Best Sledding Hills In and Near Chicago
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
We scoured the city to bring you a list of the best sledding hills in and around Chicago. From daring drops to gentle glides, here are our all-ages picks.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
We scoured the city to bring you a list of the best sledding hills in and around Chicago. From daring drops to gentle glides, here are our all-ages picks.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Want to have fun in Chicago with the kids without busting your wallet? Here are 100 great, family-friendly things to do that are FREE.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Looking for New Year's Eve celebrations in Chicago minus the late night? Most kids, and even some adults, can't make it until midnight for a typical New Year's Eve celebration. That's why plenty of Chicago area kids' venues have put together events to celebrate Noon Year's on the last midday of the year.
Celebrate with bubbles at the always-popular DuPage Children's Museum, enjoy roller skating in Mundelein or on the South Side, or bowl or play bocce to end 2023 at Pinstripes locations in Streeterville, Oak Brook, South Barrington, or Northbrook. Or play whirlyball in Naperville or Lincoln Park or see a performance of the Blue Man Group in Lakeview.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Ready for some classic pictures with Santa in Chicago this holiday season? You can get pictures with Santa in Chicago at Wrigley Field or catch a movie with him in Woodridge. If you prefer the traditional mall Santa pictures, you can find him at Water Tower Place, Fashion Outlets of Chicago, and so many more spots (see below for our favorites!). City dwellers seem to love getting their pictures with Santa taken at Macy's, while suburbanites flock to Bass Pro Shop for their Santa photos experience.
While you're making your holiday schedule, don't forget to check out the Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in Chicago or Nutcracker performances throughout the city and suburbs. Check out our Must-Do Christmas Events in Chicago, and lots of other seasonal ideas in our Guide to Holidays and Christmas Activities.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Looking for the best things to do in Chicago this Thanksgiving weekend 2023? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Thanksgiving Day weekend.
Gobble up some activities along with your turkey this Thanksgiving weekend! There are plenty of things to do in Chicago this Thanksgiving weekend to kick off the holiday season. Check out the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade along State Street or sing along with carolers in Millennium Park. Get outside to move around after turkey dinner at a Turkey Trot in Grant Park or Beverly. The first performances of A Chistmas Carol are scheduled for this weekend at The Goodman Theater downtown, while The Nutcracker is playing in Hinsdale.
The weather is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so take a trip out to one of our favorite Christmas tree farms to get yours. Or plan a skating trip to one of our favorite outdoor rinks. Plan out one of your December weekends to include a showing of The Nutcracker or a ride on the CTA Holiday Train.
Let's all give thanks for our wonderful kiddos as we enter this holiday season together!
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Lincoln Square is a historically-German Chicago neighborhood at the Western stop of the Brown Line. This fun neighborhood is anchored by Giddings Plaza, a pedestrian plaza with a historic-looking fountain just east of Lincoln Avenue between Leland and Lawrence. Its location just off the L and with narrow streets makes it a pedestrian-friendly location with lots of unique shops and restaurants for families to explore.
Many families come to Lincoln Square for its street festivals or for a concert at The Old Town School of Folk Music, which is not actually located in Old Town. But there's plenty to do, see, hear, and eat even after those events are over. Here are some great things to do with kids in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
If you want to venture to other great Chicago neighborhoods, check out our list of 100 Best Things To Do in Chicago with Kids.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on
Taking kids to The Nutcracker Chicago this holiday season? We have a list of 30 performances of The Nutcracker in the Chicago area.
Do you have little ballerinas or danseurs with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads? Then it might be time to pirouette to a production of The Nutcracker ballet near Chicago this holiday season. Presented by students and professionals all across Chicagoland, the holiday classic of The Nutcracker ballet tells the story of a little girl who dreams that her toy nutcracker comes to life.