Are you looking for something fun to take the kids to this weekend in the nation’s capital?
Kids World returns to Franklin Park in Northwest D.C. this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. after last year’s inaugural event drew over 7,000 people over three days.
WTOP caught up with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District to preview the festivities.
“It is a free, free, free, free, two-day immersive experience for children of all ages,” Director of Marketing and Communications Ebony Walton told WTOP.
“We’ve got more than 30 activations for kids. … We launched this last year and this will be our second year bringing Kids World back. … We got our thinking caps on saying, ‘What if we do something exclusive for the kids, knowing their parents come with them?’ It really is a family-friendly event.”
The central hub of the event will be exciting performances on the Main Stage.
“The Main Stage really is all-kids talent,” Walton said.
“We’ve got talented kids’ bands, we’ve got poets, we’ve got entertainers. We’ve even got a kids’ DJ, so DJ Princess Christiona, she is going to be on the ones and twos spinning those tunes for the kids. There’s a brother and sister [Kalu and Marrkan] that are going to be hosting, we’ve even got a kids’ roving reporter and we’re going to be doing giveaways from this stage all throughout the day.”
You can also engage children’s imaginations with a special area called Storyland.
“Storyland is the ultimate story experience,” Walton said.
“There will be live storytellers along with characters from Dr. Seuss. There’s also going to be a super-huge screen where the story is going to be visual with graphics, while the person is reading. Some of our favorite stories like ‘Cat in the Hat,’ ‘Corduroy Bear,’ ‘Curious George’ and ‘The Lorax’ will come to life, along with a pop-up bookstore turning the page with more than 3,000 books for kids.”
Meanwhile, kids can also enjoy hands-on activities in the Creativity & Discovery Corner.
“There are going to be hands-on activities where kids can let their imaginations soar with engaging learning sessions,” Walton said.
“There will be a painting-palooza, a beading bizarre where kids can come and make different sorts of jewelry with beads, a coloring corner and even face-painting! This Creativity & Discovery Corner is really going to be good, especially if you like getting your hands dirty and being active.”
After that, kids and parents can get active by exercising with a Super Workout.
“We’re going to have Wonder Woman on hand, the Black Panther, Spider-Man and Supergirl for action-packed workouts,” Walton said.
“They’re gonna lead workouts from the stage, get kids up moving and grooving, having a good time with the music. We’re going to have double Dutch and rope jumpers. … We can get Wonder Woman to do the jump rope with her lasso and Black Panther doing ‘Wakanda Forever’ while he’s jump-roping.”
You also don’t want to miss the hilariously-named Teddy Bear Social.
“We’re gonna have teddy bear characters, everybody from Paddington Bear to the Care Bears, the Berenstain Bears, I think we’ve even got the Charmin Bear,” Walton said.
“There’s going to be a teddy bear parade with giant teddy-bear giveaways, but the star of the show is Francis and his baby sister Francesca. Francis launched last year, he’s a 16-foot bear, and Francesca is about 12-foot, she’s making her debut.”
Don’t forget to stop by the Bubble Garden — just follow the bubbles to find it.
“Listen, I did this last year and it was so much fun, my inner kid came alive, it was just bubbles everywhere,” Walton said.
“This year, we’re adding a secret bubble maze so you and go through the maze while there’s bubbles. In addition to these giant bubbles and giant animal topiaries, we’ve got a beekeeper coming to do a demonstration. … It’s not just for the kids, parents can come and act like they don’t have a care in the world.”
Other activities include trackless train rides, video games, outdoor games like giant Jenga and Connect Four, a Hero’s Hangout where kids can climb into real police cruisers, fire engines and ambulances and the Little Bites Boulevard with tasty treats from food trucks offering everything from cheeseburgers to healthy smoothies.
“You are trying to figure out what to do with your kids, [so] I want you to transport yourself to the ultimate getaway for kids,” Walton said.
“This park is just over five acres and we are completely taking it over. When we say it is a Kids World, it is a Kids World! All family-friendly events, all free, all day long on both days … more than 30 activations. You’ve never seen anything like it. … You’ve got to come. You don’t want to have ‘F.O.M.O.'”
Listen to our full conversation here.
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