With Chol Hamoed comes the perennial question: Where shall we go today? Opinions are strong and expectations high. Yet by the time everyone finishes their morning routine and the family “conference,” with its requisite squabbles, the day is three-quarters gone. Here are a few ideas that are close by, not overly expensive, and fun for most members of the family.
One obvious choice: the great
outdoors. The beginning of spring brings warmer weather and longer days, which
makes spending time outside a pleasure! There are many outdoor activities in
our area. To please a crowd, check out some of the amazing playgrounds located
within an hour of Baltimore.
Blandair Park (North area)
continues to be a very popular spot for Baltimore families. There are many
tables for you to spread out the never-ending Pesach snacks as well as
different areas to satisfy all age groups. Be sure to bring bikes and scooters
to make use of the great paths for riding!
Meadowood Regional Park is located
nearby, just off of Falls Road. The recently redone playground boasts lots of
new climbing areas as well as swings and slides. There are also fields for ball
playing and paths for walking and riding.
Sudbrook Park, located at 616
McHenry Road in Pikesville, was also recently redone. This small playground
boasts slides, swings, riding paths, and a small toddler area. There are no
bathrooms at this park.
This year, Chol Hamoed coincides
with the blooming of the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. Head to the Tidal Basin
for great views of these beautiful trees, a gift from the Japanese in 1912. You
can also take boat rides around the Tidal Basin, including more views of the
blossoms. Some other suggestions in the D.C. area are the Spy Museum (book
tickets online), the Smithsonian Zoo (free; just pay for parking), and the
Botanical Gardens. Complete your trip with a meal at Char Bar, the only kosher
for Pesach restaurant in D.C.
While there are no home games
during Chol Hamoed this year, you could check out a Baltimore Orioles game at
Camden Yards right before or after Pesach. Kids under nine go free with the purchase
of an adult ticket, and you can bring all the snacks you want!
Newly opened in Owings Mills is a Sky
Zone trampoline park. They have much more than just trampolines! There are
interactive video games, basketball, jumping balls, swinging ropes, a warrior
course, a zip line, and the always popular launch slide! There is a toddler
section as well. There are clean bathrooms and plenty of tables for snacks. Sky
Zone socks are required. Costco is nearby if you need to make a trip there!
Hyper Kidz is another popular
attraction in Owings Mills. This jungle-themed indoor play place has sections
for babies, toddlers, and older kids. Socks are required. Check Groupon for
discounted admission!
A smaller indoor play place, We
Rock the Spectrum, in Owings Mills, is geared towards making kids of all ages
and abilities comfortable. They offer a calming room, fine motor area, sensory
based toys, and much more fun!
If you want to venture further out,
Delaware and Philadelphia have some great offerings. Wilmington, Delaware, a
little over an hour north of Baltimore, has several fun activities. The
Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (free with Maryland Science Center
membership) and the Delaware Children’s Museum are both fun for younger kids. There
is also a small zoo called Brandywine Zoo, which is free on weekdays!
In Philadelphia, about two hours
away, you can visit a great science museum called the Franklin Institute. Sometimes
they will honor Maryland Science Center membership, and you can get in for
free. The Franklin Institute has lots to do for all ages. The Philadelphia Zoo
is a large zoo where you can see tigers, red pandas, and gorillas! A Maryland
Zoo membership will get you discounted admission.
Speaking of the Maryland Zoo, head
on over for some local animal fun! The Maryland Zoo offers free parking, a
playground, and carousel and train rides that are included with admission, in
addition to seeing all the animals!
During the month of March, Enoch
Pratt Library of Baltimore offers free admission to the National Aquarium in
Baltimore. Stop by any of their branches to pick up tickets, which are offered on
a first-come, first-serve basis, to children in fifth grade and under.
The Baltimore County and City
libraries always offer great free indoor activities. They have toys, books,
classes, and events. Aside from the branch in Pikesville, the Owings Mills and
Cockeysville locations have tons of toys and activities for many different
ages. The Glenwood branch of Howard County Library has many different
activities for all ages. It is about half an hour away and features various
play places and toys that Baltimore libraries don’t have.
Fallon Saposnik is a mom, teacher,
kosher food enthusiast, and founder of Camp Mommy (the go-to place for learning
about Baltimore family activities). Fallon has a degree in culinary arts from
the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts. She is an expert on kosher products at
Costco and Aldi. For more ideas
on vacations or day trips,
please join her WhatsApp group at https://bit.ly/Campmommy, or contact her at fallon144@gmail.com.
