Top Five Free Children's Attractions in Chicago

Are the kids bored? Are you searching for a way to keep them busy and active? If you live in or are visiting the Chicago area you will find it is a great place for kids. Children's activities abound in the city and nearby suburbs. Every day of the week and weekend new adventures for you and your children will create lasting memories. Chicago and the surrounding area offer generous family friendly activities. Below are just a few of my favorites.

Musical Mornings for Kids is held at the Music Institute of Chicago, in Nichols Concert Hall. Kids spend the morning having fun in hour long programs filled with fun student performances, a mixture of music varieties, and an instrument petting zoo. It is geared for children ages 5-11. The Music Institute is located at 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. They can be reached at (847)905-1500 if you have any questions.

Thursday's admission is free at the Kraft Free Family Night located at Chicago Children's Museum. The show always delights children and adults as well. Tap dancing genius Reginald McLaughlin, aka Reggio the Hoofer creates a delightful atmosphere and gets all the kids into the rhythm of tap dancing. The Kraft Free Night begins at 5:00 p.m. and McLaughlin performs from 6:30 p.m.to 7:00 p.m. During the time he isn't performing, families can revel in a variety of other exhibits including a model dinosaur, excavation pits, and mountain waterfalls.Chicago Children's Museum is located at 700 E. Grand Avenue, (Navy Pier), in Chicago. They can be reached at (312)527-1000. The cost is free and the program is recommended for any age child from 0-100.

Also located at Chicago's Navy Pier is a 3,000 foot long playground. This playground is not your ordinary run of the mill kid's sandbox. A ferris-wheel takes center stage. The park also sports two children's museums, and in the winter an ice-skating rink that is open to the public. Most of the attractions at the park offer free admission, including the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. However, some of the indoor attractions charge a fee. Kids can also enjoy just walking the pier. A special treat from Memorial Day through Labor Day, lets visitors watch a free fireworks display each Wednesday and Saturday night.

The Garfield Park Conservatory is a phenomenal place to take the kids. They offer varying activities such as Paper Scavenger Hunt: Hunting for History, Children's Garden Exploration Station, Family Make-&-Take Sessions on Saturdays & Sundays, and much more. All the above activities are free, as are most of the other options they offer. I recommend you look at their website to see what interests you and your children and get the schedule of events. Also the website is easy to use and has all the updated information available. They have something for all ages to enjoy. The Garfield Park Conservatory is located at 300 N. Central Avenue, Chicago. They can be reached by phone at (312)746-5100. http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/kid_family_fun.htm

The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm is an exhilarating experience. The Wildlife Discovery Center is a free conservatory with an abundance of reptiles and amphibians. This is a really great outing for kids of all ages. One of their prized possessions is "Thai", the King Cobra. He is featured in the Grass Is Rattling exhibit. Among some of the other animals feature are hawks, owls, various types of turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and an enormous amount of other varieties of snakes. They have the largest collection of rattlesnakes in the United States. The Wildlife Discovery Center is closed on Sunday and Friday. They are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For information they can be reached at: (847)234-6702 or contact the Curator at (847)615-4388. They are located at 1401 Middlefork Drive, in Lake Forest, a suburb of Chicago.

It's difficult to list only five of the top free kid related activities in the greater Chicago area. However, these are some of the best there are for all age groups. Even the adults will have a great time and everyone will walk away with a smile.

http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org

http://chicagotraveler.com/kids-things-to-do.htm

http://dancingmeatballs.com/node/870

http://chicagofun.com/home/party/party_places/museums.html

http://chicago.parentzone.com/parentresources.asp?prid=647