Science and History in Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C. offers a wealth of history, culture, and learning opportunities perfect for curious young minds. As a homeschooling family, a trip here can supplement your childrens’ education in profound ways. In this post, I’ll recommend top attractions for different ages, sample itineraries to maximize your time, convenient home bases, and ideas for extending the educational impact of your vacation after you return home.

Top Attractions for Homeschooled Kids and Teens

Younger Kids
The National Zoo offers encounters with exotic animals from around the world. The National Air and Space Museum features massive rockets plus hands-on exhibits. At the Museum of Natural History, the Dinosaur Hall and Insect Zoo ignite young imaginations.

Older Kids
Monuments and memorials like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Jefferson Memorial provide history lessons. The National Museum of American History, National Archives, and Library of Congress archives immerse them in the American story. For science, the National Museum of American History and National Museum of Natural History have artifacts spanning centuries.

Teens
The sobering Vietnam Memorial and Holocaust Memorial Museum provide insight into somber events. The International Spy Museum offers an intriguing look at espionage history. For politics, tours of the U.S. Capitol and Bureau of Engraving/Printing show how our government functions.

Note: Booking a tour of the U.S. Capitol while visiting Washington D.C. is easy to arrange. Here are the steps:

1. Visit the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s website (visitthecapitol.gov) and select “Book A Tour.”
2. Choose the type of tour. Options include guided tours led by Congressional staff members, self-guided audio tours, specialty exhibit tours, and limited “dome climb” tours to the very top of the Capitol. Guided tours are best for homeschool groups hoping to maximize educational impact.
3. Determine the date and time of your visit. Tours are available year-round but times vary day-to-day based on the legislative schedule. It’s wise to book 1-2 months in advance since tours fill fast.
4. Provide details on the size of your homeschool group. Group sizes are limited to ensure security and effective tours, so give accurate numbers for students and chaperones.
5. Confirm your selected tour time and receive free e-tickets to present upon arrival. Print paper tickets as a backup.
6. Arrive 30 minutes before tour start time with ticket confirmation, photo ID for all adult attendees, and any items prohibited on the security checklist to speed entry.

Taking a free pre-booked tour lets your homeschoolers see legislative history unfolding inside the Capitol itself for an eye-opening civics lesson. Having tickets reserved ahead provides helpful peace of mind when coordinating transportation and maximizing your time in D.C. as well.

Itinerary Ideas

With so much to see, advance planning maximizes your time. For a 3-day visit, you could do something similar to the following:

Day 1: National Zoo + Air and Space Museum
Day 2: Monuments + Smithsonian Museums
Day 3: U.S. Capitol tour + Library of Congress/Archives

Convenient, Family-Friendly Places to Stay

When booking accommodations, prioritize locations near public transportation like the Metro or major bus routes. Great options include Crystal City, Rosslyn, Dupont Circle, and Chinatown. These areas have food and convenience stores for creating quick meals.

For budget hotels, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, and Fairfield Inn properties have mini-fridges/kitchens for DIY breakfasts to save money. At all-suite hotels like Embassy Suites and Home2 Suites, families appreciate the living room areas and small kitchens.

Extending the Learning Post-Vacation

After your adventure wraps up, keep kids engaged by assigning educational follow-ups at home! Here are some simple ideas for younger children:

• Write a travel journal detailing favorite attractions.
• Build models of monuments sighted using art supplies.
• Create a photo book or blog post to share digitally with family or other homeschool families.
• Research a historical figure or science concept encountered on the trip.

There are so many engaging educational opportunities for older children and teens as well! Here are a few ideas to try:

History and Government:

• Hold a mock Congressional debate about a current issue where students play lawmakers presenting arguments from each party’s viewpoint.
• Create an illustrated timeline of an era of American history (Colonial, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, etc.) marking key dates you learned about firsthand on your trip.
• Stage a play about an iconic scene from American history encountered on your trip, like the signing of the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

STEM Subjects:

• Download open-source data from NASA to create charts and graphs analyzing historic space missions or unmanned explorations of our solar system. Compare findings
• Do chemistry experiments related to discoveries made by Benjamin Franklin or George Washington Carver based on exhibits visited at Smithsonian museums.
• Take photos or make observational drawings of plant or animal species encountered at the National Zoo to create your own catalog of different species and subspecies, complete with taxonomic classification.

Cultural Studies:

• Prepare traditional dishes from the immigrant cultural groups and regions represented at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival after watching cooking demonstrations there firsthand.
• Create a discussion panel, podcast episode, or written guide for other homeschoolers highlighting your family’s favorite minority-focused museums in D.C. to boost understanding of those communities’ experiences.

Let Washington D.C. inspire the next chapter of your homeschooling adventure! With flexible planning focused on your students’ interests, it will undoubtedly spark new curiosities.