When it comes to awesome places to explore with kids in and around D.C., 2014 didn’t disappoint. You need only to stop by Navy Yards Park to see that. Play areas opened, restaurants expanded, and we even got a shiny, new metro line (shout out to the Silver Line). Here’s the even better news: 2015 is on track to be just as exciting. Here are some of the kid-friendly happenings to look forward to in the New Year.
Photo: National Childrens Museum via Facebook
#1 The National Children’s Museum returns to D.C.
In an effort to get as many kiddos through its doors as humanly possible, the National Children’s Museum (which is currently located on the lovely, but metro-less National Harbor) announced that 2015 will be the year that it gathers all of its tot-friendly exhibits and returns to D.C.-proper. No specific date or location has been announced yet.
#2 Union Market’s Angelika Movie Theater opens.
Start planning those family date nights and girls nights out now! The sprawling multi-screen cinema, which often features off the radar flicks for the whole family, will offer luxe seating, immersive sound systems, and artisan movie noshes. Until then, stop by the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market.
#3 Kid-friendly restaurant Founding Farmers sets up shop in Tyson’s Corner.
Founding Farmers, a popular farm-to-table restaurant (with locations in D.C. and Montgomery County), will make its NoVa debut in early February. Expect the same little foodie delicacies—baby cheeseburgers, skillet corn bread, and kettle corn—plus working phone booths and an in-house juice cleanse.
Photo: National Children’s Museum via Facebook
#4 Cherry blossoms!
The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival returns with all the pink flowers you can handle. New in 2015 is the Anacostia River Festival, an off-shoot celebration that merges the arts, health, environment and recreation with family activities like canoeing, bike riding and nature walks. Mark the calendar ASAP.
#5 The American History Museum gets Spark!Lab.
Calling all wannabe inventors! The American History Museum‘s new and ongoing exhibit tells the story behind inventors’ work through hands-on activities. You’ll learn all about the process of invention, because you never know if you have the next Einstein on your hands.
Photo: Momofuku Milk Bar
#6 Yummmm…Momofuku is slated to open at CityCenterDC.
By next summer, it will be a cinch to snag a “compost cookie.” The D.C. Momofuku (whose specialty is pork buns…yummm) will house a Momofuku Milk Bar that hawks all of the treats and desserts the eatery is known for. Your little one will literally want to eat here every day.
#7 The kiddie theater scene is going to be hot!
If you have a musical or theater buff on your hands, they are going to be one happy camper in 2015. Some of the much anticipated 2015 performances include “The Jungle Book” and “The Little Prince” at Creative Cauldron, “Big: The Musical” at Peter’s Alley Theatre, “Aladdin” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” at The Puppet Co., and “Cinderella” at the Washington National Opera. That’s a line up that deserves a standing ovation.
What other exciting 2015 news should we put on our radar? Tell us in the Comments section below.
—Ayren Jackson-Cannady
