Route One Fun

Fun Along the Route 1 Corridor

  • Home
  • Advertise
  • Outdoor Fun
  • Art
  • Food & Drink
  • Spotlight on Schools

November 25, 2019 by routeonefunlady

Watkins Nature Center: Free, Indoor Fun

Searching for fun, free indoor spaces to explore with the kids during the colder fall and winter temps ? Then check out the Watkins Nature Center in Maryland’s Upper Marlboro! The Center is full of hands-on exhibits and live animal displays – perfectly sized for pint-sized preschoolers and older kids. More on our fun time below!

Watkins Nature Center in Upper Marlboro is a great spot for kids to explore local wildlife

Indoor Fun at Watkins Nature Center

Located inside Watkins Regional Park, the Nature Center is about a 20-25 minute drive from Hyattsville / College Park area. With a parking lot adjacent to the Center and likely an hour+ of playtime, it’s a mighty convenient option for simple, indoor fun.

Watkins Nature Center

Insects, Amphibians, Reptiles

Once you head inside the Nature Center, you’ll find a number of exhibits featuring both live and not-so-live creatures. Like some crazy scorpion you can only see using a special flashlight (kids love the flashlight almost as much as the scorpion…!),

Watkins Nature Center

There’s also a number of hands-on activities, like a puzzle wall where the children can mix and match pieces to make new types of animals – or mimic those they’ve already seen. Another fun activity was one where the kids had to reach into covered boxes, using just their senses of touch and sometimes smell to identify what was hidden inside. (Can’t lie: Had a couple of Chrissy Teigan freak-out moments doing this stuff with them!)

Lots of hands-on activities at the Nature Center

Puppet Show, Anyone?

And if, say, you arrive and your young’n is just not yet feeling like looking at a hissing cockroach or a cornsnake, then know that there’s a play area where they can enact a puppet show and/or read plenty of books about nature.

Getting ready for our puppet show....

Getting ready for our puppet show….

Wizard of Oz Playground

In the event that you happen to visit the Nature Center on a relatively pleasant day, why not take a walk outside along the lovely nature paths to the simply amazing Wizard of Oz Playground?!? Not hyperbole to note that this is the best. playground. ever.

Wizard of Oz Playground at Watkins Regional Park

Follow the yellow brick road to this awesome, free, accessible playground.

Enjoy!

Watkins Nature Center is located at 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

***

Keep up with Route One Fun on Facebook and Instagram! 👍

302 shares
  • Share302
  • Tweet
  • Email

Subscribe here

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯❯

Trackbacks

  1. Fun Indoor Kids' Activities Along Route 1 | Route One Fun says:
    February 16, 2020 at 3:09 pm

    […] Research Refuge here! When: 9am-4:30pm Where: 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel Cost: Free! Watkins Nature Center The Center is full of hands-on exhibits and live animal displays – perfectly sized for pint-sized […]

    Reply
  2. Route 1 Kids Weekend Guide: Jan. 31st-Feb. 2nd | Route One Fun says:
    January 30, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    […] as puppets / dress-up and roomy enough for little legs to carefully run around. More on our time at Watkins Nature Center. When: 8:30am-5pm Where: Watkins Regional Park, Upper Marlboro Cost: […]

    Reply
  3. Winter Festival of Lights: Watkins Regional Park | Route One Fun says:
    January 8, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    […] Watkins Regional Park is located at 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Route One Fun events calendar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Subscribe here

Search

Categories

Archives

Outdoors

Imagination Playgrounds Tour: Little Critter in Bowie

We were away for much of the summer, so we had to … [Read More...]

Imagination Playgrounds Tour: Historic Flour Mill Playground in Adelphi

We are steadily working our way through the 25 … [Read More...]

Imagination Playgrounds Tour: Woodland Wonderland in Capitol Heights

The next stop on our tour of the 25 Imagination … [Read More...]

Imagination Playgrounds Tour: Mt. Rainier Playgrounds

Our tour continues with a stop at the two Prince … [Read More...]

Imagination Playgrounds Tour: Indian Creek Playground in Berwyn Heights

Our tour of the 25 Imagination Playgrounds in … [Read More...]

Read more...

Juneteenth

Where to Celebrate Juneteenth Near Route 1

Let’s Go! A Guide to Camping with Kids Around Route One

PHOTOS: May Fun Along Route One!

Route-One-Fun-goodbye

Slán Agus Beannacht a/k/a Goodbye, Buds

  • About
  • Disclosure & Privacy Policy

Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design