Family travel destinations attractions and things to do with kids in maryland

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

When the time comes to start planning the annual family vacation, consider Maryland when deciding upon your destination. As a kid-friendly state with lots to offer by way of attractions and activities, this fascinating state will provide your family with a trip to remember. Here are some interesting sites for those who are unfamiliar with the territory.

Baltimore is home to Port Discovery C an exciting childrens museum that offers a multitude of fun interactive exhibits and activities, targeting youngsters from ages 2 through 12. Among the many exhibits, youll discover KidWorks, R&D DreamLab, MPT Studio, The Diner, Adventure Expeditions, Sensation Station, Miss Perceptions Mystery House and Meet & Greet Street C The Atrium. Kids will really love the opportunity to take a ride in the HiFlyer Balloon. In addition to the exhibits, the museum also offers a variety of special events and programs, such as the Annual Rattle Your Bones Shindig, The Childrens American Music Festival and many more. Group activities are also on the agenda at Port Discovery, including overnight adventures. While youre there, be sure to stop in at the Kid-Powered Toy Store, with its many exciting puzzles, games, toys and other fantastic wares. This is a multi-floor facility, so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes when visiting the museum.

Dont leave the city before youve made a stop at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. This huge facility is chock-full of animals and fun activities that will delight the youngsters of the family. Of the 2,000 zoo inhabitants, youll have the opportunity to visit with a Mini Rex Rabbit, Armadillo, Laughing Kookaburra, American Kestrel, Aardwolf, Polar Bear, Gazelle, Lemur, Snow Leopard, Sitatunga and many more. Special events are offered on a regular basis, as well, which include programs such as Roar N Snore C an overnight camping adventure, offering nighttime tours, pizza, a roaring campfire with lots of fun stories and breakfast the following morning, with a good-bye stroll around the grounds; ZooZoom C a zoo race, with proceeds going to the Zoo Fund; and ZOOBOOO C trick or treating at the zoo, with a variety of contests and fun Halloween activities. The zoo has great Conservation and Adopt An Animal programs. On your way out, dont forget to stop at the Wild Things Gift Shop, where youll find scads of fun items and great souvenirs of your trip C tattoos, animal masks, clothing, videos and much, much more. This attraction calls for comfortable walking shoes.

If you find yourself in the area of Annapolis, you can treat the family to a day at Six Flags America C a spectacular theme park with exciting rides and lots of activities for adults and children alike. For brave souls who are looking for the excitement of high-tech thrill rides, the park offers Tower of Doom, Two-Face: The Flip Side, Typhoon Sea Coaster, Cyclone, The Wild One, Roar, The Jokers Jinx, Penguins Blizzard River and lots more. If youre the type that needs something a bit less frenetic, then youll enjoy The Octopus, Alpine Bobs, The Carousel, Teacups and Looney Toons Movie Town, to name a few. The entire family will have fun at the waterpark, including attractions such as Monsoon Lagoon, Tahiti Twister, Black Hole, Caribbean Cannonball Flume, The Deer Park Plunge and a number of others. In addition to all of this, theres a wide variety of special events and concerts that take place on a regular basis. The line-up may include Diamond in the Rough, Kickin Up Country, The Amazing Chinese Acrobats, Fright Fest, Batman Thrill Spectacular, Sounds of Harmony and many other exciting presentations. Theres a lot of fun at Six Flags America, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to spend the day.

Greenbelt, Maryland is host to the NASA Visitor Center, offering an abundance of activities, programs and presentations that have been designed to enlighten the public in the area of space-related science. Exhibits include Hubble Space Telescope: New Views of the Universe C contains a variety of celestial bodies and interactive displays which invite guests to play a video game, work with an infrared camera and explore the technology behind an electronic galaxy counter; The Sun as Art C a variety of color photos, highlighting the various shapes and colors in the sun in order to bring its beauty into focus; FRIZION: Ice as Art C breathtaking photos of polarized light reflected off of ice crystals; and the Landsat-7 Earth as Art Gallery C breathtaking pictures of the Earth by the Landsat-7 satellite. In addition, a number of programs and special events are in place, which may include Space Chats and various Space Missions, as well as Earth Science and Technology presentations. The youngsters will be thrilled by the opportunity to view a rocket launch and participate in a variety of childrens programs. Comfortable walking shoes are necessary for this attraction, as it may take quite a bit of time to go through the facility.

Applewood Farm C located in Whitewood, Maryland C offers 100 acres of lush greenery and local wildlife which include wild turkeys, deer, pheasants, foxes and many more. A visit to this autumn and winter attraction is a wonderful way for the family to spend a fun day in the crisp air. The farm offers numerous attractions, including model train displays, corn mazes for families (with a separate maze for the kiddies), a petting zoo, various competitive games C Snowball Bowling, Reindeer Antler Toss and more, hay rides, pony rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and Reindeer Village. One major fall event is FALLFEST, which is host to exciting activities for the kids, such as puppet shows, live music, Spooky Spot, Witches Wicket and pumpkin picking. The Crazy Crow Caf is available for a bit of refreshment. During the Christmas season, this facility serves as a Christmas Tree Farm and offers a variety of exciting family activities. Highlights include Santas Workshop, North Applewood Pole, a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, holiday shopping and gorgeous light displays. Its a good idea to wear comfortable walking shoes C or boots, during the winter months C since you may spend a good deal of time experiencing all that Applewood Farm has to offer.

The Puppet Co. Playhouse, in Glen Echo Park, is host to a variety of exciting shows that will thrill the entire family. The children will be entranced by the bright colors and breathtaking costuming & backdrops of the lively puppets in performances such as Goldilocks, Cinderella, Aladdin, Hansel & Gretel, The Magical Worlds of Whimsy Woods, Peter & the Wolf, Rapunzel, The Nutcracker and many more. The playhouse is open to the general public from Wednesday through Sunday, leaving the earlier portion of the week reserved for special groups. While youre there, stop off at The Green Room to meet the artists and other staff members who are responsible for creating and presenting the numerous shows. Performances may include the use of a variety of puppets, including rod puppets, hand puppets, marionettes and shadow puppets. Reservations are always best C though not required C in order to ensure seating in this 200-seat theater. The playhouse typically changes its selection of performances every six weeks and also features shows which are presented by other puppet companies on an average of twice each year. During the springtime months, youll find the annual exhibit C Puppets, Puppets and More Puppets C which offers interactive activities for the kids.

Ellicott City, Maryland, is the home of The Enchanted Forest C credited with being the first theme park on the east coast. One of fourteen Enchanted Forest parks in North America, this facility offers a variety of family attractions, such as Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves, The Alice in Wonderland Teacup Ride, The Big Red Barn, The Chance Carousel and the Antique Car Ride, to name a few. Special events and programs include The Chicken Little Trio, The Pumpkin Coach, Cinderellas Castle, The Clown Moon Walk, The Circus in Central Park, The Crooked House, The Easter Bunnys House, The Enchanted Castle, The Old Wise Dragon and many more. The scenery is delightful and offers sights such as The Gingerbread Men Fence, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & the Beanstalk, Little Boy Blue, The Little Chapel in the Woods, Little Red Riding Hoods Grandmas House and The Magic Wishing Well. The Enchanted Forest is absolutely chock-full of things to see and do, and has been designed specifically to bring a bit of the fantastic into a childs reality. This attraction is highly recommended, and comfortable walking shoes are suggested, due to the number of attractions that are present.

Bohrer Water Park C located in Gaithersburg, Maryland C is a family fun facility dedicated to total water pleasure. Boasting a double water slide thats 250 feet in length, with lots of twists and turns, the park offers numerous aquatic activities that are perfect for a hot summers day. Among the attractions are slides that cater to different speeds C from slow to lightning-fast, as well as pools for kiddies and the older set. Activity pods are sprinkled throughout the main pool area, which has a zero-depth end so that visitors of all ages can enjoy it. The wee ones have a splash pool at their disposal C appropriate for those under the age of 5 C complete with a frog slide. Locker rooms, bathroom facilities and picnic areas are available, for the convenience of the guests, in addition to sun chairs and a playground. This is a rather small facility, unlike the more traditional water parks, but is in a clean, safe environment and suitable for family members of all ages. Theres not a lot of walking to be done, but you will need to remember to apply sunscreen to the little ones during the heat of the summer.

Maryland is a wonderful place to visit when youre planning a family get-away. For more information on these and other attractions, contact the Department of Tourism or your local travel agent.