Weekend Picks November 4-6

Costumes are put away, the candy bags are slowly emptying (or in our house the Switch Witch arrived last night and the candy is gone!) and the weather is still fantastic with beautiful colors on the trees. Plenty to do outdoors but also some fun events that will take you inside this weekend. 

KidsEuro Festival wraps up this weekend. Check out all of the wonderful events, including but not limited to storytelling, games, musicians, puppets and a lot more.

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Jon Sands- Slam Poetry for Kids at National Theatre
The National Theatre is excited to welcome Jon Sands, an author and poet known for electric readings. His work has been featured in The New York Times, published widely, and anthologized in The Best American Poetry. He is a Youth Mentor with Urban Word-NYC, and teaches creative writing for both adults and youth at Bailey House in East Harlem (an HIV/AIDS service center). He is the Program Director of the Dialogue Arts Project, and has represented New York City multiple times at the National Poetry Slam.Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am the Friday a week prior to the performance. Click on the link to reserve tickets, and review our ticketing policies. Walk up tickets are always available, if prior registration is not completed. Please arrive to the theatre 30 minute before the show to collect a walk up ticket.

10:00am-5:00pm: National Gallery of Art Community Celebration
Celebrating the reopening of the East Building galleries, this special weekend will feature sketching, performances, face painting, and a photo booth. Activities are for all ages, unless noted otherwise. Auditorium programs are on a first-come, first-seated basis. All activities are free. NGAkids Art Zone from discover interactive art that you can make online. Featuring a variety of art-making tools that encourage exploration and creativity, these computer-based activities are an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history.

10:00am-11:00am: First Studio: Story + Workshop at The Kreeger
Children are invited to use their imagination as they explore the paintings, sculpture, and architecture of The Kreeger Museum. Each program includes a gallery tour, a story and a hands-on art-making experience. Adult companion required and art-making attire recommended. $10 register online. To get a glimpse into the program see my review here.

10:30am-11:15am: Saturday Song Circle at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Ave Bethesda, Maryland 20814)
You and your child are invited to a fun, interactive musical experience! An Early Childhood Teaching Artist explores a popular children’s book with your family through song and musical instruments, and you will receive a list of all the songs to practice at home. Activities in Saturday Song Circle are best for 1-3 year-olds but 4-5 year-old siblings and friends are also welcome to join in the fun. Featured book: Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop

10:30am-11:30am: Harambe with Baba Ras D at Bloombars
Think of it as your little one’s first opportunity to express his or her voice (into a microphone), dance, play a drum or percussion instrument, shout, or sing-along to songs that build character, confidence and community.With more than 10 years of experience in youth development, education and conflict resolution, program instructor Baba Ras D’s “Harambe” is a morning jolt of inspiration for parents, caregivers and children. Recommended for ages 0 to 7 years.  $7 per child $3 per adult suggested donation.

11:00am-12:00pm: hiSTORYtime: Early Childhood Story and Activity Time at American History Museum
Its story time at the National Museum of American History! Join us for hiSTORYtime, a program aimed at boosting early literacy while introducing young visitors (ages 0 to 6) to objects in the National Museum of American History collection. In November, early learners and their adult companions may drop by to listen to stories about food. Then, children can play a game, touch cookware from our collection and create colorful collages!

11:30am-3:00pm: Dia de los Muertos Family Day at American Art Museum
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with SAAM. Enjoy traditional Mexican folk dance performances throughout the day, add your own artwork to our mural, and leave your handmade ofrendas (offerings) including paper marigolds, calaveras (skull masks), and paper monarch butterflies on our Day of the Dead altar.

4:30pm: Tots & Tykes Yoga at Lemon Tree Playgroup
Tots & Tykes Yoga classes are designed to introduce body awareness and movement concepts to children from crawlers through age 4 using songs, rhymes, and games. Children learn basic poses and simple breathing techniques through creative play. This Saturday class runs from 4:30-5:15pm. Registration for the single class is $16. Caregivers are required to attend and encouraged to participate. No yoga mat or experience is required.

Sunday-

10:00am-5:00pm: National Gallery of Art Community Celebration
Celebrating the reopening of the East Building galleries, this special weekend will feature sketching, performances, face painting, and a photo booth. Activities are for all ages, unless noted otherwise. Auditorium programs are on a first-come, first-seated basis. All activities are free. NGAkids Art Zone from discover interactive art that you can make online. Featuring a variety of art-making tools that encourage exploration and creativity, these computer-based activities are an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history.

10:00am-10:45am: Sunday Fun-Day at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20814)
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, movement, music, and visual art. Each session you leave with a completed craft, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. These popular workshops are themed around beloved children’s books. Activities in Sunday Fun-Day are most appropriate to 3-5 year-olds but 1-2 year-old siblings and friends are also welcome! Caps for Sale is the story this weekend. $8 per person.

1:00pm: The Okee Dokee Brothers at McLean Community Center
Ages 4+. Grammy Award-winning Folk & Roots Music for Families. Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander have been exploring the outdoors together since they were kids, and have translated these adventures into song. Their extended canoe trip down the Mississippi River inspired their Grammy Award-Winning album “Can You Canoe?” and their trek along the Appalachian Trail was the subject of their follow-up release, “Through the Woods.” Their latest album, “Saddle Up,” is a joyous adventure through the American West. With songs written by campfire and harmonies born on the water, the natural world is at the heart of their Americana folk music. $15/$10 MCC tax district residents. Approximately 60 minutes.

1:00pm-2:15pm: Weaving Crafternoon at Little Loft Art Studio
We’ll cover the interlacing basics for the whole group, and for those who want an added challenge, we’ll add pom poms, tassels, and embellishments! Bring your fine motor skills. Fun with yarn for ages 5-12. Register by Friday pm.