Weekend Best Bets: Oct. 17-18

It's raining, it's pouring ... and it's downright chilly.

So, with early fall raking out and pumpkin patches not a great rainy, cold day activity with kids, we're heading indoors for some ideas this weekend. Here goes:

The Kids Euro Festival began this week. The festival, now in its second year, will host free events by European children's entertainers throughout the region through Nov. 10. Here's a schedule of events. Some offerings are opera for children, improvisational storytelling, puppetry, dance, and acrobatics.

Maryland Science Center: The Science Center in Baltimore is one of our favorites for indoor days. It's currently got a DaVinci traveling exhibit in house.  But what seems more interesting for kids is the Imagination & Creation Exploration in the kids room going on Friday, Oct. 16 -- when most of us will have our kids home from school. Kids will investigate Da Vinci inventions and explore how science and art come together.

Strathmore's Family Concert series is on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer perform both folk and silly songs. Strathmore recommends the concert for kids ages 6 and up. Cost: $7.

If you're more a museum person, the African Art Museum has an "Artful Animals Family Workshop" at 1 p.m. on Saturday where kids make masks inspired by animals in the museum's exhibit. Age recommendation: 7 and up. Cost: Free, but call to reserve a space.

And looking ahead to family events that require some extra planning:

The Wiggles will be at the Verizon Center on Nov. 5 and Disney on Ice will be at the Patriot Center in Fairfax from Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 25 and at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore from Wed., Oct. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 1. Here's a full list of upcoming family shows in the region via Ticketmaster.