Silver Sparkles Family Fun Day 2016

Join us for an awesome day of family fun with all the funds we raise after expenses going to support Brain Cancer Research.  (Can you still get your business at this event? Yup! Email me.) 

A special thanks to our sparkle sponsor, Drayer Physical Therapy Institute! 

Throughout the day we'll have free classes in the community room, lots to do in the gym, and even a few outdoor activities, weather permitting.  There will be food and raffle tickets for sale, so bring cash (we will take credit cards for raffle tickets, too).  Every vendor table has a fun thing for your kids to do, so you can check out local businesses and kid-friendly venues while your kids have a great time playing!

Why should you come? Well, come to have fun, come to meet local businesses and find places to plug your kids in.  Come to support local Mom-run businesses.  Come to support me because I run this insane website.  Come because cancer sucks.  I don't care, really, all that much about your motivation, just come!! 

TICKETS ARE PER FAMILY- you will need one ticket for everyone that lives in your home as part of your family.  If you bring grammy and grandpa and they don't live with you, they'll need their own ticket.  I really want this event to be accessible for families, so please be honest about your ticket purchases so that I don't have to start charging per person! Remember, too, we donate ALL the profit we make at this event, so it's all for a good cause!

Here's what's on tap so far:

Classroom Space:

Ballet Class with Academy of Russian Ballet

Mincraft Class with Animated Child

Special Storytime with Prince William Libraries
**Please note, admission to these is NOT guaranteed because we have space limitations**

Thanks to Just Between Friends for sponsoring our DJ!

Main Event Space:

We're updating this list as vendors sign up! Keep checking back for more fun! 
GMS Gymnastics- Flexed arm hang challenge

Jessica Salazar Photography- Family Fun Photo Booth

Jamberry Nails with Jaimie Gvozdas

Bach to Rock- Musical Performer and instrument play

Discovery Junction Children's Museum- Interactive Play Area

Chick Fil A Bristow and Chick Fil A Sudley Manor (and the cow!) Will be selling their Original Chick-fil-A Sandwiches -- all profit will go to brain cancer/brain tumor research. And the Chick-fil-A Cow will be there =) PLEASE BUY SOME CHICK FIL A :) this is a really big deal for our fundraiser!
LuLaRoe

The Freedom Center

Animated Child- Hosting our minecraft class, their table will be awesome, too! 

Soccer Shots- Score a goal challenge

Academy of Russian Ballet- hosting our ballet class, and their table will be awesome, too! 

Prince William County Parks and Recreation

Athlete's Addiction-  Agility Ladder

Game Truck- Full game truck play will be available outside during our event! 

Potomac Patriots Youth Hockey- Score a Goal

Lori Beth Willis Thirty One- Train station

Michael Chamberlin, Magician from 2:15-4:45pm

Kingdom of Azuria (Princess!) 

Brunos Bounce House- indoor bounce

DPGolf Academy- Putt Putt Golf
Pampered Chef with Doina Heinz- Food Fun
Gainesville Pediatric Dentistry- PlayDoh Dentist
JustJump Outdoor bounce
Megan Keys Photography- Temporary Tattoos
Kids Chemistry with Des & Desi
Drama Mama Cupcakes
Smoothie King of Woodbridge/Colby's Ride
DoTerra with Leah Zapata 
Stella and Dot with Melisa
MOMS Club of PWC

Raffle Items- We'll have awesome Swag Bags from Katherine Breyfogle and Got Posh for the first 200 people who purchase $10 or more of raffle tickets! (Cash or credit  cards will be accepted!) 

Raffle items include: 
We're updating this list as vendors sign up! Keep checking back for more exciting prizes! 

4 classes at The Little Gym

A one year membership at The Little Gym

Swim Kids gift baskets

Marketplace at Madison Crescent gift card set

Scentsy warmers

Toddlin Time of Manassas gift bag

The Smart Car Wash gift card

DC United Tickets courtesy of Soccer Shots

Soccer Shots Season

Simple Luxuries Travel gift basket

Barbie DVDs from Universal Home Entertainment

Passes to BeeHive Indoor Playground

Passes to Cheers Art Studio

Summer Camp from Edgemoor Art Studio

Gift Certificate to Abrakadoodle

Gift Baskets from Waterworks Water Park

Gift Basket from the Primrose School of Bristow
Birthday Party with AviationEd
Free PeeWee Golf Registration from DPGolf Academy
$105 Gift Card to DPGolf Summer Camp

Review: Monster Jam

I cannot, unfortunately, be everywhere at once, so I sometimes ask my sweet friends to go cover events for me.  There has to be some upside to being friends with me.  Free tickets are it. Thank you, Heidi, for covering Monster Jam for me! 

 Until I walked into the arena, I didn’t realize how old my preconceived notions of a Monster Truck Jam were! This was nothing like the “Sunday Sunday Sunday” old school (vintage?) commercials from my childhood showing demolition-style events for drag-racing fans who own hotrods. 

My skepticism vanished within minutes of the start of the show! Current pop music was playing, the crowd (filled with young families) was cheering, and two announcers were building the anticipation about who would be the night’s champion. We attended a Friday evening event and tickets were still available.

Monster Jam is a very family-friendly event that combines exciting competition and fun entertainment. There is something for everyone:

• ·       Tournament brackets and physics-defying tricks for the STEM student
• ·       Constant action and anticipation for the thrill-seeker
• ·       Big trucks, speedsters, and ATV quad racers for the gear-head
• ·       Cheering & rallying for the competitor
• ·       Laughter and fun for the entire family

I also appreciated the diversity of the drivers, including women and various ethnicities to inspire children of all backgrounds. Again, my preconceived notions, to my delight, were quite wrong!

The show includes various competitions allowing each driver to accrue points. Competitions include driving donuts and an obstacle course. The favorite event in our family was the monster truck free style final competition which included ridiculously high jumps that do not seem possible with vehicles of such size. The evening went by quickly, about 2 hours long with a 15 minute intermission. There were no long pauses between events, keeping even the youngest guest entertained.

We each found ourselves quickly finding a favorite driver to cheer for throughout the evening. For us girls, we chose the driver of Monster Mutt: Dalmatian. But all of us could not resist extending our arms and cocking our head to the side in true “dead-man-walking” fashion whenever Zombie competed, accompanied by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

This mom of a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl would absolutely recommend Monster Jam as a wonderful evening out for the whole family. Wear protective earphones or ear plugs (it is incredibly loud) and a jacket in cooler weather (the arena doors remain open for ventilation.) The only challenge to the event was the vendors selling very cool (but expensive, $15) cotton candy with a foam Grave Digger truck hat on the top, as well as other memorabilia, that the children will insist they cannot live without. Bring your credit card or set firm boundaries in advance.

You will have a blast!

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Disclosure: Heidi is much nicer than me, but would never ever lie, even if she was given tickets to be able to review an event.  All opinions are our own.  

Easter Egg Hunts 2016

Looking for fun springtime or Easter events in Manassas, Woodbridge, Gainesville, Lake Ridge, Bristow or Montclair? (Or maybe you're one of the brave folks who will drive all over Prince William County!) Here's what we've got! You can email us to add your event to this list for free, but please be kind to us and submit it in the same format you see all of these listings!!

Now, let's hop to it!

Event: Hippity Hoppity Pool Hunt
When: March 5th from 1-2pm
Where: SBDCRC
What:Egg Hunt and Open Swim event. Children will collect floating eggs in the pool and trade them for a “goodie bag”. Find the special egg and receive a special prize!  Children will be grouped by age for the Egg Hunt from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Age Groups: 6 yrs and under (parents may help): 1:00pm - 1:20pm 7 to 9 yrs: 1:20pm – 1:40pm 10 to 12yrs: 1:40pm - 2pm  
Fee: $14/family of 4, $5/child, FREE to SBDCRC Passholders
Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/446021715595749/

Event: Breakfast with the Bunny at Matchbox (Potomac Mills)
When: March 12th from 8:30-10am
Where: Matchbox Potomac Mills
What: Potomac Mills will also be offering a chance to have Breakfast with the Bunny on
March 12th from 8:30 am to 10 am at Matchbox. The event is free, but seating is limited.  RSVP online.

Fee: FREE

Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/potomac-mills-kidgits-kids-club-breakfast-with-the-bunny-tickets-21462583164

Event: Bunny Frame Craft Class
When: March 12th from 10am-12pm
Where: Michaels Stores
What: They craft, you shop! Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up in store or online, or just drop in. $2 per child, supplies included. Parent or guardian must remain on premises during the event.
Fee: $2
Link: http://www.michaels.com/classes-and-events/classesandevents

Event: Eggstravaganza (Pool Egg Hunt) 
When: March 18th from 5-7pm or 7:30-9:30pm
Where: Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center
What: Lots of fun and an egg hunt in the pool! REGISTER ONLINE.
Fee: $14/child, parents free
Link: http://www.freedom-center.com

Event: Easter Egg Hunt (includes adaptive option)
When: March 19th from 10am-12pm
Where: Costello Park, Manassas Park
What: Ages 0-7 can enjoy an egg hunt! Adaptive egg hunt available at 12pm.  Use the codes by age group to register online. 
Fee: $5
Link: https://apm.activecommunities.com/manassaspark

Event: Flashlight Egg Hunt
When: March 19th from 7-8pm
Where: Costello Park, Manassas Park
What: Ages 8-11 can enjoy a flashlight egg hunt.  Use activity number 7313 to register. 
Fee: $5
Link: https://apm.activecommunities.com/manassaspark

Event: Tissue Paper Eggs Craft Class
When: March 19th from 10am-12pm
Where: Michaels Stores
What: They craft, you shop! Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up in store or online, or just drop in. $2 per child, supplies included. Parent or guardian must remain on premises during the event.
Fee: $2
Link: http://www.michaels.com/classes-and-events/classesandevents

Event: Egg-cellent Easter Extravaganza
When: March 19th from 10am-12pm
Where: Chinn Park Aquatic and Fitness
What: Come join us for an Egg-cellent egg hunt, face painting, family games, crafts and bounce house fun.  Egg hunt is for children ages 2 - 12.  Must Register by March 10. 
Fee: $5.00 per child, free to children ages 2 and younger
Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/955832027786388/

Event: Monkey Joe's Easter Eggstravaganza (Sterling)
When: March 23rd from 2pm-close
Where: Monkey Joe's 
What: On Wednesday March 23, the location will be hosting an Easter Eggstravaganza with $7 admission from 2pm to close. “Easter Bunny Joe” will be available to take photos with children all day. He will also be handing out Easter eggs to each child.
Fee: $7
Link: www.monkeyjoes.com/locations/dulles

Event: Egg Hunt at Camp William B. Snyder
When: March 26th at 9am SHARP
Where: Camp William B. Snyder, Haymarket
What: Be here at 9am sharp! This event moves fast.  Children will be separated by age to hunt for filled plastic eggs. Keep an eye out for the prize winning golden eggs and make sure you bring a basket and your camera! The Easter Bunny will be there for photo ops and fun.
Fee: $5/child by March 23, $8 day of registration
Link: https://scoutingevent.com/?CWBSEggHunt

Event: General's Ridge Egg Hunt
When: March 26, 2016 10am-12:30pm
Where: General's Ridge Golf Course
What: Join us for our First Easter Egg Hunt. Ages 4 & Under 10:00 am - 10:20 am, Ages 5-8 10:30 am -10:50 am, Ages 9-12 11:00 am - 11:20 am. Egg Hunt on our driving range. Must be accompanied by a parent. Crafts on our patio 10:30 am - 12:30 pm.
Fee: FREE
Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/849751228504328/

Event: National Community Church Gainesville Egg Hunt
When: March 26, 2016 2pm-4pm
Where: Buckland Mills Elementary School
What: Featuring carnival games, moon bounce, petting zoo, face painting, picture with a live Easter Bunny, local Fire Truck onsite, lots of free prizes, everyone wins, free raffle prizes including movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, Spark Scooter give-a-way and more. And of course a massive Easter egg hunt!
Fee: FREE
Link: http://eggstravaganzadc.com

Event: Egg Hunts
When: When: March 12/13, 19/20, 26/27 and April 2/3 at 11am and 2pm
Where: Ticonderoga Farms
What: Egg hunts and farm fun.  The Easter Bunny will make appearances, too! 
Fee: $14.95 all day admission (open 10am-5pm) 

Event: Egg Hunt and Marshmallow Harvest

When: April 2/3 from 11am-1:30pm

Where: Great Country Farms (Bluemont)

What:  Your family won’t want to miss the first “crop” of the spring– Marshmallow Picking!! Do marshmallow peeps really grow on trees? Your children will be amazed to harvest a few marshmallows to roast on the bonfire with Farmer Bob. The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs, and we need you to help us find them! There will be multiple egg hunts each day this year, with over 18,000 eggs filled with treats to enchant your children.

Fee: $10

Link: http://greatcountryfarms.com/festivals-events/egg-hunt-and-marshmallow-harvest/

Easter Bunny Pictures at Potomac Mills Mall will run March 3-March 26th.  Times vary, but can be found online here. 

Easter Bunny Pictures at Manassas Mall will run March 9th-March 26th

Review: The Climbing Knights

I’m reviewing The Climbing Knights, one of four of SimplyFun new releases.

We love games in our house! We've got one set up in the dining room right now that took us too long to finish on Monday night, so we "paused" it until we have another free evening.  (Hint: put a quarter under the piece of the player who goes next!) Because of our love of games, I was definitely happy to be asked to review The Climbing Knights game from SimplyFun.

What's especially fun about The Climbing Knights game is that it's 3D.  Rather than being a flat board-style game, this game board goes up! What's really great about this style of game is that it's incredibly engaging.  We set the game up in our family room on the coffee table and forgot to take it down before having a few friends over, and the kids were immediately drawn to the game and wanted to know what it was and how to play.  

Here's the overview:

This game is for ages 8 and up.  It takes about 30 minutes to play and is for 2-4 players (because there's only four knights).  To win, your knight needs to climb the tower twice to retrieve "banners" and then slide back down.  Guards can stop you from reaching the top, so watch out! 

Each color-coded knight is actually a magnetic game piece.  Once you set up the castle game board, you move your magnetic knight up the walls using ledges to avoid the guards (they'll send you back down the board) and rolling 3 dice, one to tell you how many spaces to move the first guard (on the first landing), one to tell you how many spaces to move the second guard (on the second landing) and one to tell you how many spaces to move your own piece.  If you're really lucky, you'll roll that each of the guards has fallen asleep! (They can't get you if they're sleeping on the job.) 

The game isn't hard to assemble- although helpful hint, you'll want to turn the pieces to line up with the slots (it's really obvious if you're not 12 and just trying to jam it together in a hurry!) in the correct way.  It took us all of a minute to assemble the castle.  

Playing this game isn't really all that complicated.  You could actually play with much younger children if you wanted to remove one of the guards.  What makes it complicated is the strategy portion- where can you move so that you don't get sent back down to the bottom.  It's not quite chess-level strategy, but your children will quickly learn to think ahead a few moves and consider where the guards will be if they get the maximum number of moves each turn versus if they're sleeping each turn.  

In addition to the Climbing Knights, SimplyFun has several other games that you and your children might enjoy playing.  These are some of their newest releases! 

We enjoyed this fun, 3D game and both my 8 and 10 year old think your kids will really love it, too! My 12 year old enjoyed playing with his siblings, but he can win the game in about 14 seconds, so we all think it's a little too easy for him.  Check out the full SimplyFun line and plan a family game night today!  I was one of several reviewers for The Climbing Knights, and there were also families that tried out Archery Dice.  Click the link below to see what others thought about these fun, thought-involved games! 

Giveaway! LuLaRoe

So, some of you may have already heard of LuLaRoe Leggings.  I had a few friends that had them- they're recognizable mainly by their super fun (okay, sometimes a little crazy) designs.  I hadn't tried them because leggings aren't usually a go-to for me because I need thicker fabric (okay, because I'm fat).  However, when Cassie asked me to try a pair for a giveaway, I figured I could always wear them around the house.

You guys, these leggings feel like a kitten and the Snuggle fabric softener bear had a magical baby.  I'm not even kidding.  They are like a hug for your legs.

LuLaRoe leggings come in two sizes, "one size" and "tall and curvy".  I'm on the edge of "One Size" so I decided to go with "tall and curvy" and the first thing I did after realizing they were amazing was to put them on my mom.  She's 6'2 and normally things that are "tall" look like she's getting ready to go wade in a creek, if you know what I'm saying.

As you can see- they go all the way to my mom's ankles! Love it! However they knit these, they seem to stretch and conform really easily to any body type, because they fit her 6'2 size 12 body and they fit my 5'7 size 14, and we were both in love with them!

The one unusual thing about LuLaRoe products is how you purchase them.  Unlike most HBB's where you order from a catalog, you'll want to actually meet up with Cassie so you can purchase from a trunk show (or host one yourself).  The patterns change constantly, and each print is a limited edition, so if you want it you need to snap it up!

In addition to their prints, LuLaRoe also carries solids, and I can tell you right now there is nothing I'd rather wear under a dress or a long sweater than magical SnuggleKitten leggings.

(Some of the prints that might be available at a trunk show, or maybe not! I love the blue starburst ones, Cassie was wearing a fun heart print when I met her...there's lots of options and you'll also notice some solids that would go with anything!)

Here's what Cassie had to say:

I host on-line sales so you get to shop from the comfort of your couch. It and my other sales are open only to the members of my Facebook group, or the members of a hostesses party - you're not competing against the entire internet for that perfect look. i can hold the private hostess parties either online or in-home for you and a collection of good friends. As the host, you earn FREE clothes as your party finds outfits that let them show off their sense of comfy-style. My inventory is ALWAYS growing - I'll have over 200 NEW items arriving in the coming days, and over 100 new pairs of leggings!

Want to win a pair of magical Snuggle/Kitten LuLaRoes to wear yourself? Enter using the rafflecopter below to win your choice from Cassie's collection!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Disclosure: I was provided with a pair of LuLaRoe Leggings in exchange for this review/giveaway.  All opinions are my own.  No Snuggle bears were harmed in the making of this post.  I am not responsible for you deciding you're never going to wear real pants again. Giveaway provided by LuLaRoe Shotzy.  By entering, you agree to be bound by our giveaway rules, found on this site under "Giveaway Rules."

Bobby McKey's for my Birthday

I don't normally do a birthday party.  Not for me, anyway.  Kids yes- self no.  This year, however, my husband was leaving me to go to Aspen for a bachelor party over my birthday.

I am the coolest wife ever, btw.

So, we decided that he'd cover me and some friends going out for the evening, and I wanted to take them up to check out Bobby McKey's Dueling Piano Bar in National Harbor.

If you've never been to a dueling piano bar, the are so much fun.  The way it works is pretty simple.  There are some standing room and first-come seats, but if you're taking a larger party or want guaranteed seating, you can order tickets online . Prices vary based on night of the week and where you want to sit, and you have the option to add appetizers and drinks ahead of time (or you can order off the menu while you're there).

I ordered our tickets in advance, and since it's a little bit of a drive (about an hour) to National Harbor, we had a few carpools of people go up.  One of my sweet friends came over and did my makeup for me and then we headed out together.

Once you arrive, you check in and are shown to your table.  Heads up- there are glow necklaces :) At the front you'll see a stage with two pianos, a keyboard, and some drums.  There's a singer at either piano and they are TALENTED.






You'll want to bring some cash with you because the napkins double as request slips, and you can write down the song you'd like to hear on a napkin and include a tip to get it played faster (or at all depending on what you're asking for).  There are a bunch of songs that are amazing that get requested (a little Journey, anyone?) but someone requested the "Full House" theme song, and for $20, they got what they wanted.

You should know that the bar is LOUD (obviously- there's someone singing) so it's not somewhere to go to chat.  When we really wanted to let each other know something we ended up texting :) However, most of the time we were too busy singing along (or acting shocked at someone not knowing the words) to chat.  My group arrived at 8, although we had a little parking trouble because there was a huge convention at the Gaylord, we were all in our seats by 8:30. We had 3 people drive themselves and then 3 carpools, but most of us stayed until about 12:20.

The service can be a little crazy- but it's aided by light up stands on your table that alert your waiter/waitress that you would like something.  We did a bunch of drinks and appetizers- they have typical bar food like wings and mozzarella sticks, as well as some surprises like a hummus platter.

The musicians are amazing, but one thing they will do if you call and pay a few weeks in advance is custom songs.  These songs can range in "OMG" factor from "oh, that would make me blush" to "DID HE REALLY JUST SAY THAT??".  If you are easily offended, you should know that there's also some PG-13 joking that happens.

Then there's the boards.

I will spare you what my darling friends wrote on the board, but they paid $21 to get a message written up there.  The ink hadn't even dried on it when I spent the best $22 of my life to change it to "Kristina's friends are walking home."

They had it coming.

There are 2 mirrors (one behind each piano) and you can outbid the previous phrase to have yours added.  My husband ended up calling in from Aspen to leave me a note, which was super cute.  You could actually hear my table "Awwwww" over the piano music, which is pretty impressive, although there were 14 of us.

(That says "Happy B-Day from your loser husband.  Hope you're having as much fun as I am.  Love, Austin."  He's pretty cute.  I'm going to keep him.)

In addition to adults-only nights (where it's ages 21 plus because it is a bar, after all) Bobby McKeys also hosts family days and teen nights, which I think would be so much fun.  The next family show is actually this weekend, February 27th from 1-3:30pm.  Tickets are $18, but they include the show and a buffet. They also have birthday party packages if you're interested! That's followed with the Teen Beats show from 4-6pm.

I had such a fun time for my birthday at Bobby McKey's.  One of the ladies in my group thought her church staff would have the BEST time doing a team building there.  (I have got to check out her church). I actually already have plans to go back with some other friends for a double date night.  I really enjoy singing along to the music and enjoying the concert-like vibe.  Be sure to check it out for your next event, girls night, or just your next date night!

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Disclosure: Thanks so much to Bobby McKey's for providing some of the tickets for my birthday. And squeezing in one more person when I didn't count right and needed to buy more. Our trip wasn't free, though, and all opinions are my own.  

3 Fantastic Field Trips for Homeschoolers

3 Fantastic Field Trips for Homeschoolers

Whether you’re going on a field trip to extend learning, provide hands-on opportunities, or to visit experts in a field of study, you can be sure that your homeschoolers will benefit from the outing. As EducationNext points out: “In particular, enriching field trips contribute to the development of students into civilized young men and women who possess more knowledge about art, have stronger critical-thinking skills, exhibit increased historical empathy, display higher levels of tolerance, and have a greater taste for consuming art and culture.”

Whether you’re planning to visit a local firehouse, museum, aquarium, or cultural center, you can be sure your homeschoolers will reap the benefits of the field trip. Here are some excellent field trip destinations to help you start planning your itinerary:

Historical Sites Significant To Your Lessons

Historical sites are abundant in the United States, so there is agood chance there is at least one near your home. Of course, historical sites such as Gettysburg, Boston, Washington, DC, Williamsburg, and Philadelphia are fantastic places to go on a field trip when you are teaching about our nation’s history. U.S. News & World Report ranked the best historic destinations in the USA, and any of their locations would be a fantastic trip for homeschoolers because they contain “preserved landmarks, notable monuments, and tourist-friendly services.”

Depending on where you’re going, you might spice things up by encouraging the kids to dress up. For example, if you’re going to Colonial Williamsburg, they could wear colonial costumes. Or you may want to create a scavenger hunt or challenge questions for them during the trip, and give them journals or cameras so they can document their experiences.

Science Centers

There are only so many experiments and hands-on activities you can provide for your homeschoolers. Taking a field trip to a science center will give them more opportunities to touch, learn, and experiment. There are some science centers in the U.S. that cater to younger children; in fact, Parents magazine has rounded up a list of the 25 most innovative places that are perfect for younger kids, and I have included their top 10 picks here:

1.     The Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio

2.     Exploratorium in San Francisco, California

3.     Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts

4.     Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey

5.     St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri

6.     New York Hall of Science in Flushing, New York

7.     California Science Center in Los Angeles, California

8.     Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, Louisiana

9.     The Franklin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

10. Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland

If you take a field trip to a noted science center, kids will be engaged in the interactive exhibits and will remember their experiences learning about science in fun ways for a long time.

Museums

Museums hold mysterious and fascinating objects, from dinosaurs to early airplanes. Museums are fantastic field trip destinations for homeschoolers because they have exhibits that appeal to a variety of interests and have several connections to your homeschool curricula. Of course, as Larry Olmsted, contributor to Forbes points out, museums that are geared toward adults have exhibits that are appropriate for children, such as the dinosaur skeletons at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, Chicago’s Field Museum, and the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.

But, there are 12 museums in the U.S. that are best for children, according to Olmsted. You may want to consider these when compiling your fantastic field trips for homeschoolers short list:

1.     Children’s Museum Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana

2.     Port Discovery in Baltimore, Maryland

3.     Boston Children’s Museum in Boston, Massachusetts

4.     Brooklyn Children’s Museum in New York City, New York

5.     Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio

6.     Children’s Museum of Denver, Colorado

7.     Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois

8.     Children’s Museum of Houston, Texas

9.     Children’s Museum of Maine in Portland, Maine

10. Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

11. Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota

12. The Strong in Rochester, New York

Wherever you take your homeschoolers for their field trip, they are sure to have a fantastic time learning, exploring, and experiencing outside of their normal learning environment. Historical sites, science centers, and museums that are geared toward kids hold the key to enriched learning opportunities.

Jamie Strand is a former homeschool kid and unashamed science nerd. He’s a community college professor and proud father of two daughters who wants to inspire a passion for science and math in today’s young people. That goal drove him to start SciCamps.org with help from a good friend. When he isn’t teaching, Jamie can often be found digging for fossils in the backyard with his daughters, exploring the local nature preserve, or binge watching Star Trek reruns.