Where to Play! Family Fun in Baltimore This Weekend, August 16-19

Nature play dates, catapult building, pups and pancakes, and more — oh my! There are so many fun things to do with kids in and around Baltimore this weekend. 

Join us on Sunday at ERAFAN’s Family Nature Play Day at Cromwell Park! Outdoor games, guided trail walks, stream-searching, mud face painting, song circles, storytelling, live animal encounters, and natural art experiences are all part of the fun! Choose your outdoor adventures from a rotating schedule of activities and guided experiences. (Rain or shine — dress for the weather!) FREE for Summer Passport holders and just $10/family for non-passport holders. 

Where to Play! Family Fun in Baltimore This Weekend, August 16-19

Baltimore City

$2 Family Fun Night presented by Ports America Chesapeake
August 16 | 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Port Discovery Children’s Museum

Yippie! $2 Family Fun Night is back this August thanks to support from Ports America Chesapeake! Join us for $2 Family Fun Night from 4PM – 8PM on Friday, August 16th! Explore BIG new exhibits, The SkyClimber and The Port, plus three floors of interactive and educational exhibits like Tiny’s Diner, Wonders of Water and more! *No discounts, coupons or additional promotions can be combined with this offer. *Tickets must be purchased on-site the day of the event. MORE

Drop In Art: Clothing and Fashion
August 17 and 18 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Walters Art Museum

Drop-in, explore materials, and create a work of art to take home at The Walters Art Museum! Each weekend features a new project, so check back to discover what they have in store. MORE

Weekend Workers at The BMI: Build Your Own Catapult
August 17 | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Baltimore Museum of Industry

It’s all about fun as you discover how things work. These engaging activities allow children of all ages to investigate the world around them. Please note, weekly activities are subject to change. This weekend, build your own catapult! MORE

Pups & Pancakes Brunch at The Can Company
August 17 | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Can Company

Head to The Can Company for Pups & Pancakes Brunch! Enjoy 30% OFF Entire Check* at The Original Pancake House, Free Pancakes for Pups, Free Dog Express Washes (for short to medium coat dogs under 50 lbs – first come, first served), Free Nail Trims for pets, Dogs of Charm City Pop-Up Shop, Live Music, Photobooth, Balloon Art, Giveaways and MORE! All dogs must remain on a leash at all times while attending event. *Some Exclusions Apply MORE

Baltimore School of Music Open House
August 17 | 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Baltimore School of Music

Experience Baltimore School of Music at our fun-filled open house for the whole community! Our Open House features student performances, an instrument petting zoo, Mini Maestro demo classes, and musical activities for all ages. Come for an hour or stay for the afternoon. This event is free for the whole family! MORE

Black Girls Cook: Youth Cooking Class
August 17 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Some days are just too hot to even consider turning on the stove! In this class, students will learn how to beat the heat and chill out with a refreshing Mediterranean Rotisserie Chicken Salad Wrap perfect for a hot summer afternoon. This cooking class is presented by Chef Nichole A. Mooney of Black Girls Can Cook, a vocal advocate for teaching and inspiring adolescent girls of color to mature into young responsible women through the art of cooking and urban gardening. MORE

Imagination Lunchbox’s International Children Film Fest
August 17 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center

By request, the 3rd annual “Imagination Lunchbox International Children’s Film Fest returns to Baltimore to the Eubie Blake Cultural Center screening short films made by kids and for kids from around the world. Admission is free! MORE

Family Fun Day 5K
August 18 | 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Canton Waterfront Park

Grab your family, friends, co-workers and fellow park enthusiasts to enjoy one of our runners and walkers alike will enjoy the fresh air, community engagement, fitness, and fun. ALL proceeds from the $5 5K series benefit Baltimore City Rec and Parks’ programming. MORE

Baltimore County

Adam Stone Magic at Poulet
August 16 | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Poulet

On Friday, August 16th from 5 to 7, magician Adam Stone will appear at POULET restaurant Timonium! He will be performing tableside for anyone who loves magic or just enjoys writing with sharpies on cards while eating chicken and ice cream. He will also be doing some mind reading and general silliness as well. MORE

Aviation Open Cockpit Day
August 17 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum

On Saturday, August 17, the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum at Martin State Airport holds a family fun double header celebration of National Aviation Day, which is Orville Wright’s birthday, and Spirit of 45 Day, saluting the World War II generation with an Open Cockpit and Flea Market Day. Children 5 years old and older and adults can imagine being a pilot as they explore the inside of open jet fighters, a passenger plane, helicopter and other aircraft 9am to 1pm. The last bus to the airplanes departs at 12pm. MORE

Hot August Music Festival
August 17 | 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Oregon Ridge Park

The 27th annual Hot August Music Festival will return to Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, Maryland on August 17. Organizers of the long-running event have detailed the musical lineup for this year’s Hot August Music Festival: Dirty Grass Players, Melvin Seals and JGB, Billy Strings, Turkuaz, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Travers Brothership, Larry McCray, The Lil Smokies, Samantha Fish, The Old Part of Town, Cedric Burnside, and Vanessa Collier. MORE

Water, Water Everywhere!
August 17 | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Cool off on a hot August day as you explore the water cycle through activities and experiments including a scavenger hunt and a water cycle game. Adults and children 6+. Please call to register! Some programs will fill, in which case, walk-in guests cannot be accommodated. 410-887-1815 or info@OregonRidgeNatureCenter.org. MORE

Painting in the Park to Benefit My Altered Wardrobe
August 17 | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Central Park, Owings Mills

Paint in the park for a GREAT cause! This event will be lots of fun for the entire family! The class will be lead by an elementary teacher w/ Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the kids will painting a sweet island scene of two children looking over the ocean. There will be free refreshments and an array of snacks for the entire family. Hosted by My Altered Wardrobe, A Nonprofit Organization Assisting Cancer Patients in the Greater Baltimore Area. MORE

Family Nature Play Day at Cromwell Valley Park
August 18 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Cromwell Valley Park

Enjoy a summer day of good old-fashioned nature play! Outdoor games, guided trail walks, stream-searching, mud face painting, song circles, storytelling, live animal encounters, and natural art experiences are all part of the fun! Choose your outdoor adventures from a rotating schedule of activities and guided experiences. Nature-based educators will help you dig into all kinds of nature play you’re sure to love – in rain or shine! Just $10/family **Summer Adventure Passport Holders get FREE Admission! MORE

Mud Day at Lake Roland
August 18 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Get down and dirty exploring the world of mud! We’ll have mud painting, mud sculptures, mud games, a muddy obstacle course, and of course-the very popular mud pit! Clean off by running through our sprinklers or get hosed off by the fire department. Wear clothes that can get wet and muddy! Please wear water shoes or Crocs to run the obstacle course! Registration required. All ages! Parents welcome! MUST Register in Advance. MORE

Harford County

Summer Movie Night: Trolls
August 16 | 7:15 pm – 10:00 pm
Shamrock Park

Six times a year, the Bel Air community comes together to watch movies under the stars. The Bel Air Downtown Alliance’s Summer Movies Nights, held in Shamrock Park, are fun for the whole family! The pre-movie entertainment starts at 7:15 and is provided by the Bel Air Cultural Arts Commission. They’ll have food trucks as well if you’d like to buy dinner. MORE

56th Annual Havre de Grace Art Show
August 17, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm | August 18, 10 am – 5 pm
Millard E. Tydings Memorial Park

The Havre de Grace Art Show proudly showcases the talents of artists and craftsman from throughout the country. Come enjoy the live entertainment, children’s entertainment and a variety specialty foods and more. MORE

2019 Free Community Festival
August 17 | 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Forest Hill Presbyterian Church

Forest Hill Presbyterian Church’s Free Community Festival is a unique blessing to our community. Three large bounce houses. Lots of great games. Live music from The Fifty-7’s. Pulled Pork BBQ, Hebrew National Hot Dogs, Chips, Cookies, Drinks, Snow-Balls, Cotton Candy, Face Painting, and so much more – and it’s ALL FREE! That’s right, no charge, no donations. Everything – food included – is free. MORE

Howard County

Archeology Lab Day
August 17 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Site TBD

For every hour spent doing fieldwork, archaeologists spend at least two hours in the lab washing, labeling, and cataloging all of the artifacts! Join members of the Upper Patuxent Archaeology Group to work with collections from different sites in Howard County. Bring your own artifacts in for identification, or come with questions! No experience necessary. Info: Kelly Palich, palich@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-0423. Contact Kelly to confirm location. MORE

Pat Moore Book Signing at Barnes and Noble
August 17 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Barnes and Noble Columbia

Take a journey throughout the seasons with Pat Moore’s Fall Rain Children’s Book and Fall Rain Coloring and Activity Book. MORE

Back-to-School Bash with Nickelodeon star Riele Downs
August 17 | 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
The Mall in Columbia

Head to Columbia Mall on August 17 for a free, family-fun event! Kick off the school year with giveaways, an exclusive gift with purchase, back-to-school fashion features, entertainment, and your very own chance to meet a Nickelodeon Star! That’s right—your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you! Enjoy a Meet & Greet with Riele Downs at 12PM in the Lord & Taylor Wing. She’ll be snapping pics with fans, so make sure to arrive early for your chance to have your photo taken with her! MORE

Wine Bin Movies: Spiderman – Into the Spiderverse
August 17 | 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Wine Bin

Head to the Wine Bin for a family-friendly outdoor movie! Miles Morales is a New York teen struggling with school, friends and, on top of that, being the new Spider-Man. When he comes across Peter Parker, the erstwhile saviour of New York, in the multiverse, Miles must train to become the new protector of his city. Movie starts at 9 PM. FREE! MORE