Chicago Fun Activities for Toddlers

It may be a little windy, but it's worth a visit for the fun museums, parks and theatres your tiny travelers will enjoy.

The First Family isn't the only family to fall in love with Chicago is -- it's a great destination for parents and kids to enjoy together with plenty to do for all types of visitors. For more general information, contact Chicago's tourism office at 877/CHICAGO, 312/744-2400 or check out the City of Chicago Tourism website. For current entertainment schedules and restaurant guides, check www.metromix.com.

Chicago Children's Museum
700 East Grand Avenue at North Navy Pier
Chicago, IL 60611
312/527-1000
Take the kids to this museum and you can all explore. There are a great number of exhibits such as the Waterways playroom and the BIG Backyard. The Dinosaur Expedition is modeled after the 1997 Saharan expedition and features an authentic excavation pit. This museum also has permanent exhibits on science, art, and bathrooms filled with facts about local inventions, such as roller skates, the zipper, and Cracker Jacks. Take advantage of free admission if you are in town on Thursday Free Family Nights, or on the 1st Sunday of every month.

Explore Chicago Family Adventure Days
312/742-8497
This citywide program (a.k.a. Family Day Camp) runs in summer, offering low-cost, hands-on nature and art activities, along with trips to neighborhood parks and cultural organizations. The guided tours are great fun, allowing just 3-5 families who sign up in advance to travel via public transportation (with their tour leader) to explore one of six Chicago neighborhoods—Garfield Park, Pilsen, Lincoln Park, Jackson Park, Bronzeville and Hyde Park. For summer 2010, Chicago Family Adventure Days take place on Fridays from June 25 through August 27, and on Saturday, August 28. They are recommended for children ages 6+ with an adult (younger kids would love some of the planned outings) and cost $12 per person. Family Adventure Days departs from the Visitor Information Center at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. at 9:30am and returns back at 2:30pm. Lunch and transportation are included. Great fun, great deal!

Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive (at Roosevelt Road)
Chicago, IL 60605
312/922-9410
This world-class museum has hands-on exhibits to help kids discover the ancient worlds of dinosaurs (don't miss Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton ever found), Egyptian mummies, and extinct civilizations. Your family will learn about the power of volcanoes, exotic mammals and different types of birds. There's so much to see here, don't try to do it all in one day.

Grant Park
331 East Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
312/742-7648
Another enticing way to take a breather in the busy city, this expansive green space, the principal downtown park, contains tennis courts and softball fields. The dramatic Buckingham Fountain is worth a look. Large-scale public events, such as the summer Blues Festival, occasionally bring the bustle into the park. In 2001, the north side of Grant Park was expanded into Millenium Park, complete with an ice rink, a theatre, and an outdoor music pavillion that holds up to 14,000 people. A footbridge, designed by Frank Gehry, connects the two parks.

John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
312/939-2438
Home to over 25,000 animals, Shedd is the world's largest indoor aquarium. The Oceanarium recreates a Pacific Northwest coastal habitat for Beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters and harbor seals, all seen through underwater viewing windows. In the main aquarium, habitats from all over the globe are represented. There are plenty of hands-on exhibits, opportunities to try a scientific experiment, a dolphin show and periodic "Sleep with the Fishes" overnights for families.

Lifeline Theatre
6912 North Glenwood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60626
773/761-4477
Special-for-children productions including a regular schedule of new productions, classic tales or musicals and based on children's books, ranging from "Lyle Lyle Crocodile" to "The Dirty Cowboy."

Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
312/742-2000
A welcome respite from bustling downtown, the nation's oldest zoo rests on 35 acres of parkland in the heart of the city. Besides an animal collection that's a real treat in nice weather, there is the Lincoln Pritzker Children's Zoo featuring a new Walk in the Woods exhibit recreating the woodlands of North America with native creatures, such as the River Otter and American Beaver. With one of the largest zoo-based Conservation and Science Centers, many exhibits encourage visitors to learn by not only viewing, but by participating. In the Farm-in-the-Zoo, for instance, you can feed and milk the cows, as well as watch the daily milking demonstrations. There is also a farmhouse kitchen where guests can learn where food comes from. Did we mention that admission is always free?

Museum of Science and Industry
57th and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637-1414
773/684-1414
A thorough look at how things work, with over 25 exhibits designed for hands-on interaction. It also houses the city's major Omnimax theater which is of great interest to younger kids. Our favorites are the coal mine tour which takes you 600-feet below the surface, and the chick hatchery, a genetics study where you can actually watch chicks hatch and hop around. The Great Train Story includes interactive exhibits and realistic terrain with 34 trains, 500 scale structures, 28 bridges, and a 14-foot Sears Tower helps visitors explore rail operations in the United States on a trip from Chicago to Seattle. "ToyMaker 3000" is an exciting exhibit that explores the Computer Integrated Manufacturing system by employing a Computer Aided Design (CAD) sytem, robotic arms and an automated assembly line to present the world of automated manufacturing. In honor of MSI's 75th anniversary, all children 11 years and under willl be admitted free throughout the summer of 2008.

Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312/595-PIER, 800/595-PIER
Opened in the mid-1990's after a complete restoration, the Navy Pier offers more than 50 acres of spectacular places for a family picnic, fishing, or a stroll. Additionally there is the Ferris Wheel, Carousel and miniature golf, and the wonderful Chicago Children's Museum (see above.) From this very long pier there is a nice view out to boundless Lake Michigan, as well as back to Chicago's skyline. (Note: The black clover-shaped, luxury highrise at the foot of the pier, once home to Oprah Winfrey and Goldie Hawn, now house Cubs' superstar Sammy Sosa.) Special events are often scheduled throughout the year; call ahead for details about the city's #1 tourist attraction.