Space Adventures at the Nasa Goddard Visitor Center, Greenbelt, MD

We recently visited the Nasa Goddard Flight Center Visitor Center.  It has been on our list of places we have to visit, and this fall, we made it happen.  It is a fun place.  My boys aren't quite old enough or patient enough to sit and read and learn at these kinds of places, they would rather just do.  The visitor center offered alot to do.  They had many interactive displays, a few toys and an outdoor area that kids can run around and look at some old missiles and space structures.  

The best thing about this place is that is that it is free!  Here is the link for the visitor center

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/home/index.html

This is the kind of place that could a wide range of kids,  it kept my kids entertained for a good hour and a half.  I think older kids that could read and have an interest in space, they could spend alot of time here reading and interacting with the displays!

Found a new adventure

We have lived in this area since before the kids were born, and I thought that we have been to every place imaginable for the kids, I was proved wrong tonight.  We went to a birthday party at a Rollie Pollies.  I thought this place was just for classes and I have never looked into it.  Now I think I will.  It is a gymnastics gym geared for kids under the age of 6.  It has everything you need--padded floors, rock walls, moon bounce, foam pit and even a zip line--a party favorite.  Here are the pictures of our day there which shows the kids have a blast both by themselves and with one another.  It is also small--which makes it easy to keep track of 2 kids when it is just 1 adult.

Milk Jug Igloo

So after I saw some crazy thing on the internet about a kindergarten class saving up enough plastic milk jugs to make an igloo--I thought, sure I can do that at home.  So through the use of freecycle, several wonderful people saved their milk jugs for me.  In the end I had over 350 milk jugs.  It took just over 2 months and over 250 sticks of hot glue, but the product is finished, well as finished as I am going to go with it, let me explain.  Here is the final product.

My original plan was to make a doorway and go all out and make it look like an igloo, but half way through we had to do a major reconstruction due to an accident the igloo had suffered at the hands of my children.  So I thought more of a cavelike structure would be a much better fit for our needs. 

Here are a few other construction photos. 

The kids are very excited, and it is big enough to sleep in, so we plan on having a few camps outs, in the event that it lasts, I fear it won't last as long as I want. 

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me accomplish this!

Outside Adventure Inside!

There is a place that we recently discovered called Play 'N Learn.  It is a playground store that opens up its showroom for you to go in and play.  They offer free times and the option the pay for 2 hours whenever you want.  I opt for paying to go when I want, and it is less crowded, and we have the run of the place.  The kids love it, and it is a nice distraction for the hot days of summer.  There are show rooms to visit in Columbia, MD and Chantilly, VA.  Here is there website to check out more info  http://playnlearn.com/about-us/free-play-days/  There are several display models of play structures, 2 trampolines and a basketball court.  The kids like to play on the trampolines more then anything!

And for some photos--