The city of Alexandria has played an enormous role in the history of America. So it makes sense that the Alexandria Archaeology Museum exhibits tell the story of archaeologists and volunteers working to bring Alexandria's buried past to light. Excavated artifacts ranging from prehistory to the Civil War are on display.

Would your kids like to be TimeTravelers? Visit www.timetravelers.org to get involved in this fun passport program searching for objects and information from the past.

Schedule an Alexandria Archaeology Adventure Lesson and uncover the past by examining artifacts, old maps, and archival materials from the city's excavated sites. The Lessons, 45-minute hands on activities, are perfect
for K-12 school groups, scouts, and birthday parties.

The goal of the Audubon Naturalist Society is to foster stewardship of the region's environment by educating citizens about the natural world, promoting conservation of biodiversity, and protecting wildlife habitat. To this end, it manages three nature sanctuaries and offers a variety of activities, including family programs, children's classes, a nature preschool, birthday parties, summer camps, and more.

The Society's headquarters are at the Woodend Sanctuary, a 40-acre nature sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD featuring the Woodend mansion - on the National Historical Register - a wildflower meadow, meandering trails, and a pond. The Rust Sanctuary property in Leesburg, VA includes a manor house and 68 acres of land with a pond, forest, and meadow. The Webb Sanctuary's 20 acres are on the edge of Clifton, a restored 19th century railroad village in southern Fairfax County. Features include a small stream flowing by a meadow, native orchids, several amphibian species, and a good variety of birds. A self-guided trail winds through the property.

Birthday parties can be held at the Woodend Sanctuary. Families choose from one of seven nature and science-inspired themes. Birthday celebrants spend an hour exploring nature and participating in activities and games led by a naturalist, then have time for birthday food and cake. Contact Sarah Krizek at 301.652.9188 ext. 26 for more information.

The Audubon Nature Preschool is a morning preschool program for four-year-old children located at the Woodend Sanctuary. The preschool builds on children's inherent curiosity about the world by using hands-on, nature-based activities to foster social, physical, and academic skill development. The 40-acre outdoor environment and Edwin Way Teale Learning Center serve as natural venues for language, artistic, and musical expression as well as scientific observations and discoveries. Contact Stephanie Burpee at 301.652.9188 x41 for more information.

Offering unique nature programs for children ages four to 16, the Audubon Naturalist Society's summer camps are designed to foster environmental awareness and expand natural and cultural knowledge. Sessions are held at the Woodend and Rust Sanctuaries, are taught by experienced environmental educators, and maintain a teacher ratio of eight to one. Camps feature fun experiences with the natural world through hands-on activities, hikes, games, crafts, and experiments.

The Audubon Naturalist Society also offers school programs, Cub Scout and Girl Scout programs and children's and family programs. Please see the website for more information.

The goal of the Audubon Naturalist Society is to foster stewardship of the region's environment by educating citizens about the natural world, promoting conservation of biodiversity, and protecting wildlife habitat. To this end, it manages three nature sanctuaries and offers a variety of activities, including family programs, children's classes, a nature preschool, birthday parties, summer camps, and more.

The Society's headquarters are at the Woodend Sanctuary, a 40-acre nature sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD featuring the Woodend mansion - on the National Historical Register - a wildflower meadow, meandering trails, and a pond. The Rust Sanctuary property in Leesburg, VA includes a manor house and 68 acres of land with a pond, forest, and meadow. The Webb Sanctuary's 20 acres are on the edge of Clifton, a restored 19th century railroad village in southern Fairfax County. Features include a small stream flowing by a meadow, native orchids, several amphibian species, and a good variety of birds. A self-guided trail winds through the property.

Birthday parties can be held at the Woodend Sanctuary. Families choose from one of seven nature and science-inspired themes. Birthday celebrants spend an hour exploring nature and participating in activities and games led by a naturalist, then have time for birthday food and cake. Contact Sarah Krizek at 301.652.9188 ext. 26 for more information.

The Audubon Nature Preschool is a morning preschool program for four-year-old children located at the Woodend Sanctuary. The preschool builds on children's inherent curiosity about the world by using hands-on, nature-based activities to foster social, physical, and academic skill development. The 40-acre outdoor environment and Edwin Way Teale Learning Center serve as natural venues for language, artistic, and musical expression as well as scientific observations and discoveries. Contact Stephanie Burpee at 301.652.9188 x41 for more information.

Offering unique nature programs for children ages four to 16, the Audubon Naturalist Society's summer camps are designed to foster environmental awareness and expand natural and cultural knowledge. Sessions are held at the Woodend and Rust Sanctuaries, are taught by experienced environmental educators, and maintain a teacher ratio of eight to one. Camps feature fun experiences with the natural world through hands-on activities, hikes, games, crafts, and experiments.

The Audubon Naturalist Society also offers school programs, Cub Scout and Girl Scout programs and children's and family programs. Please see the website for more information.

The goal of the Audubon Naturalist Society is to foster stewardship of the region's environment by educating citizens about the natural world, promoting conservation of biodiversity, and protecting wildlife habitat. To this end, it manages three nature sanctuaries and offers a variety of activities, including family programs, children's classes, a nature preschool, birthday parties, summer camps, and more.

The Society's headquarters are at the Woodend Sanctuary, a 40-acre nature sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD featuring the Woodend mansion - on the National Historical Register - a wildflower meadow, meandering trails, and a pond. The Rust Sanctuary property in Leesburg, VA includes a manor house and 68 acres of land with a pond, forest, and meadow. The Webb Sanctuary's 20 acres are on the edge of Clifton, a restored 19th century railroad village in southern Fairfax County. Features include a small stream flowing by a meadow, native orchids, several amphibian species, and a good variety of birds. A self-guided trail winds through the property.

Birthday parties can be held at the Woodend Sanctuary. Families choose from one of seven nature and science-inspired themes. Birthday celebrants spend an hour exploring nature and participating in activities and games led by a naturalist, then have time for birthday food and cake. Contact Sarah Krizek at 301.652.9188 ext. 26 for more information.

The Audubon Nature Preschool is a morning preschool program for four-year-old children located at the Woodend Sanctuary. The preschool builds on children's inherent curiosity about the world by using hands-on, nature-based activities to foster social, physical, and academic skill development. The 40-acre outdoor environment and Edwin Way Teale Learning Center serve as natural venues for language, artistic, and musical expression as well as scientific observations and discoveries. Contact Stephanie Burpee at 301.652.9188 x41 for more information.

Offering unique nature programs for children ages four to 16, the Audubon Naturalist Society's summer camps are designed to foster environmental awareness and expand natural and cultural knowledge. Sessions are held at the Woodend and Rust Sanctuaries, are taught by experienced environmental educators, and maintain a teacher ratio of eight to one. Camps feature fun experiences with the natural world through hands-on activities, hikes, games, crafts, and experiments.

The Audubon Naturalist Society also offers school programs, Cub Scout and Girl Scout programs and children's and family programs. Please see the website for more information.

Brookside Nature Center, located in Wheaton Regional Park, provides participatory, environmental education experiences. Registration for all Montgomery County parks workshops requires a ParkPASS account, which is easily done online.

The Center features live reptile, amphibian, and fish exhibits; insect and mammal displays (including a live beehive); hiking trails; and hands-on discovery activity areas.

The Center also hosts a wide variety of Summer Camps, for kids ranging from preschool age to seniors in high school. Call for information or to regiser.

Located within Cosca Regional Park, Clearwater Nature Center offers a variety of interpretive programs hosted by the facility's park naturalists, including exhibits, displays, nature programs, summer camps, special events, clubs, and trips. The facility houses a small indoor pond, live animal exhibits - mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds of prey (including a bald eagle!), a lapidary laboratory, and seasonal herb and butterfly gardens.

The DAR Museum has several programs for families and children. A free interactive Family Guide is available to children visiting the exhibition.

The museum features 32 period rooms, depicting life in early America, and two galleries with permanent and rotating exhibits.

The Museum Shop includes adaptations and reproductions of obects inspired by objects in the DAR Museum collection. All proceeds help support the museum.

The main draw for kids is on the Third Floor, where the New Hampshire Toy Attic houses a wealth of early American children's toys and furniture. The strictures against touching are relieved by a stop at the Touch of Independence area.

On the first and third Saturdays of each month from September through May, children ages five to seven can sign up to take a tour through history. Offered from 1:30pm-2:30pm and 3pm-4pm, Colonial Adventure gives kids a peek at a one-room house, and the chance to play old-time games, enjoy a make-believe tea party, and more. Call to reserve in advance; this is a popular program.

The DAR hosts two camps for children. Colonial Camp is for children ages 8-12, and offers them a chance to step back in time. Camp participants have the opportunity to wear historically accurate costumes, meet 18th century characters brought to life by costumed interpreters, learn to fence and throw a tomahawk, play colonial games and learn period dances, and prepare and serve 18th century foods.

Quilt Camp is for children ages 10-17, and teaches the essentials of hand quilting. Campers are taken through the entire process as they craft their project, including choosing fabrics, making templates, hand appliqué, and hand quilting. Campers also have the chance to learn more about quilting and other American folk arts by studying quilts in the DAR Museum's collection and visiting nearby museums. Some basic sewing experience is recommended.

The DAR Constitution Hall shares the same address and has been hosting special events and concerts in DC since 1929.

MathTree Math Camps offer an out-of-the-box, positive summer math experience for children entering grades one through eight through a variety of camps that correspond to various ages/knowledge. The goal is for children to be challenged but not frustrated, so MathTree takes age, grade, and math knowledge into account in order to place children in the correct camp. Because of the curriculum design and small camp size, MathTree works well with a full range of children from those who love math to those who struggle.

Meadowside Nature Center, located in Rock Creek Regional Park, offers programs and exhibits which interpret natural and cultural history and demonstrate responsible management of our natural resources. Registration for all Montgomery County parks workshops requires a ParkPASS account, which is easily done online.

The Center includes a small museum outlining the history of the area's natural heritage; hands-on displays; activities relating to Maryland's early settlers and native American tribes; themed gardens (including butterflies and bats!); a raptor aviary; and nature trails.

Meadowside also hosts birthday parties and a variety of summer camp experiences for kids ages seven to 15. Call or visit the website for information or to register.

Special guided tours of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house - designed for children ages six to 11 - are conducted from June 15 through August 26 (excluding July 4).

The 30-minute tours feature hands-on opportunities and provide a glimpse of what life was like for the children who lived at Monticello in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Week-long summer day camp programs are available for rising fourth through seventh graders, mid-June through July. Sessions last from 8:30am-12n, at a cost of $125 per week. Call 434.984.9853 for information.

Founded in 1883, Sidwell Friends School is a coeducational, Quaker day school serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school is made up of three divisions on two campuses. The Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4) is located in Bethesda, MD. The Middle School (Grades 5-8) and Upper School (Grades 9-12) are located on Wisconsin Avenue, NW in DC.

Sidwell Friends also offers a wide variety of summer camps on both campuses, including academics, arts, sports, computers, and leadership.

Founded in 1883, Sidwell Friends School is a coeducational, Quaker day school serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school is made up of three divisions on two campuses. The Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4) is located in Bethesda, MD. The Middle School (Grades 5-8) and Upper School (Grades 9-12) are located on Wisconsin Avenue, NW in DC.

Sidwell Friends also offers a wide variety of summer camps on both campuses, including academics, arts, sports, computers, and leadership.

Experienced team teachers take campers - ages Kindergarten through 8th Grade - in the Smithsonian program on imaginative journeys that use the Smithsonian museums, the Mall, and regional sites for inspiration. Campers discover the wonders of video arts and computer animation, explore other lands, delight in theater, develop artistic talents, experiment with science, and much more.

Sessions are one week long, from June through August, and campers may register for one or more sessions. Half-day and full-day camps are offered, and after camp care, from 4:30pm-6pm, is available.

The full-day camps include a supervised brown-bag lunch hour. Half-day camps include a time for snacks. (Campers provide their own food and beverages.)

A Youth Teacher Assistant program is offered for ages 15 and above.

Summer Friends Day Camps emphasizes Quaker values such as honesty, simplicity, nonviolence, and stewardship. It aims to provide children with interesting, fun camps, where they can learn new skills, expand their creativity, and meet new friends. The program offers five different types of camps: general, art, academic enrichment, activity, and sports. Summer Friends Day Camps is located on Sandy Spring Friends School's 140-acre campus, near Olney, Wheaton, and Silver Spring.

The Summer Math and Reading Program is for children in grades one through five. Small groups meet weekly and are taught by two highly qualified elementary school teachers using a curriculum designed to support and enhance elementary school coursework, while developing each child's confidence and self-esteem. Children retain what they have learned over the past year as well as prepare for the upcoming school year.

The Dinosaur Fund is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping raise money for dinosaur research in the National Capital Region. To that end, dinosaur paleontologist Dr. Peter Kranz offers a number of programs for children and families. There's the Dinosaur Dig, where participants wash and sort fossil-bearing clay for dinosaur bones and other fossils; Build-a-Dinosaur, where participants construct a life size dinosaur skeleton under the supervision of a paleontologist; various field trips to fossil dig sites, parks, and museums; and Family Dinosaur Camp. During the week-long summer camp, families meet a real paleontologist, learn how to hunt for dinosaurs, and take home real fossils they've found themselves.

Alexandria's history museum cleves to its own historical imperative: to serve as a hub for public education, discussion, and intellectual and artistic pursuits.

The Lyceum's collection includes the original 1839 lyceum building constructed by The Lyceum Company and the Alexandria Library Company as well as over 2,500 historic artifacts relating to the history of Alexandria, Virginia. The early history of the building is told in an interpretive display located on the first floor of the museum. Permanent and changing exhibitions explore different topics in the area's history and usually include a children's activity area.

Family-friendly events are held throughout the year. Of special interest for children are Railroad Days weekends held in February and August. A summer camp is generally offered for a week in July, with the topic and age ranges changing from year to year.

Young Chefs Academy is a cooking school created just for kids! Children learn cooking and baking techniques, proper food handling, food preparation, and presentation, kitchen safety, table setting, manners, and more. The Academy offers a variety of hands-on cooking classes, including mini-camps and field trips.

The atmosphere is kid-friendly, with colorful cabinets, counters, cutting boards, and bathrooms (to encourage cleanliness!) inviting even the youngest kids to get busy in the kitchen. Parents are welcome to stay and observe, and even taste the end product of their children's efforts.

Instructors follow concise, clever lesson plans and have to know the two C's: cooking, and children - and be good with both. During classes, kids are encouraged to ask questions, express their likes and dislikes, and get confident about cooking skills. Each session's recipes are provided to students, with places to make comments on the back (what they might change next time, how highly they rate the taste) and those who sign up for a class series get their own recipe binder, chefs hat and apron to continue their gastronomic explorations at home.

Birthday parties are one and a half hours long, and guests participate in real hands-on cooking activities. There are two birthday packages to choose from; contact the Academy to determine offerings and current pricing.

Camp-Can-I-Cook is offered every summer at select YCA locations, for young chefs ages five through 15. Mini-holiday and school break camps are also offered.