On The Go Chicago

When the weather turned cold, I suddenly realized that my two year old did not have a single long sleeved shirt or a proper winter coat, so off to Old Orchard we went.  When shopping with kids I no longer stroll through stores, leisurely sipping coffee.  I am a strategic shopper now.  I have a plan and a timeline.  That being said, I have learned a valuable lesson…a trip to the mall will be a lot more enjoyable if I plan for some play time too.

I’ve always enjoyed the kid friendly play areas (dragon playground), wide walk ways perfect for strollers and two year olds who insist on walking on their “OWN”, and great kid friendly restaurants (food court, Johnny Rockets & California Pizza Kitchen), but on my most recent trip to Old Orchard, I discovered a few new kid friendly amenities/activities/discounts that made sure all of us had a good time.

• The Pottery Barn Kids at Old Orchard has FREE story time every Tuesday from 11-11:30am.  They also have free sing-alongs and Barbie Events.  There next sing-along has a Halloween theme and will be on 10/28 at 10:00am and 11:00am.  Check their website for additional events.
• The Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard has FREE story time and craft every Monday at 10:00am and free story time every Tuesday at 10:00am.  They also have other special events like visits from Clifford.  Check their website for additional events.  There will be a Halloween themed storytime on Oct. 24 at 11:00am.
• Kids eat FREE at Johnny Rockets from 3-5:00pm every day.  They also have huge booths and 5 highchairs, so they can accommodate a group of mommies.
• Westfield Family Club (WFamily) – Who knew you could get discounts and invitations to cool kids events from the mall?  Visit the concierge desk in the food court and sign up for the FREE WFamily Club.  Not only do you get special benefits and invitations to kid friendly events, but you also get great discounts.  Every Wednesday you can get special discounts at participating stores by showing your card.  I checked out the list of discounts, and there are some great ones (15% entire purchase at Children’s Place, 25% a single item at Gap, Gap Baby and Gap Kids, 15% off your meal at Johnny Rockets, 15% a regular priced item at Steve Madden, and many more).  If you’re free Saturday, Oct. 24, they are having a giant Harvest Festival for families at the mall.

With storytime as the carrot, my toddler may even be able to tolerate a half hour in the Nordstrom’s shoe department!  Let me know if you have any other tips for surviving the mall with your wee ones!