Things to Do in Countryside

Families can choose to paint ceramics ($15 and up), such as a piggy bank that will one day be priceless, or at the very least exceed the value of its contents. Mosaic projects ($18 and up) are a disciplined way to practice for future bathroom-tile touch-ups, while glitter-awaiting painting projects ($17 and up) use colorful acrylics to introduce children to the rainbow without the false hope of pots of gold. Parents who don't really understand how glass is made can bypass the awkward silence by introducing themselves to a glass-fusing project that utilizes pre-made materials ($19 and up).

Nightmare Screamplex combines three haunted attractions at one terrifying location. Inside the Nightmare Forest, monsters wait beneath bushes and behind thick trees until guests venture too close. These depraved beings then herd survivors into the Field of Terror, where creatures spawned from the darkest parts of humanity lurk, ready to feast on human flesh. When visitors’ minds have finally given in to the insanity around them, the sadistic doctors in the Lost Asylum welcome them with news that their stay won’t be covered by insurance. In addition to this macabre collection of haunted attractions, Nightmare Screamplex also houses an outdoor theater, bungee run, and bonfire.

Attracting more than 170,000 art enthusiasts to its events in 2011, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival showcases original work from hundreds of artisans showcasing everything from handcrafted pottery, sculpture, and metalwork to jewelry, fashion, décor, and photography. Audiences can witness art being made live during educational demonstrations as artisans sculpt clay, whittle wood, forge metals, and imbue baskets with the power of speech. Hungry crafters can also sniff out specialty food items to sample or purchase while dancing across the sprawling venue to live music.

At Potomac Paddlesports, the first professional kayak school to be endorsed by the American Canoe Association, the team of American Canoe Association– and British Canoe Union–certified instructors patiently lead students through a methodical progression of flat-water paddling skills. The classes cover a variety of watersports, including whitewater rafting, river and sea kayaking, and standup paddling. The small-group classes are designed to keep students engaged, and longer trips down the Potomac challenge their skills with powerful rapids surrounded by lush scenery interspersed with rare glimpses of bears putting on their bear suits. Outside of class, students can bond with fellow paddlers during weekly socials and occasional movie nights. Further demonstrating their dedication to bodies of water, Potomac Paddlesports works to preserve the nation’s rivers, estuaries, and oceans, sharing this passion with its members through advocacy and donations to conservation programs.

Fencing Sports Academy teaches students to parry, lunge, and riposte in fencing classes that cater to everyone from beginners to Olympic-level competitors. Head coach Ervin Szucs previously worked as head coach for the Hungarian National Team and has trained U.S.A. North American Cup gold medalists and World Team members. In classes split by age and skill level, new students learn basic foot movements and guards while more advanced fencers explore tip control and complicated maneuvers, all while brandishing blunt-tipped swords or unsharpened rubber chickens.

Balanced Bodies' windows look out onto Runnymede Park, where deer often emerge from the woods and blue herons land near the stream. Inside the studio, groups work to capture the animals' ease of movement, flowing from plank positions into mermaid side stretches while maintaining pristine posture and giving effort without strain. Co-owners Carrie Smith and Adriana Ferrer-Perez believe that through Pilates exercises, their students can attain pain-free, fully functional movement for life. The duo oversees seven other instructors—nearly all claiming BASI teaching certifications—who lead classes in mat work, Reformer machines, and the Avalon System designed by Rael Isacowitz. Balanced Bodies also serves as a BASI Pilates teacher-training host facility, where aspiring instructors can undergo comprehensive and specialized teaching courses, including one that demonstrates how to dunk full-size exercise balls.