Things to do with kids, not just feed them

"I love kids... especially parboiled." --W.C. Fields

As the summer is upon us I thought it might be good to get up a list of kid-friendly places to go and things to do. This can certainly include food, but is not limited to it.

This isn't an exhaustive list, but here's a start:

Outdoors

Indian Boundary Park-- on Lunt just W of Western. Elaborate wooden climbing/slide complex built by the locals, small petting zoo with goats, alpacas etc.

North Park Nature Center-- enter on Pulaski between Bryn Mawr and Peterson. On the grounds of the onetime TB sanitarium, walking trails, nature exhibits. (There are many more such places scattered through the suburbs, like The Grove in Glenview, etc.)

Illinois Railway Museum-- http://www.irm.org/ Ride trains, street cars and trams and see various displays at this train museum in Union, about 1 hr. out of town near I-90.

Indoors

Swedish American Museum-- http://www.samac.org/index1.html Top floor has a very nice play area with farm and Viking ship areas. Usually deserted, even on rainy days.

Garfield Park Conservatory-- Dinosaur exhibit at the moment is impressive. On hot days, though, it's really muggy inside.


Another thing we've done in years past is just check Metromix's events calendar to see what's happening in the area, and then gone and done whatever looked mildly interesting-- we went to a rare breeds show at the Garfield Farm museum out near Geneva, which was fun (but has already passed this year), and also to the DeKalb Corn Fest, which was fun to just go see a small town event like that. When you're 4, the moonwalk at the DeKalb Corn Fest and seeing Super Corn Man are as good as it gets.

Cantigny museum and estate, in Wheaton. Tanks and other armored vehicles outside for kids to climb on; an interestin military museum focusing on the 1st Infantry Division, and inclusding many interactive exhibits; and beautiful gardens and grounds to walk. Plus, its close to Westmont, hotbed of interesting suburban food.

Hi,

When my nieces were wee ones and I was the benevolent dictator who took them everywhere:

Favorites:
- Field Museum: The Egyptian tomb with the mummies and their preparation steps in little diaramas in the basement. While still in the basement, check out the underground exhibit which highlights the activities and lifeforms in the soil. ON the 2nd floor is the Northwest Indian exhibit. There is a 'final' family photo with Daddy in his coffin which is propped up (you see his face in the coffin's window) flanked by his wife and children.
- Science and Industry: Baby chicks hatching, the Colleen Moore Castle, Farm (now in the basement) and the fabulous children's area where you get tickets for one-hour visit increments.
- Lincoln Park Zoo: love those wee penguins ... another chick hatching opportunity in the Farm.

Occasional:
- Chicago Historical Society: The Lincoln Exhibits made a very great impression on my then 3-year-old niece Elizabeth. It was May, we saw and discussed the assasination portraits. Two months later, I took her to Washington, D.C. At the top of the Washington Monument, I pointed out to her the Lincoln Memorial. She immediately perked up, "Where is the Booth memorial?" You never know what they take in.
- O'Hare, Midway and Meigs Field (RIP): IN the good ol'days when you could pass security clearance and wander at will, this was a fine afternoon. You could always get permission to visit an empty airplane. At each airport, there is always a wonderful vantage point where you could see planes taking off and landing. Today, I would go to a really local airport, maybe Palwaukee but also Waukegan and DuPage airports where you MAY get a more intimate view.
- Art Institute: Thorne Miniature Rooms. The hall with all the medievel armor. There is now a childrens corner near the Thorne rooms, it seemed a little too streamlined where a little more funding was needed to flesh it out - which may have already taken affect.
- Metra trains into Chicago or parking at a remote location to take the elevated into the city center. Even a public bus ride to a destination is exciting if you never did it before.
- Visit an animal shelter to sit and pet all the animals. Make it abundantly clear before we arrive, we are not taking any 'new friend' home. I find if I outline behavior expectations before, it saves me a headache and heartache later.
- Naper Settlement in Naperville
- Old World Wisconsin over the cheddar curtain which has old farm homesteads from throughout the state which you can tour. Often they have cooking and candlemaking demonstrations.
- Factory tours whenever possible.
- Pullman Village on 111th Street
- DuSable museum

Seasonal:
- Monday evenings at the Botanic Gardens are carillon concerts. It is the only time picnics are allowed on the grounds. Caveat: serious music crowd has arrived, so it is challenging to find an area where you can here the music and let the kids romp. I would suggest the Rose Garden. You hear everything and they can run like there is no tomorrow.
- Ravina has children's concerts, you can't start them early enough to appreciate music.

Traveling:
- I always brought books on tape. I'd rather fire up their imaginations rather than dull them through sticking a dvd or video to while away the hours.
- Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village - a full weekend by itself

When the girls lived me for a while, I strongly considered getting a swing set. I then reasoned I could take them to a different park every evening, then buy them ice cream on the way home with the money saved. In my town, each park is a different experience which appealed to the girls. So it was a very good strategy.

I have to wait until I'm a Great Aunt to do all this over again.

Regards,
Cathy2

My nieces really liked the flagship Marshall Field's store. They are not shoppers but the museum, the size and scope and the extra-large sundaes at the Frango Mint Restaurant on the 7th floor were memorable.

Although it does not reopen until 2005, the Museum of Broadcast Communication and its endless archive of old TV and radio shows is also a cool place to take children on a winter day.

A walk around Lake Geneva would also be pretty cool and maybe on the agenda for this summer.

Morton Arboretum in Lisle (off Hwy88). It is undergoing some renovation, so currently not as pristeen as usual. They no longer charge by the car, but by the person. For my family, it made more sense to purchase the family membership because we will go more than once a year. Once inside, purchase tickets for the Acorn Express, a open-air trolley with a guide. Hike with the kids one of the many walking trails and then your tree tour. My kids loved this outing in grade school. Now that they are in high school they don't love it as much, but they still go with me once in a while and have a good time.
Also, Pelican Harbor Water Park in Bolingbrook is fun. It is not near as big as Noah's Ark in the Dells (our favorite), but not near the drive either.l
I recently took my three teens to the Art Museum in Chicago. I wasn't sure what their reaction would be. So I was happy that we had to drag them out after several hours. They were entranced. My son especially loved the modern art areas.

I often get passes for my grandchildren the chowditas to Chicago Area Musuems. They are free with your library card at all Chicago Libraries. The kids really look forward to what I am going to get this time.
Paulette