Kid-Friendly Things to Do Over Christmas Vacation in DC

Things to Do with Kids Over Christmas Vacation in DC

Creating Family Kwanzaa Bags (Kwanzaa at Anacostia Community Museum)
Anacostia - Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Free
Join the artist Rain as she leads families into an arts and crafts workshop celebrating the sixth principle of Kwanzaa, Kuumba (creativity). Participants are encouraged to allow their creativity to flow as they create and decorate their family Kwanzaa bags. These bags can be used for a variety of purposes including carrying handmade Kwanzaa gifts or the fruits of the harvest. Visit the website here.

Dopamine Land: A Multisensory Experience
Friendship Heights - Fridays - Sundays, through January 31, 2025 (also open on January 20)
Dopamine Land is a multisensory experience combining media, technology, and play in one place. Visitors travel through an interactive museum boasting multiple rooms and activities that provide something new and exciting at every corner. Visit the website here.

Monet: The Immersive Experience (at Rhode Island Center)
Eckington - Daily, through January 31, 2025 (except Christmas Day and Tuesdays; also open on December 24 & 31)
Embark on an astonishing journey through the incomparable universe of Claude Monet, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 19th century. Explore his life, his career, and his secrets like never before with the help of 360-degree digital projections and a unique virtual-reality experience. Visit the website here.

Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures at Rhode Island Center
Eckington - Daily, through January 5, 2025 (except Tuesdays; also open on December 24 & 31)
Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures is an exhibition that offers guests an unprecedented glance into Ancient Egypt. With hundreds of perfectly reconstructed objects, breathtaking decorations, and fascinating explanations, visitors can step right into the wonder of the most famous archaeological discovery site of the 20th century. Ready to travel to the era of the pharaohs? Visit the website here.

Placita Mágica at National Children’s Museum
Downtown - Daily (except Christmas Day and Tuesdays), through January 3, 2025
Explore Mexican cultural traditions in this enchanting plaza bursting with STEAM concepts and interactive play. The immersive setting includes decoration, architecture, and cityscape silhouettes of Mexican cities that expand the worldview and sense of place for young learners. In Mexico, plazas function as gathering spots where communities come together. Visit the website here.

Baseball: America's Home Run at the National Postal Museum
NOMA - Daily (except Christmas Day), through January 5, 2025
Free
This special exhibit explores the surprising ways that baseball and postal history are deeply intertwined. It features historic objects that have never before been on public display, including game-used uniforms and bats, jackets, hats, and memorabilia. It's a must-visit for anyone who loves the game. Visit the website here.

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit (at National Children's Museum)
Downtown - Daily (except Christmas Day and Tuesdays), through January 5, 2025
Step into Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood where Daniel and his friends help young children navigate their world, and parents guide their journey. Play, sing, explore, and pretend in some favorite and familiar places from the Neighborhood. Try a fun activity, share a memory, and create grr-ific new ones on this beautiful day. Visit the website here.

Brick City at National Building Museum
Gallery Place - Thursdays-Mondays (except Christmas Day), through April 6, 2025
LEGO® lovers will marvel at architecture from around the world through recreations made from these bricks by UK-based artist Warren Elsmore. Brick City features lively streetscapes from Cartagena, Columbia; Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans; intricate temples from India to Mexico; and imaginative castles from medieval Japan to modern Las Vegas. Visit the website here.

Bond in Motion at the International Spy Museum
L'Enfant Plaza - Daily, through April 30, 2025 (except Christmas Day)
The International Spy Museum hosts an official exhibition of vehicles used on-screen by 007 and his many allies and adversaries. While James Bond is a fictional character, he embodies the spirit of many real spies in this museum. These men and women from around the world were inspired by over six decades of the Bond film franchise and its enduring cultural influence. Visit the website here.

Building Stories at National Building Museum
Gallery Place - Ongoing, Thursdays-Mondays (except Christmas Day)
Building Stories brings visitors into an immersive exploration of the world of architecture, engineering, construction, and design found in the pages of children’s books. The exhibit is geared toward an intergenerational audience, with special attention paid to children in grades K-3 and their parents and caregivers. Visit the website here.

Things To Do with Kids Over Christmas Vacation in Maryland

Holly-Days at Maryland Zoo
Baltimore, MD - Saturdays & Sundays, through December 31, 2024 (also December 20, 23, 24-27, 30-31)
Celebrate the magic of the season with Holly-Days at the Zoo. This festive event includes holiday crafts, photo ops, special appearances, and more. Visit the website here.

The Princess Bride in Concert at Music Center Strathmore
North Bethesda, MD - Friday, January 3, 2025
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… Experience one of the most beloved films of all time as never before… with the power of the BSO performing the entire musical score live-to-picture. Visit the website here.

The Princess Bride in Concert at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Baltimore, MD - Saturday & Sunday, January 4 & 5, 2025
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… Experience one of the most beloved films of all time as never before… with the power of the BSO performing the entire musical score live-to-picture. Visit the website here.

Disney's Frozen at the Olney Theatre Center
Olney, MD - Wednesdays - Sundays, through January 5, 2025 ( except Christmas Day, also December 24 & 31)
Disney has asked a select few regional theaters to take a shot at their own productions of this animated classic, and it’s no surprise that Olney Theatre Center got the call. This musical delivers everything families love about the adventures of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf, along with a unique production that won’t be experienced anywhere else. Visit the website here.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas at Adventure Theatre
Glen Echo, MD - Fridays - Sundays, through January 5, 2025
"‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But wait! A mouse is stirring – because Santa missed his house last year. Before you can say “Merry Christmas!," we are off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just will not take no for an answer. Do not miss this joyful tribute to the holiday season! Visit the website here.

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood at Imagination Stage
Bethesda, MD - Various dates, through February 8, 2025
A Cajun Red Riding Hood updates the classic tale, sending the plucky heroine—now a red-robed little duck—and her ‘fraidy cat friend Te Jean on a perilous journey through the bayou. Along the way the pair tangle with a Big Bad Gator. Petite is no sitting duck, though, and leads her nemesis on a merry Mardi Gras chase through New Orleans. A chorus of swamp dwellers sings backup to the Zydeco-driven score in this foot-stomping musical. Visit the website here.

Things To Do with Kids Over Christmas Vacation in Northern Virginia

Holiday Bricktacular at LEGO Discovery Center Washington DC
Springfield, VA - Daily, through December 30, 2024 (except Christmas Day)
Build the best memories at Holiday Bricktacular! Families can enjoy a winter wonderland of activities, festive decorations, and more at LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC. Visit the website here.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience (at Morven Park)
Leesburg, VA - Various dates, through January 5, 2025
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience lets fans venture into an illuminated forest brought to life. Unicorns, Nifflers, and Hippogriffs are only some of the magical creatures guests come face-to-face with. The interactive, family-friendly experience also gives fans the opportunity to cast spells to illuminate the dark forest and try their hand at summoning a Patronus. In the depths of the Forbidden Forest, who knows what spellbinding surprises could be lurking between the trees? Visit the website here.

Winter Lantern Festival (at Tysons Corner)
Tysons, VA - Various dates, through January 12, 2025
The Winter Lantern Festival is back this holiday season, with a display of electrifying lights made from more than 1,000 handmade Chinese lanterns. Guests will enter and wander through a wonderland of light and color inspired by Chinese myths, legends, and zodiacs. Attractions will include a bounce house, sugar paintings, dino ride, interactive light swings, see-saws, tunnels, and many majestic creatures. Visit the website here.

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