My husband will be attending a conference in DC in December at the Gaylord National Hotel (actually, I believe the hotel is in Maryland). Our son and I are planning to accompany him. This will be our first trip to DC. So, I'm seeking recommendations on activities for our son and I to do during the day while my husband is working, as well as restaurant recommendations for all of us. Our son is five and I will have access to a car. We're not interested in a White House tour at this time, but any and all other recommendations are welcome. I want to expose our son to as much history as possible, without overwhelming his five year old mind. As far as restaurants, I have celiac disease and must avoid gluten, so any restaurant you think would be able to accommodate this need would be most welcome. We'd love to try some good local restaurants, if possible. Many thanks for your help. Emily

Mount Vernon is lovely, although likely to be quite chilly in December. The grounds are wonderful to walk around, and I think there were animals that you could visit. You can go in the house, but last time I was there I spent most of our visit outside with my youngest child while my husband and older son were in the house.

You don't need a car in DC proper. And the Smithsonian would be a great place to visit. It is so huge, you would surely find some interesting things there for your son to see.

Additionally, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Good place to teach your son a history lesson.

These might help: http://dc.about.com/od/childrensacti...estforKids.htm

http://www.dclikealocal.com/kids/

Have fun. DC will be beautiful in December. Surely, there will be some fabulous Christmas trees to be seen!

Take the car to visit Mount Vernon but in Washington DC take the Old town trolley.They take you to all the interesting places and you can get on/off all day.Paul

The Smithsonian Museums which line the Mall are all free, and all very interesting. You could easily spend a week just exploring these huge museums. For a 5 year old, I would think the Air and Space Museum (lots of real airplanes hanging from the ceilings) and the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs, etc) would be winners. For a good lunch break nearby, walk over to the Post Office pavilion & tower which is full of fast food places, lots of space for kids to run around, has free concerts, and a great view from the tower. I'm not sure about gluten free, but I believe there is a Mexican place in the Post Office building.

I'll second the Mall -- go there and wander about. And I'll second Arlington National Cemetery.

The Zoo is pretty good too.

I'll add the US Botanic Garden near the Mall. In December there's a delightful display of DC monuments and other interesting buildings all made of natural materials, plus model trains that run through a woodland fairy/gnome exhibit. Also near that end of the Mall is the "underground" cafe at the National Gallery of Art (not Smithsonian, but free). Your son will no doubt love the lighted walkway.

As for gluten free dining, the Mitsitam Cafe in the American Indian Museum offers many choices, as does Teaism (multiple locations).

I personally think five is a little young to "get" Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but only you know your child. I heartily recommend, though, the Air and Space Museum, the outdoor sculpture museums on the mall, the Washington Monument, the other monuments, and ice skating on the mall (near the National Gallery).

Here are some good sites to look at for info about what to see and do in the Smithsonians with kids:
http://www.si.edu/visit/kids_and_families.htm
http://www.si.edu/exhibitions/kids.htm

I also second the recommendations by fourfortravel for places to eat as I think they are the two best places to eat in the museums. The Cascades Cafe (the one underground between the National Gallery of Art East and West buildings) is a food court with a good selection of well-priced, well-prepared food with some neat stuff around. The Mitsitam Cafe offers Native American food which should be fun for you and your son to try.

We enjoyed our lunch at the cafe at the Museum of the American Indian too, and we weren't visiting that museum (went over there from the Newseum, a few blocks away). I had mussels prepared for me upon ordering).

Many thanks to everyone for your suggestions! I am excited to begin planning our itinerary.

Cognitively, the concepts of time and history are not generally inherent in a five year old. They are usually stuck in the here-and-now. Therefore, I'm also not sure how appropriate Arlington Cemetery would be. He might be interested (for about 60 seconds) in the soldier walking back and forth in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns - but the rest would be a bore, and a pain if he has to walk all that way in the cold.

The zoo would be OK, but only if you don't have one near your home. Why go to see something in Washington that you can see at your leisure back home?

Go to the top of the Washington Monument or the old Post Office tower for the excitement of being up high above the city, the Air & Space Museum for all the big planes and rockets, the Natural History Museum for the dinosaurs, the outdoor sculpture garden between the west building of the National Art Gallery and the Museum of Natural History, and the skating across the street from the National Archives. The thing he may enjoy the most though is just riding the Metro.

Ditto fourfortravel. I just posted a mini TR to USBG and Indian museum!