A Little Kid's Guide to Washington DC at Christmas

Washington DC is an amazing family destination any time of year, but I'm not the first to admit it doesn't exactly cater to the toddler and pre-school crowd. However, if you look hard enough and off the beaten path there are a whole bunch of wonderful things for young kids - especially at Christmas. 

My first recommendation is to explore the National Harbor. It gets beautifully decorated for Christmas, has a carousel, ferris wheel, ice sculptures, a giant sandy arena with sculptures to climb on, music, yummy treats, gingerbread house making and itty bitty train rides (they are expensive and most likely not worth the money or the line, unless - like us - your child is obsessed with trains). 

 

National Harbor Christmas tree is everything!!

 The National Building Museum is another off-the-beaten path location that has two play areas for kids in it focusing on, you guessed it, BUILDING!

Ice skating at the sculpture gardens in the National Mall, another carousel just across the field plus long empty paths and grass fields is a child and parenting heaven. 

But maybe not a Grandfather's heaven. We tuckered him out!

The National Botanical Gardens hosts an amazing mini-train scene that is really fun. They were prepared for extraordinary crowds so my recommendation is to do all that you can to avoid peak times which I would imagine is weekends and afternoons, but we were fine first thing in the morning. 

There is also a new Museum of the Bible which is beautifully done and a highly recommended visit for all ages (and spiritual leanings). But the best part was an expansive kids play area. We let the kids play for hours while the all the adults (except an on duty parent) got to enjoy the museum. The play area was perfectly themed with interactive Bible stories and a big climbing structure.

Kai and my brother breaking down the walls of Jericho... I think... but maybe it was the temple... 

The Capitol tours are not fun for little kids (but you didn't need me to tell you that) but being tossed into the air is always fun and when you do it in front of the Capitol it makes for GREAT pictures... and really a smile with a scenic background? What more does a parent want? Peace... quiet... a vacation without their kids... oh um... did I write that out loud? 

Any time of year our most favorite thing to do in DC with little kids is Gravelly Point. Pack a picnic, maybe some bubbles or balls and watch the planes arrive at DCA every couple of minutes. It is an awesome sight seeing and feeling these planes rushing just over your head as they land and then listening to the air swirling around you in the aftermath. My kids were in love and their excitement was contagious. 

 But the number one reason to go to DC during the holidays is to spend time with family. Here's my dad, my brother, his now FIANCE (woot woot) Elisabeth and us. Kai was probably in time out or asleep because you know that time change nearly killed all of us. Three hours shouldn't be a big deal, but something flipped and yikes!