Wonderdads To The Rescue!

If you’re like me, you have grand ideas of introducing your children to the most educational, entertaining and all-around awesome things your city has to offer. But Holy brainfreeze, Batman! Who has time to think of something new and exciting every weekend?!?

Wonderdads, that’s who! I recently discovered them (rather, they discovered me, asking if I’d review their DC book) and was instantly excited by how helpful this site, book and networking opportunity could be!

Wonderdads: Washington DC is wonderfully comprehensive: it contains scads of activities, outdoor parks, restaurants, sporting events and tons of shopping. There’s even a “Unique Adventures” category, which lists one of our favorite new discoveries, Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. My only beef is that the neighborhoods don’t extend beyond DC proper further than Bethesda (on the Maryland side), and it lumps of all of Northern Virginia into a “NoVa” category. Here’s hoping Wonderdads expands its reach as its popularity grows.

The web site is similar to the book, but showcases over 40 different cities across the US, each subsite offering information on how, where and when to take your kid. Also like the book, it’s broken down even further by neighborhoods/suburbs within each city.

Wonderdads can be a valuable tool for anyone, from first time tourist to born-and-raised. I’ve lived in the DC Metro area for over 15 years, so was surprised both the site and DC book include things I’ve never even heard of. And if you’re a new Dad like me, Wonderdads is great to help you see your town from a kid-friendly perspective. Sorry, no bars or nightclubs listed here…

Another great feature is a weekly email you can sign up for that sends you a top 10 of “What To Do This Weekend.” Each week’s list includes a wide range of fun stuff to do, from as simple as “Play Three-penny Hockey” to “Teach kids about tools and how to use them safely” and “Then build something together.” Making snacks, taking trips, getting crafty, educational stuff — it’s all here, culled together from every corner of the interwebs for your convenience.

All in all, Wonderdads (both book and site) is an excellent resource — an endless supply of ideas for ways to spend time with your kids, and great at helping dads (and moms!) everywhere be the superhero they were destined to be!