Hi there!

It's the 7th edition of The Little Loop Newsletter by Clovie. I look forward to writing this every week, and its become a form of journaling for me now. So thank you for that!

I'm writing this newsletter while in Long Beach Island, New Jersey for my husband's side of the family's annual beach vacation. Think 17 people packed into one house, kids/screaming/crying/laughing/playing, lots of wine, very little sleep, sunblock, sandy donuts, and memories that carry us through the entire year until we are back again. It's worth every second when we see the cousins playing together, and I look forward to the day when all the kids can share one room (and not leave their beds)!

TLDR: The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is back (kids 11 and under free), plus Planet Word and free art at the Kennedy Center over in DC Northwest, peach picking at Homestead Farm, and a bug-filled night at Brookside Nature Center. Five picks for the weekend of August 15 and 16, and another Clovie update.

Growing Clovie

We hit 100 content posts, signed 3 new businesses, and are exploring a new partnership with a business I'm obsessed with. And we are so close to 2,000 Instagram followers. My goal is to surpass 2K, just in time for a fun publication coming out at the end of August :). Keep following along for the journey as we keep growing.

Just Show Up

No tickets, no plan. Just go.

​Planet Word (Downtown DC, Northwest)
​All ages, best around 4 and up • Free, reserve a timed pass • Open Wed to Mon • 925 13th St NW​
This is the museum my crew never wants to leave. It is a voice-activated, hands-on language museum where kids sing in a karaoke room, paint with light, and make a giant word wall talk back. It is free, but the timed passes go fast on weekends, so grab one online before you head in.

​Moonshot Studio at the Kennedy Center REACH (Foggy Bottom, DC Northwest)
​Ages 5 and up • Free, no reservation • Saturday and Sunday, 11:00am to 4:30pm​
Inside the Kennedy Center's REACH, Moonshot Studio is a free, drop-in art lab where kids build and make with real materials and zero pressure. Let them roam the REACH lawns and fountains while you are there, and peek at the Millennium Stage schedule for a free show. Easy to bolt onto anything else you are doing in the city.

​Homestead Farm (Poolesville)
​All ages • Pick-your-own, priced by the pound • Open daily, go early • Check what is ripe before you drive out​
Mid-August is peach and cut-flower season, and Homestead is the low-key farm morning I keep coming back to: pick a bucket, say hi to the animals, and be home before the heat peaks. Crops shift week to week, so check their site for what is picking that weekend.

On the Calendar

Times and dates worth planning around.

​Montgomery County Agricultural Fair (Gaithersburg)
​All ages • August 14-22 • Kids 11 and under free every day, adults about $18 at the gate ($13.88 online) • Buy online to save
​The fair is back for its 77th year, and it is the last big hurrah of summer around here. Come for the dairy cows, goats, pigs, and the 4-H kids who raised them, then let the midway and the fried everything do the rest. The animal barns are calmest in the morning before the rides get loud, parking is $20 or free by shuttle from Montgomery College, and Monday the 17th is Family Day with a sensory-friendly midway from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

​Insect Night at Brookside Nature Center (Wheaton)
​Family friendly • Saturday August 15, 7:00pm to 10:00pm • Registration required, small program fee
​Brookside Nature Center turns creepy-crawlies into a whole evening: insect crafts, games, live bugs to meet, and a family movie. It fills up fast, so register ahead. It runs later than the toddler crowd is used to, but it is a magic one for any kid who loves to dig for beetles.

Loved this one? Forward it to a friend who is always asking what to do this weekend.
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If someone sent you here, you can get The Little Loop every week at cloviekids.com/subscribe, and check out past issues here.
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Find the best kids classes, camps, and party entertainment (now in DC too) at cloviekids.com.

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Less Planning. More Playing.

Carole
Founder, Clovie