City Cast DC logo

Everything You Need To Know About Kids World

Posted on July 28, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Kids World being set up in Franklin Park.

Kids World being set up in Franklin Park. (Anthony Hesselius/LRA PR)

The first-ever Kids World is coming to Franklin Square this weekend with an array of food, installations, and activities meant for kids 3 -15. Though I’m hoping they won’t turn me away at the stuff-your-own-bear station.

The festival runs from noon to 8 p.m. today through Sunday. We asked Melanie Nwosu, DowntownDC BID’s Director of Events how to make the most of it.

What are the must-see exhibits at Kids World?

“There are too many to number, but we hope everyone has the chance to read along with, and meet, our special guests: the Lorax, Curious George, or the Cat in the Hat. There’s also an engineering and building activation with our friends from the National Children’s Museum. Don’t forget to get in a workout with Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, or Supergirl.”

A map of Kids World in Franklin Park. (Anthony Hesselius/LRA PR)

A map of Kids World in Franklin Park. (Anthony Hesselius/LRA PR)

What inspired the city to start this new festival?

“Kids! We have so many festivals in the District geared toward adults and almost none like this, dedicated solely to children. We wanted to do the same for them, but better! More exciting, more learning, more fun — and did we mention the cotton candy?”

What are some great year-round sites for kids in DC?

“Planet Word, right next to Franklin Park, is a must! Other fantastic places include the National Children’s Museum, the Museum of Illusions, the National Building Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden.”

Share article

Hey DC

Get smart about D.C. with our news roundup and analysis.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

3 Questions With

See All
3 Questions WithAugust 28, 2024

3 Questions About Lucy the DC Pig, Navy Yard’s Unofficial Mascot

But imagine deciding to bring a mini potbelly pig into your city life!

The Navy Yard neighborhood. All this picture needs now is Lucy the DC Pig! (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
3 Questions WithJuly 11, 2024

How to Recycle Paint In the DMV

How can you get rid of old paint in the DMV? We chatted with paint recycling expert Brett Rodgers from Paintcare to find out.

old paint
3 Questions WithOctober 30, 2023

What It's Like To Travel With DC's Alliance Française

We chatted with Alliance Française, a local non-profit providing D.C. residents with all the expertise on French culture, from wine and f...

A french chateau
3 Questions WithOctober 26, 2023

What to Know About DC's New Loggia Townes Development

These new luxury townhomes bring new high-end housing to the Cleveland Park neighborhood.

An artist's rendering of the Loggia Townes townhomes.
3 Questions WithSeptember 20, 2023

A DC Developer Takes Us Inside Kite House at The Parks

Developer Jonathon Quince discusses Kite House, a new condo building in Takoma, D.C. Kite House is situated on the original site of the W...

A wide view of a cleanly furnish condo with a large French door-style stainless steel fridge and matching appliances, a bar with high-backed seating, and a living room with a gold and marble coffee table.
3 Questions WithAugust 18, 2023

The Inside Scoop on DC’s New Go-go Museum

After being in the works for almost a decade, D.C. is finally getting a go-go museum, and it’s going to be just as organic and celebrator...

Rendering of the go-go bus.
3 Questions WithAugust 11, 2023

What Goes Into Building a New DC High School

This fall, D.C. will open its first new neighborhood high school in decades. Harold McCray, the new principal of MacArthur High School in...

An ad for MacArthur High School on Metrobus.
3 Questions WithAugust 4, 2023

The Man Behind DC’s Finest Dining

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a top D.C. chef? Danny Lledó, the chef and owner of Xiquet in Glover Park, tells us what makes the D.C....

Chef Danny Lledó.

The latest in DC

The DC DispatchMay 15

Pirro Says She Will Prosecute Parents of Kids Participating in "Teen Takeovers"

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said parents could face fines or up to six months of jail time.

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images)
ObsessedMay 14

Eating Facebook Marketplace Food for An Entire Weekend in DC

From tamales to seafood boils, the viral Facebook Marketplace food trend is hitting the DMV.

Nothing to see here, just some Facebook food delusions. (Kaela Cote-Stemmermann/City Cast DC)
AnnouncementsMay 12

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann Is City Cast DC’s New Food and Culture Reporter

City Cast DC is undergoing an unprecedented expansion of its local newsroom, hiring a team of journalists to create original reporting ab...

The DC DispatchMay 12

"Downright scandalous:" Inside the NSFW text messages that got a top D.C. police official put on leave

An internal report shows ex-executive assistant chief Andre Wright repeatedly sent crude texts and mocked colleagues.

An internal report shows ex-executive assistant chief Andre Wright repeatedly sent crude texts and mocked colleagues. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
The DC DispatchMay 5

Police Chief: 13 Top Officials Face Termination Amid Crime Stats Scandal

Jeffery Carroll also confirmed the restructuring of the department.

Interim MPD Chief of Police Jeffery Carroll.
The DC DispatchMay 4

Multiple D.C. Police Leaders Face Termination Over Crime Data Manipulation

The changes could constitute a sweeping restructuring of department leadership.

Metropolitan Police Department outside of Nationals Park on August 15, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
AnnouncementsMay 4

We're launching two new newsletters

Sign up now to get the big stories Washington is talking about and our can't-miss guide to food and culture.

DC, ExplainedMay 4

The Obama musical returns Washingtonians to an old, hopeful DC

This raunchy love letter to 2008 D.C. by a former Obama campaign staffer left us weeping with laughter and nostalgia.

TJ Wilkins starring as Barack Obama sings “How Black Is Too Black?” (Courtesy of “44”)