{"id":13820,"date":"2019-06-23T20:04:30","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T00:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=13820"},"modified":"2019-06-21T15:31:10","modified_gmt":"2019-06-21T19:31:10","slug":"free-or-low-cost-activities-for-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=13820","title":{"rendered":"Free or Low-Cost Activities for Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Alexandria offers numerous ways to busy the brain this summer and avoid the summer slide. Take advantage of these free or low-cost events and programs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\"One\"<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History<\/b><\/h3>\n

The long-awaited new dinosaur exhibit<\/a> is finally OPEN! Head into the District to see it during the day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Two\"<\/td>\n\n

Get to know Alexandria’s Ancient Roots<\/b><\/h3>\n

Take a walk down to Alexandria\u2019s Waterfront district by traveling through Old Town and taking in all the historic sites. You can also hope onto the free King Street Trolley for a ride.<\/p>\n

Scavenger Hunt<\/b><\/h4>\n

Enjoy this free printable History of Alexandria Scavenger Hunt (PDF)<\/a> – a fun way to take in 20 different sites.<\/p>\n

Dive into Alexandria Archaeology <\/b><\/h4>\n

What happens to historic ships when they are found underground? Find out, and learn how Alexandria grew as a port in the 18th century.<\/p>\n

Various Saturdays through September at 116 S. Quaker Lane<\/p>\n

Ages 8-14 (children under 10 must be accompanied by a participating adult).<\/p>\n

$15 per person, $12 for FOAA members. Buy tickets online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hi \u201cStory\u201d Time<\/b><\/h4>\n

Alexandria\u2019s little historians (ages 3-6) are welcome to the Alexandria Black History Museum<\/a> to learn more about folklore the first Saturday of the month. $3 per person.<\/p>\n

Freedom House Museum<\/b><\/h4>\n

Learn of the slave trade<\/a> in the basement of the building where slaves were once traded in Alexandria by the Franklin and Armfield firm at 1315 Duke Street. Hear first-person accounts of enslaved men and women and the details of Alexandria\u2019s role in the harsh domestic slave trade. Suitable for ages 8+. Tours last about 45 minutes. Fridays and Saturdays 1:00pm to 5pm.<\/p>\n

Alexandria’s Birthday Celebration<\/b><\/h4>\n

On July 13, celebrate the 270th birthday of our City<\/a> at Oronoco Park with the Alexandria Symphony playing the 1812 Overture, food and beverage sales and fireworks!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Three\"<\/td>\n\n

Explore National History<\/h3>\n

Higgins Landing Craft from D-Day on Display<\/b><\/h4>\n

Through July 27, the National Inventors Hall of Fame<\/a> in Alexandria is displaying one of Higgins boats that were used in the famous invasion of Normandy, France to commemorate D-Day. \u00a0The patent and story of the inventor are also available. The boat is said to have changed the course of the war because the Allies could strike anywhere with speed and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Visit the Supreme Court<\/b><\/h4>\n

Visit the Supreme Court<\/a> to hear oral arguments. First come, first served. If you don\u2019t make it into the Chamber, visit the first floor and hear a 30-minute courtroom lecture that explains the work of the court and the history of it and the building.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Four\"<\/td>\n\n

Outdoor Movies<\/b><\/h3>\n

Cinema Del Ray<\/b><\/h4>\n
    \n
  • Saturday, July 20: \u201cSmallfoot\u201d (in Spanish with English subtitles)<\/li>\n
  • Saturday, August 17: \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”<\/li>\n
  • Saturday, September 21: “Incredibles 2\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Mount Vernon Recreation Center Field, 2701 Commonwealth Ave. All are free and all start at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

    Other Outdoor Films in the Area:<\/b><\/h4>\n
      \n
    • Four Mile Summer Movie Festival at the Four Mile Conservatory Building at 4109 Mount Vernon Ave.<\/li>\n
    • Rosemont Reel at Beach Park, 201 Rucker Pl.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Five\"<\/td>\n\n

The Arts<\/b><\/h3>\n

Visit the Torpedo Factory<\/b><\/h4>\n

Looking for a chance to see art, meet new people and explore more than 80 artist exhibits? Visit the free Torpedo Factory<\/a>. Four-legged fur friends are welcome!<\/p>\n

The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage<\/b><\/h4>\n

Enjoy free daily performances with no tickets required. Visit the website for details about the 6 p.m. upcoming performances<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Blackbeard Backstage Tours at Signature Theater<\/b><\/h4>\n

Climb onto Blackbeard’s Ship<\/a> on a backstage tour led by an actor in the show. See the dressing rooms, the green room and more. Tours last 45 minutes and cost $10. June 29 and July 6 at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

Shakespeare Theater Company: Hamlet<\/b><\/h4>\n

This year\u2019s Free for All<\/a> is Hamlet and will run July 10-21. Most performances are at 7:30 or 8 p.m. and matinees are at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available online beginning July 9 via a lottery. The other option is to arrive two hours early and wait in line for free tickets.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Six\"<\/td>\n\n

Connect with Nature<\/b><\/h3>\n

Mount Vernon Trail<\/b><\/h4>\n

Take a bike ride or a walk along the Potomac River starting in Old Town, or at George Washington\u2019s Mount Vernon Estate and ride, walk, blade or bike to the national monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Visit the <\/b>Jerome \u201cBuddie\u201d Ford Nature Center and go for a hike
\n<\/b><\/h4>\n

The Jerome \u201cBuddie\u201d Ford Nature Center<\/a> is free to the public year round. The center includes an exhibit on Alexandria\u2019s birds of prey, reference library with children\u2019s section, greenhouse with tropical rainforest plants and live parrot, interpretive exhibits on local geology and live snakes, salamanders, turtles, toads and more! 5750 Sanger Ave., Alexandria. Open Wednesday\u2013Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Seven\"<\/td>\n\n

Visit the Library<\/b><\/h3>\n

Alexandria Library<\/b><\/h4>\n

Sign up for the SummerQuest Reading Program<\/a>. Enjoy free daily programs<\/a> at multiple library locations across Alexandria.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget the Three Rs this Summer: Read, Read & Read<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the best things about summer break is that students have the time to read the books they want to read. When a novel or book isn\u2019t assigned, it takes on a whole new level of pleasure and that benefits kids in many ways, including gaining stronger reading skills that will help them perform better during the school year.<\/p>\n

Some tips for inspiring reluctant readers:<\/p>\n

\"Eight\"<\/td>\n\n

Great Expectations for Middle School Students<\/b><\/h3>\n

While unassigned reading is a great benefit of summer break, our rising students in grades 6 through 8 are expected to read at least two books this summer. Get details, including a planning sheet in the project document in English (PDF)<\/a> or espa\u00f1ol (PDF)<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alexandria offers numerous ways to busy the brain this summer and avoid the summer slide. Take advantage of these free or low-cost events and programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":13822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acps"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-27 19:47:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13820"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13861,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13820\/revisions\/13861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}