Things to Do in Odenton

Invented in the '70s as a humane alternative to the draconian waffle eat-off that previously resulted in oft-disputed rankings, the college bowl system has become a beloved football tradition. With today's Groupon, $35 gets you a ticket to the second annual EagleBank Bowl on Tuesday, December 29, and admission to the all-you-can-eat tailgate feast before the game. Watch the clash of UCLA vs. Temple from the all-star seating section, sated with food from local restaurants and the knowledge that your Pomeranian could probably never get into your jar of premium capers.

A nonprofit castle-themed adventure land created by The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network, The Good Knight Enchanted Kingdom & Family Museum is an interactive fairy-tale realm designed to teach children about safety. Founded by a coalition of retired federal officers, The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network's mission is to empower kids and their parents through education, using the fairy-tale format to bring awareness to such hard-to-talk-about topics as child abduction. Through special events, shows, summer camps, and onsite adventures, costumed fairies and brave knights lead their young charges on themed challenges and quests to encourage them to fulfill socially responsible roles and build their self-esteem. The shows also teach children how to employ the ABCs of protection and how to recognize the 10 basic physiological deceptions that criminal predators often use to manipulate their victims, giving kids the skills to defend themselves and their peers.

Across 5,000 square feet and two levels of obstacle-laden territory, taggers crouch around corners, rain lightning from the towers, and blend in with the dense vapor of the king's electric fog machine. During each 15-minute round, young squires can defend the keep for themselves or align with fellow beam archers in the name of the queen, the fiefdom, or love. To the victor go the bragging rights and a seat at the round table at home for family taco night.

Arundel challenges Mother Nature herself with its covered and heated driving range. At night, swingers can stay in the game thanks to extended hours (until 8:30 every night except Sundays) and lit facilities. With four rounds of mini golf, perfect putting skills or rustle up friends for a round on Arudel's well-manicured little greens. The golf park also boasts batting cages, allowing visitors the chance to hone their hitting skills. A staff of PGA gurus keeps the facilities all-age friendly.

The Class AA Minor League Baseball Affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, the Bowie Baysox won their first division title in 2008. Managed by Brad Komminsk, the team plays at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, Maryland. Take your pick from 33 non-Saturday-night games.

Historic Annapolis at St. John’s College preserves and celebrates the area’s rich social and political history with tours of the colonial city and its landmark homes. The nonprofit group restored the Paca House & Garden, National Historic Landmark, to its colonial-era glory so that visitors could wander the rooms and gardens and travel back in time to an era teeming with revolutionary political ideas and patriotism. A historical museum holds exhibits that illuminate the past, such as a six-foot-by-six-foot model of 18th-century Annapolis and a wormhole to Ben Franklin’s kite shop. At Hogshead at 43 Pinkney Street, living history presentations immerse visitors in the language and thoughts of long-ago citizens. Historic Annapolis also hosts a variety of public events, from historical interpreters presenting on colonial life to summer camps for burgeoning history buffs.