Millennium Park Family Fun Festival Returns

It's back! In my opinion, this is one of the city's best free family activities of the summer. Millennium Park's Family Fun Festival takes place daily from June 13 - August 21 between 10am and 3pm, with family performances and hands-on activities taking place in the Family Fun Tent. The daily entertainment includes:

• 10am: Wiggleworms® entertainment, with the fantastic instructors from Old Town School of Folk Music leading kids in singalong and dance.
  
• 11am: Reading circle
  
• 1pm: Entertainment/Concerts

Throughout the day, the Family Fun tent's Activity Zone will include hands-on craft projects and garden, science and environmental activities led by some of the region's popular museums and cultural institutions, including Art Institute of Chicago, Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Park District, Chicago Wilderness, Lurie Garden, Museum of Science and Industry and Swedish American Museum.



Here's the schedule of activities:

June 13-19
Wild in the City with activities led by Lurie Garden and Chicago Wilderness

June 20-26
Cultural Exchange: China Week with activities led by Chinese-American Museum of Chicago

June 27-July 3
Carrot Tots: Kids Grow and Cook Their Veggies with activities led by Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture

July 4-10
Global Adventures with activities led by Chicago Children's Museum

July 11-17
Artful Alphabet Activities with activities led by Art Institute of Chicago

July 18-24
Past, Present and Future: Your Chicago with activities led by Chicago History Museum

July 25-31
Architecture Week: Building Chicago with activities led by Chicago Architecture Foundation

Aug 1-7
Cultural Exchange: Explore Swedish Traditions with activities led by Swedish-American Museum

Aug 8-14
Sounds of the City with activities led by Chicago Park District

Aug 15-21
Science and Exploration with activities led by Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago KIDS Day - Health and Wellness Festival

This weekend ushers in some of the season's first festivals, and on Saturday you can celebrate Chicago KIDS Day at Lakeview's Mayfest.

This event was created by Dr. Sarah Weber of Total Balance Chiropractic as a fun and entertaining way to educate and teach kids about health and safety. The Lakeview YMCA and NPN (Neighborhood Parents Network) have teamed up with Dr. Sarah to present this event, which promises fun for the whole family!

Saturday from 10am - 1pm, enjoy free activities, arts & crafts, healthy food, fun, balloons and raffle prizes, plus ChicagoKids.com will be on hand with craft activities. Families can also take part in free spinal and dental screenings, and learn about healthy eating while sampling delicious, healthy free snack samples.

The schedule of events includes:

• 10:00 Painting for Kids
  
• 10:30 Kiddie Yoga
  
• 11:00 Lil’Kickers
  
• 11:30 Kiddie Zumba
  
• 12:00 Awards Ceremony
  
• 12:30 Kiddie Boot Camp
  

The event takes place RAIN or SHINE!

Chicago Farmers Markets - 2011 Schedule

Hard to believe when the thermometer can barely get past 40 degrees, but some of the city's farmers markets are officially underway! Below is the schedule, by day of the week. Visit the official web site for more details on individual markets.

This summer's schedule:

MONDAY

Chicago's Downtown Farmstand, 66 E. Randolph
Monday-Friday: 11 am - 7 pm; Saturday: 11 am - 4 pm

Loyola's Farmers Market, 6542 N. Sheridan Rd.
June 6 - Oct. 17, 2011
3:30 - 6 pm

TUESDAY

City Farm Market Stand, 1204 N. Clybourn
July 12-Sept. 30, 2011
Tuesday-Friday 3 - 6:30 pm

Federal Plaza, Adams & Dearborn
May 17 - Oct. 25, 2011
Tuesdays 7 am - 3 pm

Lincoln Square, Lincoln/Leland/Western
June 7-Oct. 25, 2011
Tuesdays 7 am - 1 pm

Museum of Contemporary Art/Streeterville, Chicago & Mies van der Rohe Way (On MCA Plaza)
June 7-Oct. 25, 2011
Every Tuesday 7 am - 3 pm

Plaza 300, 300 N. LaSalle
July 5-Sept. 27, 2011
Every Tuesday 7 am - 2 pm

Pritzker Park, 344 S. State St.
June 14-Sept. 27, 2011
Every Tuesday 7 am - 3 pm

WEDNESDAY

Andersonville, Berwyn Ave. btwn. Clark & Ashland
June 22-Oct. 19, 2011
Every Wednesday 3 - 8 pm; Sept. 14-Oct. 19: 3 - 7 pm

Avondale - Sprouting Out, 3300 N. Whipple
June 15-Oct. 22, 2011
Wednesdays and Saturdays (every other week) 3 - 6 pm A

Green City Market, 1750 N. Clark St.
May 4-Dec. 21, 2011
Wednesdays and Saturdays 7 am - 1 pm

Lawndale Market, 3555 W. Ogden Ave.
July 6-Oct. 5, 2011
Every Wednesday 3 - 6 pm

Pullman, 111th & Cottage Grove (In Arcade Park)
July 6-Oct. 5, 2011
Every Wednesday 7 am - 12 pm

Seaway Bank Farmers Market, 645 E. 87th Street
July 13-Sept. 28, 2011
Every Wednesday 9 am - 2 pm

South Shore, 70th & Jeffery Blvd. (ShoreBank Parking Lot)
June 8-Oct. 19, 2011
Every Wednesday 7 am - 1 pm

Two North Riverside, 2 N. Riverside
July 6-Sept. 28, 2011
Every Wednesday 11 am - 7 pm

THURSDAY

Daley Plaza, Washington & Dearborn
May 12-Oct. 20, 2011
Every Thursday 7 am - 3 pm

Eli's Cheesecake/Wright College, 6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
June 16-Oct. 27, 2011
Every Thursday 7 am - 1 pm

Hyde Park, 53rd & Lake Park Ave.
June 2-Oct. 27, 2011
Every Thursday 7 am - 1 pm

Lincoln Square Evening Market, 2309 W. Leland Ave.
June 16-Oct. 27, 2011
Every Thursday 4 - 8 pm

Uptown Farmers Market at Weiss, 4646 N. Marine Dr.
June 23-Oct. 27, 2011
Every Thursday 7:30 am - 12:30 pm

Willis Tower Plaza, 233 S. Wacker Dr.
June 16-Oct. 6, 2011
Every Thursday 7 am - 3 pm

SATURDAY

61st Street, 61st St. btwn. Dorchester & Blackstone
May 14-Oct. 29, 2011
Every Saturday 9 am - 2 pm

Bridgeport, 35th & Wallace (In parking lot)
June 18-Sept. 17, 2011
Every Saturday 7 am - 1 pm

Bronzeville Community Market, 4400 S. Cottage Grove
June 11-Oct. 29, 2011
Every Saturday 8 am - 1 pm

Division Street, Divison & Dearborn
May 14-Oct. 29, 2011
Every Saturday 7 am - 1 pm

Lincoln Park, Armitage & Orchard
May 14-Oct. 29, 2011
Every Saturday 7 am - 1 pm

Northcenter, Belle Plaine/Damen/Lincoln
June 18-Oct. 29, 2011
Every Saturday 7 am - 1 pm

Printers Row, Dearborn & Polk (Printers Row Park)
June 11-Oct. 8, 2011
Every Saturday 7 am - 1 pm

Southport Market, Blaine School, 1420 W. Grace
June 25-Sept. 10, 2011
Every Saturday 8 am - 2 pm

SUNDAY

Beverly, 95th & Longwood
May 15-Oct. 23, 2011
Every Sunday 7 am - 1 pm

Erie Street, 500 W. Erie St.
June 12-Oct. 23, 2011
Every Sunday 8 am- 1 pm

Glenwood Sunday Market, 6950 N. Glenwood btwn. Morse & Lunt
June 5-Oct. 16, 2011
Every Sunday 9 am- 2 pm

Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield
June 12-Oct. 9, 2011
2nd & 4th Sundays of the month 9 am - 1 pm

Logan Square, 3107 W. Logan Blvd
June 5-Oct. 30, 2011
Every Sunday 10 am - 3 pm

Pilsen Community Market, 1800 S. Halsted
June 5-Oct. 30, 2011
Every Sunday 9 am - 3 pm

Wicker Park & Bucktown, Wicker Park & Damen
June 5-Oct. 30, 2011
Every Sunday 8 am - 2 pm

Move over Starbucks... Play Cafés abound around town

It's the latest trend - play cafés where kids can let out some energy and parents can relax with a cup of joe. For cold or rainy days, here are a few that you might enjoy.

Family Grounds Cafe
3652 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
Family Grounds Cafe is a hip coffee shop with an area where kids can play, and a separate area where parents can relax an enjoy Intelligentsia espresso, coffee or tea, savory treats, and even free WiFi and free parking. The play area includes a Victorian playhouse, performance stage, train area, schoolhouse and more. Special classes and events take place on a regular basis - for example, violin classes, mom supprt groups, special musical performances and more.

You can reserve play time blocks ahead of time for 2-hour blocks on Mon-Fri at 9:00 or 11:00; or on Saturday at 8:30, 10:30 or 12:30. It's $5.95 for adults & children (crawlers/walkers) You can also drop in to play on Mondays - Fridays between 1-6pm, and the fee is $10.95 for the first child (crawlers & up), $5.95 sibling rate (crawlers & up), with non-crawling infants free with a $4 minimum purchase. Parents are free.

Little Beans Cafe
1809 W. Webster, Chicago
Parents can enjoy their coffee in the separate cafe, or at one of the tables inside the play area. The play area is a cute little village with a grocery story, service station, playhouse, school and more, with a corner for kids to cozy up with their favorite books, puzzles or games. The play area is large, so there's plenty of room for running around. Little Beans also offers a wide range of classes like Music & Movement, Mom & Tot Yoga, and even an upcoming Spanish class with Multilingual Chicago.

Little Beans is open Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm; Saturday 9am - 3pm, and Sunday 9am - 11am. A daily pass is $12 with a sibling pass for $7. Supervised Play is also available for $20 for up to 1.5 hours, M-F from 2-5pm.

Little Monkey Bizness
229 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton and 4700 Gilbert Ave, Suite 51, Western Springs
Little Monkey Bizness offers a full-service gourmet coffee bar, and a wide assortment of delicious and healthy choices of food. The seating area overlooks a 3,000+ square foot play area, where kids enjoy playhouses, dance floors, educational computer games, and a separate area for babies and crawlers. A separate art area provides activities during special art sessions and open art time.

Play hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am - 6pm; Tuesday and Friday 9am - 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday from 9am - noon. Open play admission is $7.50 per child over the age of 1, and $5.00 per child for crawlers between 6 months and 1 year. Infants and parents are free.

Nibbles Play Cafe
13 Huntington Lane, Wheeling
Parents will delight in the bistro-style menu and kids will enjoy a great selection of kids entrees after they've built up an appetite playing. Play areas at Nibbles include an area for non-walkers, trains and tracks, a construction zone, small toy area and arts and crafts. Nibbles also has hosts fun family events on a regular basis, with concerts, storytelling, and other themed activities.

Hours are 9:30am-8:00pm weekdays and 9:30-3:00 on weekends. Admission is $5 for kids age 1-7, with additional siblings $3.00. Older children and adults are free.

Pickle's Playroom
2315 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago
Pickle's Playroom opened its doors just about a month ago, so it's the newest play cafe to hit Chicago. The cafe offers Metropolis brand coffee and organic baked goods from local favorite Bleeding Heart Bakery, plus a lunch menu with basic kids fare and a few selections for the grownups. The play area includes a kiddie rock climbing wall, factory control room, large tunnel slide, grocery store, towering dollhouse, and a separate area for crawlers/tiny tots. Classes and events are said to be coming soon. There's also a kids' hair salon on site, so for an additional $20, your little one can walk out with a new 'do.

Open play is $12, and siblings are $9, with multi-visit and monthly passes available. Hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm; Saturday 9am - 3pm; Sunday 10am - 3pm.

Take me out to the ballgame - in Chicago!

Baseball season is in full swing, and whether you cheer for the Cubs or the White Sox, there's plenty of family fun to be had at both of Chicago's stadiums.

Chicago Cubs Family Days/Promotions:

• Tuesday, August 9: Cubs Plush Bear (First 5,000 children 13 & younger)
  
• Friday, September 2: American Girl Doll-sized Cubs Apparel (First 4,000 children 14 & younger)
  

Click here for the Cub's entire schedule of promotions, giveaways, special days, and links to purchase tickets.

Chicago White Sox Family Days/Promotions:

• Sunday, April 17: Kids Day-Celebration of spring
  
• Sunday, May 1: Mother Son Day
  
• Sunday, May 22: Kids Day-Sox Expo
  
• Sunday, June 5: White Sox Kid's Jersey Giveaway
  
• Sunday, June 12: Father Daughter Day
  
• Sunday, June 26: Kids Day-Southpaw's Birthday
  
• Sunday, July 10: Kids Day-Wild about the Sox
  
• Sunday, August 21: Kids Day-Back to School Carnival
  

Click here for the White Sox's entire schedule of promotions, giveaways, special days, and links to purchase tickets.

Tips for Enjoying Your Baseball Outing

Once you've picked a date and are ready to go, here are some tips to help your family enjoy the game:

• Get the whole family into some team colors and team gear!
  
• Bring a baseball glove - you never know when a fly ball could head your way!
  
• Bring the camera for family photos - you'll always remember the big day.
  
• Enjoy some hotdogs, pizza, popcorn, peanuts and more - it's a baseball tradition. And you can bring your own bottled water at long as it's sealed.
  
• Arrive early to watch team batting practice and warm ups - both parks open 2 hours before the game starts. Bring a permanent marker, something to write on, and ask for autographs!
  
• Protect yourself from the sun! Bring sun block, hats, and sunglasses.
  
• Stay through the 7th inning so you can sing "take me out to the ballgame."
  
• Find a fun spot to eat before or after the game.
  

Cubs Game Dining Suggestions:

Vines on Clark
3554 N Clark Street, Chicago, (773) 327-8572
Located just 1/2 block from Wrigley, Vines has a spacious dining area with an outdoor patio. Options include sandwiches, salads, wraps, burgers, & pizza, and there are brunch options for early games.

Goose Island Brewpub
3535 N Clark St., Chicago, (773) 832-9040
This kid friendly pub has patio seating, is smoke free, and offers American traditional food. It's a Chicago landmark, so it can be part of your family Chicago experience.

Pat's Pizza
2679 N Lincoln Ave., Chicago, (773) 248-0168
Pat's Pizza is known for their thin crust pizza and is only a short walk from Wrigley Field.

Ann Sather Café
3416 N Southport Ave., Chicago, (773) 404-4475
This famous local spot has great breakfast and brunch options ranging from omelettes to pancakes to french toast.

Sox Game Dining Suggestions:

Connie's Pizza
2373 S. Archer Avenue Chicago, IL, 60616, (312) 326-3443
A few miles from US Cellular field, their pizza is delicious and easy to split among the family. Picky eaters will easily find something on this Italian menu that will make them happy too!

Bongo Room
1152 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, (312) 291-0100
Located in the South Loop, this restaurant has great breakfast and brunch menus as well as a large lunch menu.

Leona's Restaurant
1419 W Taylor St., Chicago, (312) 850-2222
Leona's is a family friendly spot in Little Italy, not too far from Cellular Field. Pizzas, pastas and sandwiches will keep the whole family happy.

Chicagoland Easter Event Highlights

The Easter Bunny is quite busy this month, making appearances all over town. ChicagoKids.com has put together a list of many Easter events taking place in Chicago and the suburbs, and here are some highlights below.

Breakfast with the Bunny at Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
April 9, 10, 17 and 23
An all-you-can-eat breakfast with a special appearance from Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, with opportunities for photos and visit from some of Children’s Zoo’s furry critters. Seatings at 9am and 11am. $38 for adults and $26.50 for children 3-11. Registration required.

Doggie Easter Egg Hunt at Horner Park, Chicago
April 16
Meet the Easter Bunny and enjoy a family-friendly event that includes a Doggie egg hunt, bonnet parade, obstacle course, raffle. 10:00am - 12:00pm. $5 per dog.

Easter Eggstravaganza at Chase Park, Chicago
April 16
Kids will experience an unforgettable time with friends and the Bunny! Event includes an egg hunt, craft project, face painting, entertainment, goodie bag, and more. 10:00am - 12:00pm. Free.

Soldier Field Spring Egg-Stravaganza, Chicago
April 17
Come out for the largest candy grab in the city! The stadium opens at 9am for family friendly activities including face painters, fun inflatables, balloon artists, and a Radio Disney Show. At 10am the first group of kids can collect all the goodies they can on the field. Free.

Egg Hunt at Frontier Sports Complex, Naperville
April 23
A colorful egg hunt and a special visit from the Easter Bunny. The egg hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp. Only children age 2 or younger may have help from a parent. Bring a donation of non-perishable food items for the Jaycees. Ages 1-8. Free.

Visit our Easter Highlights page to find more events.

Earth Day Celebrations in April

It's April, and while Earth Day is still a few weeks away, there are plenty of events taking place throughout the month of April to celebrate. We've compiled a list of events on our web site - click here to view - and here are some highlights:

April 16
Green Metropolis Fair at Irish American Heritage Center
Hands-on family-friendly activities with farm animals, composting, showings of Dirt! The Movie & Vanishing of the Bees, a retail market, a food market, presentations and more. 10am-4pm. All ages. Bring a non-perishable food donation for free entry!

April 23
11th Annual Earth Day at North Pond Nature Sanctuary
Bring the whole family and spend a day making a difference and helping clean up and beautify the sanctuary. Registration required. 10 a.m. to Noon. Ages 12 and up. Free!

April 23
Party for the Planet at Brookfield Zoo
This special day highlights polar bears and the effects climate change has on them. Tour the Eco Expo, record your wish for the planet, ride on the "Poop Tram" and enjoy a variety of family entertainment. 11am - 4pm. All ages. Regular admission applies.

April 23
Earth Day Festival at Armstrong Park in Carol Stream
Enjoy Earth Day Festival & Farmers’ market, with an annual eco-fest. Volunteer for the park clean up, explore the farmers market or get hands on with eco-friendly gadgets, rain barrel workshops, Recycle Kids Craft Corner and more. 9am - 1pm. All ages. Free!

April 30
REI Earth Day Service Project at Heller Nature Center
A great project for the whole family! Help by bringing your own tools: shovels, bow rakes and wheelbarrows. Dress for the weather and prepare to get dirty! Volunteers receive a free T-shirt and other giveaways while supplies last. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. All ages. Free!

April 30
Green and Growing Fair at Garfield Park Conservatory
The fair, sponsored by GreenNet, features a variety of vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and family activities to get your rusty green thumb up and running. Gather resources for your own garden, and participate in family take home planting activities. All ages. 10am - 2pm. Free!

View more Earth Day events and activities on the ChicagoKids.com web site.

Make-A-Messterpiece - Messy, Creative Fun

When it comes to making a mess, my nearly 3-year-old daughter Mia is NOT interested. If there's a crumb on her shirt, a speck of paint on her fingers, or essentially anything out of place, her world gets knocked out of alignment. At just one year old, she was already insisting on being given paper towel pieces to wipe up microscopic dots of milk from the floor. Common phrases in our house are "I don't want to be messy!" and "Wipe me! Wipe me!"

So when my mom started taking Mia to Make-A-Messterpiece, near her home, for occasional visits, I couldn't fathom what Mia was doing there. Last week I took Mia there myself to check it out firsthand, and I couldn't believe my eyes... my daughter with paint on her hands, not freaking out!

Make-A-Messterpiece is a hands-on art and fun space offering a variety of mess-making activities. Not counting the indoor play area - since Mia simply can't pass up a good slide - we spent our time in two areas: at the Splat-Tacular Tables, and at Bubbleology.

The Splat-Tacular Tables are simply an area where kids can pull up a chair and freestyle, with all sorts of tools at their disposal like crayons, paint, stencils, sponges and other items. Kids can experiment with all sorts of techniques, and Mia made 3 great pictures that we brought home.

The Bubbleology area is Mia's favorite. Mine too. Bubbleology looks like a futuristic lab, with huge canister-shaped columns hanging over rounded metal sinks, spewing colorful bubbles onto whatever paper you put below them. Kids can choose the color column they want, then take a piece of paper, attach a stencil if they desire, and then put the paper under the "spout" while the bubbles come out. The bubbles land on the page and eventually pop, creating magical images that are actually frame-worthy.

Mia picked a snail - here's her experience and final product:



Other creative areas include a Creative Kitchen, where kids create edible artistic treats; Drum Roll, where kids play paint-filled drums; Experimentation Station, which lets kids do experiments and learn cause and effect lessons; and Lil Sprouts, where budding gardeners learn the concepts of reduce, reuse, recycle and sustainability.

Learn more at www.makeamessterpiece.com

Last Chance to Skate in the Sky

It's hard to think about winter activities when it feels like spring is in the air.
But if you didn’t get to ice skate at the John Hancock Observatory’s indoor rink, there's still time! The rink is open through March 31, from 9am-11pm, with the last ice skating tickets being sold at 10pm. Skate rentals are only $1, and next Monday will be your last chance to enjoy a free skating lesson from the Chicago Blackhawks Youth Hockey coaches.

And there's one last taste of winter that you can enjoy when you're done skating. Walk across the street to Ghirardelli's and savor a cup of their frothy hot chocolate. And if it's too warm for hot chocolate by the time you do this, then bring on the ice cream sundaes!

With this last winter activity out of your system, let the spring weather begin!

St. Patrick's Day Family Friendly Festivities

Chicago is never short on St. Patrick's Day festivities, and there are plenty that are fun for the entire family. Here's a few of our top picks for you to try out this weekend:

SATURDAY MARCH 12

St. Patrick's Day Fireworks
Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago
Spend the day finding a variety of family fun activities at Navy Pier, and then at 7pm enjoy a special winter-time fireworks display. The 10 minute show will be set to a themed soundtrack featuring traditional Celtic songs and modern Irish artists.

Dyeing the Chicago River
It's an annual tradition, and until you've seen it in person you can't fathom just how "green" the river can be! Starting at 10am, the dyeing can be best viewed from the East side of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the West side of the Columbus Drive bridge or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

St. Patrick's Downtown Parade
After you see the river dyed green, shop a bit until the main event starts at noon. The parade begins at Columbus Drive and Balbo and then heads north to Monroe.

St. Patrick's Festival
Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago
Make a downtown day of it - after the big parade, head over to the IAHC for this large-scale, family-oriented event that includes traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, food and children’s activities. The festivities begin at 1pm and go until midnight, with live entertainment by Chicago Irish music groups and family friendly fare like the Wiggleworms and the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. More details at www.irish-american.org

Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade
Starting at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill Street
The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from Naperville North High School then continues south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Municipal Center.

SUNDAY MARCH 13

St. Patrick's Northwest Side Parade
Starts at Onahan School, 6633 W. Raven St.
The Northwest Side Irish host their 8th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, with this year's participants including The Jesse White Tumblers, The Emerald Society Band, Mullane Irish Dancers, St. Patrick’s High School Jazz Band, Trinity Irish Dancers and more. The parade starts at noon at 6633 W. Raven (Onahan School) and will run south up Neola Avenue to Northwest Highway north to Harlem Avenue, ending at Harlem Avenue. The after party is from 1-5pm at Immaculate Conception Elementary School, 6211 W. Talcott. Tickets for the after party are $5 for kids 10 and under, and $10 for adults. Learn more.