Lil Monkey Bizness in Western Springs

Hey, parents in the DuPage area! If you've had your fill of places like Chuck E. Cheese that are full of noisy, flashing video games, and you're looking for a more appropriate place to take your small children, you need to check out Lil Monkey Bizness! This unique indoor playground in Western Springs is a paradise for kids around six and under. (Older kids might enjoy it too, but its really geared towards the younger set.)

When I first heard about Lil Monkey Bizness, I though it would be one of those places with inflatable jumpy houses, like Monkey Joe's. But this place is a lot different.

There are three separate climbing structures. The two smaller structures are sort of like giant Little Tikes playsets, that include stairs, bridges, slides and tunnels. The largest one is an obstacle course that involves climbing through several different layers of netting, and maneuvering through hanging punching bags, to find the slide at the end.

There is also a rope swing, which is one of the most popular items there. Kids have to stand in line to swing on it. This part actually annoyed me a little, because as I stood in the line with my three-year-old, older, unsupervised kids kept pushing ahead of us and jumping onto the swing. The younger and more mild-mannered kids ended up waiting longer and longer. It was a little like Lord Of The Flies, there, for a while! I wish that maybe an employee could hang around and monitor the situation, reminding the kids to wait in line and to give other children turns on the coveted swing!

There are many different preschooler-sized playhouses, each one different from the other. One included a second floor, with a slide. Another was shaped like a tree house, and also had a slide. Another had a fireplace and a telephone. My little one liked the playhouses best.

Another unique feature of Lil Monkey Bizness is that they have an art room. Sometimes they organize specific art projects for kids to do. The day I was there, they had just put out some different art supplies, like paints, rubber stamps, and stencils. It was a nice place for my little one to take a break!

Speaking of breaks, if you and your kids need a break, you'll enjoy the café! They have a full menu of coffee drinks, plus some non-coffee drinks like Italian sodas and hot chocolate. They also have sandwiches, and kid-friendly snacks like juice boxes, yogurt and goldfish crackers.

My best advice is to go at around eleven am, especially if your kids get overwhelmed by noise and crowds. When we were there it was packed in the morning, but at around eleven everyone went home for naptime, lunch, etc.

This is a great place to bring little kids for some active, battery-free fun!