After all the egg nog has been drunk, the carols have been sung and the presents unwrapped you want to keep the festive spirit going, but what to do? Never fear, we have compiled a list of things to do in the District on Christmas day after Santa Claus has already come to town…and eaten all of your cookies.

Photo: Francisco Antunes via Flickr

Memorials & Monuments
Taking the wee ones downtown to see the Washington and Lincoln Memorial can be a bit of a trek. Avoid the crowds this year and head over to them on Christmas day! There’s a plethora of parking close by and all of the daily hubbub of tourists and civil servants will be missing. Enjoy the stillness as you and the tykes take in unobstructed views of the Washington skyline and all the glory of our monuments and memorials, including Mr. Lincoln himself!

Monuments & Memorials
Various locations throughout the city
Open: Dawn-Dusk
Cost: Free
Online: nps.gov/nama

Photo: ktylerconk via Flickr

All Aboard
The U.S. Botanic Gardens might not be the first thing to come to mind but the always-free conservatory with its seasonal plant exhibits and displays pairs nicely with the Garden Railway model train exhibit aptly named ‘Pollination Station’. Blow their minds when you head to the West Gallery to show them the largest indoor decorated tree in the city.

U.S. Botanic Garden
100 Maryland Ave., SW
Christmas Hours: 10 am-5 pm
Cost: Free
Online: usbg.gov

Photo: Washington Harbour

Skate Away
Scoop up the kids and skate the day away at the Washington Harbour ice rink in Georgetown. This rink is even bigger than Rockefeller Center and boasts over 11,000 square feet of icy, skate-tastic fun for the whole family. Little ones can push penguins along to help them stay upright and in skating position while you take in the city’s sights of Roosevelt Island, the Kennedy Center and the Potomac River. The perfect cure for everyone’s cabin fever!

Washington Harbour Ice Rink
3050 K St., NW
Open: Christmas Day 12PM-10PM
Cost: $10/adults; $9/kids; $5/skate rental
Online: washingtonharbour.com

Photo: Mt. Vernon Estate

Presidential Affairs
Get into the olde tyme Christmas spirit at Mt. Vernon for an early-American Christmas. Tiny tykes with their eyes all aglow will enjoy the many themed Christmas trees, chocolate making demonstrations and holiday treats throughout the estate. A special holiday season bonus is the often-closed third floor where Martha Washington lived out her days. It is open this time of year for viewing. Get in while you can! Just be sure to purchase tickets for your visit online before you go as it does tend to sell out.

Mt. Vernon Estate
3200 Mount Vernon Hwy. (Mt. Vernon, Va)
Cost: $17/adults; $8/kids ages 6-11; free/kids under 5
Online: mountvernon.org

Photo: Richard Pyrker via flickr

Seeing Stars
You dashed through the crowds all Christmas season and now you can stop and enjoy the holiday moment and avoid the crowds. Today is the perfect day to take in a movie! Visit the multiplex and see the flick that you and the kiddos have been dying to view but just couldn’t squeeze into the frenzied holiday schedule. Nosh some popcorn with The Good Dinosaur or see the newest battle of the light sabers with Star Wars – The Force Awakens at a theatre near you.

Times and Locations vary per theater.

Do you have any cool plans for Christmas day? Tell us all about them in the comments section below. 

—Victoria Mason

 

Just when you thought Gangnam Style was beginning to die off, another equally viral dance video crazy is sweeping the internet, this time in the form of crazy shaking. We’re talking about the Harlem Shake, and unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you know all about this internet video fad that’s struck just about everyone from corporate offices to SeaWorld Animals. The videos all start off with a single dancer wearing a headpiece (a helmet, mask, funny hat, whatever you have on hand, really) and when the beat drops, a bunch of people dance like mad for about 15 seconds. With all this hype it was only a matter of time before kids wanted to get in on the action. That’s why we’ve rounded up some choice Harlem Shake videos that feature some very excitable kids showcasing their very best crazy dance skills. Eat your heart out, Psy.

1. Harlem Shake-kwondo
Taekwondo. Discipline. Focus. Dancing. Well it sure takes a lot of practice to get those moves down in the first 15 seconds of the video…the second half, we’re not so sure. While their dance moves might not earn them any points in a match, they sure do earn major style points in our book.

2. Father-Son Shake
We love when parents don’t take themselves seriously, especially when it comes to acting silly with their kids. This father-son duo is a perfect example of a dad who’s not afraid to show both his serious side and his crazy side. You can see the joy in his son’s face when they get to dance around in their costumes in the living room. Just check out the dog in the corner giving these two that “What are you people doing?” look. One thing’s for sure: no matter what the age, boys will be boys.

3. The Honda Shake
And then there are the parents that act a little too silly, as is the case in this video, where the little guy dancing in the front seat doesn’t quite know how to react to the crazy adults dancing next to him. He gets over it quickly enough, and the dance party continues, complete with styrofoam peanut confetti.

4. Harlem Shake: Family Edition
Who said that dads and kids get to have all the fun? Here’s one mama who’s holding it down for the ladies, starting off this Harlem Shake video with her own super cool dance moves, right before she trips over the beanbag chair in the middle of the room (been there, done that). Luckily, the beat drops and the living room is transformed into a colorful mess of toys. By the looks of it, the parents are having way more fun than the kiddos…perhaps a little too much fun. Hilarious nonetheless.

5. The Harlem Skate
There’s just something funny about watching kids try and dance while keep their balance on roller skates. Just watch as the kid in the gray shirt gets more and more into his dancing before he starts that all-too-familiar arm-flailing attempt to keep from falling over. We dare you not to laugh when he starts to take a tumble. He’s not alone however, as he’s joined by a mess of stumbling kids who have a harder time staying upright than a drunk college student.

6. Harlem Shake Son
Talk about stealing the show. This kid has got some moves, and we mean it! Just check out his outfit. And that wink to the camera? C’mon. With his female dance partners holding down the couch-stages behind him, this little guy could very well be the next dance sensation of the internet. Or at least his household.

Share this story with your friends and start collaborating on your awesome Harlem Shake Video. Be sure to post a link in a comment below and show off your killer dance moves.

— Scott Wardell