ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC, 202-633-4880, www.asia.si.edu Yellow Mountain. Saturday, July 26, Wednesday, July 30, Saturday, August 2, and Wednesday, August 6, at 2:00 pm. Explore the magical effect of clouds in Chinese landscape painting and in the photography of contemporary artist Wang Wusheng. Poems and stories of the supernatural complement poetry writing exercises about Yellow Mountain and other landscapes. In the classroom, create a charcoal illustration of one of your own poems. Sackler classroom. Tales from Yellow Mountain. Thursday, August 7, at 2:00 pm, Saturday, August 9, at 2:00 pm. Listen to the story "Monkeys Grasp for the Moon" and other magical tales from Yellow Mountain as told by storyteller Linda Fang. Use an activity book to explore the exhibition and learn stories of the fantastic and the supernatural. Sackler classroom.  Anime: Young Artists Residency. Monday, August 11, through Thursday, August 14, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Register for ImaginAsia's four-day series of workshops, August 11 - 14, 10:00 am until 3:00 pm each day, that trace the development of manga drawing and anime films and books. Work with artists to develop your own skills as an anime illustrator. Registration required; email eckerst@si.edu for more information.
 
BABE RUTH BIRTHPLACE AND ORIOLES MUSEUM, 216 Emory Street, Baltimore MD, 410-727-1539, www.baberuthmuseum.com Gregg Olson, 2008 Orioles Hall of Fame Inductee. Saturday, August 09 at 3:00 pm. Come to the Sports Legends Museum and meet 2008 Orioles Hall of Fame Inductee, Gregg Olson. The former Orioles pitcher will be on hand to discuss his Orioles career, answer fan questions and sign autographs (one autograph per guest). Free with regular paid Museum admission.
 
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART, 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore MD, 410-396-7100, www.artbma.org  Free Family Sundays. Sunday at the BMA is the place to be for family fun!  Free Family Sundays feature a different activity each week—sketching tours, hands-on art workshops, gallery tours, and more—designed just for families. August 3: Sketching in the Garden. August 10: Pictures from Home. August 17: Places and Spaces: Landscapes at the BMA. August 24: Over the Rainbow: Color in Art. August 31, Family Tour: Playtime! Games and Relaxation in Art.
 
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY, 1415 Key Highway, Baltimore MD, 410-727-4808, www.thebmi.org Tug Fest. August 2 and 3, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Fun for the entire family! Kids activities, tours, tug boat parade and more.  For more event information log on to www.steamtug.org. Questions on artwork displays, competitions and more contact Shawn Gladden at 410-727-4808 ext. 109 or Bob Pratt at 202-857-7438. Free For All. August 7, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Come to the museum for free tours, children's crafts and archival activities.  Learn about their scout programs, kid's parties and much more. It's a evening at the BMI absolutely free of charge.
 
BANNEKER DOUGLAS MUSEUM, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis MD, 410-216-6180, www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/bdm.html Eastern Woodland Indian Village Day at JPPM. August 3 and 17, from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.Visit the Eastern Woodland Indian Village at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum for an insight into the facets behind village life. Gain practical learning experience as you participate in hands-on activities such as longhouse maintenance, making and repairing primitive tools, and daily life activities and skills. Free, all ages. Archeology at JPPM. August 9 at 11:00 am. From the Ground Up: Revealing Culture through Archeology. Learn how archeologists read the clues to discover the secrets of past cultures. Then at 1:00 pm, A Point in Focus: A Detailed Look at the Facets of Archeology. Big pictures are made up of tiny details; learn about some of the details looked at by archeologists. Come learn how archeologists read the clues to discover the secrets of past cultures. Free, all ages, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum.  Early American Life. August 10 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm. Demonstrations of Crafts and Skills. Spend an afternoon learning how folks lived in Southern Maryland in the early 19th century. Free, all ages. Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum. If These Bricks Could Talk: A Tour of the Smith's St. Leonard Archeological Site. August 23 at 11:00 am. A look at the discovery and the investigation at Smith's St. Leonard, 18th century plantation archeological site at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum. Free, all ages, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum.  
 
CHESAPEAKE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, 25 Silopanna Road, Annapolis MD, 410-990-1993, www.theccm.org Get Wet Day. Friday, August 1 from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. Make a wave in a bottle, "paint" with water, run through the sprinklers!  Come in your bathing suit and bring a towel. (Change of clothes optional, it's hot!) All ages. Free with museum admission.

COLLEGE PARK AVIATION MUSEUM, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park MD, 301-864-6029, www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com Zing Wings. August 1, from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. Decorate your own glider. Hollywood Flyers Jr. August 8, and August 22, at 1:00 pm. Enjoy family-friendly aviation themed movies.  Paper Airplanes and Helicopters. August 15, from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. Design and decorate your own paper airplane and build a paper helicopter.  Airmail Day. Saturday, August 10, from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. In August 1918, College Park Airport was the site of the first postal airmail flights. Come commemorate that event by enjoying airmail-themed activities including designing your own airmail stamp and dressing up like an airmail pilot.  Hollywood Flyers Jr. - Space Cam, Friday, August 8, at 1:00 pm Watch a movie, and enjoy popcorn and lemonade. FREE with museum admission. All ages welcome. Fee: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 18 & under  Peter Pan Club, Thursdays, August 14 & 28, 10:30 am-12 noon This fun, learning club is for pre-schoolers and their parents. Enjoy an aviation story, crafts, games, and museum exploration. Ages 2-5, Fee: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 18 & under Trains and Planes, Saturday, August 30-Monday September 1, 10 am-5 pm Come see this exhibit by the National Capital Trackers. Miniature trains, villages, tunnels, and depots spark the imagination, while bringing history to life. All ages welcome. Fee: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 18 & under

DR. SAMUEL D. HARRIS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENTISTRY, 31 S. Greene Street, Baltimore MD, 410-706-0600, www.dentalmuseum.umaryland.edu August 6: “Brush Your Teeth Please” by Leslie McGuire - Learn about how animals have different kinds of teeth for different jobs. Drop in every week at the National Museum of Dentistry to hear a different tooth-themed story and make a toothy project to take home. Tooth-riffic Tales drop-in story times are every Wednesday at 11 a.m. from June 18 to August 6, 2008. Suitable for pre-school children & up. Story and activity changes every week!  Free with regular Museum admission: $6 for adults, $3 for kids and seniors, and free for children age 6 & under. 

HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS, 4155 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC, 202-686-5807, www.hillwoodmuseum.org Family Fun Sunday: In Fabergé's Workshop. Sunday, August 31 from 1:00 until 5:00 pm. Step into Fabergé's Workshop and create a decorative picture frame in the style of imperial Russia's legendary jeweler, perfect for displaying summer family photos. Tours of the Mansion, Café dining, and shopping are also part of this special Sunday opening. Sundays are popular, so reservations are now required. Call 202.686.5807.

MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 201 West Monument Street, Baltimore MD, 410-685-3750, www.mdhs.org Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social. Sunday, August 3, from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm. Beat the heat with an ice cream social at the MdHS. Meet Emma Watson, a visitor from 1895, who will tell about her life, teach games that her children play, and show you how to make a thaumatrope, a Victorian spinning toy.
 
MARYLAND SCIENCE CENTER, 601 Light Street, Baltimore MD, 410-685-5225, www.mdsci.org Infant and Toddler Activity. August 7, at 11:00 am. Special activity time, designed just for children 0-24 months and their adults. Come enjoy music, movement, stories, songs, and crafts with your little one. Limited to 15 children.  Backyard Science Days. August 9 and 10, from 12:00 until 4:00 pm. Bugs, worms and bats–Oh My! Come learn about some creatures living in your backyard, and try out fun experiments you can do right outside your door.  Jellyfish In A Jiffy. August 14 at 2:00 pm. Jellyfish are beautiful, and strange ocean creatures! Come to the Kids Room to learn what these animals are made of, how they move, and why they are nicer to look at than to touch. Get ready to jiggle and wiggle as we delve deep into the secret life of jellies!  Wiggle Wednesday. August 20 at 11:00 am. Special athletic time, designed just for children ages 3 through 6 and their adults. Come wiggle, squirm, and dance as we enjoy music, movement, stories, songs, and rhymes. Great opportunity to get some kid friendly exercise and get those energetic kiddos moving. Limited to 15 children.  Totally Tidal. August 27 at 2:00 pm. Roll up your pants and travel through our tidal pool. We'll sift through some sandy science, meet the animals who call the beach their home, and enjoy a refreshing splash of summer science as we frolic through the surf.  

MONTPELIER MANSION, 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301-953-1376 (P), 301-699-2544
(TTY), www.pgparks.com Family Fun Days, Sunday, August 3, 3-5 pm & Thursday, August 7, 6-8 pm To celebrate the mansion’s birthday, you’re invited for good, old-fashioned fun. Enjoy indoor and outdoor activities including colonial games, trying on 18th century costumes, crafts, and more. Canned food accepted for donation to local food banks.  All ages welcome. FREE

NATIONAL AQUARIUM IN BALTIMORE, 510 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore MD, 410-576-3800, 410-727-FISH, www.aqua.org Froggy Fridays. Jump in and Celebrate Year of the Frog. Friday, August 29, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Did you know that at least 1/3 of all known amphibian species are threatened with extinction? The National Aquarium has teamed up with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in support of a global effort to bring attention to amphibian conservation and their endangerment.  With more than 6,000 frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians worldwide, there's a lot to learn, but we can all do something to help. Ages: All Ages.

NATIONAL AQUARIUM IN WASHINGTON DC, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC, nationalaquarium.org, 202-482-2825  Newly Renovated National Aquarium, Discover America's Aquatic Treasures at the National Aquarium in Washington DC located in lower level of the Commerce Building. The newly renovated Aquarium offers a 45-minute showcase of unique and engaging animals and a refreshing pause in your busy day! Come in and visit over 200 species including alligators, piranha, shark, eel and Japanese carp.  General Admission $7; seniors and military, $6; ages 2-10, $3; younger than 2, free. 

NATIONAL CAPITAL TROLLEY MUSEUM, 1313 Bonifant Road, Colesville, MD 20905-5955. (301)-384-6088 educator@dctrolley.org  Story Time for Children. Saturday, August 16 from 1:00 pm until 1:30 pm. Listen to a streetcar-related story.

NATIONAL COLONIAL FARM, 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek MD, 301-283-2113, www.accokeek.org Nature Nuts. Tuesday, August 19, from 11:00 am until 12:00. This fun-filled hour of exploration at the National Colonial Farm's Museum Garden is the perfect setting to learn about the wonders of nature. Designed for children ages 3-5, the children will hear a story, create a craft project, and go on an outdoor adventure. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Education Center, Rain or Shine. $6.00 Non-Members, $5.00 Members. Registration Required. African American Heritage Day. Saturday, August 23, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Bring your family to the National Colonial Farm to celebrate the cultural, educational, and creative contributions of African Americans to Maryland! Musicians, museums, entertainers, artists, foodways demonstrators, craft and food vendors will be on site all day. Kids will enjoy plenty of hands-on activities and storytelling. First 25 Visitors Receive Free Membership to the Accokeek Foundation.
 
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue, Washington DC, 202-737-4215, www.nga.gov Family Workshops, Beach Views. August 7 through 9, from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm, or 2:00 pm  until 4:00pm. Explore photographs in the exhibition Richard Misrach: On the Beach, then experiment with making Polaroid transfer prints. Led by museum educator Rachel Goldberg. Family Workshops are designed for children and adults to participate together. Taught by artists and museum educators, each two-hour workshop includes an interactive tour in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio session. East Building Concourse, Education Studio. Ages 8 to 12.  Summer Story Series: Tour de France. Would you like to visit France this summer? Pack your imagination and travel to the National Gallery of Art! Explore scenes of France from its countryside to the bustling urban center of Paris through works of art in the French galleries. You'll meet French artist in children's books, investigate paintings, and make a souvenir to document each adventure. Each participant will receive a passport to the summer story series and a stamp for each program attended. At the end of the summer, children with three or more stamps will receive a prize!  August 10 at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm. August 11 and 12, at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm.: The Cows Are Going to Paris. What happens when the cows grow tired of the pasture? They take a trip to Paris! Join them on this hilarious trip to the big city. Visit the Eiffel Tower, the Pont Neuf, and museums and cafés. Then, go sightseeing in the French galleries and look at a painting by Auguste Renoir. West Building Main Floor, Rotunda. August 3 at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm. August 4 and 5 at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, and 12:30 pm: Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent van Gogh. Listen to a story of the friendship between a young boy and artist Vincent van Gogh. Look at still life paintings and then make your own flowery work of art to take home. By Laurence Anholt. West Building Main Floor, Rotunda.  Reel Fun. August 2, 6 and 13 at 10:30 am, and 11:30 am, and August 3 at 11:30 am. This series of animated shorts will put a smile on your face. Films include My Happy End (Milen Vitanov, Germany, 2007, 5 minutes); A Sunny Day (Gil Alkabetz, Germany, 2007, 6 minutes); Giraffes Can't Dance (Weston Woods Studios, USA, 2007, 10 minutes); Puss and the Moon (Suzanne Tuynman, Netherlands, 2005, 5 minutes); Charlie and Lola: Welcome to Lolaland (Kitty Taylor, United Kingdom, 2006, 12 minutes); and How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton for the Walt Disney Animation Studio, USA, 2007, 7 minutes). East Building Concourse, Large Auditorium. Ages 4 and up.
 
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN, Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20560, 202-633-1000, www.nmai.si.edu/ Ladybug Release. Friday, August 8, at 10 a.m and Wednesday, August 27 at 10 a.m Please join the staff of the NMAI and horticulture as they release ladybugs in the Native Croplands on the south side of the museum. These natural pest controls are an eco-friendly and fun way to control pests in the landscape. The ladybug release will begin at 10 a.m. and may be dependent on weather please check the website or Welcome Desk for more information. Native Croplands, on the museum's south side.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CIVIL WAR MEDICINE, 48 E. Patrick Street, Frederick MD, 301-695-1864, www.civilwarmed.org, Signal Corps Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 2 to 3, 2008, from11:00 am until 5:00 pm  Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD  The Pry House Field Hospital Museum and South Mountain Battlefield will join signal forces together for live signaling demonstrations and talks at these locations.  The 114th Signal Battalion, Fort Detrick, MD, will have a display, talks and demonstrations of how the Signal Corps have evolved since its inception just before the start of the Civil War.  For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit www.civilwarmed.org.  National Kitchen Garden Day, Saturday, August 23, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD  In honor of National Kitchen Garden Day, special talks on the importance of kitchen gardens during the 19th century will take place as well as tours of the Pry Kitchen and Medicinal Garden.  For more information, call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.   Living History at the Pry House, Saturday, August 23-24, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, Keedysville, MD, C Company, 31st Virginia will be in camp at the house.  Come meet the soldiers and camp followers to experience what a Confederate camp was like during the war.  Historians in authentic period uniforms and civilian dress, with a camp featuring reproduction household and military goods from the Civil War.  For more information please call 301-416-2395 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.  Eight Annual African American Day, Saturday, August 23, Piscataway Park, Accokeek, MD Join NMCWM Master Docents Robert Slawson, M.D., and Mavis Slawson at their outreach booth for information about the first African American surgeons and their contributions to Civil War medicine.  For more information, call 301-695-1864 or visit us online at www.civilwarmed.org.
 
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington DC, 202-783-5000. www.nmwa.org Festival of Books. August 3 from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Have you ever wanted to write and illustrate your own picture book? Can you imagine meeting a doctor who performs operations on a dining room table? Do you have big dreams about what you will do when you grow up? Come to the Festival of Books and start your own picture book with author-illustrator Jennifer O'Connell. Learn about May Chinn, the first African-American woman to practice medicine in Harlem, with biographers Joyce Schwartz and Ellen Butts, and create your own three-dimensional book with Sally Canzoneri that you can use to write all about yourself and your dreams. In partnership with the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C. Ages 8-12 accompanied by an adult. Free, reservations required. Call 202-783-7370 or email reservations@nmwa.org.
 
NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington DC, 202-357-2991, www.postalmuseum.si.edu Owney and Friends. Friday, August 1 from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. Arf, arf! Owney, the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service, invites you to join him on his mail delivering adventures around the world. Have a doggone good time with this wandering canine, riding the rails, making souvenirs of your travels, and creating your own dog-themed commemorative stamp. Collection Connections. Wednesday, August 6 and Thursday, August 7 from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. Learn the basics of stamp collecting and embark on the world's most popular hobby— philately! More than just a little piece of paper, everyday and exotic stamps open doors to all corners of culture, history, art, and geography. Start your journey by making your own stamp collection to take home.

NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC, 202-673-4717, www.nationalzoo.si.edu See the Washington Nationals, Help Pandas. Sunday, August 3, from1:30 pm until 4:00 pm. On August 3, the Washington Nationals will celebrate the National Zoo's giant panda program. The Nationals will donate a portion of ticket proceeds from this game to the Zoo in support of giant panda research and conservation. The first 10,000 children (ages 12 and younger) at the game will receive a free Panda Webkinz.
 
PORT DISCOVERY MUSEUM, 35 Market Place, Baltimore MD, 410-727-8120,
www.portdiscovery.org Teddy Bear Tea Party Day. August 9, from 11:00 until 1:30 pm. Calling all teddy bears! If you go into the woods today, please don't go alone because today is the day the bears have their tea party! Bring your stuffed bears or furry friends to Port Discovery and join Channel 2's Pam Minor - The Kinddersinger - for a musical teddy bear tea party! Bubbles The Clown will also be making bear baloon sculptures for all his friends! Kindersinger Tea Parties 1:00 and 1:30. Bubbles the Clown from 12:00 until 1:00. Circle Times 11:00 and 12:00.  The Tortoise and The Hare Day. August 16, Turtle Circle Times 11:00 and 1:00 pm. Bunny Hop Circle Time 12:00. Take me out to the races! Take me out for some fun! Bring your stuffed animal turtles and/or bunnies to Port Discovery for the races in MPT Studios led by Channel 2's Pam Minor - The Kindersinger. Bubbles The Clown will also be making bunny ear hats for the kids!  Circle Times with Winnie The Pooh. August 23, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. Thanks to our friends at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Towson, Winnie The Pooh will be our special guest at today's Circle Times!

SURRATT HOUSE MUSEUM, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, 301-868-1121, www.surratt.org, Life of Leisure: Let the Music Begin, Saturday, August 2, from 4:00 until 5:00 pm Have you ever wondered what type of music was played in the 19th century? Enjoy tunes of the 1800s that will get your toes a ’tappin’.  All ages welcome.  Free.

TEXTILE MUSEUM, 2320 S. Street NW, Washington DC, 202-667-0441, www.textilemuseum.org Family First Saturday: "Garden Party". Saturday, August 2 from 2:00 until 4:00 pm. Enjoy cake and light refreshments at a garden party in The Textile Museum's beautiful setting. Explore the garden with a docent-led tour. Find garden-related images of flowers and leaves in the galleries and then create your own artwork. Free; no reservations required.

WALTERS ART GALLERY, 600 N. Charles Street, Baltimore MD, 410-547-9000,
www.thewalters.org Walk, Wonder, & Create Tour: Summer Days! August 16, from 11:00 am until 11:45 am. Gather your family and come with them to look at collections of curiosities and find special objects around the Walters' grounds!  This seasonal experience will explore how objects can be used to capture memories of summer and fun! Recommended for ages 6-8. One guardian per two children required, and all members of the family welcome.