A Cherry Blossom Weekend in DC with Kids

Arrive by 7:30 a.m. to experience the blossoms in morning light without navigating heavy crowds. The flat two-mile loop path accommodates strollers easily and links the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. You can find accessible public restrooms and elevators on the lower level of the Jefferson Memorial and at both entrances of the FDR Memorial.

When cold wind or sudden spring showers cut your walk short, head to the National Mall for free walk-in entry. Kids can marvel at Henry the African elephant in the rotunda and touch fossil casts in the Deep Time hall without advance tickets.

Gather on the lawns around the Washington Monument to watch hundreds of kites soar over the capital during the festival's dedicated kite day. Families can bring their own kites to fly on the open grass, try hands-on craft tents, and watch energetic taiko drumming shows at the Sylvan Theater. Open space lets children run freely while staying in clear view of the skyline.

If wind drops or legs tire out, duck inside this landmark aviation museum on Independence Avenue. Children can touch a real sample of lunar rock, see the 1903 Wright Flyer, and explore walk-through spacecraft displays. Free timed-entry passes must be booked online ahead of time.

Head south of the Tidal Basin to East Potomac Park for an easy walk along the river where dark pink Kwanzan cherry trees bloom without the dense crowds. Stop at East Potomac Golf Links to play an 18-hole miniature golf course originally built in 1931, complete with landmark obstacles of the Capitol and White House. Kids love putting past miniature monuments while watching low-flying passenger jets descend toward Reagan National Airport.