kids & family
by Kathleen Donner
Season’s Greenings in 2020
The United States Botanic Garden will have expanded online programming and limited holiday decorations this year. Festive adornments, winterberries, lights, and greenery will be placed in the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park through Jan. 10, 2021. There will not be a train display this year, and the Conservatory and gated outdoor gardens remain closed time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Audubon for Kids
In many ways every child is born a scientist--exploring their world, leading small experiments, asking questions, searching for answers. That innate curiosity and drive to inquiry is what Rachel Carson, the groundbreaking conservationist and author, called a sense of wonder. “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement,” she wrote. “It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.” Audubon.org/get-outside/Audubon-for-kids aims to bring together activities from across Audubon’s national network of environmental educators. These activities can be done at home or in a yard or park, sometimes with the help of a computer. The goal isn’t to teach a child how to name and identify bird species, but rather to give them space to explore and feel connected to the natural world. If you’re a parent or caretaker, that means you don’t need to worry about your own knowledge of birds or plants. All you need to be is a companion to your child’s curiosity. u
The Garden’s free annual holiday concerts will stream online this year. Festive concerts of seasonal music will feature Chelsey Green (classical, R&B, and hip hop fusion) on Dec. 8; Cantor Arianne Brown (Chanukah and world music) on Dec. 15; Chris Urquiaga “JChris” (pop, R&B, and Latin) on Dec. 22; and Veronneau (acoustic jazz with a global twist) on Dec. 29. The concerts will premiere at 5:30 p.m. on the Garden’s website at USBG.gov/HolidayConcerts and on the USBG Facebook and YouTube channels.
ZooLights Express Visits DC’s Eight Wards
ZooLights Express—powered by Pepco—will bring the colorful glow of Washington, DC’s beloved Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition into the community. Festively decorated with light displays and featuring “Panda Claws,” the 24foot ZooLights Express truck will hit the road, visiting one Washington, DC ward each Friday and Saturday night from 6 to 8 p.m. Here’s the remaining city schedule: Dec. 5 (Ward 4), Dec. 11 (Ward 5), Dec. 12 (Ward 6), Dec. 18 (Ward 7) and Dec. 19 (Ward 8). Usually held onsite at the Zoo for the past 13 years, ZooLights has been reimagined into ZooLights Express, a distanced and safe way to bring joy and bit of holiday sparkle. Specific ZooLights Express routes are posted on nationalzoo. si.edu and shared on social media encouraging people to watch for the truck in their neighborhood. u 34
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Mosaic Theater’s Inaugural High School Playwriting Contest
Submissions are now being accepted for Mosaic’s Inaugural playwriting contest which is open to all students in grades nine through twelve currently enrolled at DC and Prince George’s County public and public char-
