Fun Especially for Families Where Families Play During this time, parents are doing their best to keep the kids occupied and learning. Charlottesville is a fantastic place for families to visit and play, but now folks are doing it in a whole new way.
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The Charlottesville community has done a wonderful job of creating virtual experiences for people of all ages. Families with young children won’t want to miss the online activities currently offered by the Virginia Discovery Museum. From arts and crafts to science projects, the museum features fun for the young on their website in lieu of not being able to visit in person. Another favorite of families in the area is Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. Currently, the Garden created new ways to reach families at home. On their website, you will find a resources page for children that’s filled with virtual visits, gardening-at-home ideas, kids’ activities, online learning and more. Have a history buff in the family? Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and James Monroe’s Highland are two of many historic properties offering virtual tours. To keep little ones moving, The Little Gym of Charlottesville is also currently hosting free virtual classes on their Facebook page. While, local performing arts academies DMR Adventures and Live Arts are featuring numerous theater, dance and music classes for kids online. Additionally, young artists will be thoroughly entertained by IX Art Park’s “The Daily Creature” — a daily live stream on Facebook of stories and tutorials in sculpture and illustration that’s themed around animals. At the end of the day, gather the family around the screen for streamed concerts from local musicians as part of The Front Porch’s “Save The Music” campaign. It’s not all online fun though! If you’re looking for outdoor play and exploration, Wildrock, a nature play and discovery center in Crozet is offering families access to their trails by appointment only, as a way to ensure safe social-distancing practices. Until families can explore all of Charlottesville in person, continue to check out the creative online offerings of area businesses and venues. To find out more about how local families play, and for even more virtual resources, visit CharlottesvilleFamily.com.
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Spring/Summer 2020