Category Archives: Blog

Create Your Own Summer Bucket List!

The term “bucket list” was popularized in the 2007 Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie. The idea is to make a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” (which is an idiom referring to death.) Even though that sounds kind of morbid, the idea has taken off as something much more positive and people create bucket lists to log the things they want to do at some point in their life.

With that said, a Summer Bucket list is a list of things to do before this summer ends.

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Click here to print your own summer bucket list

Get lots of ideas to put on your list on our APIA Summer Fun Pinterest Board.

Free & $1 Summer Movies!

When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 or free kid’s movies each week of the summer.

popcorn

Tips to maximize your free movie enjoyment:

  • Movie admission is $1, but bring additional money for popcorn and/or drinks, if desired.
  • I suggest you arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a good place to sit.  Some of the movies can be very popular and fill up.
  • Have all the kids make a bathroom stop before going into the movie.
  • Do your homework and google the movie that’s playing in advance to make sure it will be a good one for your child/ren.
  • As with any outing, ask your host parents before taking the child/ren to the movies.
  • If you take the kids to the movie in Silver Spring, check out the fountain in Silver Plaza afterwards. Bring a towel and a dry change of clothes for the kids.  It’s hard to resist splashing in the fountain.

    • After the movie, do activities related to the movie:

  • Ask the children what were their favorite parts of the movie.
  • Find crafts related to the movie to complete with them.
  • Let the children act out parts of the movies.  Use household items as props and dress up in costumes to make it more fun.

    • BOWIE STADIUM 14

    15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD, 301-262-9133

    Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/12-6/13 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
    6/19-6/20 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
    6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
    7/3-7/4 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
    7/10-7/11 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
    7/17-7/18 – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
    7/24-7/25 – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
    7/31-8/1 – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
    8/7-8/8 – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

    MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX

    900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD, 301-565-8884

    Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/19-6/20 – JOURNEY 2 & KIT KITTREDGE: AMERICAN GIRL
    6/26-6/27 – DOLPHIN TALE & HAPPY FEET TWO
    7/3-7/4  – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS & YOGI BEAR
    7/10-7/11  – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE & HUGO
    7/17-7/18 – ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN & PUSS IN BOOTS
    7/24-7/25  – KUNG FU PANDA 2 & RANGO
    7/31-8/1  – RIO & SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME
    8/7-8/8  – CHIMPANZEE & HOODWINKED TOO
    8/14-8/15  – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS & SMURFS

    Annapolis Harbour 9 (FREE)

    2474 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD, 410-224-1145

    Doors open at 9 am, Movie starts at 10 am

    6/19-6/20 – CATS & DOGS: REVENGE
    6/26-6/27 – LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS
    7/3-7/4  –  YOGI BEAR
    7/10-7/11  – HAPPY FEET TWO
    7/17-7/18 – JOURNEY 2
    7/24-7/25  – DOLPHIN TALE
    7/31-8/1  – SHORTS
    8/7-8/8  – INKHEART
    8/14-8/15  – HAPPY FEET

    May 5 – Cinco de mayo

    Cinco de mayo commemorates the May 5, 1862 Battle of Puebla (Batalla de Puebla) in which Mexican troops defeated Napoleon’s French forces. Contrary to popular belief in the U.S. , it is not the Mexican equivalent to our Fourth of July (Independence Day.) Cinco de mayo is celebrated more in the United States than in Mexico.

    If you want to celebrate with your host kids, you can find some activities and info about Mexico here.

    Spring in DC Area – 3 More Beautiful Spaces to Visit

    We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
    Post 5 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

    Azalea_Glenn-Dale-AZ-HS_trail-built-1998_BLB-04-01_300x200Some nature spaces in DC are free, but some require good knowledge of the bus system or a car. The National Arboretum is off Route 50 (New York Avenue) in northeast DC, and is a great place to learn about local trees, but also includes international plantings. There is plenty of space to run around. The Bonsai trees are special – it’s amazing how something so small can be so old! The National Aquatic Gardens are in Southeast and are usually at their peak in May. The National Cathedral in Northwest has a great Bishops Garden. There is also a great view of Washington DC and Montgomery County from the top of the Cathedral, which has just opened up again.

    Spring in DC Area – Dunbarton Oaks Gardens

    We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
    Post 4 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

    doaks_ggr_cherry_hillDumbarton Oaks Gardens in Georgetown is a special place worth visiting.  They charge a nominal admission fee: http://www.doaks.org/gardens/ (bring your student ID). They are worth a visit at the height of spring. There are a lot of steps, so the gardens are not great for children in strollers. Walk over from Dupont Circle, cross over the P Street Bridge and head up to R street for a chance to see quiet DC side streets and discover just how walkable DC is. Georgetown homes tend to have small gardens, so it’s worth a walk through the side streets to see what people have planted.

    Spring in the DC Area – Rock Creek Park

    We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
    Post 3 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

    Rock-Creek-ParkFor those of you who enjoy hiking and biking, Rock Creek Park runs north/south from the Canal in Georgetown to the Maryland border. There are bicycle paths and dirt paths through the trees. Beach Drive closes to cars on weekends if you like the idea of a bicycle trek. The C&O Canal runs from Georgetown in DC out to Cumberland, Maryland – over 180 miles away. You don’t have to walk or bike the entire distance to enjoy it on a warm spring day. In addition to entering at Georgetown, Great Falls in Maryland is another place to visit (especially after a rain when the falls become even more impressive). The Billy Goat Trail is great for adults and older kids. The Falls overlook is stroller accessible.

    Passover is April 7-13

    Passover, also known as Pesach or Pesah, is a Holy Day, observed by several religions, beginning on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan and lasting seven days (in Israel and among some liberal Diaspora Jews, and eight days among other Diaspora Jews) that commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt; it is also observed by some Christians to commemorate the deliverance from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus.

    Here is a website with Passover activities, crafts and recipes for kids: Chabad.org

    Spring in the DC Area – Capitol Hill

    We have a Special Guest Blogger who has written a series of posts highlighting places to visit during spring in DC. Sara is a longtime host mom in our cluster.
    Post 2 of a 5 part series. To read all the posts click HERE.

    Capitol Hill

    2306106620_893951e1b1_nWalking around the Capitol Hill will also give you a taste of what nature has to offer. In this neighborhood behind the Capitol and away from the Mall, the house plots are small, and many homes plant to maximize the beauty of their small gardens. If you’ve not been to Eastern Market:  http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/default.asp?ContentID=1 on a Saturday morning when the Farmer’s Market and arts & crafts vendors display their goods, this is a good season for it. I highly recommend Market Lunch, although lines can be really long. While the softshell crabs are not for the squeamish (yes, you can really eat the entire crab), they are delicious. Locals won’t eat oysters in a month that does not have an “r” in it, so there’s one month left until the long summer without them. For meat lovers, there is the Carolina style pulled pork (vinegary).

    Photo: Flick rjs1322