia Pike Movie Night featuring Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire at Penrose Square
City of Alexandria
- 11:00 am | 2024 Around the World Cultural Food Festival at Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town
More Virginia Events
- 9:00 am | Monarchs – The Mighty Migrators at Burke Lake Park ($) (Best for ages 3+)
- 9:00 am | Volunteer Service Day at Potomac Overlook Regional Park (Best for ages 9+)
- 10:00 am | Back to School Bash at Reston Town Center
- 11:00 am | Lake Accotink Park Celebration Day in Springfield
- 3:00 pm | Are you going to eat that? at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park ($)
- “Enjoy a naturalist-led hike and identify plants that are safe to eat and which ones to avoid. Learn the usefulness of plants for such rope making and folk remedies with connections to Eastern Woodland Indians.”
- 5:30 pm | Sunset Polo at Great Meadow in The Plains ($)
- Taco ‘Bout A Fiesta Night featuring food trucks & winery kiosk
- [Just Added] 6:00 pm | Toby’s Cars & Cones in Vienna
- Car show + homemade ice cream from Toby’s
- [Last Chance] 6:00 pm | Starlight Cinema Double Feature ~ Migration & Elemental at Sully Historic Site
- 8:00 pm | Goodnight Walks – Owls at Lake Fairfax Park ($)
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Washington, DC
- 10:00 am | WOW Indonesia! Festival on Pennsylvania Ave.
- 12:00 pm | Women’s Soccer Doubleheader featuring Washington Spirit v. Kansas City Current & Arsenal FC v. Chelsea FC at Audi Field ($)
- 2 games for the price of 1
- 2:00 pm | Featured Movie: Aladdin at The Miracle Theatre ($)
- 6:00 pm | Playing with Resin Workshop ($) (Best for ages 12+)
- 7:00 pm | K-pop Breakout Tour 2024 at Karma DC Live Music Venue ($)
Maryland
Prince George’s County
- 12:00 pm | President’s Conference Committee (PCC) Cars Celebration at the National Capital Trolley Museum ($)
- Family activities include a scavenger hunt, streetcar designing, movie screening and used book sale.
- 12:00 pm | Riversdale Kitchen Guild: Summer Abundance at Riversdale House Museum Historic Site
- “Join the Riversdale Kitchen Guild over the open hearth as they highlight summer-themed recipes using produce from the Riversdale Garden and 19th century techniques.”
- 1:00 pm | Fairwood Music Festival in Bowie
- 5:30 pm | Water Lantern Festival at National Harbor SouthPointe ($)
- 6:00 pm | Movies on the Potomac: Finding Nemo at National Harbor
Montgomery County
- 9:00 am | Family Fishing Fun! at Black Hill Discovery Center in Boyds ($)
- 9:30 am | Storytime with Nancy Johnson James for Blue: the Many Ways I Feel at People’s Book Takoma
- 10:00 am | Tiny Tots starring Bixby the Cat: Bixby goes to the Beach at Glen Echo Park ($) (Best for ages 18 months – 4)
- 10:00 am | Butterflies of Brookside at Brookside Gardens ($) (Best for ages 8-12)
- 11:30 am & 1:00 pm | DinoRock: Dinosaur Babies presented by The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park ($) (Best for ages 5+)
- 1:30 pm | Sprinklers, Bubbles & Rainbows! at Black Hill Discovery Center in Boyds
- 2:30 pm | STEM at the Library: Sun Prints at Damascus Library
More Maryland Events
- 2:00 pm | 6th Annual Bonsai Exhibition at Miller Branch Library in Ellicott City
Virginia
Arlington County
- [Last Chance] MoCA on the Move: Summer Fun Family Series at Met Park
- Create your own stamps!
- 10:30 am | Stop in for Stories at Central Library
- 4:00 pm | Family Class: Family Dinner at Cookology ($) (Best for ages 8+)
City of Alexandria
- 2:00 pm | Family Friendly Wood + Canvas Workshop at AR Workshop ($)
More Virginia Events
- 12:00 pm | Petting Zoo hosts Kids and Family Festival at Shipgarten in McLean
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