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.

NPN's Wake Up and Boogie Down Family Festival

NPN's annual fundraising event is back this Saturday at the Cubby Bear from 9:30am - 12:30pm. You're invited to "Wake Up & Boogie Down" with live music performances, hands on kids' activities, games, rock-n-roll makeovers and tasty snacks and treats.

On hand will be some of Chicago's best kids resources. Take part in the Cultural Care Au Pair rock-n-roll makeover station; capture the moment with a photo from ThinkLeigh Photography; decorate cookies with COUNTRY Financial; and explore activities and giveaways hosted by many other local favorites like the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Multilingual Chicago and more.

Get your tickets in advance, because this event can sell out! Tickets are $20 adults/$10 kids for members, and $25 adults/$15 kids for non-members. (infants under age 1 free). You can get tickets at http://www.npnparents.org. All funds raised will enhance NPN’s programs and member services.

NPN is a fantastic resource for Chicago area parents. In their words:
"NPN offers expectant, new, and seasoned parents connection and support for the everyday challenges of parenthood. A trusted destination for parent-to-parent interaction, school choice resources, childcare options, parent education opportunities and local community development, NPN helps strong families build strong communities!"

And in my words: This is the FIRST place I've turned each time I needed a new nanny; I met the moms in my regular moms group through NPN events; their uber-active discussion forums provide me with dozens of responses within hours of my posts; and their preschool fair and information are priceless! If you aren't a member, please consider joining and supporting this great resource.

Our family will be attending on Saturday - maybe we'll see you there!

Hold a Baby Lamb

I'm a sucker for cute baby animals - who isn't? So I love this upcoming event - "Hold a Baby Lamb!"

The Lambing Barn at Enjoy Pioneer Farm is open on Fridays and Saturdays in March from 9am-3pm for kids - and parents - to see what it's like to hold a baby lamb. And this year, the Farm also has chickens, chicks hatching, goats, rabbits, piglet and a llama to see and hold.



Lambing Days are an opportunities to get up close to a sheep and feel their wool, and kids can learn about where their wool clothes come from by watching a sheep shearing demonstration.

And while you can't take any of these cute little animal babies home, you don't have to leave empty handed. The farm sells seasonal products and produce, including farm fresh eggs.

Admission is $5 per person, or a maximum of $11 per family. Enjoy Pioneer Farm is located at Enjoy Pioneer Farm is located 17 N 400 Big Timber Rd., Hampshire. Find more information on the web site at www.enjoypioneerfarm.com.

Neighborhoods of the World at Navy Pier

Navy Pier is honoring some of the many different ethnic communities of Chicago with events every Sunday that honor these parts of the world. Every Sunday through April 3, enjoy a taste of cultural flair with an afternoon of music, dance, costumes, authentic cuisine and local vendors selling folk arts from the regions.



Here's the schedule starting with this Sunday's event:

February 27, 2011
Kick-Off to St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Chicago Neighborhoods: Beverly, Mount Greenwood
Performances by Trinity Irish Dancers, Joe Cullen, Irish Music School of Chicago, and Anish.

March 6, 2011
Celebrate Poland
Chicago Neighborhoods: Jefferson Park, Harwood Heights, Avondale
Performances by Lechici Dancers, Soloists from the Lira Singers, Lajkonic Dancers, Academy of Music of the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra, and The Polish Highlanders.

March 13, 2011
Bell'Italia
Chicago Neighborhood: Little Italy
Midwest Premiere performance by La Rossignol (from Castelleone, Italy), plus Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan, and more.

March 20, 2011
Celebrate Mexico
Chicago Neighborhoods: Pilsen, Little Village
Performances by Mexican Dance Ensemble, Tarima Son, and more.

March 27, 2011
A Greek Journey in the Windy City
Chicago Neighborhood: Greektown
Performances by the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society and the Chicago Hellenic Choir.

April 3, 2011
GermanChicagoNow
Chicago Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Performances by Pieptone!, Paloma Band, Amazonen, Fanfaren Corps of Chicago,
BGTV D'Lustigen Holzhacker Buam, Egerlander Tanzgruppe, and Amazing Mike.

New Play Cafe - Little Beans Cafe

Unless you're living under a rock, or an ice-encrusted record-sized drift of snow, you've probably heard about Little Beans Cafe. While I had been anxiously awaiting the opening and planning to visit last week, I seemed to be fighting fate to get there. After making it thru an 8-hour carpet installation, our first trip the ER (1am!) with our toddler, a week without our babysitter, 2 days on the phone with web tech support - and a little blizzard - I finally made it.

Little Beans does not feel like a kid's play place when you walk in the door. It's a sophisticated coffee shop, with a regular seating area in the front and a nice selection of drinks and snacks. At the back is the play area, which includes a kiddie town with a fire station, a burning house (it took some time to convince my daughter that the house "on fire" was not really on fire... and it's cute, not scary), a gas station and grocery store. My daughter (almost 3) was first drawn to the reading area, when she caught a glimpse of Knuffle Bunny, sitting amongst some other popular kids books.

In addition to the kid town and reading area, my daughter very much enjoyed sitting in a little wooden fire truck. Her friend that joined us was instantly drawn to a doll house before heading over to the play buildings. There's also a nice area for crawlers to play.

In addition to open play, Little Beans offers a variety of classes like Family Yoga, Mommy Time Yoga, Music & Movement and Imaginative Art.

Little Beans is located at 1809 W. Webster Ave. and has open play from 9am-5pm Monday - Friday; 9am-2pm Saturday; 9 to 11am Sunday. Visit them online at www.littlebeanscafe.com.

Best Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe

Valentine's Day is probably not the holiday that conjures up the most childhood memories for people. But for me, it always reminds me of the special Valentine's Day cookies that my mom used to bake. They're still my favorite cookies, and if you feeling like baking a love-filled treat for your kids, give this recipe a try!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon McCormick's pure peppermint extract
red food coloring
1 cup rolled oats (long-cooking type)
powdered sugar
7 to 9 Hershey's milk chocolate bars (no nuts)
1 ½" Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

DIRECTIONS:

Beat together butter and sugar.
Blend in egg and vanilla extract.
Sift flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
Add peppermint and food coloring, creating a pink dough.
Stir in oats and mix well.
Divide dough in ½ and wrap in plastic wrap to chill in refrigerator a few hours.
Roll out dough on surface sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Cut with floured 1 ½ inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.
When removed from oven, immediately place 1 ½ to 2 rectangles of chocolate bar on a hot cookie and press another cookie lightly onto the chocolate to create a sandwich cookie. Cool.

Makes about 40 cookies. Freezes well.

Red Kite Roundup - A special show for children with autism

Chicago Children’s Theatre presents a special show for children with autism as part of their education initiative, The Red Kite project. The Red Kite project is a seven month development workshop and co-production that culminates with a multi-sensory installation performance for children with autism at Chicago Children’s Museum.

Red Kite Roundup takes place at Millennium Park February 1-20. The show is intended for children ages 5-14, and it allows children with autism to take part in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s immersive, simulated camping experience. Actors guide children on their own personal journey complete with chasing butterflies, hiking and camping under the stars.

The show is limited to just 10 children (with an adult) to meet the special needs of each child in attendance. All tickets are $10 each and advanced reservations are required. For more information, visit
www.explorechicago.org or www.theredkiteproject.org.

Family Events and Activities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Kids are off school on Monday and many businesses are closed. There are several activities taking place for your family to enjoy while also learning more about Martin Luther King Jr.

Here are a few highlights, and you can find more events celebrating the holiday and the day off at www.chicagokids.com/calendar.


Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Art Institute
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! Hear a storytelling program with Gwen Hilary, accompanied by the music of Enoch Williamson at 11:30 or 12:30, and visit a drop-in workshop to make a portrait of someone who is a hero to you. Enjoy a free gallery walk at 12:15 or 1:15. Included with regular admission.


2011 Dr. King Day Celebration
DuSable Museum of African American History
The DuSable Museum of African American History will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and The Civil Rights Movement during our annual Dr. King Day Celebration! The day will be filled with live performances, storytelling, films, trunk shows, food, and activities for the entire family. The theme for the 2011 celebration is “COMMUNITY.” 10am – 5pm. Adults $10, Children 12 and under $5.


Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration
Brookfield Zoo
Plan your visit to allow time to join us in the Discovery Center, Savannah Room for a special presentation by Dr. Elijah Ward, Director of African-American Studies and Assistant Professor - Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice at St. Xavier University, "Understanding the Roots of Race." Following the talk you can share your dream on a Tibetan prayer flag which will be flown in Hamill Family Play Zoo. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Noon. Free.


What Does It Mean, Dr. King?
Chicago Children's Museum
What was the Civil Rights Movement and what does it mean for kids today? Take a journey back in time and learn about freedom through interactive theater and songs. At 11am, 1, 2 & 3pm. Included with regular admission.