I have compiled a list of things to do with babies/toddlers on the Hill and beyond. This neighborhood has tons of fun activities for our little one and many of the Smithsonian Museums are accessible by public transportation that you can take your stroller with. It took me a while to figure out regular go-to spots. I hope this list can be useful for new moms in the neighborhood. This list includes Smithsonians, local libraries, playgroups, parks and recreation centers, hang-out spots, a guide to public transportations and so on.

If there is anything that I am missing, I’d love to hear from you and add it to my list 🙂 And thanks to all the moms who helped me make the list.

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★Smithsonian Museums etc.

Read- TOP 5 D.C. Museums to Visit with Your Toddlers (Walkers/Runners)

・American Indian Museum – imagiNATIONS Activity Center on the 3rd floor is an educational play space for kids (Closed Mondays). Carpeted and crawlers-friendly. The cafeteria on the 1st floor is spacious, delicious, and has tons of high chairs.

imagiNATIONS Website

・Building Museum – Toddler-friendly play areas on 1st & 2nd floor. Tuesday Morning story times. The atrium has a bakery and is a big carpeted area with tons of places to sit, crawl or roam around. $10 entrance fee. The accessible entrance is on G Street.

Building Museum for Families

・Postal Museum – Storytime on Mondays. The museum is low-key and usually not as crowded and plenty of areas for toddlers to roam around. A lot of interactive activities such as “make your own stamp”. Located right next to Union Station.

Read- Smithsonian National Postal Museum with My 1 yr-old Toddler

Postal Museum Calendar

・Natural History Museum – Discovery Room on the 2nd floor is full of educational materials like fossils, shells and international instruments for toddlers. Lots of quality books available for babies to enjoy with moms. The Butterfly Pavilion with live butterflies is free on Tuesdays. The accessible entrance is Constitution Avenue side.

Read – Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. – TOP 5 Spots to Check Out with Your Tots

Discovery Room at Natural History Museum

・American History Museum– Wegman’s Wonderplace is a fun indoor playground. There is a small designated area for small babies, a bench in the corner for nursing moms and a big bathroom with a changing table. Museum ABCs on Tuesdays, hiSTORY time are offered on Saturdays.

American History Museum for Kids

American History Museum Wonderplace

・Portrait Gallery – There is a room called Explore! Family Space for babies and toddlers.  Storytime is offered Tue-Fri afternoons. Its beautiful courtyard is equipped with a cafe, lots of tables and chairs, and streaming water area for toddlers to splash their little feet in. The accessible entrance is on G Street side, very easy to find from the elevator from Gallery Place Metro Station platform. Read about our experience here.  

Portrait Gallery for Families

・Air & Space Museum – Storytimes, Sesame Street’s short movie at its planetarium available.

Air&Space Museum Storytime

Air&Space Museum Movie Schedule

・African American History and Culture Museum – Explore More! is an interactive educational space which could be fun for toddlers. Read about our experience here.

African American History Museum Explore More!

Timed Passes Registration

・US Botanic Garden – Children’s Programs, Children’s Garden during spring, BYOB in winter (Bring Your Own Baby – tours for moms with babies in a baby carrier).

Botanic Garden Programs

Botanic Garden Children’s Garden

・Hirshhorn Museum – Storytime on Wednesdays. Its outdoor sculpture garden is stroller-accessible.

Hirshhorn Museum Storytime

Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden

・National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden – This beautiful garden is a perfect spot for a stroller walk/toddler roaming. Pavilion cafe inside of the garden is spacious and has a bathroom (no changing table).

Read- The National Gallery of Art – East Building

Sculpture Garden

・Smithsonian’s Zoo – Classes for toddlers available.

Zoo Classes

・Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center

SEEC Website

★Libraries

・Northeast Library – Offers free story times, Library Playdates, Music & Movement (check the calendar for schedule.kids’e programs require registration). The kids’ area on the 2nd floor is a nice hangout spot. Stroller accessible entrance is on Maryland Avenue side.

NE Library Program Schedule

・Southeast Library – Offers free story times, Library Playdates, Music & Movement (check the calendar for schedule. Some programs require registration). Stroller accessible entrance is on D Street side.

SE Library Program Schedule

SE Library Program Registration

・Rosedale Library – Offers free storytime on Mondays at its kids area. This cute and tiny library is next to a DC-themed outdoor playground, swimming pool, and community recreation center.

Rosedale Library Program Schedule

・Folger Shakespeare Library – Shake Up Your Saturdays

Shakespeare Library for Families

・Young Readers Center at Library of Congress – Storytime on Fridays, make sure to arrive early and expect a big crowd!

Young Readers Center Website

★Playgroups

・Free Forest School – Hiking & exploration of nature at Kingman Island on Thursdays. Baby carrying moms welcome. More times & locations available, be a member on their FB page.

Free Forest School DC FB Page

Free Forest School Official National Website

・Our Village Playgroup – Organized by FIT4MOM, various crafts activities and moms’ coffee hour get-togethers.

Fit4Mom FB Page

・MOTH Playgroups : Eaters & Sleepers (0-6 months), Rockers & Rollers (6-18 months), Movers & Shakers (18-36 months)  -Join the MOTH list serve for details

MOTH FB Page

・La Leche League of Washington D.C. – Not exactly a playgroup, but the local meeting could be a wonderful place to meet other nursing moms for support.

LLL of D.C.

★Parks and Recreation Centers

・Sherwood Recreation Center – Outdoor playground and indoor gym. Free open gym play time for toddlers 10:30-12:30 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. “Tiny Tots Need Recreation, Too!” program for 1.25 – 4 yr olds on weekdays requires registration on Dpt of Parks and Recreation online portal.

Sherwood Recreation Center Website

DPR Online Portal

・Rosedale Community Center – “Tiny Tots Need Recreation, Too!” program available for for 2 – 5 yr olds. 10:30-12:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Registration required for each season on the online portal.

Rosedale Community Center Website

DPR Online Portal

・Capitol Quarter Community Center – Newly built outdoor playground with cute swings, and some indoor rooms.

・Lincoln Park – The Fenced playground for kids. There could be quite a few unleashed dogs outside of the playgrounds (just in case).

・Stanton Park – The Fenced playground for kids. Expect a big crowd after school hours.

・Lovejoy Park – Simple park at 12th & E, NE. Small fenced playground with benches and green, usually not too crowded.

・Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens – Good for a nice outdoor walk, especially during summer with its famous lotus flowers. Most areas are stroller-friendly.

・US National Arboretum

・Kingman and Heritage Islands

★Classes

・Fit4Mom DC

Read More here – How Stroller Running with Other Moms Changed My Motherhood / How to Enjoy Stroller Runs Even If You Don’t Like Running – 5 Hints from a Couch Potato Mom 

・Mister Mike’s Music Together

・Family Yoga at Breathing Space

・Playwell at Shopkeepers Gallery & Colony Club

・Mom & Baby Yoga at Shopkeepers Gallery

・Parent & Tot Swimming Lessons at Old City Swim School

・Tinkergarten at Lincoln Park

・Barre3 Studio Union Station – Offers childcare in the morning time slots.

・Hill Center – dance, soccer classes etc.

・Capitol Hill Arts Workshop – Tiny Tots Dance Classes etc.

★Bookstores and Toy stores

・Solid State Books – Storytime & Singalongs with BearSong

・East City Bookshop – Storytime on Tuesdays and Saturdays

・Fairy Godmother-Children’s Books & Toys

・Dawn Price Baby

・Labyrinth Game Shop

・Politics and Prose

★Public Transportations

・DC Metro – No need to fold strollers but of course, avoid rush hours. Elevators could be under repair, you can look up the service status on the link below.

Elevator Service Status

・Street Car on the H Street – No need to fold strollers. Free of charge.

Street Car Tracker

・DC Circulator – Circulator red line is very convenient when going to the Smithsonian museums from Union Station (the stop is on E Street and Mass. Avenue next to Columbus Circle). Stroller friendly.

Circulator Map

★Hang-out Spots

・Whole Foods Market on H Street – 2nd-floor bathroom (there’s an elevator) has a changing table. The eat-in area on the 1st floor has high chairs available.

・Eastern Market – North Hall is a great indoor hang-out spot. There is a changing table in the bathroom located between the North Hall and the market main street.

・Union Market – Indoor area has high chairs and a bathroom with a changing table. The outdoor area is also a great hang-out spot for families.

・REI – Spacious stroller-friendly shopping area and clean family bathroom with a changing table.

・Union Station – Could be a nice indoor walking space. East Hall (next to the big main hall) is a quiet area perfect for a diaper change.

★Others

・Boogie Baby Concert at Eastern Market – could be too chaotic for newborns.

・The Atlas – Theater for the Very Young

・SkillZone – Members only indoor playground and more.

・Angelika Cinema Center Pop-Up – Crybaby Matinee on Wednesdays

・Well Dressed Mamma – an in-home nursing boutique for moms

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YokohamaYuko Instagram Account

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