What to do in Williamsburg with a 5 year old.

[jakezmom]

We will be staying at the Manor Club in July and plan on going to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.

My question is, what else is there to do for my 5 year old son in Williamsburg. He's been to Disney/ universal 3 times already but this will be his first time in Williamsburg.

I appreciate input from all who can help!!

Thanks so much.

[wackymother]

There are quite a few nice programs at Colonial Williamsburg for young children. My youngest DD was 5 when we visited year before last and she loved it. She and my middle DD (10 then) especially enjoyed the apprentice program, where they got to try silversmithing, wigmaking, and bookbinding. (I think, can't remember.) You need the brochure that says "This Week in Colonial Williamsburg" or something like that--that gives all the activities. There are also guided walks and shows at the theater. Just be sure to follow the age guidelines.

It's nice just walking around Colonial Williamsburg. Horses go up and down the street and there are sheep and other animals to look at. The shepherd and the farmers will answer all your questions about the animals and the kids can pet the horses. There's also an area where the kids can try on colonial costumes.

[Big Matt]

He will probably like Jamestowne a lot. It will be very hot and humid so plan on going early.

[Linda K]

My five year old grandchild LOVED Williamsburg. We were worried too and I can't tell you how wonderful the the experience was!! For sure dress him up in a colonial costume. When I was there by myself I noticed that they used any children that were dressed in period time in their presentation. What a treat! We ordered through buycostumes.com. Very inexpensive I thought. Our children were the center of attention and they were so happy and felt very special. Someone told me to be sure to have them have a conversation with a founding father! I thought Right! Well, that was amazing! You will have the time of your life watching your children!

[dmensing]

When our kids were in that age range, they loved to go to Kidsburg, a community playground at Mid County Park. This is near Monticello Ave. and 199, across the street from the shopping center with the Ukrops grocery store. There are various wooden structures/playground equipment for the kids to play in/on. The best part is that it's free!

Another favorite is Pirate's Cove Miniature Golf. After playing golf, it's tradition to walk over to the Dairy Queen right next door.

Have a great trip!
Dan.

[Jeni]

We're local and we usually take my son to feed carrots to the horses outside Bassett Hall, in Colonial Williamsburg. Your child may also enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride. Busch Gardens and WCUSA will be a hit, I'm sure. Pirate's Cove is the best mini-golf in the area. If you don't mind the 45 minute drive to Richmond, there is a great Children's Museum and Science Center. I'm not sure where you are from, but if you are not near the coast, a trip to the beach may be nice too.

[CabinGirl]

If you like animals, you need to go to the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, about 20-30 miles away. Very nice facility with animals both indoors and outdoors.

Also, the Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach is AWESOME! It's about an hour from Wmbg. My 7 year old daughter spent 3 hours wandering around and was still not ready to go. They have tanks of sea horses, sea turtles and sharks, which all 5-year olds love. Plenty to do plus you could take a peek at the VA Beach Boardwalk for grins.

We also drove to Yorktown. It's a really neat place on the River, nice ice cream parlor. Lots of boats. Nice shops and restaurants.

Enjoy your trip.

CabinGirl in VA