ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC, 202-633-4880,  www.asia.si.edu.  Flight of the Red Balloon, Friday, September 10, at 7:00 pm. Taiwan’s most acclaimed filmmaker pays homage to Albert Lamorisse’s classic children’s film with this poignant story of a tempestuous single mother (Juliette Binoche), her precocious young son, and the Taiwanese exchange student she hires as his nanny. (Dir.: Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan, 2007, 115 min., French and Mandarin with English subtitles).

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD MUSEUM 901 W. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21223, 410-752-2490, http://www.borail.org/.  Toddler Time, Wednesday, September 1, at 10:30 am.
Children listen to a classic railroad children's book, create a craft and take a kiddie train ride, all included with paid admission. Recommended for ages 2-5.  KidsFEST Weekend, Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Discover the adventure and magic of American railroading! Special activities, train rides and children entertainment throughout the weekend. Live performances by the Milkshake from Noon to 1:00 pm. There's even a kid's "All Aboard" calling contest. A train load of fun for the whole family!

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART, 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore MD, 410-396-7100, www.artbma.org . Free Family Sundays, September 5, 12, 19 and 25 at 2:00 pm. Make Sunday afternoon family time without spending a dime. Every Sunday, join them for activities the entire family can enjoy. Express your inner artist in a hands-on workshop, or enjoy an interactive gallery tour. Pay homage to Hispanic art as you explore ancient treasures of the Americas and cast your eyes on Costa Rican animal pendants. September 5: Construct Clay Action Figures.
September 12: Sculpt Gold Relief Jewelry. September 19: Build Beaded Noise Makers. September 26: Family Tour – Celebrate Hispanic Heritage.

CATOCTIN WILDLIFE PRESERVE AND ZOO, 13019 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont MD, 301-271-4922,  www.cwpzoo.com. Rumble in the Jungle, from September 18, at 6:00 pm, until September 19 at 9:00 am. Enjoy the wonders of a jungle safari, without the malaria shots!   Hear the calls of the wild in the comfort of your own tent!  Set up your own tents in our zoo, then feast on a picnic dinner, relax with some live entertainment, stroll the grounds on a guided twilight tour and finally roast marshmallows by a warm campfire.  An animal symphony will be your alarm clock, with a light breakfast served to get you going. Open to ages 5 and up, with proper adult supervision required at all times.  Limited to 100 people, so reservations are essential.  Held rain or shine.  Call 301-271-3180 ext11. Or you may fax your registration form to us at 301-271-2673  Rumble in the Jungle- registration2010.

CARROLL COUNTY FARM MUSEUM, 500 S. Center Street, Westminster MD, 410-876-2667, http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/farmmus/default.asp.  Steam Show Days, September 10, 11, and 12. Steam Show Days - The Mason Dixon Historical Society presents antique farm machinery, steam and gas engines, and antique cars on display. Working demonstrations include saw milling, shingle sawing and branding, baling, threshing, and grinding. Flea market, food for sale and hayrides.

COLLEGE PARK AVIATION MUSEUM, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park MD, 301-864-6029,  www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com.  Peter Pan Club, September 9 and 23, 10:30 am until 11:00 am. This fun pre-school club for little learners meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month. The Club includes storytime and hands-on craft activities. If you would like to schedule a program like this for a group, please call the museum to make a private group reservation. Museum admission: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 2-18, FREE/children under 2.  Trains and Planes, September 4, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm.  Miniature trains, villages, tunnels, and depots spark the imagination as they bring history to life. The National Capital Trackers bring a fascinating and constantly moving display of model railroads to the museum. FREE with museum admission, museum admission: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 2-18, FREE/children under 2, all ages welcome.  Wilbur's Workshop, September 11, from       1:00 until 2:00 pm.  Get a taste of the work that went into making early aircraft with a rib-making demonstration in Wilbur's Hangar. Come watch as a 1909 Wright wing rib is constructed and one lucky person will win the rib to take home.  Museum admission: $4/adults, $3/seniors, $2/ages 2-18, FREE/children under 2, all ages welcome.

DR. SAMUEL D. HARRIS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENTISTRY, 31 S. Greene Street, Baltimore MD, 410-706-0600, www.dentalmuseum.org/.  Tooth Time for Tots: A Visit to the Dentist, Friday, September 3, at 2 pm. Help kids understand what happens at the dentist office through observation, dress up, and play. Watch “Dudley Visits the Dentist” and read “Going to the Dentist” Each month highlights a different tooth-themed book and a tour of the galleries. Hear a story, practice brushing and flossing and make a souvenir to take home. For families with children ages 2-5.

FIRE MUSEUM OF MARYLAND, 1301 York Road, Lutherville MD, 410-321-7500,  www.firemuseummd.org.  Cruisin' For Our Heroes, September 11, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Antique motor fire engine muster & carshow, in conjunction with the Baltimore County Sheriff's AnnualSalute to County Fire, Police, EMS & Military Personnel for all they do for the County. Includes equipment demonstrations, fire engine rides, police/flea market, food vendor, kids activities, and more.

HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS, 4155 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC, 202-686-5807, www.hillwoodmuseum.org.  Family Fun Sunday: Bread & Salt–A Russian Tradition, Sunday, September 12, from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm. A centuries-old Russian custom continues today as hosts welcome their guests with a loaf of bread on a round plate with a cellar of salt placed on top. Platters and cellars that were once used by nobility–some of which are currently on view at Hillwood today–were often elaborately made of gilded silver and enamel. Join us in decorating your own bread and salt plate and perhaps in beginning a new tradition of welcoming friends and family into your home. Preschooler Series: Building Detectives, Thursdays, September 16, 23, and 30, from 10:30 am until 11:15 am. Search for different shapes, patterns and textures in architecture throughout the estate in this 3-part series. Each class includes exploration of a building or Mansion room, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY, 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary's City MD, 240-895-4991,  www.stmaryscity.org. Woodland Indian Discovery Day, September 11, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Explore and celebrate the lifeways of Maryland's first people. Try dancing, archery, pottery, bead-making, tool-making and try on deerskin clothes. Discover how the Yaocomaco lived comfortably using materials found in their environment.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 10 Independence Avenue SE, Washington DC, 202-707-8000, www.loc.gov.  Hooked on Books, September 10, from 2:45 pm until 3:15 pm. Young Readers Center Ground floor Thomas Jefferson building. YRC staff will read introductions and passages from great novels and chapter books. Recommended for young visitors ages 8 and up. No reservations needed. Contact: (202) 707-5815.

MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 201 West Monument Street, Baltimore MD, 410-685-3750, www.mdhs.org.  Grandparents Day, Saturday, September 11, from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. Show your grandchildren the Maryland you remember! Take a special tour of the museum, featuring a peek at Tom Miller's view of Baltimore, life on the home front in World War II, and more, and share your stories of growing up as you go. Enjoy a light snack and take home a special picture frame made by you and your grandchildren.

MARYLAND SCIENCE CENTER, 601 Light Street, Baltimore MD, 410-685-5225, www.mdsci.org.  Lunar Nights in the Observatory, Friday, September 10 and 17, from 7:00 pm until 10:30 pm. Celebrate the Moon with us from our rooftop Observatory. Galileo first aimed a telescope to the sky 400 years ago and made historic observations of the Moon and planets. Come construct a Galileoscope, a replica of Galileo’s telescope, then use it to look at the same objects Galileo looked at over 400 years ago. You’ll be able to compare the view through your Galileoscope with our larger rooftop telescope. We’ll target the Moon and planets Venus, Mars and Saturn while you’re here, but you can take your Galileoscope home for future Moon, planet and star gazing! One Galileo-scope kit per family provided by the Maryland Science Center, while supplies last. Generous program support provided by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Activities are weather dependant; please phone 410.545.2999 after 5:00pm to verify event status. Imagination & Creation Exploration Friday, September 24, at 3:00 pm. This activity is specially designed for children ages 5 through 8. Each week come and face a new I.C.E. challenge based on our monthly theme. Our theme for September is optics and light. Learn about light, play with prisms and move light with mirrors!

MARYLAND ZOO AT BALTIMORE, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore MD, 410-366-5466,  www.baltimorezoo.org.  Tot Days at The Zoo! September 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Come visit the Zoo on Mondays and Tuesdays from September 6 through September 21 and find activities specifically geared towards toddlers!

MOUNT VERNON, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon VA, 703-780-2000, www.mountvernon.org.  Colonial Market & Fair, Septebmer 18 and 19, from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. The Colonial Market & Fair event at Mount Vernon features dozens of America’s finest craftspeople and plenty of family fun! Colonial-attired artisans demonstrate 18th-century crafts and sell traditional wares. The event also features lively 18th-century entertainment including music, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, puppet and magic shows, plus hearty specialty food for sale onsite.

NATIONAL AQUARIUM IN BALTIMORE, 510 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore MD, 410-576-3800, 410-727-FISH, www.aqua.org.  Tots & Tales, September 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 10:00 am until 11:00 am. Learn about our aquatic animals through story and song. Activities begin at 10 a.m. with a story reading, followed by a close encounter with one of our animals! Then kick back and enjoy children's musical entertainment. Featured Entertainer: Ellis Woodward. Ages: 2 to 5.

NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM, 410 F Street NW, Washington DC, 202-272-2448, www.nbm.org.  Egg Drop Family Workshop, September 12, from 10:00 am until 11:30 am. Design your own container to protect an egg from a fall from the Museum’s second floor balcony! Families can experiment with engineering and architectural principles to make the perfect structural design. $7 per child, Member; $10 per child, Non-member. Ages 7 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required.

NATIONAL COLONIAL FARM, 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek MD, 301-283-2113, www.accokeek.org  African American Heritage Day, Saturday, September 25, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. "Common Ground: Connecting Food, Land, and History" will be an entertaining exploration of African American culture with a special focus on foodways of the region. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the event honors the role that African Americans have played in our regional and national history and culture. Listen to the Archie Edwards Blues Foundation perform songs about food. Learn the history of African American foodways in the region as Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson leads a panel of scholars and experts. Hear Jim Cummins, Director of the Living Resources of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, talk about fish in the Potomac, and then participate in a fishing lesson at the Accokeek Foundation's popular fishing pier. Enjoy an Iron Chef competition organized by Ronald LeGrand, who has volunteered for many years with Real Men Cook. Other attractions include artist Lorina Harris guiding young and old in making art with food, a "market' area with food vendors including Damian Mosley of Blacksauce Kitchen and 'Doc" Shields, and entertainment by Vera Oye Yaa-Anna, a West African culinary storyteller. Foodways expert Michael Twitty will give living history foodways demonstrations in the kitchen area of the farm. Actors in our award-winning museum theater program will present a short performance crafted from oral history interviews gathered at last year's African American Heritage Day. National Colonial Farm, Rain or Shine, $5 admission, Members free. Children 2 and under free.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEATH AND MEDICINE, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Building 54, Washington, D.C. 20307, 202-782-2671, 202-782-3573 (F) www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum.  Teddy Bear Clinic, Saturday, September 18, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm. Bring your favorite stuffed friend and explore the Museum’s Teddy Bear Clinic with activities and crafts designed to highlight the body, physical fitness and healthy habits. Recommended for grades Pre-K – 2

PORT DISCOVERY MUSEUM, 35 Market Place, Baltimore MD, 410-727-8120, www.portdiscovery.org.  Freaky Friday Science Lab, September 3 and 17, from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. Join them for Freaky Friday Science Labs! Each week children have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on, fun science activity designed for little learners! Today families can enjoy Sound Sandwich! Make your own instrument to explore sound! Healthy First Saturday, September 4. Start your month off the healthy way at Port Discovery! Join us for our monthly community health fair featuring "Cook & Tell" with Wegmans, KiderFit with the Kindersinger, The Baltimore Health Care Access Healthy Corner and more! Littles Day - Going to School, September 11. Join them for a special Littles Day dedicated to children ages 5 and under! Sing with the Kindersinger about Going to School, make a Bob the Builder Shrinky Dink, jump on a moonbounce and more! Mr. Norman, September 18, from 1:00pm until 1:30 pm. Enjoy Mr. Norman's special songs for little children! In the Oasis.

RENWICK GALLERY, 17th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, 202-357-2700, www.americanart.si.edu.  Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day: Passport to Argentina, Saturday, September 25, from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm. Bring the family to the kick-off of the Smithsonian’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, where you’ll enjoy Argentine-inspired crafts and art activities, music and dance performances, and storytelling.

REGINALD F. LEWIS MUSEUM OF MARYLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, 830 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202. 443-263-1800 or 443.263.1829,  www.africanamericanculture.org.  Grandparents Day, Saturday, September 11, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm. Hear the story Granddaddy’s Street Songs, create a memory book, go on a scavenger hunt and enjoy a snack. Participants receive a prize. Ages 6-8.

RIVERSDALE HOUSE MUSEUM, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737, 301-864-0420; TTY 301-446-3234, www.pgparks.com, One Squash, Two Squash, Three Squash, Four is offered Sunday, September 12 from 12:00 noon until 3:30 pm. Members of the Selections Program will use recipes for several varieties of squash grown in the Riversdale interpretive gardens. Viewing the demonstration is FREE! You are also invited to tour Riversdale House Museum. Admission is $3 adults/$2 seniors/$1 students and FREE children 4 & under. The Seasonal Selections program continues to offer special monthly cooking events with a different topic each month. Holidays, the schedule of seasonal fresh produce, and/or the traditional cycles of an early 19th century farm will inspire each months Seasonal Selection. These foodways programs are sponsored in part by Giant Food.  Simple Simon Met a Pieman is offered on Sunday, September 19 from 12:00 noon until 3:30 pm. The Riversdale Kitchen Guild hosts this activity and will demonstrate the art of pie making. The activity is FREE. You are also invited to tour Riversdale House Museum; admission is $3 adults/$2 seniors/$1 students and FREE children 4 & under.  Karen Ashbrook and Paul Oorts in Concert on Sunday, September 19 from 5:30 until 7:00 pm. As part of Riversdale House Museums Flanders in the Fall celebration, the mansion presents musicians Karen Ashbrook and Flanders native Paul Oorts. The program featuring music of Flanders and France from and about the Napoleonic period and includes music played on dulcimer, wooden flute, accordian and hommel. Belgian-inspired light refreshments will be for sale before the concert. Capacity is limited and advance payment is suggested. The fee is $15.  Maman, Papa, et Moi is offered on Friday, September 24 from 6:30 until 8:30 pm. This activity is Flanders in the Fall, a celebration of the Flemish heritage of Rosalie Stier Calvert, the mistress of Riversdale. Maman or papa, bring your children in their pajamas for an evening of Flemish fun at the museum. The program includes a traditional Belgian story, related craft, and snack. The fee is $6/resident and $8/non-resident. Reservations are necessary.

STEPPINGSTONE MUSEUM, 461 Quaker Bottom Road, Havre de Grace MD, 410-939-2299,  www.steppingstonemuseum.org.  Fall Harvest Festival & Crafts, September 25 and 26, from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. This event will feature activities such as craft booths; scarecrow making; pumpkin painting; apple bobbing & pressing; hay rides; straw maze; country music; clogging and square dancing; clowns; food; and tours. Admission $5.00.

TEXTILE MUSEUM, 2320 S. Street NW, Washington DC, 202-667-0441, www.textilemuseum.org.  Paper Dolls and Action Heroes, Saturday, September 11, from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm.Choose between designing your own paper doll wardrobe from a selection of mid-century modern patterns and your own action hero costume using a series of templates. Suitable for ages 4 to 12. Free; no reservations required.

TUDOR PLACE, 1644 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-965-0400. www.tudorplace.org.  Grandparents Day Ice Cream Social, Sunday, September 12, from 1:00 until 3:00 pm. Celebrate National Grandparents Day! Children, parents, and grandparents make their own delicious ice cream sundaes and tour 5 ½ acres of historic gardens in search of a variety of plants and animals. The family fun continues with children’s games and crafts. Member Children: $10. Nonmember Children: $12. Adults: $5.

USS CONSTELLATION, Pier 1, 301 East Pratt Street, Baltimore MD, 410-539-1797, www.historicships.org.  Ship's Company, September 25, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Constellation’s own Ship’s Company of volunteer sailors and marines come aboard to provide a unique and fascinating view of service at sea.  Presentations and hands-on activities throughout the day punctuate the daily routine and focus on day-to-day shipboard life in Mr. Lincoln’s Navy.

WASHINGTON COUNTY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, City Park, Hagerstown MD, 301-739-5727,  www.wcmfa.org.  Autumn Arts Festival, September 18, at 10:00 am. In collaboration with the City of Hagerstown, Jonathan Hager House and Museum, Hagerstown Railroad Museum and Mansion House Art Center, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts presents the 4th Annual Autumn Arts Festival. Sponsored in part by PNC Bank and Brad & Donna Pingrey, activities on Saturday at the Museum include Japanese-themed children's art projects. Children of all ages can enjoy dance and theater workshops, artist demonstrations and face painting, glitter tattoos and balloon sculpting. Music, food and an assortment of entertainment will be available throughout the park.