Kidz World returns to Franklin Park in Northwest Washington, DC this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7pm, and WTOP’s Jason Fraley has a preview for you.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Kid’s World at DC’s Franklin Park (Part 1)
Looking for fun places to take the kids in the nation’s capital this weekend?
Kids enjoy the inaugural KidzWorld in 2023. (Rich Kessler) (Courtesy of Rich Kessler) Kids enjoy the inaugural KidzWorld in 2023. (Rich Kessler) (Courtesy of Rich Kessler)
Kidz World returns to Franklin Park in Northwest Washington, D.C. this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., with last year’s inaugural event drawing more than 7,000 people over three days.
WTOP visited the Downtown DC Business Improvement District to see the festivities in action.
“It’s a two-day immersive experience that’s free for kids of all ages to enjoy,” Director of Marketing and Communications Ebony Walton told WTOP.
“We have over 30 events for kids. … We started it last year and this is our second year bringing back Kidzworld. … We thought, ‘What if we put together an event specifically for kids, knowing that their parents will come along too?’ It’s really a family-oriented event.”
The centerpiece of the event will be an exciting performance on the Main Stage.
“The main stage is really a showcase of the kids’ talent,” Walton said.
“We have talented kids bands, poets and entertainers. We have a kids DJ. DJ Princess Christina will be playing tunes for the kids on numbers one and two. We also have brothers and sisters. [Kalu and Marrkan] We will be hosting a roving reporter for children, who will be handing out giveaways from this stage throughout the day.”
You can also spark your children’s imagination in a special area called Storyland.
“Storyland is the ultimate storytelling experience,” Walton said.
“Dr. Seuss characters will be joined by live storytellers and giant screens will display graphic visuals of the stories as you read. Our favorite stories will come to life, including ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ ‘Corduroy Bear,’ ‘Curious George’ and ‘The Lorax.’ Plus, a pop-up bookstore will have more than 3,000 children’s books to flip through.”
Meanwhile, kids can enjoy hands-on activities at the Creativity and Discovery Corner.
“There will be hands-on activities that allow children to let their imaginations soar through engaging learning sessions,” Walton said.
“There will also be a drawpalooza, a beading play where kids can make different jewellery using beads, a colouring corner and face painting! This creativity and discovery corner will be really fun, especially for those who love to get their hands dirty and stay active.”
Kids and parents can then exercise and stay active with super workouts.
“Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Spider-Man and Supergirl will also be joining us for the action-packed workout,” Walton said.
“They’ll lead workouts from the stage, get the kids up and dancing and having a great time to the music. They’ll do double dutch, they’ll do jump rope. … They’ll even have Wonder Woman jump rope with a lasso, and Black Panther sing ‘Wakanda Forever’ while jumping rope.”
And don’t miss the amusingly named “Teddy Bear Social.”
“There will be teddy bear characters, from Paddington Bear to Care Bears to Berenstain Bears, and I think Charmin Bear will also be there,” Walton said.
“We also have a Teddy Bear Parade where you can win a giant teddy bear as a prize, but the stars of the show are Francis and his sister Francesca. Francis is a 16-foot bear that debuted last year, and Francesca is about 12 feet and this is her debut.”
Don’t forget to stop by the Bubble Garden – follow the bubbles to find them.
“Listen, I did this last year and it was so much fun. It brought the child in me back to life. There was bubbles everywhere,” Walton said.
“This year we’re adding a secret bubble maze, where you can walk through the maze while you have the bubbles. In addition to these giant bubbles and giant animal topiaries, we’ll have a beekeeper come and do a demonstration. … This isn’t just for kids. Parents can come too and act like they have nothing to worry about.”
Other activities include a trackless train ride, video games, outdoor games like Giant Jenga and Connect Four, Heroes Hangout where kids can climb into real police cars, fire engines and ambulances, and Little Bites Boulevard, lined with delicious treats from food trucks serving everything from cheeseburgers to healthy smoothies.
“I’m trying to think of what to do with my children. [so] “We want everyone to come and visit the ultimate vacation spot for their kids,” Walton said.
“The park is a little over five acres in size and we will be completely taking over it. When we say Kids World, we mean it! All family-friendly events are free and will run all day both days. There will be over 30 activities. You’ve never seen anything like it. … Come along, you won’t want to feel any FOMO.”
Click here for more details.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Kid’s World at DC’s Franklin Park (Part 2)
Listen to our full conversation here.
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