Tag: kid friendly

Brats, Beer and Folk Dancing – The 89th Annual German Fest is This Weekend!

Posted in go play - outside | September 8, 2009

I don’t know about you, but my family loves going to Chicago Street Festivals. When I first moved here five years ago, it took me a few festivals to appreciate the beauty of standing on hot blacktop, drinking beer and listening to cover bands. These days, I don’t think it would feel like summer without going to festivals.

I find the ethnic festivals to be among the most fun to visit with our kids. Chicago is so diverse that you can travel around the globe without leaving the City. We were eating pierogi and Polish sausage at Taste of Polonia last weekend, and plan to fill up on brats and German beer at the 89th Annual German American Festival this weekend.

The festival is loacted in Lincoln Square (Western, Lincoln and Leland Avenues) and runs Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13th. I spoke to one of the organizers this afternoon, and her family friendly recommendations included the parade at 2:00 on Saturday and the traditional folk music and dancers all Sunday afternoon. BEST OF ALL…IT’S FREE!

My daughter Grace loves to walk around our house in the wooden shoes we got her at the Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan. Who knows, she might be dancing around in lederhosens come Monday!

What are some of your favorite festivals to visit with your kids?

2 Comments »

Strollers and the CTA…Enjoy the Journey!

Posted in inside scoop | September 2, 2009

I am sure you have all heard the addage, “Enjoy the journey…” When you take the CTA with your kids, the journey can be as much fun as the destination!

I took the train yesterday when I headed to Millennium Park for the free Wiggle Worms class I mentioned in my blog last week, “Five FREE Things You Should Check Out Before Summer Ends.” My daughters had as much fun on the train as they did at the class. For those of us toteing toddlers, the CTA is actually pretty stroller friendly and becoming more so with each newly renovated station.

Being a LA native, we never had the option of public transportation. When I moved here five years ago, I started taking the train to the loop every day for work. It was a real novelty and a bit surreal. Many a time I would think to myself, ”were not in Kansas anymore Toto.”

Five years later and the novelty has not worn off. Some how I have managed to hang on to that childlike wonder of taking a bus or a train. My kids love taking the CTA too. My daughter has taken on the role of official welcoming committee. She waves and says hello to every new passenger. Most adults try to avoid making eye contact with each other on the CTA, but kids feel it is their duty to make sure they greet or at least smile at everyone on the train!

My nanny does not drive, so she and the kids take the bus to the Zoo every Wednesday for story time, and in the winter they went to a number of free admission days at the Shed Aquarium and Field Museum. I simply got her a Chicago Card tied to my credit card and printed her out directions using the CTA’s Trip Planner. The city is now at her beck and call.

Following are a few tips I have picked up while traveling with strollers on the CTA.

Kids under seven ride FREE!
Utilize the Trip Planner functionality. It is now powered by Google Transit, and it is a great tool for navigating the CTA. They even have a mobil phone application.
If your kids are still in a stroller, handicap accessible stations are your friends! Dragging strollers up and down stairs is not fun…I know from personal experience! The CTA is upgrading stations to be handicap accessible, but currently not all stations have elevators. I’ve noted the handicap accessible stations below.
All 153 Bus routes are driven by busses that can lower down. This functionality was installed for wheelchairs, but makes getting your stroller on and off the bus MUCH easier. Simply ask your driver to lower the ramp. Most of them do it automatically.
Get a CTA Chciago Card for you and your nanny (if you have one). The fares are less expensive with a Chicago Card, and it is certainly easier than fumbling with cash while wrangling your children on to the bus.

Train Stations With Elevators

• Brown Line – Kimball, Kedzie, Francisco, Rockwell, Western, Damen, Montrose, Irving Park, Addison, Paulina, Southport, Wellington, Diversey, Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Washington/Wells, Library-State/Van Buren, Clark/Lake.

• Blue Line – O’Hare, Rosemont, Cumberland, Harlem (O’Hare), Jefferson Park, Logan Square, Western (O’Hare), Clark/Lake, Jackson, UIC-Halsted, Medical District (Damen Entrance), Kedzie-Homan, Forest Park.

• Green Line – Ashland/63rd, Halsted, East 63rd-Cottage Grove, King Drive, Garfield, 51st, 47th, 43rd, Indiana, 35th-Bronzeville-IIT, Roosevelt, Clark/Lake, Clinton, Ashland/Lake, California, Kedzie, Conservatory-Central Park Drive, Pulaski, Cicero, Laramie, Central, Harlem/Lake (Marion entrance).

• Orange Line – Midway, Pulaski, Kedzie, Western, 35/Archer, Ashland, Halsted, Roosevelt; also Library-State/Van Buren, Washington/Wells, and Clark/Lake.

• Pink Line – 54th/Cermak, Cicero, Kostner, Pulaski, Central Park, Kedzie, California, Western, Damen, 18th, Polk, Ashland, Clinton, Clark/Lake, Library-State/Van Buren, and Washington/Wells

• Purple Line – Linden, Davis, Howard, Wellington, Diversey, Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Clark/Lake, Library-State/Van Buren, and Washington/Wells.

• Red Line – Howard, Loyola, Granville, Addison, Chicago, Lake, Washington (temporarily closed for renovation), Jackson, Roosevelt, Sox/35th, 47th, 69th, 79th, 95th/Dan Ryan.

• Yellow Line – Howard, Skokie

2 Comments »

Five FREE Things You Should Check Out Before Summer Ends

Posted in go play - outside | August 28, 2009

We’ve had a couple days in the 60’s, and I was suddenly stricken with the awful thought that summer is almost over. Is it just me, or was this summer way too short? Maybe it is just that last winter was TOO long! Don’t get me wrong, Fall in Chicago is beautiful. I love breaking out the Wellies and the sweaters., but I plan to hold on to summer as long as possible.

Here are five summer time activies I plan to experience one more time before I put away the sun hats and suncreen and pull out the fleece.

1. Breakfast Picnic and Dance Party at the Chicago Green City Market – I am lucky enough to live near the Green City Farmer’s Market. One of my favorite summer time activities is walking the girls down to the market; buying some berries, scones and smoothies; spreading out a blanket and enjoying a picnic breakfast and some live music. If you have not already found this little free treasure on your own, here is the skinny:

Open year round on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 7am-1pm, but outdoors only through October
Located on the South end of Lincoln Park
Promotes local and sustainable farmers
They have free live music every Wednesday and Saturday. If your kids are like mine, they LOVE to dance. The music tends to be in the Folk Music genre. The musicians arrive by 9am, take a break at 10:30am for the chef demonstrations and then play until the market closes at 1pm. The music, sea of picnic blankets, and kids dancing can be found on the North side of the market.
They have a kids program called Club Sprouts. The idea is to expose kids to different kinds of food. Club members receive a punch card. Each market they highlights a different kind of food (blackberries, etc., nothing too exotic). If the child tries the food, they get a hole punch. After eight punches, the child graduates and gets a certificate. Visit the information tent (near the coffee and crepes in the center of the market) to sign up.

2. Story Time at the Lincoln Park Zoo – Although the Zoo is open year round and so is the story time, there seems to be more animals out and about in the summer. Sometimes I combine a trip to the market with a trip to the zoo and story time. Not only is the zoo free, but they have a wonderful free story time twice a day every Monday and Wednesday (9:15 and 10:00) in the Farm House. Monday is hosted by Professor Boonie and Wednesday by Mr. Singer. They don’t just read to the kids, they sing and dance too. I have been to a number of story times around Chicago, and this one is among the best. My kids love it!

3. Wiggle Worms at Millennium Park – As part of Millennium Park’s Family Fun Festival, you can take advantage of free Wiggle Worm classes every day at 10am through September 4th. My daughter loves her Wiggle Worms music class at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and it is even more fun in the park. For those of us with two kids, this is a great option. Kids of all ages are there for the same class. Two of our favorite teachers are performing next week (Lindsay on the 2nd and Angela on the 4th). Bring your bathing suit for a quick run through the fountain after class.

4. Splash Around at one of Chicago’s Amazing Water Playgrounds. As I mention in my blog “8 Chicago Park District Activities You Should Explore,” there are more than 30 water playgrounds. They range from giant water parks (Adam’s Playlot on Seminary) to basically sprinklers (Juniper Park on Waveland). Bring a couple of buckets and a towel, and let the fun begin. My daughter loves darting in and out of the water and splashing around. Adam’s Water Playground even has a water slide. There is plenty of places to have a picnic at the park too. Call some friends and make a day of it.

5. Enjoy Some Music and Street Vendor Food at One of Chicago’s Famous Street Festivals. I know summer is finally here when Mayfest arrives. Nothing says summer like our MANY street festivals. The season is not over. There is lots of fun to still be had at fests. Many of the festivals have great kids sections too. I find that my kids have just as much fun dancing to the bands and walking around the festivals as they do in the kids section. If you like traveling to far away lands without leaving chicago, there are a couple great ethnic festivals in September. Click here for a complete list of festivals. Here are a couple fun and family friendly festivals I hope to make it to.

Sept. 4-6 – Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park
Sept. 5 & 6 – Bash on Wabash in the South Loop. School of Rock plast at noon on Sunday.
Sept. 4-7 – Taste of Polonia Polish Festival in Jefferson Park. I can’t wait to eat pierogi and watch the folk dancers. My daughter loves the Polka.
Sept. 11-13 – 89th Anual German American Fest in Lincoln Square. Brats, beer and a parade to boot!
Sept. 11-13 – Harvest Festival in Roscoe Village. Carnival rides, games and a kid section.

Let me know what outside activities you plan to enjoy while the weather is still nice. I am always looking for new places to explore.

2 Comments »

John’s Place on Roscoe – As Good as the Original Without the Wait!

Posted in go eat | August 27, 2009

I met a girlfriend at the new John’s Place in Roscoe Village. The Lincoln Park location has long been a favorite of my family’s…especially with Sweet Mandy B’s next store. The new John’s Place on Roscoe did not disappoint.

It is as tasty and friendly as the original, but without the wait! Its hard to find a more kid friendly restaurant than John’s Place. They have nine highchairs, several booster chairs, a kids menu and kid loving staff. Add to that yummy food, a full bar and reasonable prices, and I give it a 5 Highchair rating!

Menu is basically the same as the original location, “hearty comfort food.” They are known for their Turkey Meatloaf and Chicken Pot Pie, but I tried their Southwestern Chicken Chop Salad. It was delicious. Besides weekends after 7pm and brunch after 11am, you generally won’t experience a wait. They do take reservations (except for brunch). No valet and street parking can sometimes be challenging in this neighborhood. They only thing they seem to be missing is a convenient place to store your stroller while you dine.

No Comments »

8 Chicago Park District Activities You Should Explore

Posted in go play - inside, go play - outside | August 18, 2009

You really have to try hard to be bored in Chicago. There are so many things to do and so many great resources available to Chicagoans with kids. One of my favorite and wallet friendly resources is the Chicago Park District. From parks and pools to classes and events; the Park District has something to offer kids of any age during all types of weather.

Following are the 8 Chicago Park District activities I recommend exploring:

1. Parks & Playgrounds - There are an astounding 570 parks with 518 playgrounds. When I first had children, I was amazed at how many parks there were near my house. Many of which, I had never noticed before. Funny how you notice more pregnant people when you are pregnant and more parks when you have a toddler.

In addition to the shear number of parks, I was also astounded by the variety of facilities available (indoor play areas, pools, water playgrounds, etc.). The Park District website allows you to search by Zip and by type of facility. Although the zip finder is not ideal (it searches within a mile of your zip code instead of within a mile of your actual address); it does provide each park’s address and a link to Mapquest so that you can see exactly where the park is located and get directions. If your like me, you end up going to your same neighborhood park over and over again. Click here to to find a new park to explore in your neighborhood…or maybe one further afield.

2. Pools – The Park District manages 26 indoor pools and 51 outdoor pools. In addition, there are 18 Chicago Public School Pools with community programs. With 26 indoor pools, who says swimming is a summer time activity! Indoor pools are open year round. Outdoor pools are open mid-June through Labor Day. Click here to find a pool near you.

3. Beaches – There are more than 26 miles of open and FREE lakefront including 31 beautiful beaches. Lifeguards are on duty May 22-September 7 from 11am to 7pm daily. A number of the Park District beaches are very family friendly, including the 31st State Beach on Chicago’s South Side. This beach is not only clean, but boast parking, a playground and even stroller beach mats so you can wheel your kids right up to your umbrella. Loyola Leone Beach is among the cities largest and also has free parking, a play lot and stroller beach mats. Unfortunately I was unable to find a list of the beaches with kid friendly amenities on the Park District site. They do however list the available parking. Click here for a list of beaches and parking options.

4. Water Playgrounds – There are 30 water playgrounds. These range from giant water parks (Adams Playground Park) to smaller water playgrounds that are more like sprinklers. I was thrilled to find these little treasures last summer. Water playgrounds are open mid-June to Labor Day. Most are open from 10am-6pm weekends and 10am-8pm during the week. Click here for a list of water playgrounds. Here is my daughter enjoying the Adams water playground.

5. Classes/Programs – The Chicago Park District has an astonishing array of classes for all ages. They range from organized sports, yoga and creative writing for adults to Tiny Tot Tumbling and Mom’s, Pop’s & Tot’s Music for toddlers. The classes are targeted to specific age groups and in some cases ability (swimming). The programs are well organized and can be found in just about every neighborhood. They offer four twelve week sessions a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Classes are incredibly affordable too. Instead of the standard $20 to $30 per class you usually pay Gymboree or Old Town School of Music, the entire twelve week session will cost you somewhere between $35 and $45. It is quite the bargain! Not surprisingly, they fill up fast, and I do mean FAST! To ensure a spot in your preferred class I recommend signing up online the day registration begins. Click here to search for classes near you.

6. Events – The park district also offers a wide variety of events year round. These include music, movies, dance, workshops, festivals, tournaments and holiday parties. I have attended a number of the children’s concerts at my local parks. They are fun, a great place to meet your neighbors and, best of all, they are FREE! I generally pack a picnic for me and the kids and bring a blanket. You can search for events by type of event or by month. Unfortunately the Park District site only lists the events they sponsor. Many parks have additional events put on by their local neighborhood association or businesses. For example, my park had four Tuesday night events in August for kids. None of these events were listed on the Park District site. Best way to find these local events is to check near your parks gates and bulletin boards for notices. Click here to search the Park District Site for an upcoming event. Below is my daughter dancing with a hula hoop and bubbles at a local Park District event.

7. Skate Parks. The Park ditrict also boast six skate parks for your skate board enthusiast. Click here to find a skate park near you. Unfortunately none of these parks are indoor. A private indoor skate park, Armed Star, recently opened up in Logan Square. It is by appointment only (630-901-4373).

8. Ice Skating Rinks – The Park District has nine rinks throughout the city. If you bring your own skates, you can skate free. All rinks do offer skate rental. McFetridge is the only indoor rink and is open year round. All other parks are open from the end of November through the end of February (weather permitting). Click here for a list of rinks and schedules.

Get out there and enjoy this wonderful resources. The Park District has something to offer kids of all ages year round!

4 Comments »

On The Go Chicago

A mom and two kids on the go in Chicago!

Tag: kid friendly

Brats, Beer and Folk Dancing – The 89th Annual German Fest is This Weekend!

Strollers and the CTA…Enjoy the Journey!

Five FREE Things You Should Check Out Before Summer Ends

John’s Place on Roscoe – As Good as the Original Without the Wait!

8 Chicago Park District Activities You Should Explore

Categories