Potomac Rriver

When you go on vacation, it's easy to spend money on museums, water parks, theme parks and food. The secret to a cheap family vacation is to figure out where you can cut expenses yet still have a fabulous time.

Well, Washington, DC provides numerous free activities for you and the kids. I'll share 5 of them with you here:

1. Museums: Most of the museums in Washington, DC are free. Some of the best ones are conveniently located near each other on the National Mall, and some are particularly kid friendly. The Air and Space museum, Museum of Natural History and even the US Post Office museum are particular kid favorites. The National Building Museum, which may not sound exciting at first, offers a play area on the second floor with blocks, toy tools, and more to teach about building.

2. Parks: One of the best-kept secrets in the Washington area is Gravelly Point Park located close to the end of the Regan National Airport runway. It's located off the northbound George Washington Parkway in Arlington, VA. You'll get a beautiful view of the Washington skyline across the Potomac River, and you can often have an up-close view of the airplanes landing at the airport. Entire families visit the park to picnic and to watch the planes land.

3. Markets: Visit the outdoor Eastern Market for an outdoor shopping experience. You can sample fresh and homemade food and see what local artists offer in the way of photographs, paintings, and jewelry.

4. Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center: Free concerts and performances are offered every day of the year at the Kennedy Center. For restless children, there's room to stand and move around in the back.

5. Memorials: Washington, as you may know, is full of memorials. The back steps of the Lincoln Memorial offer a good view of the bridge that leads to Arlington National cemetery, and the front steps offer a view of the George Washington Memorial. The Vietnam War Memorial and the World War II memorial are close by, so this is an outing in which you can see a lot in a short time. You can also save on transportation since you won't have to take a taxi or use a rental car. Bring your lunch and you can eat on one of the many benches by the reflecting pool and feed the ducks.

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