Hi there!

Welcome to the third issue of Clovie's Newsletter: The Little Loop.

We are officially in the deep end of summer. My 3-year old just started jumping off the diving board, which means I now spend my weekends treading water underneath it, arms out, telling a kid I have got them when that kid very clearly no longer needs to be got.

The pool has become our whole season. And not just the swimming part. The people part. It took years, and I do mean years, but we finally have the thing where you walk in and someone waves you toward the shady chairs and hands over the good snacks. Where the kids peel off in a pack and you get to finish an actual sentence.

That feeling, the walk-in-and-belong one, is the entire reason Clovie exists. Finding your people out here is harder than it should be, and I got tired of doing it the slow way. Some weeks that looks like a swim class. Some weeks it is just showing up to the same pool every single Saturday and Sunday until the faces go from strangers to regulars.

This week, five ways to find your version of the shady chairs.

Still Growing Clovie

NEW ON CLOVIE: we've had multiple publications in the DMV reach out to us to learn more about Clovie. You may be seeing us in a local magazine at the end of August!

WHAT'S NEW ON THE PLATFORM: we are about to launch local events on Clovie! Look out on our instagram (@clovie.kids) for the announcement.

Just Show Up

No calendar juggling. Go whenever the morning falls apart.

​Wheaton Miniature Train & Carousel (Wheaton)
​All ages, magic for toddlers · Open daily in summer (hours shift, and heat can pause the train) · $4 per ride, or 10 for $36 · No reservation · Wheaton Regional Park

A mini train that chugs a two-mile loop through the woods, over a little trestle bridge and through an actual tunnel, with a gorgeous new carousel parked right beside it. This is peak toddler joy for four dollars. The giant playground and Pine Lake are steps away, so it stretches into a whole morning without much effort. We are a big fan of the Cabin John train, and the Wheaton train is right up there on our list.

​Croydon Creek Nature Center (Rockville)
​Best for toddlers and up · Tue to Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 1 to 4pm, closed Mondays · Free · Walk-in, no reservation​
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A small, free nature center tucked into Rockville Civic Center Park, with live turtles and snakes inside, a discovery area built for little hands, and an outdoor nature kitchen and sound garden for the kids who just need to bang on something. It is exactly the right size for a toddler attention span, and the AC is a genuine mercy on a July afternoon. One note: the forest-preserve trail is closed for a stream project through September, but the center and the park grounds around it are wide open.

On the Calendar

Worth putting on the fridge. One of these is next week, so plan ahead.

​Saturday Morning at the Kensington Market (Kensingon)
​Sat, July 18 · Live music 10 to 11am at Howard Avenue Park · Free · By the Kensington train station

The lowest-lift Saturday on this list. Peaches and pastries at the market by the train station, then wander across to Howard Avenue Park for live music from 10 to 11 AM. Nothing to sign up for, nobody tracking nap windows. Just a morning that makes you feel like you live in a small town instead of off an interchange. This Saturday is the Lovejoy Group with jazz music.

​Blueberry Picking at Butler's Orchard (Germantown)
​Sat & Sun, July 18-19 · Sat 8:30am to 4pm, Sun 8:30am to 6pm · $5/person, under 2 free (includes Farm Park) · Reserve ahead · Germantown

Blueberry season is peaking, and Butler's is the platonic ideal of a toddler farm morning. The bushes sit right at kid height, so even the under-two crowd can pick and eat without you crouching in the dirt for them. Admission includes the Farm Park, so when little legs quit on the berries, there are animals and play areas to wander to. Reserve your slot and buy your container ahead, go early before the heat, and note they are closed Mondays.

​The Great Zucchini at Parks Playhouse Junior (Potomac)
​Wed, July 22 · 10 to 11am · Free · Cabin John Regional Park · Best for ages 2-5

Even though it's on a Wednesday, this was too rare of an opportunity to leave off. The Great Zucchini is a legitimate DMV preschool celebrity, the guy every birthday party wants and nobody can book, doing a free morning show in the park. Bring a blanket, some snacks, and zero expectations about how clean anyone stays. Get there a little early for a good patch of shade.

Let me know how you are liking the Little Loop, or how Clovie is helping you solve your weekend plans. I'd love to hear!

Carole
Founder, Clovie

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Less Planning. More Playing.