• Washington, D.C. is home to a wide variety of monuments and museums for children and adults alike.Classic DC Skyline image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
  
  The museums and tours available throughout Washington, D.C. may seem, at first glace, to be a little dry and boring for families with small children. However, D.C. is brimming with interactive exhibits and fascinating hands-on activities to keep even the most rambunctious children entertained for the afternoon. Whether visiting the nation's capital on vacation or reside here, families will find that there are a plethora of kids activities to keep children of all ages entertained year-round.
  
  

International Spy Museum

• The International Spy Museum brings the elusive and intriguing world of the spy out into the open, introducing visitors to the techniques, tools and disguises used by professional spies around the world. Visitors can examine more than 200 spy gadgets including bugs, hidden cameras and invisible ink. The exhibits follow spies through history to modern times, bringing spy stories of the past to life and considering the new challenges spies will face in our modern world. Each month the museum offers a different KidSpy event for children. These events range in topic from the writing of a spy novel to the art of Ninjitsu to learning basic spy tradecraft. Visitors of all ages can take part in other museum activities, such as city-wide scavenger hunts which combine Spy Museum activities with a tour of many of D.C.'s famous locations.
  
  International Spy Museum
  800 F Street NW
  Washington, D.C. 20004
  202-393-7798
  spymuseum.org
  
  

National Aquarium

• Exhibits at the National Aquarium cover marine life from every corner of the country, from the Texas cichlids of the Rio Grande to bonytail chub of the Colorado River. Visitors can also view marine habitats from around the world in the Amphibians Gallery and Amazon River Basin Gallery. Kids can marvel at the many strange animals here including the stars and strips puffer, giant pacific octopus, poison dart frog and scarlet king snake. The National Aquarium is also available to host birthday parties on any non-holiday weekend throughout the year.
  
  National Aquarium
  1401 Constitution Ave. NW
  Washington, D.C. 20230
  202-482-2825
  nationalaquarium.com
  
  

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

• The National Zoological Park offers an immersive experience that is a far cry from most local zoo exhibits. The zoo's most complex exhibit, Amazonia, is a 15,000 square-foot dome containing a living rainforest habitat complete with a tropical river and 50-foot-tall trees. Other exhibits include the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat, Great Ape House, Bird House and Reptile Discovery Center. In the Kids Farm Barn, children can interact with cows, goats, hogs and alpacas. The Giant Pizza Playground is a great place to burn off some extra energy. Kids' events at the zoo include birthday parties, classes, summer camps and Snore and Roar sleepovers at the zoo.
  
  National Zoo
  3001 Connecticut Ave. NW
  Washington, D.C. 20008
  202-633-4800
  nationalzoo.si.edu