Bethesda with kids

I will be taking a short vacation to the DC area around April 5th. We are planning to stay in Bethesda and take the metro into DC. I have never been to Bethesda. I mistakenly booked a hotel without an indoor pool and am now thinking %26#39;what do I do with my children?%26#39;

Can someone tell me some fun/good/child friendly places to dine? My boys are 4 and 6. We will be staying at The Residence Inn. Any place that would be entertaining would be helpful such as Putt Putt Golf, Video Games, Movies. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Also, are there fireworks around Easter in DC? I thought I may have read that somewhere. Thanks again!

Bethesda with kids

Being a suburb, there%26#39;s not a ton of stuff to do in Bethesda. However, I%26#39;m assuming that your trip will be DC oriented, so you should probably stick to the city for activities, in which you%26#39;ll find a ton (the museums are just the beginning!). This having been said, Bethesda has more restaurants per square mile than the US, so there%26#39;s bound to be a great place to eat that will satisfy your family. Our family favorites are Cafe Deluxe, Austin Grill, Jaleo (a bit pricier), as well as Stromboli%26#39;s and Vace%26#39;s for Italian. There%26#39;s also a Potbelly%26#39;s (a famous sandwich shop on the east coast) and Chipotle, etc. These restaurants are all pretty much within walking distance of the Residence Inn.

For movies, there%26#39;s a Regal Theater right across the street from the Residence Inn.

Since the metro is pretty much across the street from your hotel, it will be VERY easy to get back and forth from DC. I know that my kids have always loved riding the metro and seeing the museums. I%26#39;m not sure when you%26#39;ll be coming to the area, but the Cherry Blossom Festivel and Parade is always a big hit with kids. You can also rent paddle boats in the Tidel Basin.

Hope this helps.

Bethesda with kids

As the previous poster mentioned, there is no shortage of restaurants and movies in Bethesda proper. Particularly kid-friendly (if your kids are Mexican food fans), there%26#39;s good Tex-Mex at Austin Grill and fast-casual at Baja Fresh. Also try the kabobs at Moby D|ck.

Some activities for kids in Bethesda proper:

Color Me Mine pottery studio

A huge Barnes %26amp; Noble bookstore, with children%26#39;s programs

Imagination Stage (a children%26#39;s theater) is having a weeklong festival while you%26#39;re here.

But when all is said and done, I also suspect your kids will be fairly exhausted on the days you%26#39;re touring D.C. and you won%26#39;t be doing much more than relying on Bethesda for anything other than sleeping and eating.