The Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington is a non-profit organization founded to promote breastfeeding in the community. It provides a comprehensive lactation education and support program for women, their partners, and other significant family members; hands-on assistance and instruction in use of breastpumps and breastfeeding supplies; and skilled technical management of lactation related problems.

In addition to regular weekly classes, such as Breastfeeding in the Early Weeks, Breastfeeding Basics, and Baby wearing and Breastfeeding, one-on-one consultations with a lactation consultant can be scheduled either in the office or in your home. The lactation consultants are International Board Certified, and are extremely knowledgeable, reassuring, and helpful.

The Center also offers a huge selection breastpumps, nursing bras, and other breastfeeding and baby accessories.

The charming one-room Noyes Library for Young Children, Montgomery County's oldest, is an historic landmark. Once inside, children immediately sense the intimacy of this library, which is just for them. There are programs for babies and toddlers, two and three year olds, preschoolers, and other special events.

Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books and Other Treasures, an owner-operated independent bookstore - relocated from its 12-year home on Broad Street in Fall's Church - continues to have a loyal following of customers.

The store carries the best of children's books, and other treasures, and hosts storytimes, workshops, and author visits.

Regularly scheduled story hours are on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11am, with a special guest or a staff member, for ages two and a half to six, unless otherwise noted. Events and special guests are also scheduled periodically on Friday mornings.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the Best Toy Store for Little Kids in DC, Tree Top Kids has an inventory that includes toys, clothing, books, and more. Watch our calendar or see Tree Top's website for in-store events.

Kids can sign up for a free Kids Club card in any of the Tree Top locations. For every 300 points earned ($1 = 1 point), you receive a $15 gift certificate.

Wheaton Regional Park has something for everyone - depending on which part you're in.

The Shorefield Road entrance leads to four miles of paved trails for walkers, strollers, and bicycles, plus seven miles of nature trails that can be used by hikers and horseback riders. There is a stocked lake for fishing. Picnic tables, picnic shelters, and grills are available on a first come, first served basis, although shelters can also be reserved in advance.

Children love this park because not only does it have an enormous (and well shaded) playground, but it also has a carousel, and a miniature train! The carousel is a restored, 1915 Hershel Spillman carousel, featuring a beautiful array of animals to ride. The train takes riders on a ten-minute tour of the park, through forest and meadow, over a trestle bridge, and past Pine Lake. Call 301.942.6703 for hours of operation, as they are both seasonal.

On Orebaugh Avenue is the F. Frank Rubini Athletic Complex, which includes four softball fields, two baseball fields, one outdoor basketball court, four handball courts, six outdoor tennis courts, and six indoor tennis courts. For more information and availability on the tennis courts, call Wheaton Indoor Tennis at 301.649.4049. The Wheaton Ice Arena, offering ice- and in-line skating, is also here.

If you enter from Glenallan Avenue, you'll find Brookside Gardens, the Brookside Nature Center, and horseback riding stables, which provide riding lessons for novice through advanced levels in an indoor riding arena or outdoor facilities. For schedules, fees, and more information, call the stables at 301.622.2424.

Located just a short walking distance from the miniature train station in Watkins Regional Park, the Old Maryland Farm is an educational farm facility open to the public. Its interpretive programs, agricultural exhibits, livestock, pony and hay rides, and display gardens provide a farming experience for visitors.

For years, the airplanes and spacecraft at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum have captured the imaginations of children (and adults!) of all ages.

Hanging from the rafters of the Milestones of Flight entrance gallery are such famous flying machines as the Wright Brothers' Wright 1903 Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, John Glenn's Mercury Friendship 7 spacecraft, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, the Viking Lander, and the the Stardust return capsule. Also on view is the Breitling Orbiter 3 Gondola, which Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones navigated in 1999 to complete the first nonstop around-the-world flight in a balloon. The latest addition to the gallery is SpaceShipOne, the first privately built and privately operated vehicle to reach space, and winner of the Ansari X Prize. Don't forget to touch the moon rock, also on display in the entrance hall.

The history of flight and space exploration is visually documented by 23 exhibition galleries on two floors.
It would be hard to do justice to all the galleries in one visit and you might prefer to select two or three on which to concentrate.

Kids' attentions will be maintained for longer in the rooms with interactive exhibits. How Do Things Fly teaches the principles of flight through live
demonstrations, multimedia programs, and plentiful hands-on exhibits. Exploring the Planets also uses an interactive approach.

Apollo to the Moon is one of the museum's most popular galleries, and traces the story of the US manned space flights program. On display are the spacesuits Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore on the first human exploration of the moon, a Lunar Roving Vehicle, equipment and tools used by the astronauts, and examples of space food.

Do not miss the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater or the Albert Einstein Planetarium. The theater shows breathtaking IMAX films throughout the day on a giant screen. The 230-seat planetarium simulates the night sky with stars, planets, and other cosmic objects, and teaches children about the wonders of the Universe. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance, or upon arrival at the museum's door; then go and explore until showtime. Call 202.357.1686 for recorded information on theater and planetarium showings.

Located near Dulles International Airport is the museum's sister facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which houses its collection of historic aviation and space artifacts.

Pre-K-2: Flights of Fancy storytimes are available Monday through Friday and can be scheduled by calling 202.633.2547.

Bathrooms: The museum has five bathrooms, located on both levels.

Gift shop: The museum shop is spaciously laid out on three levels and is sure to have something for everyone. It offers books, clothing, toys and games, gifts, and even astronauts' ice-cream - the real thing is much better! There is also a smaller shop opposite the Einstein Planetarium on the second floor.

Meadowbrook Park comprises 16.6 acres in Chevy Chase, just south of East-West Highway and adjacent to Rock Creek Park. The park includes a large playground - the popular Candy Cane City, five softball fields, a lighted baseball field, four lighted tennis courts, football/soccer fields, indoor bathroom facilities, handicap accessible, and a picnic area (for rental use). The park is located near the Meadowbrook Riding Stables.

Cabin John Regional Park is 528 acres of possibilities. Children of all ages especially love the playground and the miniature train, but families can also picnic, hike, and camp. There are baseball and softball fields, a Pee Wee soccer field, plus tennis and handball courts. Some of the fields require permits, call 301.495.2525 for more information.

The 700-seat Shirley Povich Field is home to the Bethesda Big Train, an amateur baseball team made up of college kids who spend their summers in the area, working their way through the minors. The team's games make for a great family outing and the players and coaches also run baseball and softball summer camps for kids five and up. Visit www.bigtrain.org for more information.

The Cabin John Indoor Tennis Facility has six indoor courts and offers private and group lessons for ages five and up. Call 301.469.7300 for information about reservations and rates.

Cabin John is also home to the Cabin John Ice Rink and the Locust Grove Nature Center.

The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, in Rock Creek Park is home to more than 2,000 animals - mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The National Zoo's primary aim is not only to entertain, educate, and inspire visitors, but to study and conserve wildlife and habitats around the world, a mission it accomplishes through world-renowned scientific programs.

The Zoo's most famous residents, of course, are the giant pandas - young Tai Shan is a big draw - but the Zoo also houses great apes, great cats...just about any animal a kid or adult might want to see!

Think Tank is a ground-breaking exhibit tackling the complex field of animal cognition, where visitors can learn about cognition studies conducted by the Zoo scientists to test ability of orangutans and other apes to use and understand word symbols. Think Tank is connected to Great Ape House by the Orangutan Transportation System, or O-line, which orangutans can use to commute between the buildings.

Summer Safari Day Camp is an accredited and award-winning summer camp offered by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) to children in grades K-5. Children in grades K-1 participate in camp activities from 9am-12n. Children in grades 2-5 stay till 3pm. Kids register for camp sessions by the week, with sessions running from June 19 through August 11. Five day sessions (no camp on July 4), cost $180-$245 for FONZ members. After camp care (3pm-6pm) is available for an additional $70-$85 per week.

Household Memberships ($55) include all of the benefits of an individual membership (invitations to members-only events, free parking, special previews), plus membership for the kids in the Conservation Kids' Club. That means free snacks for kids every time they visit the Zoo, the opportunity to hold children's birthday parties at the Zoo (non-members aren't eligible), complete with party favors, a guided tour of the Zoo, and a special gift for the birthday child. Parties are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and require an initial payment of $275 for up to 10 children. Dates cannot be held without this initial payment. Additional children may be added later (up to 16 to 20) at $20 per child.

Snore & Roar overnights are also a member-only privilege.

Household membership holders are also entitled to join in members-only activities and have opportunities to participate in wildlife workshops and classes (for ages two and up), discounts on week-long Summer Safari Day Camp sessions, and discounts on week-long overnight Nature Camp sessions at CRC in Front Royal, Virginia, for campers entering grades 4 through 10. FONZ members also receive discounts on stroller use at the Zoo, discounts on tickets to special events and purchases at Zoo gift shops and concession stands, a subscription to bi-monthly publications ZooGoer and Wildlife Adventures, and a Conservation Kids' Club button (which means free snacks).

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the Best Playground/Park for Little Kids in DC, Turtle Park (which is officially called Friendship Park) is a city favorite. The playground is fenced, and very large and shaded, with benches all around, and play equipment suited to many ages. The key attraction for the little ones is the enormous sand box, which almost always has shovels and buckets lying around if you forget to bring your own. In the summer the sprayground is usually turned on as well. There are also adjoining tennis courts, playing fields, and a Rec Center (which means bathrooms!). Every May Turtle Park holds a fundraiser featuring games, crafts, a moonbounce, and pony rides.

The Rec Center is home to a co-op preschool, summer camp, and cold weather story/craft times for the toddler set. Learning Through Play is a 50+ year old tradition of cooperative play programs that operate out of DC Recreation Centers. Programs operate with one full-time teacher and parents are required to work one day a week per child. Children need to be two and a half years of age and potty trained to participate. The school year runs from mid-September through the end of May, 9am to 12n, Monday through Friday. Call the DCDPR Office of Education Services at 202.282.0710 for more information.

Story Time and Turtle Time, are winter traditions enjoyed by parents, caregivers, and pre-schoolers. Parent volunteers read stories, lead a craft project and provide a snack. Crafts include glitter glue (a favorite), beading, coloring, painting, lacing, and foam cut-outs. Parents and caregivers give donations to cover the costs of crafts, games, snacks, and coffee. Contact Turtle Park or visit the website for current schedule.

Kids love the waffle cones, hot fudge, and whipped cream at Cone E Island...and so do we.

You can also get pints and quarts packed to go; Cone E Island offers about 20 flavors, including fat-free yogurts.