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More toddler activity reviews - Playseum, Glen Echo puppet show, Cabin John park/playground
Several people have been asking for ideas for activities for toddlers and preschoolers, so I thought I'd add my latest reviews from this weekend.
Playseum in Bethesda - This is a really cool indoor play space in the basement of a shopping center in Bethesda. It's a decent size, all things considered, and they've divided up the space into about 10 different themed rooms. It's reasonably priced at $6 per person (adults also have to pay). M loooooved it and probably could've spent hours happily playing there if it was less crowded.
Now for the bad part: I'd read some reviews that said it gets too crowded on weekends and holidays, and I have to agree with them. We got there about 30 minutes after they opened, with the plan of spending 2 hours there (I had parked at a 2-hour meter). It was totally manageable when we arrived, but after 90 minutes, it was so crowded that I literally couldn't turn around without bumping into someone. My kid wanted to run all over the place, and it was too hard trying to keep up with him and not lose him, so we left at that point. It's probably best to go on a random non-holiday weekday (which is nearly impossible for working parents). If you want to go on a weekend, I'd try to get there as soon as they open, so you can have some fun before it gets too chaotic.
Glen Echo tots puppet show - After vtkendra's review last week, we decided to check out the "tiny tots" puppet show at Glen Echo. They have a schedule on their website, but most shows seem to be at 10 am on Saturdays and/or Sundays. I wasn't sure if my kid would sit still and watch the entire show (appprox. 30 minutes long), but he was totally into it. There were kids as young as infants and up to about 5 years old there, and they all seemed to enjoy it. Most of the seating is on the floor, which got a little uncomfortable by the end, but it was manageable for 30 minutes. I think this is a good option if you just want to get out of the house and do something different one morning. It's $5 per person. There's also a small outdoor play area near the theater with some swings and some things to climb on; my kid was too young for most of it, but the older kids seemed to like it.
Cabin John Park and Playground - Obviously this is something for warmer weather, but DH took the kid here on Saturday and he said it was a great outdoor play area with lots of things to do for different ages. There's also a miniature train that will start running again in March.
Playseum in Bethesda - This is a really cool indoor play space in the basement of a shopping center in Bethesda. It's a decent size, all things considered, and they've divided up the space into about 10 different themed rooms. It's reasonably priced at $6 per person (adults also have to pay). M loooooved it and probably could've spent hours happily playing there if it was less crowded.
Now for the bad part: I'd read some reviews that said it gets too crowded on weekends and holidays, and I have to agree with them. We got there about 30 minutes after they opened, with the plan of spending 2 hours there (I had parked at a 2-hour meter). It was totally manageable when we arrived, but after 90 minutes, it was so crowded that I literally couldn't turn around without bumping into someone. My kid wanted to run all over the place, and it was too hard trying to keep up with him and not lose him, so we left at that point. It's probably best to go on a random non-holiday weekday (which is nearly impossible for working parents). If you want to go on a weekend, I'd try to get there as soon as they open, so you can have some fun before it gets too chaotic.
Glen Echo tots puppet show - After vtkendra's review last week, we decided to check out the "tiny tots" puppet show at Glen Echo. They have a schedule on their website, but most shows seem to be at 10 am on Saturdays and/or Sundays. I wasn't sure if my kid would sit still and watch the entire show (appprox. 30 minutes long), but he was totally into it. There were kids as young as infants and up to about 5 years old there, and they all seemed to enjoy it. Most of the seating is on the floor, which got a little uncomfortable by the end, but it was manageable for 30 minutes. I think this is a good option if you just want to get out of the house and do something different one morning. It's $5 per person. There's also a small outdoor play area near the theater with some swings and some things to climb on; my kid was too young for most of it, but the older kids seemed to like it.
Cabin John Park and Playground - Obviously this is something for warmer weather, but DH took the kid here on Saturday and he said it was a great outdoor play area with lots of things to do for different ages. There's also a miniature train that will start running again in March.
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Re: More toddler activity reviews - Playseum, Glen Echo puppet show, Cabin John park/playground
Thanks for posting this.
With Glen Echo, was there a lot of waiting time before the show? Do you think you could do it with two adults and two toddlers or was it hard to wrangle just one toddler? It sounds great, but I'm nervous about how it would go with DH and I and two toddlers, especially if there is a lot of sitting and waiting before the show starts.
We had made a reservation for tickets, which I recommend, because the show was sold out (we made them the day before, so you don't need to plan too far in advance). We arrived at the park around 9:30, and then it took a few minutes for us to get to the theater building. We were the first people in line for the show. I think they actually let us inside the seating area around 9:50. I basically stood in line to hold our spot while DH walked around with M. You don't have to wait in line, but we were able to sit right up front, which was great. I'm not sure how that part would work with two kids. Maybe one of you could wait in line while the other person stays outside the building with the kids (maybe in a stroller?) and then come inside just before they open the doors to the theater.
Once we got in the theater, we found a place to sit and M sat on my lap. He was fine at that point, and I could've easily handled him on my own. He was looking around at all of the other kids, and also looking at the stage, which was already set up with some things. You could also bring a couple of books or something else to entertain them until the show starts.
Ditto. I think you'll be fine with two adults and two children. Just make a reservation and leave plenty of time to get there because the walk from the parking lot to the theater is a bit long. Once you get inside and people start sitting down, there's not a lot of room for kids to run around and most of the kids I saw were just sitting there with anticipation (I wonder if they pump a drug into the room? kidding). But I think they'll do great and you'll be surprised at how well it captures their attention.