Things To Do with Kids in the DC Area for Spring Break 2024

1. Go on an Easter Egg Hunt

If spring break 2024 falls on the week of March 25-29 for your kids, they can participate in one of the area's many Easter egg hunts. In Northern Virginia, try the egg hunt at Great Country Farms in Bluemont for kids up to age 10. Teens can enjoy a nighttime egg hunt just for them at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax. In Maryland, check out the egg hunts for ages 1-12 at Green Meadows Farm in Ijamsville or the Clark's Elioak Farm egg hunts in Ellicott City for ages 1-6.

RELATED: Easter Scavenger Hunts and Other At-Home Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

There are so many places to meet the Easter Bunny throughout the DC area. Photo courtesy of the B&O Railroad Museum

2. Meet the Easter Bunny

That first week of March is also the perfect time to meet and take pictures with the Easter Bunny at one of several great events near DC, including Easter breakfasts and brunches, festivals, and even train rides with the bunny.

3. See the Cherry Blossoms

For most DC-area school districts, spring break 2024 falls during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place March 20 - April 14, 2024. You can attend one of the official festival events, such as Petalpalooza or the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, or just see the famous blooms from one of several kid-friendly spots.

4. Catch a Special Exhibit or Experience

Several DC-area exhibits are ending soon, but there's still time to visit them during spring break 2024. Explore Shaun the Sheep™: Flock This Way! on any day except Tuesdays at the National Children's Museum through May 12. Dinos Alive: Immersive Exhibit is open daily except Tuesdays and Thursdays before roaring out of town on April 8. And you can visit the casita of the Madrigal family at Disney Encanto x CAMP at Tysons Corner Center through April 28.

5. See a Live Show

There are several kid-friendly theater productions happening during spring break 2024. If your spring break is the week of March 25-29, you can see Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale at Imagination Stage in Bethesda or Junie B. Jones, The Musical at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo.

If your kiddos attend a DC public school, Alice in Wonderland opens April 13 at the The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park, and Swing Makes You Swing! takes place the same day at the Kennedy Center. Or, get a taste of Broadway and see Peter Pan at the National Theatre in DC.

6. Go to a Spring Festival

Spring festivals and fairs are in full swing in the DC area, and some take place during spring break 2024. Families with the March 25-29 spring break can celebrate the cherry blossoms at Bloomaroo at the Wharf, the Blossom Kite Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument, and other fun festivals. They can also enjoy Japanese-inspired activities at the Sakura Sunday Festival in National Harbor.

DC public school students can also add a few festivals to their spring break 2024 plans. The Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14. The following weekend, head to the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival or Earth Day Fairfax at Sully Historic Site in Virginia.

While all of the above festivals are FREE, the Bunnyland Festival at Butler's Orchard in Germantown is worth the price of admission. It runs on weekends and certain other dates from March 23 through April 14, meaning you can visit no matter when your spring break falls.

7. Visit a Museum

A spring break 2024 staycation in DC calls for a few visits to some of the area's fantastic free museums, like Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and National Air and Space Museum. But there are many other great museums for kids in the DC area that are worth paying for, including the National Children's Museum and the International Spy Museum.

8. Attend Museum Storytimes and Family Programs

While you're at the museums, take advantage of weekday storytimes and family programs that your kids cannot usually attend. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has a drop-in storytime with crafts on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings, as does the Hirshhorn on Wednesday mornings and the National Air and Space Museum on Thursday mornings. On Fridays from 12-3, get creative during art workshops at the National Portrait Gallery. All of these events are FREE and open to all ages.

9. Visit Animals

There are many places for little animal lovers to see wildlife and nature throughout the DC area, starting with the famous Smithsonian National Zoo. You can also visit one of several other animal farms and petting zoos near DC or one of the area's free nature centers.

RELATED: Ninja Warrior Gyms, Obstacle Courses, and Parkour Near DC for Kids

Dust off those skateboards and head to a skate park! Photo courtesy of the Arlington Skate Park, Facebook

10. Play at a Playground or Skate Park

Now that the weather is warming up, it's time to get outside and have some fresh-air fun. Kids of all ages can run, climb, slide, and swing at one of the area's best destination playgrounds, while little ones can explore some great tot lots and toddler playgrounds. Young skaters can bring their skateboards, rollerblades, or bikes to one of several great skate parks near DC.

11. Take a Day Trip

Need a change of scenery? Spring break 2024 is the perfect time to take a day trip to Baltimore, Charlottesville, or one of several other great spring day trip destinations from DC. Or, catch some thrills at one of the best amusement parks near DC.

12. Burn Off Energy at an Indoor Play Space

There can be some cold and rainy days in the DC area in March and April. Luckily, there are lots of places for kids to blow off steam indoors, including fabulous indoor playgrounds, free indoor places to play, fun ninja warrior gyms and obstacle courses, and bouncy trampoline parks.

13. Explore a New Neighborhood

Spring break 204 is a great time to visit a new neighborhood or take a closer look at one you've already been to. Check out our neighborhood guides to Old Town Alexandria and Fairfax in Virginia and to Kensington and National Harbor in Maryland for some inspiration.

14. Take the Family Out to the Ballgame

After a long winter, Major League baseball is back! During the tail end of DC's spring break week in April, you can see the Washington Nationals take on the Houston Astros. Families with the March spring break can catch the Baltimore Orioles' home opener vs. the Los Angeles Angels on March 28 (and other games against the Angels on March 30 and 31), while those with the April spring break can watch the Orioles play the Milwaukee Brewers or the Minnesota Twins. 

15. Soak Up History

The DC area is steeped with history, and spring break 2024 is a great time to soak it all in with a visit to the famed National Mall and Memorial Parks or Arlington National Cemetery. And you don't have to wait until Halloween to get spooked on a DC Ghosts walking ghost tour, which is also filled with stories about presidents and other notable people who have lived in or visited DC.

16. Have a Laser Tag or Paintball Battle

Spring break 2024 is a great opportunity to gather up some of your tween and teen's friends for an epic battle at some of our favorite laser tag and paintball spots in the DC area.

17. Make a Great Escape

Escape rooms are a great way to bond as a family because they require participants to work together to solve puzzles and crack codes to escape from a themed room before the time runs out. Some of them, like Beat the Bomb DC, take it a step further by blasting them with paint or foam if they don't escape. Check out our list of the best escape rooms for kids in the DC area.

18. Stroll through a Botanical Garden

When spring arrives in DC, the flowers and trees in the area's beautiful botanical gardens start to burst into life after a long winter. Try the US National Arboretum and the US Botanic Garden in DC; Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland; and Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia.

19. Play a Round of Mini Golf

The DC area is full of fun outdoor mini golf courses that are opening back up after being closed all winter, and they're just waiting for families to play on them. If you catch a rainy day, opt for one of the area's indoor mini golf courses.

20. Hit the Library

Public libraries ramp up their offerings of FREE children's programs during spring break and other school breaks, so check the website of your local branch to see what's on the calendar. Many of these programs—including storytimes, arts and crafts, live performances, and more—have limited space and require advance registration.

21. Make a Splash at an Indoor Water Park

It may only be spring break and not yet summer break, but that doesn't mean your kiddos can't have some fun in the water. Head to one of these amazing indoor water parks near DC for families. You can even take an overnight trip to the new Great Wolf Lodge near Baltimore, which opened last summer.