Fun things to do with kids in Northern Virginia
by Leigh Goessl
If you live or plan to visit the Northern Virginia area with kids, there are a gold mine of things to see and do that are bound to perk your child's interest. Northern Virginia is a very family friendly oriented area and there are many various places you can take the kids throughout the year.
Here are a few top picks:
*Bull Run Park
Bull Run Park is a splendid place to visit. Families can picnic, use the playground, play disk (Frisbee) golf and swim in the pools (the latter is seasonal). The park is also a popular camping facility as well.
Throughout the year the park offers kid-friendly events and additionally when the holidays arrive, there is a fantastic festival of lights that the children (and adults!) really enjoy. Check their calendar of events for dates and times scheduled for special activities.
* Frying Pan Farm Park
Frying Pan Farm Park is located in Fairfax County and is also a part of the county's park system. There are lots of things to do in this park, but for kids, a recommended visit is to Kidwell Farm. Admission to the park is free and open to all visitors.
During a visit to Kidwell Farm you can get up close and personal with many farm animals such as cows, horses, goats and pigs. In addition kids can view sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys and even a peacock.
The farm also offers a pulled wagon tour ($3 a person for ages two and up) from March - November. This tour pulls visitors throughout the farm property, through a wooded area and back to the farm section. It is not uncommon for wildlife (such as deer) to appear when going through the wooded path.
In addition, the park offers a backpack of activities for children (free!) and kids can go on a hike and scavenger hunt. Other great things to see and so are the country store, visitor center and activity center. There is also a playground on the site too. Great place to spend time with the kids!
*Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum
The Smithsonian Museum has a branch of the Air & Space Museum located in the western side of Fairfax County in Chantilly, VA. The museum is quite large and houses many air and space craft. In addition to the exhibits there is a gift shop, IMAX theatre and the calendar of events often has kid-friendly activities throughout the year.
Admission to the museum is free, but it does cost $15 to park. The Museum is conveniently located off Route 28, which is very close to the Dulles Airport. In addition it's only about 5 miles off I-66 if you are coming from the Washington DC area.
*Mount Vernon
George Washington's estate is a fantastic place to take the kids. In addition to the house tour, there is a pioneer farm, you can take a ride on the Potomac (this is an additional fee), wander George Washington's property, see the animals which are housed throughout the property or spend time in the newly (2006) constructed museum.
Throughout the year Mount Vernon offers many family friendly events such as September's annual craft fair and October's Fall Family Harvest Days. To find out what other family friendly events are happening throughout the year, please visit Mount Vernon's calendar of events.
*Old Town Alexandria
If you are in Washington DC, this is an easy trip to make, but even if you are located elsewhere in Northern Virginia, Old Town Alexandria is easily accessible by car or Metro.
On or near the waterfront, you can take the kids to an old fashioned ice cream shop, view one of the many street shows which include magic and music or simply sit and enjoy feeding the ducks in the Potomac River. In addition there is a large grassy field where kids can run around and burn off some energy while mom and dad sit quietly and enjoy the picturesque environment.
There are many things to do in Old Town, it is a fun trip for the kids and there are many kid-friendly activities.
*Leesburg Animal Park
In Loudoun County is the Leesburg Animal Park. At this park kids can get really hands-on and up close with the animals. There are fenced pens with a variety of animals (kids can feed and touch most of these animals), there is also an open fenced area where animals wander free and kids are welcomed to enter this area to feed and pet the animals.
In addition there are lots of other fun things to do at the park. There's a tractor wagon ride, playground, moon bounce, and pony rides. Great place to spend a few hours or the day. Picnicking is welcomed.
There are always festivals going on in the various towns and many seasonal events at the various farms, parks and museums. If you want to head a little bit away from the DC Metro region you can head west to the Skyline Caverns, or south to Cows-n-Corn Farm and the Flying Circus Air Show for a day of family fun.
Northern Virginia contains a lot of family friendly areas. These are just a sample of what's happening in the region, but there are many other family oriented attractions and events to explore.