50 Things to Do With Kids in Baltimore this May

Crab Derby, Flower Mart, Kinetic Sculptures, Big Trucks, and MORE! Here are 50 don’t-miss things to do with kids in Baltimore this May!

50 Things to Do With Kids in Baltimore this May

School House Rock
May 1 till May 25 | Times Vary | Toby’s Dinner & Show Youth Theatre

The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught kids through clever, tuneful songs is live on stage! It follows Tom, a school teacher who is nervous about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching TV, when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music! Recommended for all ages. MORE

Alice in Wonderland
Dates and Times Vary | Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.  This fantastical tale, full of clever wordplay and timeless characters, is as beloved by adults as by children.  “Curiouser and curiouser,” Alice’s adventures reveal her pluck, innocence, resourcefulness, and imagination. Come with us to a day-glo Wonderland of absurd riddles, amazing creatures, and dazzling costumes and puppets that are both contemporary and inspired by the classic illustrations of Sir John Tenneil.  Bring your kids! Bring your parents! Alice will entertain your whole family. MORE

Jousting!
May 2 till July 4 | 11 AM – 11:30 AM | Port Discovery Children’s Museum

Ride Hippity Hop horses and use Port Discovery’s special lances to join in a joust. Learn about this very old game that is also one of Maryland’s State Sports while strengthening balance skills and learning that being active is a lot of fun. MORE

The World Famous Harlem Wizards
May 3 | 7 PM – 9 PM | Coppin State University

Started in 1962 by New York sports promoter Howie Davis, and now celebrating 54 years of Wizardry, he envisioned a show and organization that would put a different spin on show basketball. What makes a Wizards show “awe-inspiring” or as the kids and teens say, “off the hizzle?” Some say it’s the oohs and aahs created by the thunderous, sky-high slams. For others, it’s the humor and seeing the teachers being good sports and having fun on the court with the Wizards. The comedy, the audience participation, and the spontaneity delivered as a world-class show, in an intimate and community setting adds up to a night to be experienced and treasured. MORE

OrchKids 10th Anniversary Celebration
May 3 | 7:30 PM – 9 PM | The Baltimore War Memorial

Join the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids in celebrating 10 years of transforming the lives of Baltimore City youth through the power of music with a special celebration concert, featuring a special performance conducted by BSO Music Director and OrchKids founder, Marin Alsop. MORE

Family Fun Fridays at The Inner Harbor
Fridays from May 4 till September 14 | Times Vary | Inner Harbor & Surrounding Area

Join the fun at the Inner Harbor all day every Friday at Family Fun Fridays, May 4 through September 14. Featuring discounts at world-class attractions including National Aquarium, Port Discovery and Maryland Science Center, free entertainment, kid-friendly dining options and more! MORE

FlowerMart
May 4 and May 5 | 11 AM – 8 PM | Mt. Vernon Washington Monument

FlowerMart, the time-honored rite of Spring kicks off with everyone’s favorite traditions — lemon peppermint sticks, fantastic food, grand hats, original arts and crafts, kids activities, and flowers, flowers and more beautiful flowers. Children’s activities include puppet shows, games, balloons, face painting, glitter, tattoos, henna, body art, make-your-own arts and crafts including flower picture boards. MORE

May the 4th Be With You
May 4 | 4 PM – 8 PM | Main Street at Ellicott City

Old Ellicott City will transform into a rebel base where the entire family will enjoy the May the 4th Be With You Star Wars event to benefit Make A Wish Foundation and Voices for Children! Events include a costume contest, Traverse the Galaxy scavenger hunt in the shops, raffles, Saber Legion battle and more. MORE

Super Science Sleepover: May the Fourth be with You.
May 4, 5:30 PM – May 5, 9 AM | Maryland Science Center

Hop into your Landspeeders and head to the Maryland Science Center for a night of family fun in a galaxy far, far away. Use the Force to train like a Jedi, build your own LED lightsabers, and travel with the Ewoks through the treetops of Endor. When the Empire has been defeated and it’s time to head back to earth, you’ll get to sleep in MSC’s exhibit halls. MORE

Pokemon Go!
May 4 | 6 PM – 10 PM | Anita C. Leight Estuary Center

Get special access to the Estuary Center and Leight Park after the sun sets to search for Pokemon! There are 15 pokestops and 3 gyms throughout the trails. Bring a fully charged phone, a flashlight, and a few friends to see how many Pokemon you can catch! Refreshments will be provided. Ages 6 – adult, under 13 w/adult. MORE

Mini Masquerade Ball
May 5 | 10 AM – 12 PM | Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric

Masks, hoopla, music, and more! Dress up the kids (because, really, who doesn’t love cute kids all dressed up?) and bring them dancing to WTMD’s Saturday Morning Tunes Mini Masquerade Ball! They are packing a TON of fun into two hours: catch a performing by one of Baltimore’s best party bands, Bachelor Boys Band (playing all of WTMD’s favorite kid-approved songs), hula hooping stilt walkers, juggling uni-cyclists, interactive hula hooping, face painting, arts, crafts, a masquerade-themed photo booth, Lohr Family Follies, pint-sized fancy finger foods, sparkling cider toast at 11, and more. MORE

Annual Steam Show
May 5 | 10 AM – 2 PM | The Fire Museum of Maryland

Hose wagon rides, demonstrations with hand- and horse-drawn apparatus, working steam engines, antique models, kids’ contests, working draft horses, Dalmatians, and food vendors! Fun for the whole family! MORE

51st Annual Towsontown Spring Festival
May 5, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM | May 6, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Downtown Towson

If you are a thrill-seeker, foodie, music lover, or just a Baltimore explorer, this is your kind of festival. Visit 400+ vendors that offer unique crafts, jewelry, art, food, and more! Two stages of live music will feature some of the best music in Baltimore. MORE

20th Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race: Mysteries and Tall Tales
May 5 | 10 AM – 6 PM | American Visionary Art Museum

From the American Visionary Art Museum—a race through Baltimore of wacky, imaginative, TOTALLY HUMAN-POWERED WORKS OF ART, DESIGNED TO TRAVEL ON LAND, THROUGH MUD, AND OVER DEEP BALTIMORE INNER HARBOR WATERS, constructed out of used bicycles, gears, and parts, created by a lunatic genius who tinkers around in the garage or backyard (do you know this person?)! The machines can be simple, small crafts, piloted by only one brave soul, or they can be over 50 feet long, extremely well-engineered, sophisticated vehicles powered by a team of pilots. MORE

6th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair
May 5 | 11 AM – 4 PM | Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Join Reginald F. Lewis Museum for a fun-filled day focused on kids’ literature about African Americans and people of other ethnicities. Enjoy author readings, illustration workshops, live performances, and art activities. MORE

Science Happens Here! IMET Open House
May 5 | 1 PM – 4 PM | Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology

Have you ever wondered what happens in that unusual building with the tent-like roof at the Inner Harbor? Science happens! The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology opens its doors for a free Open House to share exciting discoveries happening at the harbor’s edge. Enjoy hands-on science activities for kids all ages, meet scientists, and discover important environmental research being done at the Inner Harbor. MORE

White Marsh’s 30th Anniversary Celebration
May 5 | 6 PM – 9 PM | Baltimore County Public Library – White Marsh

Celebrate White Marsh’s 30th anniversary with a family-friendly, fun-filled night. Activities include hula hooping with Baltimore Hoop Love, musical performance by Joppa View Elementary Bucket Band, balloon animals with Tom Lilly and acoustic ’80s music by Chris Montcalmo. MORE

Chef Egg Live: Farmers Market Family Cook Off
May 6 | 9:30 AM – 11 AM | Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar

Join Baltimore’s own Chef Egg at the Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar the first Sunday of every month for a unique cooking “eggsperience.” The chef will take you on a quick tour of the market to visit local producers and makers. Then you will prepare easy recipes made with farm fresh ingredients from the market. Chef Egg wants to give you and your family the skills they need to succeed in the kitchen and lead a healthy lifestyle. MORE

Junior Photo Safari
May 6 | 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Maryland Zoo

Join Maryland Zoo for a 90-minute photo safari: kids only! Aspiring wildlife photographers ages 8-14 will receive an educational Zoo tour, learning the basic skills and special tricks needed to capture stunning shots of animals. All experience levels are welcome as we explore the biodiversity of the animal kingdom through the lens of a camera. MORE

The Length of a String Launch Party
May 6 | 2 PM – 3:30 PM | Afters Cafe

Celebrate the release of Elissa Brent Weissman’s (Baltimore mom and author!) “The Length of a String” with friends and fro-yo! This new middle grades novel is perfect for kids in grades 5-9. MORE

Broadway LIVE! (Family Friendly)
May 8 | 6 PM – 7:30 PM | Motor House

Hosted by Broadway veteran, CJay Philip and featuring the talented theater companies, singers, and actors of Baltimore. Broadway LIVE! is back with food, drinks, and a fun night out for Broadway Lovers! MORE

Children’s Dinner Theatre: Baby Beats with Mr. Root and Max
May 11 | 5:30 PM – 7 PM | St. James Academy

Looking for a family night out that’s affordable, delicious, and entertaining? St. James Academy’s Children’s Dinner Theatre series aims to provide quality local entertainment for children and parents. A casual dinner is served in Macdonald Hall at 5:30 PM followed by the evening’s performance at 6:15 PM in the Susan Tucker Moore Theatre. Dinner is $6 per person and the show is $6 per guest. Children under 2 are free and $48 max cost per family. Join them on Friday, May 11th for Baby Beats with Max and Root! Join beatboxing dads, Jamaal “Mr. Root” Collier and Max Bent, for an interactive musical performance. MORE

Preakness Balloon Festival
May 11 – May 13 | 6 AM – 9 PM | Howard County Fairgrounds

WCBM and WQLL present the annual Preakness Balloon Festival with over 15 hot air balloons, tethered balloon rides, a large kid zone, a beer and wine garden, Maryland’s finest vendors, the Baltimore area’s best food, a balloon glow after dusk, live music on the main stage by Pressing Strings, Higher Education, Spencer Joyce, Rhett Repko, Shiftwork and many more! Please check the website for specific activity times. MORE

Movie with Orchestra: Raiders of the Lost Ark
May 11, 8 PM – 10 PM | May 12, 8 PM – 10 PM | May 13, 3 PM – 5 PM | Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Under the baton of Jack Everly, experience Raiders of the Lost Ark like never before as the BSO performs John Williams’ epic score alongside the classic Steven Spielberg film. MORE

Big Truck Day
May 12 | 9 AM – 1 PM | The Baltimore Museum of Industry

Get a close look at work trucks, emergency vehicles, construction equipment, and other machines from the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Outdoor event, rain or shine. MORE

Parent and Me: Donuts
May 12 | 10AM – 12 PM | Baltimore Chef Shop

What? Did someone say donuts? A class for young chefs and their parents to work together in the kitchen. This class is identical to the standard Donuts class. Come join BCS in making these tasty treats! For youth ages 8 – 17. MORE

PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure”
May 12 and May 13 | Times Vary | The Hippodrome

X barks the spot in the new tour PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure”! It’s Pirate Day in Adventure Bay, and Mayor Goodway is getting ready for a big celebration! But firs

t, Ryder and his team of pirate pups must rescue Cap’n Turbot from a mysterious cavern. MORE

Improv for Kids
May 12 | 10 AM – 11:30 AM | Baltimore Improv Group

Do your kids love to make believe? Are they creative? Do you think they might be funnier than you? Then have them join The Baltimore Improv Group for a fun class of improvisational theater! Students ages 7-12 will learn the basics of improv, including creati

ng solid scene work and fun characters. MORE

(cool) progeny presents an Around the World Play Date!
May 12 | 10 AM – 12 PM | St. Paul’s Plus Preschool

Grab your ‘passport’ and join (cool) progeny for a morning of international fun at St. Paul’s Plus Preschool on Saturday, May 12th! We’ll be ‘traveling’ from Spain to Hungary to South Korea to Japan and back to the United States! Enjoy performances by Baltimore Taiko Drums, drum with Beatwell, get up close and personal with animal friends in a live petting zoo, create cultural crafts, taste dishes from several countries, and more! MORE

Shore Party
May 12 and May 13 | 10 AM – 4:30 PM | Historic London Town & Gardens

Join living history sailors to try your hand at rope making and seamanship, learn how sailors lived day to day, and experience the art and science of navigation. Free costume rentals are available to children. MORE

Manners Still Matter! Lessons in Modern Manners with the International School of Protocol
May 12 | 11 AM – 12 PM | Maryland Historical Society

Join The International School of Protocol, the premier provider of etiquette training, for an interactive hour of modern manners that will empower your child or teen with some table manners and social graces. Learn the history of dining, behaviors at the table, introductions and handshakes and behavior in public places. MORE

Wild West Express Featuring The James Younger Gang
May 12 | Times Vary | Steam Into History

This gang of American Outlaws was well-known in the 19th century. The group included the notorious Jesse James and the Younger brothers. Their infamous group will be robbing the train for trinkets and jewels (provided). Come out for a good time and a great cause! The train will ride to Seitzland, PA and return to New Freedom, PA. Caution: Riders will experience the sites and sounds of very loud, actual gunfire during the ride. MORE

Pumpkin Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Production of Little Red
May 12 and May 19 | Times Vary | Single Carrot Theatre

Pumpkin Theatre, Baltimore’s oldest operating children’s theatre is thrilled to be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Join them this spring as they partner with Single Carrot Theatre in presenting the world premiere of Little Red! In this adaptation of the beloved fairytale, the Wolf is a young pup who forgets his mother’s warnings to stay off of the forest path. Meanwhile Little Red, on her way to Grandma’s house gets swept up in adventures with some fascinating characters. Fate brings Wolf and Red together where their hijinks get them both in trouble! MORE

Children’s Playhouse of Maryland presents: Hairspray
May 12, May 13, May 19, May 20 | Times Vary | CCBC – Essex

“You can’t stop the beat” in this big and bold musical about one girl’s inspiring dream to dance. It’s 1962 Baltimore and change is in the air! Hairspray, the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. MORE

Weekend Walk-In: Mystery Rock
May 12 | 1 PM – 4 PM | American Visionary Art Museum

Spread kindness & smiles! Paint a rock with a design or message, then leave it somewhere for a stranger to find, at AVAM’s next Weekend Walk-in Workshop on Saturday, May 12, 1-4pm. This is part of their monthly series of hands-on, drop-in, art-making workshops. Head to AVAM and their Education staff will help you explore new creative territory and make a project inspired by one of our beloved visionary artists. Supplies and boundless inspiration provided! MORE

Animals Animals: Wildlife Games & Stories
May 13 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Robinson Nature Center

Families, come explore nature in an engaging, play-to-learn platform with staff from Port Discovery Children’s museum. Programs integrate music, games, and nature exploration. Create rhythms, play with sound, use your imagination to be like an animal and discover the world around you. MORE

Super Scientific Circus
May 16 | 10:15 AM and 12 PM | Goucher College

Proving that science can be fun using amazing circus skills involving boomerangs bubbles beach balls bullwhips magic and mime. Students will learn about friction inertia centrifugal force aerodynamics sonic booms air pressure and ultraviolet light. They will also learn how to make and throw a boomerang how to blow giant soap bubbles and how to put a needle through a balloon. First prize winner at the International Circus Festival and featured performer on ABC and HBO circus specials. Internationally traveled performer. (NO Clowns or Animals in this show.) MORE

Lexington Market Crab Derby 2018
May 17 | 4 PM – 8 PM | Lexington Market

Join Lexington Market for the Annual Lexington Market Crab Derby. The event will feature food from some of Lexington Market’s most iconic vendors, live music by Stryker’s Posse, games, a VIP area, family zone, and of course the world-famous Lexington Market Crab Derby. The Lexington Market Crab Derby is fun for all ages! MORE

Young Playwrights Festival
May 18 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Baltimore Center Stage

The Young Playwrights Festival, a Baltimore Center Stage tradition for over 31 years, welcomes 10-minute play submissions from across the state of Maryland around this year’s theme, “Ball of Confusion.” Six young playwrights have been chosen to have their plays workshopped with professionals and then fully produced at Baltimore Center Stage in their newly renovated Head Theater. MORE

Harford Dance Theatre presents Aladdin
May 18 – May 20 | Times Vary | Harford Community College – Chesapeake Center

From the same company that brings you Harriet’s Happiest Halloween, join Aladdin and his friends on this action-packed adventure filled with magic, romance, and fun. After meeting an evil magician, Aladdin gets tricked and finds himself trapped in a cave with the magic lamp and the wacky genie who lives inside. Fasten your seatbelts and take a magic carpet ride that’s sure to grant all of your wishes in this adaption for all ages. MORE

Family Pottery Workshop
May 19 | 9 AM – 12 PM | Chesapeake Arts Center

Clay has the transformative quality to bring people together through shared creative art-making. Experiment and explore in one of these three-hour sessions for adults and youth who are curious about clay. You will be guided through the basic principles of hand-building while having fun in a relaxed classroom environment. Students will have the option to make functional pottery or unique sculptural forms. MORE

Ren Faire
May 19 | 10 AM – 3 PM | Baltimore County Public Library – Towson

Join the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Public Library for a day of Renaissance fun with magicians, singers, jugglers and medieval reenactors. Games, crafts, face painting, story time, knighting ceremony and more are available! MORE

Asian Pacific Heritage Day & PowerPlant Live! & Port Discovery Family Fun Day!
May 19 | 10 AM – 5 PM | Port Discovery Children’s Museum

Celebrate and learn about Asian Pacific traditions and culture as you create cherry blossom amulets, become an unstoppable thespian as you learn how to create, produce, and star in your own play during an interactive theater workshop Play within a Play!, make take-home panda art projects, have Phun with Physics with Mr. Greg, and much, much more! Plus, as part of the PowerPlant Live! and Port Discovery Family Fun Day Series, enjoy access to indoor and outdoor fun for the whole family. MORE

Mad Hot Ballroom
May 19 | 11 AM – 1 PM | Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House

Documentary filmmaker Marilyn Agrelo chronicles the lives of several New York City schoolchildren as they get ready for a dancing competition sponsored by the nonprofit group American Ballroom Theater. As the finals of the competition near, the students — ranging in age from 10 to 11 and coming from both poor and affluent neighborhoods — make their transformation from reticent novices to confident contestants versed in the Latin styles of foxtrot, merengue and rumba. MORE

Let’s Make a Mess!
May 20 | 10 AM – 11:30 AM | The Bryn Mawr School

The Bryn Mawr School invites preschool-aged children for a morning of fun, exploration, and mess-making that parents don’t have to clean up! (Best part? It’s FREE!) Kids can make slime, play with their food, and use their fingers and toes to create an original masterpiece. All are welcome, best suited for 4-6 year olds. Children must be accompanied by an adult. RSVP by May 11. MORE

Pollinator Fairy Garden Workshop
May 20 | 2 PM – 4 PM | Cylburn Arboretum

Join Cylburn Arboretum for an informative, fun and whimsical pollinator workshop for kids. Kids will learn how bees and the flowers have made each other happy over the past one hundred thirty million years. They’ll learn why bees are not only friends with flowers, but also your friends as well. Kids will interact with a hands-on pollinator fairy garden containing all the elements of an outdoor garden including native, pollinator-friendly plants; a miniature mason bee house; a pile of sticks for bees to nest in; and a water source for wildlife. It will also include a fairy house, and an assortment of fairies and animals and toys used to demonstrate real-life ecosystems. MORE

Another Night of Magic – Music Inspired by Disney
May 22 | 6 PM – 8 PM | Angel Park

Baltimore Symphonic Band will perform “Another Night of Magic – Music Inspired by Disney” during Angel Park’s kick-off to summer series of family entertainment! Prince and princess attire encouraged. Pre-show entertainment beginning at 5:30 PM with face painting and Kona Ice for sale. MORE

Memorial Day Weekend Celebration
May 25 | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM | Port Discovery Children’s Museum

It’s Memorial Day Weekend…which means it’s time to celebrate the unofficial start to summer fun! Join Port Discovery for weekend-long festivities. Characters jump off the page and into our imaginations in Circle Time, build early childhood literacy skills in Mother Goose On The Loose®, and stretch out your bodies and become the best version of yourself in Life On Yoga Mountain. MORE

Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice™ Exhibit
May 26 to September 9 | Times Vary | Port Discovery Children’s Museum

Travel back in time to when dinosaurs last roamed the land at Port Discovery Children’s Museum! Encounter unfamiliar landscapes and touchable dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes including a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops, and investigate clues about what the dinosaurs left behind. Explore areas and activities including the Land of Fire, the Land of Ice, and a Field Research Station, where children can pretend to be paleontologists. MORE

Baltimore Herb Festival
May 26 | 9:30 AM – 3 PM | Leakin Park

The 31st annual Baltimore Herb Festival will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at Leakin Park. In addition to shopping the 50+ plant and garden vendors, entertainment will include two bands, free rides on real miniature steam trains, and herb and gardening lectures. MORE

Repticon Baltimore Reptile & Exotic Animal Expo
May 26, 10 AM – 5 PM | May 27, 10 AM – 4 PM | Maryland State Fairgrounds

Repticon Baltimore is a reptile event featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise. Participate in free raffles held for enthusiasts, animal seminars, and kid’s activities. MORE

Superhero Science
May 26 | 12 PM – 4 PM | Maryland Science Center

Evil lurks beneath the Maryland Science Center. The foul Dr. Beaker has revealed a malicious plot to suck the all fun out of the Science Center. The courageous Captain Carbon may be our only hope! But she needs YOUR help. Harness the powers of your favorite superheroes to defeat Dr. Beaker–manipulate magnetic fields, learn the secret to effective disguise, achieve superhuman speed, and more–and receive the key to MSC. MORE