Chol Hamoed Sukkos is a special
time in Baltimore: cooler weather (sometimes), beautiful colors, time to relax
and have fun with family and friends. Baltimore is full of fun options,
some near, some far, and there is something for every age!
Gaver Farm is one of the most popular Chol
Hamoed activities in the Baltimore area. They run a super fun fall
festival with slides, games, animals, swings, hayrides, pumpkin picking, corn
mazes, and so much more. Gaver also sells delicious apple cider. You
can buy it by the gallon or by the cup at their food stand. You’re guaranteed
to feel like you’re in Pikesville with all the people from the community who go
there. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Pikesville, in Mt. Airy.
Other fall farm fun can be found at
Summers Farm in Middletown, MD, and Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
in Lancaster, PA.
Turkey Hill Experience, in Columbia, PA, is about an hour
away. While the unlimited ice cream (not chalav Yisrael) and
juices (parve) are the big draw, there are lots of other activities to make it
worthwhile. You can create your own ice cream on a computer, design a label for
it, and then make a commercial for it! Learn about different types of tea
before trying some right there! A playhouse and slide are fun for the littles. There
are many more activities – and to make it even sweeter, CertifiKID has a deal
for 30% off! See www.certifikid.com to purchase.
Local playgrounds make for a fun
outing. I recommend Blandair Park, in Columbia, about 30 minutes away. There
are different areas, which will please many ages, and there are paths for bikes
and scooters. Restrooms and water fountains are available. There is plenty of
seating and a shaded eating area. Some other recommended playgrounds are Annie’s
Playground in Fallston, Angel Park in Perry Hall (next to a library
for even more fun!), and playgrounds in the four areas of Centennial Park in
Ellicott City.
If you want to go a little further,
Wheaton Regional Park in the Silver Spring area has a lot of fun
activities, including a very long slide going from one level of the park to
another! Make it more of a trip by eating out in the area. Nut House Pizza is
only 6 minutes away and Ben Yehuda Pizza is only a 10-minute drive!
Head out on the water with a scenic
boat ride starting at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Cruise out to Fort McHenry
and back on a narrated boat tour. This boat ride is great for those who want to
see some nice views of our city and learn about Baltimore’s history. CertifiKID
and Groupon both have deals for this boat tour.
Speaking of Fort McHenry,
did you know we have a very important piece of history here? The “Star-Spangled
Banner” was written on the waters off Fort McHenry by Francis Scott Key. You
can tour the fort and see actual relics from the time of the War of 1812 and
learn about what happened in the battle that inspired the writing of the
anthem. You’ll also get great water views from the top of the fort, including
the broken Key Bridge. There is a flag folding ceremony in the morning and
afternoon, which is fun for kids and adults alike!
Happy Glaze at the JCC of Park Heights will be
having two sessions on Thursday, October 9. You can make beautiful pottery
pieces for your holiday celebrations!
Kreider Farms, where Pride of the Farm milk is produced,
is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 90-minute tour gives you lots
of information about how the farm is run and how milk is made. You will see
where the cows live as well as how they are milked! You’ll even have the
opportunity to climb up a 100-foot silo! Tours book up fast so don’t wait. You
can save money by buying the Groupon for the tour.
Another tour option is the Amazon
Warehouse tour, about 30 minutes away. Ages six and up (they are strict on
that) can enjoy a 60- to 90-minute tour of the facility. Learn all about how
your items go from ordering to packing to being shipped! You must be able to
walk up and down stairs. This tour sells out, so book early!
Looking for an indoor play space that
kids can enjoy (and some for adults too!)? Skyzone (15 minutes away), Urban
Air (around 30 minutes away), and Zava Zone in Rockville (an hour
away) are fun options to keep your kids entertained for hours. Zava Zone is a
great place to meet up with people from Silver Spring. There are also two Hyperkidz
locations: Columbia and Owings Mills. Columbia is larger with more to do;
Owings Mills is closer.
Baltimore is full of fun museums
for all ages. The Maryland Science Center has three levels of fun,
including a planetarium with several shows throughout the day (included
with admission) and an IMAX theater (not included with admission). There’s
a dedicated kids playroom for younger kids with a water feature. There
are numerous science experiments throughout the museum, including my kids’
favorite, a nail bed that doesn’t actually poke you and a machine that shouts a
loud noise at you to test your senses! If you’re visiting the area and have
membership from another science museum, you can get in for free!
The National Aquarium showcases
many beautiful animals, including dolphins! There are exhibits on the
rainforest, jellyfish, and sharks. You can touch a horseshoe crab! If you have
a child in fifth grade or younger and are a Baltimore resident, you can get
free aquarium tickets through the Enoch Pratt libraries, starting October 1. Each
child gets four tickets. Remember, no strollers are allowed.
Port Discovery is a great museum for ages 10 and
under. There are lots of different play areas and toys. There is a three-story
slide, a water playroom, a diner where your children can play waiter, and
an indoor soccer field. An art room is great for using your creative
skills, and there is a room dedicated to babies and toddlers.
Don’t forget our libraries! If
you want a quieter activity or need something to fill the time, our local
libraries have events, toys, and books – all for free! I recommend the Owings
Mills and Reisterstown branches. They are both near fun playgrounds as well. Northwest
Regional Park (Ravens playground) is 11 minutes from Owings Mills library,
and Hannah More Park is 3 minutes from the Reisterstown branch.
Animal and fairytale fun for
younger ones can be found at Clarks Elioak Farm, about 30 minutes away. There
are loads of playground equipment to play on and many animals to see and feed. You
can pay extra for pony rides, hayrides, train rides, and more!
Two popular zoos in the area are
the Maryland Zoo, just a short drive away from Pikesville, and the Smithsonian
Zoo in D.C., a little over an hour drive away. The Maryland Zoo costs money
but parking is free, and the D.C. zoo is free, but you pay for parking. Bonus:
the kosher Krispy Kreme in D.C. is only a short drive from the zoo. Some other
options in D.C. for eating are Char Bar, Oh Mama Grill, and Oro Nami sushi. You
can also stop at the Rockville restaurants on the way back: Siena’s, Oh Mama
Grill, or Al Ha’esh. For all these eateries, call ahead or inquire within to
see whether they have a sukkah.
Meeting up with family from the
north? You could meet in Delaware at the Delaware Children’s Museum,
Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (free with Maryland Science Center
membership), and/or the Brandywine Zoo. You don’t even need to pack
lunch or dinner if you don’t want to, as the University of Delaware dining hall
has a kosher counter! There is no sukkah there. Contact the University Hillel
or the Chabad of Wilmington for more information.
Want more ideas? Join my Camp Mommy
WhatsApp group https://bit.ly/3Vmo5o1 or feel free to contact me at fallon144@gmail.com.
Happy and safe travels and as always, have fun!
Fallon Saposnik is a mom, teacher,
kosher food enthusiast, and founder of Camp Mommy (the go-to place for
Baltimore family activities). She loves helping connect kosher travelers
with various options for vacations or day trips. Fallon has a degree in
culinary arts from the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and loves cooking and
baking for friends and family. She leads a monthly Cookbook Club with local
moms and enjoys trying new recipes from cookbooks. Fallon is locally recognized
as the go-to expert for any questions about kosher products at Costco or
Aldi. She can be reached at fallon144@gmail.com.
