|
Details
• Discovery Creek Children's Museum, 4954 MacArthur Blvd.,
(202) 364-3111. Workshops for ages 3-5 only (plus adult) Saturdays at 10
and 11:30 a.m.; for all ages, Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at noon and
2 p.m. Members, $6 per child; nonmembers, $8; adults free.
• Palisades Recreation Center, Dana Street and Sherrier
Place, (202) 282-2186
• Listrani's, 5100 MacArthur Blvd., (202) 363-0619
• Ilija's, 5441 MacArthur Blvd., (202) 362-2040
• Jasmine's Neighborhood Delicatessen, 5120 MacArthur
Blvd., (202) 363-6320
|
|
By Theodore Fischer, Washington Sidewalk
The Discovery
Creek Children's Museum fulfills its mission to serve as "steward
of the rich history and natural environment of the nation's capital"
by offering family workshops nearly every weekend on a variety of
nature-oriented themes. "Very Hairy" is about getting in touch
with furry friends. "Spinning Spiders" is about who's who in web
sites. All workshops are about getting hands-on experience with the many
aspects of D.C.'s natural world – including a few borderline-icky ones
– while having an unnaturally good time.
Located in northwest D.C.'s Palisades community, Discovery Creek
offers two flavors of family workshops: one-hour Saturday morning
workshops for 3-to-5-year-olds (who must be accompanied by an adult) and
90-minute programs for all ages (though not likely to enthrall those over
11) on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Workshops attract both a regular
crew of bug-eyed eager beavers and newcomers made to feel instantly
welcome.
Workshops begin in a circle on the floor of the museum where young
"educators," who are equally adept at handling wild things and
wild humans, introduce the theme of the day and walk participants through
some kind of an art project. At the recent "Beetlemania"
program, for example, children constructed ladybugs (which, like
fireflies, are a species of beetle) out of paper plates. The groups of up
to 25 then head into the woods to see how they can apply their new
knowledge.
Discovery Creek occupies the old Conduit Road School, D.C.'s only
remaining one-room schoolhouse. Permanent exhibits include old desks and
teaching equipment plus caged iguanas, parrots, snakes and other fierce
creatures that remain for the most part anonymous lest the children regard
them as cuddlesome pets. The museum adjoins a 12-acre forest, complete
with a slow-running creek, that slopes down from MacArthur Boulevard to
Canal Road to form the west end of Battery Kemble Park.
Workshops cost $6 per child for Discovery Creek members (annual family
memberships begin at $50), $8 for nonmembers; adults are free.
Reservations are advised, but walk-ins can usually be accommodated. In
addition to weekend workshops, the museum offers a variety of weeklong
summer nature camps. It also sponsors cruises, treasure hunts, special
programs like rock climbing and canoeing, and the "wildest [birthday]
parties ever." In the fall of 1998, Discovery Creek will open a
second location for exhibits and workshops in Glen Echo Park
(convenient to the carousel, Puppet Co. Playhouse and Adventure
Theatre), starting with a wetlands exhibition on Oct. 8. Click here
for information and schedules.
Discovery Creek notwithstanding, the Palisades is one D.C. neighborhood
that seems ideally suited for families. The playground and park at the Palisades
Recreation Center are among the city's best equipped and maintained
– mainly a result of the contributions from local residents, businesses
and community organizations, as well as the sweat equity of residents.
Along with an elaborate network of wooden play apparatus, there's a
sandbox, a spray pool, swings, a horseshoe pit, a lighted basketball
court, a tennis court and a large field in constant use by soccer and
softball teams.
Feeding the young set here is easy. Listrani's, a neighborhood
family restaurant, features standard and specialty pizzas, plus other abbondanza-size
Italian dishes. Ilija's accent is harder to place – it serves
pizza, goulash, gyros, subs – and it has a somewhat pricey kids menu ($4
to $5.50, not including a beverage) of grilled cheese, pizza and burgers.
(Don't forget to ask for a lollipop.)
The best and cheapest choice may be Jasmine's Neighborhood
Delicatessen, a long and narrow space with photographs on the walls
and a children's play area up front. Jasmine's serves hearty breakfasts
and fancy coffees, Greco-Mediterranean dishes such as kebabs and hummus,
American-style sandwiches and – what else? – pizza. |
