Tinkerfest at the National Children's Museum

A Whole Day of Building, Testing and Taking Things Apart

The National Children's Museum is running its first Tinkerfest this Sunday, and the idea is simple: hand kids real materials and let them build, test, break things and try again. It runs 9:30 to 4:30, inside the museum and out on Woodrow Wilson Plaza, with Spark!Lab, the Spy Museum, the National Building Museum and General Motors all setting up hands-on stations.

Here's the part I like. Everything out on the plaza is free and open to anyone who walks up. You only pay if you go inside, where the indoor programs need regular museum admission, $18.95 for anyone 1 and older. Babies under 1 and members get in free. So you can give a four-year-old an hour with cardboard and tools outside, see how it goes, and decide about the inside part later.

One thing to watch for: there's also a preview on Saturday, but that day is indoor pop-ups only, the outdoor partners won't be there, and you need admission. If the free plaza is what you're after, Sunday is your day. The museum sits right on top of the Federal Triangle Metro stop, which makes this one of the easiest outings downtown.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Start outside. The plaza is free, so see how long they last there before you pay for the inside.
• ✓Get there near 9:30. It's the first year, so nobody knows how busy it gets. Early is the safe bet.
• ✓Sunday, not Saturday. Saturday's preview is indoors only and the outdoor partners won't be set up.
• ✓Dress for mess. Tinkering means glue, cardboard and things that spill. Skip the nice outfit.
• ✓Take the Metro. Federal Triangle drops you at the door, no garage hunting.