Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Image from Ringling.com.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Barnum 200 – Fairfax, VA
Friday, April 15: 10:30 am and 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 16: 11:30 am, 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 17: 1 pm and 5 pm

See elephants, tigers, clowns, flying trapeze troupe, acrobatics and more at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performance at the Patriot Center in Fairfax this weekend. Tickets range from $12.60 to $125.95 per person, depending on seating area. Get your tickets online.

The Patriot Center is located at 4400 University Dr, Fairfax, Virginia (map it).

Bunny the Chimp’s 21st Birthday at the Maryland Zoo – Baltimore, MD
Friday, April 14: 11 am – 1 pm

Celebrate Bunny the Chimp’s 21st birthday at the Chimp Forest in the Maryland Zoo. Bunny and her pals will indulge in special primate-friendly treats! Sign her birthday banner and learn more about chimps. Admission fees: $14 for adults, $10 for kids, $12 for seniors and free for kids under 2.

The Maryland Zoo is located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland (map it).

More fun things to do with kids >>

Easter Egg Hunts in Washington DC Metro

It is late and I am a little dizzy from making a list of egg hunts in the area since there are so many of them. Lucky us who live in the DC metro! Check out these fun (and some are free!) Easter egg hunts and other eggstravaganza events in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

If you know of other family-friendly Easter events in the DC metro area, please leave a comment below or contact me directly!

WASHINGTON, DC
FREE: Easter Eggstravaganza at Capitol Hill – Washington, DC
Saturday, April 23: 1 pm – 3 pm

Take pictures with a life-size Easter Bunny, go on Easter egg hunt, get your face painted, play games and enjoy cotton candy. Sponsored by National Community Church. Free admissions.

Lincoln Park is located on East Capitol Street between 11th and 13th Streets, Washington, DC (map it).

More Easter egg hunts in Washington, DC metro >>

Happy April Fool’s Day! You’d better watch out today, you know your little ones will be planning pranks all day long! Enjoy the rest of the weekend; check out these fun and free things to do in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Northern Virginia this weekend.

Doktor Kaboom! Image from Kennedy-Center.org.

Doktor Kaboom! at the Kennedy Center – Washington, DC
Friday, April 1: 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 2: 11 am, 1:30 pm and 5 pm

Have fun with Doktor Kaboom as he demonstrates spectacular science experiments. Recommended for kids ages 7 and up. Tickets are $18 per person. Get your tickets online.

The Kennedy Center is located at 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC (map it).

FREE: First Friday at Washingtonian Center – Gaithersburg, MD
Friday, April 1: 6 pm – 8 pm

Enjoy free live entertainment by a local student band at the Lakefront Plaza, check out sales and specials from merchants and check out a music showcase at Bach to Rock this Friday night. Free event.

The Washingtonian Center is located at 209 Boardwalk Place, Gaithersburg, Maryland (map it).

More fun things to do with kids >>

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying this wonderful Fall season with the kids. Check out this weekend’s fun things to do with kids in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Also check out 13 fun Halloween events and Fall festivals in the area.

Forensic Friday at Natural History Museum in Washington, DC. Photo from mnh.si.edu.

FREE: Forensic Friday at Natural History Museum – Washington, DC
Friday, October 15: 10:30 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 2:30 pm

Study new and historic forensic cases with Smithsonian forensic anthropologists. Observe first-hand the basic methods used for documenting human remains recovered from archaeological investigations. Free admissions.

Natural History Museum is located at 10th St & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC (map it).

Open Gym at Romp n’ Roll – Germantown, MD
Friday, October 15: 2 pm – 7 pm

Hang out the entire afternoon with your kids at Romp n’ Roll’s open gym this Friday. Hours have been extended to include the entire afternoon. Admission fees: free for kids who are currently enrolled in a class, $7 per child or $10 for the entire family.

Romp n’ Roll is located at 12851 Wisteria Dr, Germantown, Maryland (map it).

Hubble Vision II at the David M. Brown Planetarium in Arlington, VA. Image from arlington.k12.va.us.

Hubble Vision II at The David M. Brown Planetarium – Arlington, VA
Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16: 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 17: 1:30 pm and 3 pm

Check out this planetarium program that chronicles the tremendous achievements in knowledge brought by the Hubble Space Telescope. Admission fees: $3 for adults, $2 for seniors (62+) and $2 for kids 12 and under. Doors open 15 minutes prior to show time and are closed and locked once the program begins.

The David M. Brown Planetarium is located at 1426 N. Quincy St, Arlington, Virginia (map it).

World Animal Day at National Geographic Live in Washington, DC. Image from NationalGeographic.com.

FREE: World Animal Day – Washington, DC
Saturday, October 16: 10 am to 3 pm

Celebrate, observe and learn about animal friends with National Geographic Kids! Check out more than 70 live geckos, experience the music of the animal kingdom, experience the new virtual playground Animal Jam and participate in family photography workshops led by National Geographic Explorer, inventor and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Greg Marshall. Free admissions, but tickets are needed for family photography workshops (call 202-857-7154 with your name, child’s name and age and workshop time: 10 am, 12 pm or 2 pm) and gecko exhibition ($7 for adults, $6 for students and seniors 62+ and $4 for kids under 12).

National Geographic Live! is located at 1600 M St, NW, Washington, DC (map it).

FREE: Bowling Green Harvest Festival – Bowling Green, VA
Saturday, October 16: 9 am – 4 pm

Family-friendly festival with plenty of activities for kids. Petting zoo, clowns, face painting, pumpkin painting and more! Enjoy live entertainment by local talents. Don’t forget to check out the car show, antique tractor show, motorcycle show and antique alley.

The Town of Bowling Green is located approximately 20 miles south of Fredericksburg, VA (map it).

FREE: Fall Festival by Joshua’s Hands – Waterford, VA
Saturday, October 16: 10 am – 5 pm

Hay rides, a petting farm, three-legged races, puppets, carnival games, prizes, pony rides, spelling bees, kids’ crafts, tractor rides and more. This year, the festival will have a new teen challenge course. Enjoy live entertainment by various musicians at the festival. You may also choose to participate in live and silent auctions to raise awareness and funds for the work of Joshua’s Hands. Free admissions.

Fall Festival by Joshua’s Hands is held at 38327 Charles Town Pike, Waterford, Virginia (map it).

The Diggity Dudes. Photo from JamminJava.com

The Diggity Dudes at Jammin’ Java – Vienna, VA
Saturday, October 16: 10:30 am

See the Diggity Dudes sing about values, good citizenship and life lessons at Jammin’ Java. Dance to some fun and crazy songs with your kids, too! Recommended for kids ages 3 to 11. Admission fees: $8 per person and free for anyone under 1 year old. Get your tickets online.

Jammin’ Java is located at 227 Maple Ave E, Venna, Virginia (map it).

FREE: Coral Reef Family Festival at Natural History Museum – Washington, DC
Saturday, October 16: 11 am – 3 pm

Celebrate the opening of the exhibition The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef at Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, with Coral Reef Family Festival this weekend. Learn about coral reefs, learn what you can do to preserve them, play a coral conservation game, participate in arts and crafts and more. Festival is located in the Sant Ocean Hall, on the first floor of the museum. Free admissions.

Natural History Museum is located at 10th St & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC (map it).

FREE: Festival at the Square at Reston Heights – Reston, VA
Saturday, October 16: 12 pm – 5 pm

Check out Festival at the Square at Reston Heights, located on the frontyard of Westin Reston. Heights. music and entertainment, face painting, interactive Lego exhibit, Z-car and roadster show, hay maze and more! Free admissions.

Westin Reston Heights is located at 11750 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, Virginia (map it).

Halloween Young Run, Rockville, MD

NASA Federal Halloween Young Run – Rockville, MD
Sunday, October 17: 8:30 am – 11 am

Just for kids 12 and under, NASA Federal Halloween Young Run is one of the largest kids runs in the US. It’s for kids to discover that running is fun! Kids are divided by age group. Online registration is now close, but you can still do a late registration on Saturday, October 16th, at NASA Federal Credit Union (1592-B Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland) from 10 am to 4 pm.

Park in the corner of Gude Dr and Rte 355 in Rockville, Maryland (map it). Download map of the event.

Does this weekend seem so short to you, or is it because we had a 3-day weekend last week? Anyway, happy weekend! Check out top 10 things to do with kids in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia this weekend: June 4 – 6, 2010. 

FREE: Herndon Festival – Herndon, VA
Thursday, June 3: 6 pm – 10 pm
Friday, June 4: 5 pm – 11 pm
Saturday, June 5: 10 am – 11 pm
Sunday, June 6: 11 am – 6 pm

Check out live family-friendly entertainment, children's hands-on art activities, carnival rides, festival food and more fun activities to keep your kids entertained at Herndon Festival. Bike to the festival and get a valet service for free, or drive to either Worldgate Center or Herndon High School and take a free shuttle bus to the festival. Admissions are free, and carnival rides start at $1 per ticket or $15 per day on Thursday and Saturday for an all-day access to all rides.

Herndon Festival is held at downtown Herndon, Virginia. More on directions and see festival map.

Great Country Farms – Bluemont, VA
Open daily: 9 am – 6 pm

Play in a 5-acre farm play area, which includes four mazes, three 60-foot tube slides, 2,800-square-feet jumping pillow, rope swings and a tractor tire mountain. Other activities that your family can enjoy at the farms include 18-hole cow pie putt-putt course, farm animals, antique tractors and an imagination village. Admissions are $8 per person and free for kids ages 2 and younger.

Great Country Farms are located at 18780 Foggy Bottom Road  Bluemont, Virginia (map it).

Curious George, Let's Get Curious! at Port Discovery - Baltimore, MD
Friday, June 4: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday, June 5: 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, June 6: 12 pm – 5 pm

Curious George: Let's Get Curious! is a special exhibit at Port Discovery, a children's museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Have fun with this interactive adventure that are based on math, science and engineering. Admission fees are $12.95 per person and free for kids ages 2 and younger.

Port Discovery is located at 35 Market Place, Baltimore, Maryland (map it).

FREE: Planetarium at Rock Creek Park – Washington, DC
Saturday, June 5 – Sunday, June 6: 1 pm and 4 pm

Visit the only planetarium in the National Park System. There are two shows this weekend at the planetarium at Rock Creek Park. The 1 pm show (Spring Night Sky: When I Wish Upon a Star) is recommended for kids ages 5 and older, where they get to view the season's brightest stars, planets and constellations. The 4 pm show (Exploring the Universe) is recommended for kids ages 7 and older, where they get to explore the sun, moon, stars and planets. Admissions are free; get your tickets 30 minutes before the show starts.

The Nature Center/Planetarium at Rock Creek Park is located at 5200 Glover Road NW, Washington, DC (map it).

Things That Roll – Gaithersburg, MD
Saturday, June 5: 10 am – 12 pm

Your preschooler gets to take his or her scooter, Big Wheels, or anything else that can roll for a fun time at the Skate Park. Helmets are required! A limited supply of Big Wheels, scooters, helmets and safety gears are available, so it's best to bring your own equipment. Admissions are $3 per resident child, $5 per non-resident child and free for parents. No pre-registration is necessary, simply register at the gate. Call 301-258-6350, extension 168 for more information.

The Skate Park is located at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, Maryland (map it).

Hullabaloo Band - Vienna, VA
Saturday, June 5: 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Hullabaloo Band is an award-winning band that features farm-fresh, free-range, organic kid-folk music. Admissions are $8 per person and free for babies younger than 12 months old. Get your tickets online.

Hullabaloo Band's performance is held at Jammin' Java, located at 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna, Virginia (map it). 

Imagination Bethesda – Bethesda, MD
Saturday, June 5: 11 am – 4 pm

The 17th annual Imagination Bethesda is a fun street festival geared towards kids ages 12 and under. Activities and entertainment include face painting, hands-on creative activities, balloonists and family-friendly performers. 

The festival is held on Woodmont Avenue between Bethesda Avenue and Elm Street in downtown Bethesda, Maryland. More on directions and parking.

FREE: Occoquan Craft Show – Occoquan, VA
Saturday, June 5: 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday, June 6: 10 am – 5 pm

Get your holiday shopping done early! The Occoquan Craft Show features local merchants, crafters, food vendors and live entertainment. Admissions are free. 

The craft show is located in the historic Town of Occoquan, Virginia. Shuttle bus is available at designated parking lots for $4 per person or free for kids under the age of 12. More on directions and parking.

Virginia Renaissance Faire: Pirate Invasion – Spotsylvania, VA
Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6: 10 am – 5 pm

Visit an English country village and meet nobles, merchants, artisans and the queen herself. Children's activities include arts and crafts, puppetry and interactive fairy tales. This weekend's theme is pirate invasion, where you get to meet pirates and privateers. Admissions are $8 per person and free for kids 5 and under.

Virginia Renaissance Festival is held at 5621 Courthouse Rd, Spotsylvania, Virginia (map it).

FREE: Love Your Body, Northern Virginia Yoga and Wellness Day – Reston, VA
Sunday, June 6: 10 am – 4 pm

Try a yoga class, learn about holistic wellness, sample drinks and snacks and get a massage. Kid yoga is scheduled from 12:20 pm to 12:40 pm and teen yoga is scheduled from 12:45 pm to 1:10 pm.

Northern Virginia Yoga and Wellness Day is held at Reston Town Center Pavilion, located at 11900 Market Street, Reston, Virginia (map it).