One of the largest largest breeding populations of bald eagles in the United States is close to home: Blackwater Refuge on Maryland's Eastern Shore.   Bring the family and spend the day at the Refuge learning about bald eagles, spotting them in the wild, and having a great day packed with fun! 

This unique event is a must for nature lovers! The family-friendly schedule of events includes talks with experts, tours, live programs, exhibits, entertainment, and a ton of kids' activities such as crafts, science and nature explorations, a puppet show, and more.  

Blackwater Refuge is located 12 miles south of Cambridge and is filled with 27,000 acres of woodland, rich tidal marsh, freshwater ponds and managed cropland—great for birdwatching, cycling, hiking, and paddling. The refuge features a full service Visitor Center with a bookstore, restrooms, butterfly garden, and observatory, and a 4-mile Wildlife Drive with walking trails and a photo blind.

While you are in the region, please check out the Dorchester County, Maryland Tourism website for other activity suggestions and great places to stay and eat.  Look for more Kid Trips posts about this region in the near future! 

Language Stars, the leader in early childhood foreign language education with seven centers throughout the NoVA/DC area, is partnering with Little Pim, a language-learning program for kids with educational videos that make it fun and easy to learn at home. Language Stars award winning programs teaches play-based, full immersion classes taught by native speakers, and the Little Pim programs allow the language exposure and reinforcement to continue at home.  It's a great combination! 

Why is this important? According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, frequent exposure to foreign language is recommended for the most effective and accelerated learning. In addition to that, the younger the child, the easier it is to learn a second language. Little Pim and Language Stars tap into the window of when a child¹s brain is hardwired to learn any language naturally and easily.

"The more exposure kids have to foreign language the better, and our partnership with Little Pim allows our students to practice what they have learned at Language Stars at home. It’s a match made in language heaven," says Leslie Lancry, Founder of Language Stars.

Little Pim products can be purchased at participating Language Stars centers or online at www.littlepim.com. Language Stars families will receive a special discount when they purchase Little Pim products. Call 866-55-STARS or click here to view the offer.

With a hit movie and hundreds of toys, the popularity of LEGO has never been greater, and my family was lucky enough to visit LEGOLAND California back in early 2013.  LEGOLAND California has more than 60 rides and is filled with shows and attractions.  Here are some things to know before you go:

• LEGOLAND California is open daily during spring break, summer and select holiday periods. However, the park is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during select seasons. The LEGOLAND Waterpark is open on a seasonal basis and the Sea Life Aquarium is open daily. 

• Many of the rides have height requirements, even the mild ones.  The staff is very strict about sticking to these requirements.  Due to this, the best ages for LEGOLAND are ages 4-10, but kids slightly older and younger will still have a great time. 

• There are MANY different options for tickets and a quick google search will yield many coupon options.  We found a coupon in a magazine.  Do not pay full price!  Besides the LEGOLAND theme park, there are ticket options to include the LEGOLAND Waterpark (seasonal) and the Sea Life Aquarium (year round.) Read about the options here.  We recommend a separate day for the waterpark.  It is too much to visit theme park and water park on the same day. 

• Be sure to spend some time walking around the awe-inspiring Miniland USA. There are huge replicas of New York, Washington DC, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Southern California, San Francisco, as well as Star Wars, famous Americans and more. Be sure to take the narrated Coastal Cruise.  

The big event in the area is the White House Easter Egg Roll.  This iconic national event includes egg coloring, art activities, face painting, music, magicians, and of course, an egg hunt. Tickets are required to attend. The National Park Service holds an online lottery about a month prior to the event. But don’t fret if you missed the lottery for the White House Easter Egg Roll, the area has many, wonderful egg hunts, train rides and bunny events for little ones.  Here are some of the major ones in Northern Virginia and a few to consider in DC and Maryland too. Sign up online or by phone is required for most events. Due to the type-A nature of so many parents in this region, we suggest that you sign up ASAP. The early bunny catches the egg!




NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Spring Easter Festival at Ticonderoga Farms:  April 5-20, 2014 (weekends)
All the fun activities that are normally at the farm such as slides, rides, animals, the maze and more PLUS visit with the Easter Bunny and search for eggs filled with candy and toys.

Frying Pan Farm Park Easter Eggstravaganza: April 5, 2014
Sign up for a time slot to hunt for eggs and visit the animals outdoors at the farm. Very popular event so please pre-register! 

Great Country Farms Easter Egg Hunt and Marshmallow Harvest: April 5 & 6, 2014
All the fun outdoor activities at the farm plus harvest marshmellow peeps, ride the cow train, hunt for eggs, listen to live entertainment and more. 

Breakfast with the Bunny at Sterling Community Center: April 11, 2014
Eat breakfast with the most famous bunny around! Practice your bunny hop in moonbounces, make crafts, and play games. Don't forget your camera for photo ops with The Bunny. 

Family Flashlight Egg Hunt at Glyndon Park: April 11, 2014
Families work together to search for eggs in the dark. Easter Bunny and moonbounces too!

Easter Egg Hunt at Colvin Run Mill: April 12, 2014
Preregister for up for one of four time slots.  Make egg-cellent crafts and gather eggs at this historic site. 

Easter Egg Hunt at Ida Lee Park: April 12, 2014
Besides age appropriate hunts, this huge event features rides, entertainment, food, face painting and  much more.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt at Hidden Oaks Nature Center: April 12, 2014
Sign up for one of eight different time slots for this fun dino-themed program with egg hunt and crafts.

Aqua Easter Egg Hunt, Town of Herndon: April 12, 2014
Children ages 6-12 will collect as many floating and sinking Easter eggs in the pool as allowed.

Eggnormous Egg Hunt in Reston: April 12, 2014
Carnival games, entertainment, moonbounces, food, and fun join this Easter Egg hunt tradition.

Town of Vienna Old Fashioned Egg Roll and Easter Fun: April 12, 2014
Participate in an egg roll, see the Easter Bunny, and listen to tales from a storyteller

Bull Run Easter Egg Hunt: April 15, 2014
Hunt for eggs and meet the Easter Bunny at Bull Run Park. 

Bunny Bonanza at Heritage Farm Museum of Loudoun County: April 16, 2014
Interact with live rabbits, meet the Easter Bunny, and enjoy hands-on exhibits and crafts for all ages.  Included in museum admission.

Pohick Bay Easter Egg Hunt: April 16, 2014
Come to Pohick Bay Regional Park for an egg hunt, crafts, games, fire truck, moon bounce, visit with a naturalist and his critters, Golden Egg and prizes. Reservations highly recommended. 

Lee-Fendall House Easter Egg Hunt: April 18-20, 2014
Make a historic craft, search for eggs, enjoy refreshments and visit with the Easter Bunny at this popular event. Get tickets early as it always sells out. 

Falls Church Easter Egg Hunt: April 19, 2014
A free event in Cherry Hill Park with special eggs, crafts and pictures with the Easter Bunny

Morven Park, Easter at the Park: April 19, 2014
Celebrate Easter at historic Morven Park with crafts for kids, an egg hunt in the formal gardens plus a traditional egg roll on the Davis Mansion lawn. Have a family photo taken with the Easter Bunny. 

Leesburg Animal Park Egg Hunt: Date To Be Announced 
Find eggs in the field and pose for pictures with the Easter Bunny while you visit this local zoo filled with wagon rides, exotic animals, and more. 

Rippon Lodge Annual Easter Egg Hunt: Date to Be Announced
Crafts, games, pony rides, moonbounces, and of course an egg hunt on the grounds of Rippon Lodge.

Step-right up to win a  pair of free seats to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Built to Amaze!  The spectacular show will be at the Verizon Center in DC March 20, 2014 - March 23, 2014 and at the Patriot Center in Fairfax VA April 9, 2014 - April 20, 2014.  Winner will receive 2 vouchers which may be exchanged for any weekday show Monday-Friday (except Friday evening).  Additional restrictions may apply and are printed on the vouchers.  To enter, simply enter a comment below with a favorite circus memory or reason you want to win.  Winner will be chosen Friday, March 7.  Vouchers are provided compliments of FAMILY Magazine. We recommend that as soon as you get your voucher, you bring it to the Patriot Center Box office to get the best available seats! 

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Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg is part of the Audubon Naturalist Society and includes 68 acres of meadows, forests, ponds, and trails that are packed with diverse wildlife and plants.  Find out more about Rust Nature Sanctuary here.

We are proud to work with Rust Nature Sanctuary on upcoming articles and educational programs.  The staff would like to giveaway one birthday party to a lucky Kid Trips Northern Virginia reader.  Here are the details:

Birthday Party Giveaway

Parties are held year-round at the Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg and are 1.5 hours long. One hour is led by an experienced naturalist and includes a program based on the theme, a nature hike and a craft or game. The remaining 30 minutes is the responsibility of the host family and is reserved for traditional birthday fun in the Discovery Room. Parties may include up to 14 children. Party host provides food, drinks, and party decorations, if desired. Parties are recommended for children ages 4-10.  

Birthday party themes include:

• Wiggly Worms
  
• All About Birds
• Ponding
• Insect Investigation
• Reptiles and Amphibians
• Animal Clues
• Winter Detectives

Birthday Party Times:

Fridays 4:00-5:30pm
Saturdays 10:30-12:00pm or 1:30-3:00pm
Sundays 10:30am-12:00pm or 1:30-3:00pm


PRIZE EXPIRATION DATE: February 2016


More details and program descriptions can be seen at http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/index.php/nature-programs/children-family/birthday-parties