The kids and I visited Washington DC this summer, and since then I’ve had a few folks ask me what it was like to go with little ones. Below I’ve included a few ideas about what to see and do in DC with your children (mine are 5 and 2 for reference).
1. Smithsonian Museums. The Air and Space Museum and American History Museum were big hits with a 5 year old. Watching Max realize the spacecrafts were real was so cool. He loved seeing all of the old cars and a few Muppets on display too. We wanted to also hit up the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs, but it was closed on the days we were there. Check the days each museum is open as you start to plan your trip, linked HERE.
2. Visit the Capitol Building and White House. While we couldn’t go in to visit right now, we enjoyed getting to see each of these buildings that we have seen on TV and in school. Max picked the White House out while he was looking down on the city from the airplane, and was excited to see it in person. Talk to your kids about what happens inside before going there to help them connect the dots.
3. Visit the National Monuments and Reflecting Pools. The Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are my favorite, along with the World War II Memorial. Its a fun place for the kids to get out and run around, stretch their legs and even have a picnic lunch.
4. Have a Nice Dinner. DC has some great restaurants that are kid friendly and have fantastic food. My favorite is 2 Amy’s Neapolitan Pizzaria where Max and Mila ate a ton of pizza and mom got some yummy prosciutto.
5. Visit the National Zoo. I have vivid memories I’m going there as a child, so it was really exciting for me to watch the kids enjoy it for the first time, especially seeing the Pandas. You need to make a reservation to get in, so be sure to book ahead of time, linked HERE.
6. Ride the Metro. I don’t know about you, but my kids love trains so just getting to ride a real one to and from our destinations was a real treat.
Here are some more of our favorite moments from our trip:
