Looking for fun things to do with kids in DC this weekend?

Okay, so it isn’s quite something fun to do with kids in DC, but it is FUN and it is super easy to get to from DC.

Spring has sprung in Washington, DC! And with it comes the best-loved things to do with kids in DC – Silver Spring Nursery School‘s 14th Annual Truck Touch!

There are a lot of fun things to do with kids in DC this weekend, but this is by far the best. We make a point of being there from beginning to end. I have three kids, and The Truck Touch is always the highlight of the spring for all of us!

This year it is Saturday May 7th from 10 am-1 pm. Tickets are $5 each, available for purchase on the day of the event. Get there early to avoid the lines!

For the uninitiated, the Truck Touch is a huge family event in Silver Spring. It usually takes place on the first Saturday of May. Basically, SSNS clears the lot of the UUSCC and loads it up with truck! The the event features dozens of trucks that kids can get right up into and, well…TOUCH! Honk a horn, look in mirrors, pretend to ride a motorcycle! Hop on board the fire truck, see how the ambulance looks on the inside, and much more. In years past, we’ve seen cherry pickers, RV’s, dump trucks, excavators, Metro buses, ambulances, campers, police cars! They will all be up close and personal for your little truck aficionado to swoon over. What trucks will be there this year? You’ve got to come to find out!

Back by popular demand is the 3rd annual Truck Touch silent auction, featuring over 100 items to bid on – from hand made baby items to weekend getaways and everything in between. Want to try a new yoga class? Tickets to the Capitol Steps? Bounce U passes? It’s all there. A little pro-tip: if you really want some of the amazing items they have up for bid, pop into the auction just before the bidding closes at noon. They really have had some awesome stuff in the past.

Last year, I won three things. A “Baby Girl Basket” with an adorable hand made sundress and swaddle blanket made by a local mom, a gift certificate for an hour-long acupuncture session at Crossings Healing and Wellness, and 2 tickets to the movies. I missed out on the balance bike because I outbid by another SSNS mom! Last year, the 2 of the SSNS teachers got into a secret bidding war with another teacher. The funny thing was, Ms. Janise and Ms. Liz were trying to win it to give as a gift…for Ms. Jennifer – the teacher that kept bidding against them! Competition can be fierce, so don’t give up on something you want! All the proceeds go to the school.

SSNS has upped their live-entertainment game this year. Mr. Gabe – known as the Pied Piper of Takoma Park – will be singing for the gathered crowds. And back again this year will be the amazing Rockstarts, another fun thing to do in DC anytime of the year! We will be camped out in front of the music tent because it will be my 1 year old’s first opportunity to dance to live music!

Mr. Gabe is a Takoma Park legend. He and his Circle Time Allstars have been encouraging kids to sing and dance all around the DC area for many years. He joked once that his job was to “set kids up for a nice long nap” but really, its more than that, although I certainly appreciate the nap set-up! “Some children’s performers emphasize life lessons; others introduce kids to a variety of instruments and musical styles. For me it’s all about the songs and singing. I think it’s important that everyone grows up with a repertoire of songs that they can sing and share with future generations.”

Rockstarts teaches fun and engaging music lessons all around the DC area, and features Silver Spring Nursery School’s very own Cheetah’s Class mom, Kim Harris!

There is also plenty of food for sale for when the littles start getting hangry. They always have hot food, cold drinks, snow cones, and homemade (nut-free) treats! In years past, they have had face painting, arts and crafts, games, as well as a lot of good, old-fashioned community fun. And believe me, if there is anything that SSNS does well, it’s community.

And to top it all off, when your munchkins have seen all the trucks and done all the other fun stuff, you can go play in the awesome, completely enclosed, kid-approved SSNS playground, which is adjacent to the parking lot.

Admission for this event is $5 per person, with kids under 2 free. SSNS accepts Visa and Mastercard for all Truck Touch purchases, so you don’t have to worry about carrying cash.

You’ll find Silver Spring Nursery School at 10309 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20903. It’s easy to get to, right outside the beltway on New Hampshire Avenue. Parking for the event is at the CHI Center (10501 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20903), on Overlook Drive, and across New Hampshire Avenue from SSNS. Please be good neighbors and follow all parking regulations.

If you have questions, contact the Truck Touch coordinator at infossns@gmail.com.

Can’t wait to see you all at the 14th Annual SSNS Truck Touch this Saturday, May 6th from 10 am-1 pm at 10309 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring.

Silver Spring Nursery School is a wonderful place for young children (and their parents!) to grown and learn. A cooperative preschool for children aged 2-5, SSNS has four marvelous teachers, and three fun-packed, child-led, hands-on-learning-filled classrooms. Silver Spring Nursery School has a play-based curriculum, following the best practices revealed by years of early childhood education research. The way young children learn best is through play! Being a part of your child’s earliest educational experiences is a wonderful way for parents to grow and learn as well.

Want more information about SSNS? Check out their philosophy, admission policies, and award-winning teaching staff below.