Whatever you do during vacation week, know that your friends at Mommy Poppins DC will be with you throughout 2021 with insight on the best family happenings in the capital area. Our events calendar is updated regularly, and remember to sign up for our FREE newsletters to receive posts such as this right to your inbox.  

If you prefer to stay in, remember to browse through Poppins@Home. Kids can find entertaining hip-hop dance classes, planting workshops, art lessons, and a comedy workshop especially for girls.

As COVID circumstances unfold, check directly with a venue website for updates before heading out. Keep your family and others safe by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing measures. If an event appears too crowded, try using the “nearby” search feature on our event calendar to find other exciting options. Note: Some photos in this post are from prior to the pandemic.  

In-Person February Break Activities in Washington, DC, 2021

1. With snow on the ground, we’d always recommend a playful and kid-friendly snowball "battle" with the folks at the Washington, DC Snowball Fight Association. Let’s hope for more powder then.

2. Assuming we get that snow, grab your sled and outdoors. Capitol Hill might be closed, but DC has plenty of other options.

3. As we said, some ski resorts are less than two hours’ drive from DC. Pennsylvania resorts are an especially easy ride.

4. If skiing or snow boarding are not your things, you can still enjoy the rush of snow tubing at a DC area resort.  

5. Closer to home, some DC area ice rinks are open. So lace up your skates and enjoy a twirl on the ice.

6. Craving warmer days? Pretend it's summer by exploring the United States Botanic Garden, where admission is always FREE. Note: The conservatory is closed, but the grounds are open.

RELATED: 15 Things We Can't Wait to Do wth DC Kids this Winter  

Celebrate George Washington's birthday at his home in Mount Vernon. Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon

7.  What Presidents Day is complete without a visit to Mount Vernon? We know the kids are back in school, but admission is FREE on Washington’s birthday, February 22.

8. Learn more about the nation’s first president with a walking tour of George Washington’s Alexandria. The 90-minute guided tour visits sites associated with Washington and his closest colleagues.

9. Don’t forget President Lincoln on Presidents Day. The grounds at Lincoln's Cottage are open to visitors. Purchase tickets in advance for self-guided, timed tours.

10. Smithsonian museum exhibits remain closed for the most part. However, families still can stroll the gardens for a bit of fresh air.

11. Located right in the District, Rock Creek Nature Center in DC offers kids a chance to discover the natural world. And while the center's planetarium is closed, hiking trails are open.

12. While you’re strolling, why not visit The Wharf? Tour the Potomac River harborfront with the kids and enjoy hot drinks around a private firepit.

RELATED: The Best Ice Skating Rinks in DC for Family Fun 

Kids can climb the walls—not yours—at Climb Zone. Photo courtesy of ClimbZone

13. Encourage kids to climb walls, just not the ones at home. ClimbZone in Laurel, Maryland has you covered with visually stimulating, individual-themed walls.

14. Live the life of a secret agent or make sure dinosaurs do not take down the nation's capital at a private experience at Escape the Room. Note: Some rooms have minimum age requirements, others require children to be accompanied by parents.

15. Along those lines, why not plan a visit to the International Spy Museum at L'Enfant Plaza, where kids can test their sleuthing skills in a series of undercover missions?  

16. Kids can practice their investigative skills at the National Law Enforcement Museum. The museum hosts Family Fun Days regularly.

17. Discover the Crystalline exhibit at Artecthouse and take a technology-powered journey through an illusory, blue-hued castle. But hurry, the exhibit closes on February 28.

18. Take a road trip to Baltimore and check out the Port Discovery Children's Museum. The museum is open at 25% capacity on Saturdays, 10am to 3pm; Sundays, 11am to 4pm; and on Presidents Day, 10am to 4pm. Purchase timed tickets online.

19. Visit Dumbarton House in DC with the kids and experience what life was like in the earliest days of the republic. The museum is open for weekend, self-guided tours with timed tickets purchased in advance.

20. Play tourist with a ride on a DC Big Bus. The nighttime tour is especially magical in winter, and buses run Thursdays through Sundays. Social distancing protocols are in place. Sit outside, on the top deck, for a viewing treat if the weather cooperates. 

RELATED: 25 Great Things to Do With Preschoolers in Washington, DC

Help out migration experts with your own Great Backyard Bird Count. Photo courtesy of Elmwood Park Zoo

Virtual Activities for DC Kids During February Break, 2021

21. Introduce your kids to the joys of bird watching at the Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by the Audobon Society. Kids can keep count of the birds they see at home and pass the information along to migration experts.

22. Engage in a little New Orleans-style Mardi Gras fun. Kids can learn all about New Orleans culture, including food, parades, and history.

23. The Lego Maritime Festival challenges kids all week long to construct their best Navy ships, including the famous USS Constitution.   

24. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan promises families a week’s worth of fun during Virtual Kids Week. Enjoy virtual animal adventures, exploration, and during Black History Month the history of African-American astronauts. Kids can even expect a visit from Radio City Music Hall’s Rockettes.  

25. Speaking of space, little astronomers will want to check out the Lowell Observatory’s I Heart Pluto festival for all the details on the solar system’s most mysterious planet, discovered in February 1930.  

Writer James Stephen Smith Smith contributed additional reporting.