GUIDES &
RESOURCES HOLIDAY/SPRING BREAK CAMPS
GLEN ECHO PARK AQUARIUM:
A CHESAPEAKE BAY DISCOVERY CENTER
GEPAquarium.org; Info@GEPAquarium.org
301-955-6256 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD
Enjoy an exciting day of exploration and learning as we discover
the amazing life of our rivers and oceans while meeting live
animals. KIDS FIRST SWIM SCHOOLS
BEANTREE beantreelearning.com
703-961-8222 5003 Westone Plaza, Chantilly, VA
571-223-3110 Ashburn Campus: 43629 Greenway Corporate Dr., Ashburn, VA
571-223-3113 The Pavilion at BeanTree: 43635 Greenway Corporate Dr.

Ashburn, VA
BeanTree oﬀ ers Holiday Camp for students in kindergarten
through ﬁ fth grade on days when elementary schools are closed
for holidays or teacher workdays. Inclement weather days, when
public schools may be closed, are another opportunity for us
to serve both parents and children through fun ‘last minute’
activities, movies and fun! Parents are so grateful for this
convenience that allows their workdays to remain productive
and students are always happy to reconnect with “old” friends!
CAMP GRIFFIN AT WESTMINSTER
SCHOOL westminsterschool.com
campgriﬃ n@westminsterschool.com
703-340-7268 3819 Gallows Rd., Annandale, VA
Ages: 3-14
Winter Camp: December 26-28 and 31, January 2-4
Spring Camp: April 2-6
Full-day Winter Break Camp with ﬂ exible early and extended
care options: Pay for a day or a week. Field trips to the Botanical
Gardens, Maryland Science Center, Cub Run indoor pool
and much more! Beautiful campus with gym, art studio and
playground. Camp-certiﬁ ed staﬀ .

ENCORE STAGE & STUDIO
SPRING BREAK CAMPS
encorestageva.org/camps/ info@encorestage.org
703-548-1154 4000 Lorcom Ln., Arlington, VA
Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

When school’s out, Encore’s on … onstage, that is! Discover
the world of theatre through popular stories from the page and
screen. Students in grade Kindergarten – 2nd grade will enjoy a
day of theatre games, crafts, creative activities, and storytelling
in a safe and supportive environment. Students in 3rd – 5th
grade will work together to create a brand new play in just one
camp day! Using their imaginations, students will develop the
script and story, create the sett ing, and star in the show.

40 Novemebr 2018
washingtonFAMILY.com kidsﬁ rstswimschools.com
301-540-SWIM 18066 Mateny Rd., Germantown, MD
301-638-SWIM 3307 Crain Hwy., Waldorf, MD
703-444-9673 21800 Town Center Plaza, Ste. 215, Sterling, VA
703-488-9800 Sully Plaza Shopping Center, 13985 Metrotech Dr., Chantilly, VA
The Kids First® Swim Schools are America’s largest provider
of year-round, warm-water swimming instruction, operating 30
locations across 7 states, teaching over 150,000 students annually.

We are dedicated to teaching kids to be safe and proﬁ cient in
the water. We have built America’s ﬁ nest specialty-designed
training pools. Maintained at 90° with depths ranging from 2 to
5 feet, both our instructors and our students ﬁ nd this the perfect
environment to learn in.

PINECREST PAVILION
pinecrestschool.org camp@pinecrestschool.org
703-356-3446 7209 Quiet Cove, Annandale, VA
Creative and enriching: an exciting mix of STEM, arts and
crafts, physical activity and games for preschoolers through
6th graders. Scavenger hunts, science experiments, engineering
challenges and much more will be part of each day's fun! Before-
care beginning 7 a.m. and after-care until 6 p.m. available.

REVELS AFTER-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS
revelsdc.org/revels-kids/education/ info@revelsdc.org
301-587-3835 531 Dale Dr., Silver Spring, MD
Hours: 3:45-6:00 p.m.

Washington Revels’ Workshops connect children with each
other, their communities, and the natural world through
traditional games, songs, stories, and dances. These timeless
activities instill in children the conﬁ dence to lead, the respect
to listen, and the empathy to care for others and the world
around them.

ROBOT WORKS, LLC
robotworksacademy.net 703-364-5418
8992 Fern Park Dr., Burke, VA
When school is out, we are building cool robots and participating
in fun competitions. Learn robot design, construction and
programming using Mindstorms EV3 including mechanical
structure, motors, gears, power, sensors, and much more. Our
robotics workshops are always hands-on and lots of fun.

THE LAST WORD
What To Say To Our Daughters
About Makeup And Beauty
By Kathryn Streeter
M y friend’s daughter is perched on my barstool, a
beautiful 12-year-old going on 17. She is attending a
dance soon. Would I do a trial makeover? With her mom’s
consent, I apply loose powder, neutral tones on her lids and
mascara. To complete her look, she chooses pale pink for
her lips. She is thrilled because she normally isn’t allowed to
wear makeup.

Though I have a 17-year-old daughter, this experience is
new for me. Usually, my girl doesn’t wear any makeup,
except once to attend her senior prom, where her girlfriends
did makeup with her. Time together with the young lady
in front of me confirms she’s wired differently than my
daughter. My friend’s daughter is pining to grow up and
feels this magical powdery, gooey stuff called makeup will
help her get there.

We chat about makeup as I pull out items from my little bag.

In response, she presents — ta-da! — her makeup bag,
laying out across the kitchen bar with unfamiliar bottles,
powders, liners, mascaras and a gorgeous line of brushes.

These products, some unused, are in pristine condition
because they comprise a hope chest of sorts. She is amassing
her arsenal for when her parents let her wear makeup, a
date I’m betting is marked on her calendar. The packaging
itself oozes pink and girly, a picture of playful, if edgy,
femininity. I feel age encircling me as this candid girl
unleashes every ounce of her youth.

as ever. Whether with tattoos or toe rings, piercings or
makeup, we like to establish: This is who I am, and I’m a
little happier for having discovered it. At 12, this girl on my
barstool hearts makeup and is barreling along at a fast clip.

For some, the process of discovery is slower. My daughter is
taking her time, and I’m thankful she feels no compulsion to
be like me. “I’m finding my look,” she says as she sets aside
unopened red lipstick to pack for college, just in case.

Neither approach is wrong. Both are figuring out who they
are and how they wish to project themselves as women.

Cosmetics may or may not be part of my daughter’s adult
feminine world, and that’s her business, not mine. My
friend and I talk about our daughters blooming before our
eyes, in their own way, in their own time. As I personally
learned, makeup is not an end in itself, but a means to an
end. It’s optional, an available addition to the complicated
whole called you.

Confidence is strength and strength is beauty. Makeup is
merely one way to get there.

Kathryn Streeter is a D.C.-based mom and blogger.

ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/WEKWEK
She speaks effusively of her treasures, many of them bought
over time with holiday and birthday money. Her designer
products sparkle, reflecting the excitement on her face.

It isn’t that makeup makes you happy; it makes
you happier. It establishes a bit of a personal
signature, announcing to the world: This is me.

My friend’s young daughter doesn’t need
makeup to bring her happiness, but sitting
in front of me, her eyes aglow, she could
feel her elegance and womanhood stirred,
emboldened. I could tell.

Since the beginning of time, women have
been beautifying themselves, a fact as true today
washingtonFAMILY.com November 2018 41