places to check out

Bethesda Farmers Market

Open every Sunday, the Bethesda Central Farm Market offers a variety of food and drink tastings, art stands, live music and a kids club. Sometimes, there are stands featuring chef demos where you can watch the cooks make your food in front of you. Visiting the market is a great chance to get outside in the morning and enjoy food, music and shopping. Photo by Jessica Nassau, LT.

Hillwood Gardens

Located in D.C., the former home of heiress Marjorie Post features a museum, gardens and outdoor seating, making it a great place to spend time with family and friends. The gardens include a greenhouse and French and Japanese-style gardens. These outdoor spaces are perfect for taking pictures and enjoying nature’s beauty. The estate is full of history and blooming with beauty, so it is definitely worth paying a visit. Photo by Tali Loeffler, LT.

Planet Word

A rainy day offers an outstanding opportunity to visit the Planet Word Museum in D.C., a museum dedicated to the language arts. There are vast learning opportunities at this museum with exhibits and visuals focusing on the history of the English language, how language is learned, humor, poetry and more. Photo by Carrine Shemesh, Dimensions.

Mckee-Beshers Sunflower Fields

Another unique place to visit is the Mckee-Beshers sunflower fields in Poolesville. There are five fields, all full of sunflowers that are available to the public. The fields are perfect places to take photos and spend time with family and friends. The best time to go is late July through August when the sunflowers are at their peak.

Have a tent sleepover outside

Sleepovers are a great way to spend quality time with your friends, but sometimes, typical basement overnights feel overused and boring. To mix it up a bit and take advantage of the warm weather, try an outdoor sleepover. This could range from an overnight on a trampoline to a tent in your backyard. You can set up a projector to watch a movie, search for constellations or make s’mores to enhance the campy feel. Photo by Jessica Nassau, LT.

Bake a tasty treat

A fun at-home activity you can do this summer is baking tasty treats. You can make something as simple as brownies or cookies, which only requires ingredients you have at home, like eggs, flour, chocolate, etc. You could even try baking the Maryland state dessert, the Smith Island Cake. Though it may take a few tries to perfect, once you have a baked good, you will want to share it with everyone around you. Photo by Lilli Libowitz, LT.

Do a fun craft

Arts and crafts are a great way to spend your spare time. If you’re looking for a more long-term project, you could decorate an old stool sitting around in your basement. If you want something for just a couple of hours, we would recommend friendship bracelet making. Friendship bracelets have become very popular on the internet, so even if you have never done it before, you can easily find a tutorial on Youtube and pick up a new skill! Photo by Ella Waldman, LT.