Pirate's Cove water park provides cool enjoyment in hot weather

Wheeeee, splash!

Pirate's Cove water park pulsates with a message of  play from the moment of arrival. Children wait to enter with barely restrained excitement. Immediately inside, they race walk straight to the water. What attracts their attention? A 24-foot slide and water play structure square in the center of pool’s shallow end. To their delight, a 300-gallon dumping tank regularly drenches them every few minutes. For those who cannot wait until the tank refills, palm tree fountains continuously spray and smaller buckets can be emptied on hot heads at the pull of a chain. Children spend hours zipping down the smaller green slides and the exciting, blue tunnel.

(Image is hot linked from Pirate's Cove web site)

The smallest members of Blackbeard’s crew have their very own fenced grotto. A clam shell slide entices them to climb and splash with the same enthusiasm as their older brothers and sisters. Kids aged three to six alternate freely between the “big” and “little” kids’ pools, taking turns at being the youngest and the oldest. Older kids and adults tend to stay in the deep end of the large pool, practicing their pirate cannon balls off of the diving boards. 

Kids of all ages take a break by playing on Buccaneer Beach. The sand pit is well stocked with digging tools and well shaded by giant umbrellas. A creative play water element encourages cooperative learning as youngsters explore ways to move water across its length. Need a reason to dig? There's real buried treasure in the sand. Pirates have left gold coins behind, and children who retrieve them can redeem them at the entry desk for prizes.

After children have splashed to their hearts’ content and uncovered a chest full of treasure, they might notice the pirate theme that is carried throughout the park. Educational text panels strategically placed around the deck describe the colonial-era scourge of piracy. A fiberglass pirate figure and small-scale ship are not only fun to play on but also give mom and dad cute photo opportunities. While not precisely educational, the theme effectively creates and sustains a playful mood. This is enhanced by the upbeat children's museum piped in for a pool party feel.

Know before you go

Pirate's Cove is the ideal setting to while away one of Virginia's hot summer days. The park, located off of Gunston Road approximately four miles from Route 1, consists of a large pool, a toddler pool, and a sand pit. The large pool is divided into three depths. The park is especially well-suited for the under-ten crowd due to the friendly, central play structure. The pool is well-staffed by young life guards, and the sunny deck boasts an abundant supply of lounge chairs, many located under large umbrellas

Noodles, inner tubes, and inflatable arm bands are prohibited, but the park staff gladly supplies swim vests in a variety of sizes for non- and weak swimmers. Outside food and drink are not allowed inside the park, but Pirate's Cove operates a food stand with the standard offerings at a not unreasonable mark up. A shaded picnic area is located right outside the entrance, and visitors may enter and exit at will with a hand stamp. This is a popular destination for summer camps, many of which arrive right at opening. Consider planning your week day arrival for late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Lockers are available for a 50 cent rental. The keys do not have straps or pins, so bring appropriate accouterments if you want to keep the key attached to yourself.

This gem is nestled among the woods of Pohick Bay Regional Park. The park has camp sites for RVs and tents and features hiking trails, a marina, and even Frisbee golf. Check the web site to confirm hours of operation and admission prices prior to planning your visit. For the summer 2010 season, annual Bounce passes were available that granted season-long admission to five water parks in the Northern Virginia Regional Park Network: Pirate's Cove, Great Waves, Atlantis, Upton Hill, and Volcano Island.

American Indian Museum exhibit "Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort" great for kids

"Wow, look at that!"
What has grabbed the kids' attention so thoroughly? It is a large, green pod begging them to enter and explore. What strikes an adult as remarkable is the pod’s unusual composition. It is made entirely of hundreds of cut up green trash cans, layered one over the other to create a domed structure. "carapace" is one of the amazing works by Brian Jurgen currently on display in the National Museum of the American Indian's first solo art exhibition: "Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort". Jungen, a Dunne-za First Nations/Swiss-Canadian from Fort St. John, British Columbia, cuts up ordinary objects--such as trash cans and baseball gloves--and reconfigures them into replicas of other objects. He draws upon themes in native culture, western consumerism, and pop culture in creating his unusual, thought-provoking installations. The exhibition is slated to run until August 8, 2010.

"carapace"

The show’s large scale objects attract attention because they look like one thing, a totem pole or a suit of armor, but upon closer examination are revealed to be something else entirely. Totem poles are constructed from golf bags. A whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling is revealed to be made of cut up, white, resin chairs. Children take delight in  playing the guessing game of "what am I?" followed by "what am I made of?".  

Many of the artworks reference native culture, such as the golf bag totem poles. The children, who were unfamiliar with these cultural objects, were full of questions as to their meanings. Later, in visiting other museum galleries, they were able to make connections from the art works to the objects that inspired them. The museum's web site features an interesting curator's analysis of Jungen's work as well as a biography of the artist. Boys especially will be interested in learning that Jungen intentionally incorporates sports-related materials (Nike shoes, baseballs, catcher's mitts) into his artwork. He explains that he is fascinated by the ways in which professional sports fulfill the need for ceremony in modern culture. He deconstructs these new ceremonial objects and reconfigures them to achieve a different symbolic meaning.  

"The Prince"

After moving through “carapace”, the children are drawn ever deeper into the exhibition. The large art works are visually enticing and the curators have installed them along a meandering pathway that encourages visitors, especially children, to wander. Another striking piece lures visitors to another a fresh discovery around the next corner. The children eagerly move from one piece to the next. Once they loop the room, they return to revisit their favorites. With each trip around, they found something new and wonderful. Their verdict? A first rate trip to the museum. 

Comedy juggling at the Martha Washington Library

"Fun with Jonathan Austin" was today's fun, family program at the Martha Washington branch of the Fairfax County Public Library. Austin performed comedy, juggling, and magic for a happy group of kids and their moms. The act started with juggling. The kids were immediately impressed with his ability to balance a club on his chin, merely a preview of events to come. He moved quickly from juggling to simple magic tricks and riding a six foot unicycle while keeping up a continuous, self-deprecating patter that kept the moms equally as engaged as their kids. Austin picked several kids from the audience to act as his assistants, thrilling them with the opportunity to shine on stage. The  act was well-suited to the audience, which ranged from two to nine year olds. Many thanks the Friends of the George Mason Regional Library for sponsoring the event.

Rocknoceros jams at the Kingstowne Library

Popular children's rock group Rocknoceros was the featured act at the Kingstowne branch of the Fairfax County Public Library this afternoon, playing to a packed house.  The set showcased tunes such as "Washing My Hands," "The Finger Counting Song," and crowd favorite "Virginia". Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie enthusiastically exhorted the audience to get up and dance, a request with which many were happy to oblige. The 45-minute set moved quickly through both ballads and dance tunes. All of the audience pronounced themselves quite satisfied at the end, and several parents purchased CDs.

My kids are 8 and (almost) 5 years old, and they were at the higher end of the audience's age range. About 1/3 of the kids appeared to be over four years old with the remaining solidly between one and two. Given that Rocknoceros's play list includes songs about potty training and nappin' time, this should not have been a surprise. They both enjoyed it, and they weren't the oldest kids in the room; however, the show was definitely aimed at a younger audience. Thumbs up to the library for making a good, free music experience available.

Rocknoceros's appearance was sponsored by the Friends of the George Mason Regional Library. They are  bringing a series of family programs to libraries across the region. See the Events page of the Fairfax County Public Library for a schedule. These programs are all free to library patrons, though advance registration is required. As the Kingstowne librarian pointed out today, everyone attending needs to register--including the caregiver.

Family Activities for Fort Hunt

What?

Welcome to my first blog post for Fort Hunt Families.  This blog is intended as a resource for people with kids who live in the Fort Hunt corridor of Fairfax County, Virginia. (Though if you live in Old Town Alexandria, Kingstowne, or Mount Vernon, you might find it equally useful.) This blog will post information about cheap, free, or value-added things that you can do with your toddler to elementary school age kids.

Why?
We went to a birthday part this weekend and got to talking with the other moms. They pointed out that it's a lot of work to find good activities that you can do with your kids in our area. Yes, there are web sites that list family activities for the metro-DC area. But, general agreement was that these web sites are too broad if you are just looking for something to do right now. With the unbelievable traffic in our area, a lot of parents don't like to venture too far from home. It's too much work to wade through a list of activities for Montgomery County, Reston, or DC. This blog will post activities that are geographically proximate to Fort Hunt.

Where?
The territory this blog will cover will generally Old Town south to Mount Vernon and west to Kingstowne. I might go as far south as Lorton or west to Bailey's Crossroads, we'll see how it works out. If I find something really great happening near a metro stop in DC, I will list that as well.  Most people know how to look up activities at the Smithsonian; therefore, I won't be relisting their calendars.

When?
I will try to post activities three months out and then update as new things come along. Right now there are calendar entries through October 2010.  I assume that most people will look at the blog over the weekend for the upcoming week and mid-week for the weekend, and I will try to post accordingly.

Who? 
See my background,