One of the best things about bakeries is when you walk through the door and that amazing bakery smell hits you. Unfortunately it can be kind of hard to find a traditional bakery in the City- something that is not a specialty coffee shop or cupcake cafe. Dinkel's (3329 N. Lincoln) is one of those authentic bakeries that has been around since 1922. Everything I have ever tried here has been fantastic. When we used to live nearby we would pop over on a Saturday morning for some awesome donuts. Now we usually go for a special event like a birthday to get cupcakes or a slice of cake. The girls really like the large decorated cookies. They also have a good selection of breads. Inside the bakery there is a fairly large seating area where you can enjoy your selection. It can get very busy here, especially around holidays, so if there is a crowd make sure you take a number when you come through the door.
Dinkel's also makes decorated birthday and wedding cakes. They usually have a display of cakes in the front window that the girls could look at for hours while planning their own birthdays. We've been to birthday parties that have had cakes from Dinkel's and they are really, really good.
Dinkel's is located just a block down from the Paulina stop on the Brown Line. There is also metered parking along Lincoln plus a 15 minute loading area for customers in front of the bakery. If you are walking there is plenty of room to bring your stroller, unless you happen to come during one of the really busy times.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Time Out Chicago Kids
I am addicted to magazines. I will confess that upfront before I give a magazine review. But, given my obsession, I have to say Time Out Chicago Kids is great for parents in the City (and the Suburbs for that matter). It's basically all about everything going on in the area that you can take your kids to. When the magazine originally launched (or at least when I first noticed it) it only came out quarterly and was hard to find in stores but now you can find it in most grocery stores (plus bookstores of course) and it comes out every two months. At the end of the magazine there is a calendar of events that I think is a bit better than the calendars in the free magazines you can pick up at the library or other places around town and by better I just mean that the events that are included seem more like the kind of stuff I would do with my kids. The rest of the magazine is pretty substantial and divided into sections for dining, shopping, and then "play dates" which includes museums, music, sports and theater. Overall it is a good round up of all that is going on in the Chicago area but reviews are definitely superficial. It is more about what there is to do than whether you should do it. I definitely think it is essential for planning outings with your family and making sure you never miss that festival or event that you meant to remember. According to cover of the latest issue the cover price is $2.99 but of course it is much cheaper per issue if you have a subscription.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Magicians And Other Diversions While You Wait For Your Dinner
My daughter has really been into magic and magicians lately. For her birthday we got her a magic set and she loves it. What got her interested in magic is the magician at the Gale Street Inn (4914 N. Milwaukee in Jefferson Park) who performs table side on Sunday nights. We have gone there three or four times to have dinner and see the magician perform. He always does the same tricks and then makes a balloon animal for each of the children at the table, however his act never gets old for my daughter. She loves him and I think he does a really good job. His tricks are fun and he is very good at engaging his audience. It definitely keeps everyone busy while we wait for our food to come and the food is pretty good. If you do go Sunday night I would highly recommend a reservation.
Today we went for brunch at Tre Kronor (Swedish restaurant at 3258 W. Foster) because every Sunday in July from 11 AM until 1:30 they are having a magician come in and perform tricks table side. Next weekend is the last Sunday that he will be there. We like to go to Tre Kronor because they have good food (especially breakfast) but it always takes forever to get your food - especially if there is more than four people in your group. So we jumped at the chance to have our kids entertained while we waited for brunch ... and my daughter had been begging to go see the magician. The magician came to our table and only spent a couple of minutes with us (much less time than at Gale Street Inn). He only did one trick but my daughter of course loved it. Right now any trick that a magician does is amazing to her so for us it was worth the trip and the cost of brunch. That being said, the magician was a bit awkward and really didn't spend much time at any given table so unless you want an excuse to go to Tre Kronor or have a little one who loves magic like we do it probably wouldn't be worth a special trip.
One other place that we have been to that provides some entertainment for the kids while you wait for your food is Scoozi (Italian restaurant at 410 W. Huron). On Sunday nights only they set up a pizza making station for kids. Your waiter/waitress will put your child on a list and when its their turn escort them over to the pizza prep area. This is nice because it ensures that the table is never over crowded with kids. Your child will then get to put on a chef hat and apron and put sauce and cheese on the prepared pizza dough. They then get to pick out a small toy to keep (my girls got little wind up motorcycles). The activity in itself doesn't take very long but it is a nice little distraction from waiting for their food and it is something that kids think is so fun. When we went to the restaurant we made reservations and it does seem like the place fills up pretty quickly. Also the timing can be a little off in terms of when your child's pizza is done and the rest of your food comes. My daughter was actually done eating right around the time the rest of us started eating - but she's been wanting to go back ever since.
All of these dining experiences were unique and fun and have made us want to go back. I think having these kind of activities is probably well worth any cost for restaurants due to increased business and wish more restaurants offered similar events. If you have the kind of restaurant that welcomes kids or even just welcomes kids on certain days (i.e. days when they are slow) this is a sure fire way to get a lot of families to come in. The city is full of parents who want to go out to dinner (and not just to "kid" restaurants) and I wish more restaurants would acknowledge this potential customer base.
Today we went for brunch at Tre Kronor (Swedish restaurant at 3258 W. Foster) because every Sunday in July from 11 AM until 1:30 they are having a magician come in and perform tricks table side. Next weekend is the last Sunday that he will be there. We like to go to Tre Kronor because they have good food (especially breakfast) but it always takes forever to get your food - especially if there is more than four people in your group. So we jumped at the chance to have our kids entertained while we waited for brunch ... and my daughter had been begging to go see the magician. The magician came to our table and only spent a couple of minutes with us (much less time than at Gale Street Inn). He only did one trick but my daughter of course loved it. Right now any trick that a magician does is amazing to her so for us it was worth the trip and the cost of brunch. That being said, the magician was a bit awkward and really didn't spend much time at any given table so unless you want an excuse to go to Tre Kronor or have a little one who loves magic like we do it probably wouldn't be worth a special trip.
One other place that we have been to that provides some entertainment for the kids while you wait for your food is Scoozi (Italian restaurant at 410 W. Huron). On Sunday nights only they set up a pizza making station for kids. Your waiter/waitress will put your child on a list and when its their turn escort them over to the pizza prep area. This is nice because it ensures that the table is never over crowded with kids. Your child will then get to put on a chef hat and apron and put sauce and cheese on the prepared pizza dough. They then get to pick out a small toy to keep (my girls got little wind up motorcycles). The activity in itself doesn't take very long but it is a nice little distraction from waiting for their food and it is something that kids think is so fun. When we went to the restaurant we made reservations and it does seem like the place fills up pretty quickly. Also the timing can be a little off in terms of when your child's pizza is done and the rest of your food comes. My daughter was actually done eating right around the time the rest of us started eating - but she's been wanting to go back ever since.
All of these dining experiences were unique and fun and have made us want to go back. I think having these kind of activities is probably well worth any cost for restaurants due to increased business and wish more restaurants offered similar events. If you have the kind of restaurant that welcomes kids or even just welcomes kids on certain days (i.e. days when they are slow) this is a sure fire way to get a lot of families to come in. The city is full of parents who want to go out to dinner (and not just to "kid" restaurants) and I wish more restaurants would acknowledge this potential customer base.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Pickle's Playroom
We went to Pickle's Playroom (2315 W. Lawrence) in Lincoln Square today. It's pretty similar to the other play places/coffe shops that have been opening up all over the city in the last year. This one also has an extra room where you can get your kid's hair cut for $20 (price also includes some time in the play area). We got there right around opening and it didn't really get busy for about an hour. Admission is $12 for the first kid and $9 for siblings for two hours of play. How long you stays seems to be based on the honor system meaning they don't keep track of when you arrived and hence when you should leave like they do at places like Family Grounds Cafe. There is a metered lot out front where it will cost you a quarter per 15 minutes of parking. I think the admission price is too high for what you get but seems completely on par with its competitors. All of these little play cafes that have been sprouting up are always crowded, which indicates that the price is actually appropriate I guess. Makes me wonder why I haven't opened up one of these places myself.
The website (www.picklesplayroom.com) says that the target age for this facility is 6 months to 8 years but I think an 8 year old would probably be a bit bored here. My 5 year old daughter was definitely at the high end of the kids that were there today in terms of age. She did have a lot of fun but I don't think that what they had there would keep her attention for years to come. She mostly only played on the climbing structure and slide but we were there for two hours and she didn't get bored. My 2 year old had more fun with a giant dollhouse, play kitchen, play cleaning cart (with kid size broom, mop, and dust pan) and pushing around a shopping cart. The climbing structure indicates that it is for kids age 3 and older which caused some frustration with my younger daughter. I let her play on it but she obviously couldn't do everything. There was also a small area reserved for babies with a soft play area and age appropriate toys. There are couches along one wall for parents to sit on and from the cafe area you can easily see your child playing.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer a drop in art project at 10 AM included as part of the admission. The project today involved some coloring and cutting and held the interest of both of my children for the 10-15 minutes it took to complete the craft. It was a nice addition to the overall experience and seemed to appeal to a variety of ages.
We took a quick break in the cafe so the girls could each have a juice box (no outside food allowed). I didn't have any coffee because it was 4 million degrees outside but they offer the full range of coffee and espresso drinks at the expected prices. They seemed to have a bit more snack items for sale than you might see at some of the other places and they also sell sandwiches so you could have lunch there.
We left a little after 11:00 and it was really starting to get busy. I'm sure the recent heat wave has made it a bit crazier than usual but my guess is that the fun level tends to decrease dramatically with each additional kid present. Overall we had a really good time but I feel like for the average family there is only so many times you can spend $21 (plus snacks) to play for a couple of hours.
The website (www.picklesplayroom.com) says that the target age for this facility is 6 months to 8 years but I think an 8 year old would probably be a bit bored here. My 5 year old daughter was definitely at the high end of the kids that were there today in terms of age. She did have a lot of fun but I don't think that what they had there would keep her attention for years to come. She mostly only played on the climbing structure and slide but we were there for two hours and she didn't get bored. My 2 year old had more fun with a giant dollhouse, play kitchen, play cleaning cart (with kid size broom, mop, and dust pan) and pushing around a shopping cart. The climbing structure indicates that it is for kids age 3 and older which caused some frustration with my younger daughter. I let her play on it but she obviously couldn't do everything. There was also a small area reserved for babies with a soft play area and age appropriate toys. There are couches along one wall for parents to sit on and from the cafe area you can easily see your child playing.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer a drop in art project at 10 AM included as part of the admission. The project today involved some coloring and cutting and held the interest of both of my children for the 10-15 minutes it took to complete the craft. It was a nice addition to the overall experience and seemed to appeal to a variety of ages.
We took a quick break in the cafe so the girls could each have a juice box (no outside food allowed). I didn't have any coffee because it was 4 million degrees outside but they offer the full range of coffee and espresso drinks at the expected prices. They seemed to have a bit more snack items for sale than you might see at some of the other places and they also sell sandwiches so you could have lunch there.
We left a little after 11:00 and it was really starting to get busy. I'm sure the recent heat wave has made it a bit crazier than usual but my guess is that the fun level tends to decrease dramatically with each additional kid present. Overall we had a really good time but I feel like for the average family there is only so many times you can spend $21 (plus snacks) to play for a couple of hours.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Chicago Parks
I think the parks in Chicago are pretty great. One of the things I like most about them is their diversity. Many of them are completely unique making you want to go beyond your neighborhood playground. I also love that you can live almost anywhere and be within walking distance (if you are willing to walk a little bit) to a park or play lot. There are just so many options. The Chicago Park District website claims that there are 570 parks and 518 playgrounds. I haven't even been to a quarter of them but here are some of my favorites in no particular order (not counting beaches, conservatories, that kind of thing):
- Peterson Park/North Park Village Nature Center: This park has it all with a playground, soccer field and programming like any other park plus a gymnastics center and nature preserve. The gymnastics center is really large with two floors full of gymnastics equipment. They offer classes starting, I think, at 18 months that the parent participates in too and then there are drop off classes for children three years and older. They also have a gymnastics club for older kids who compete at meets. The classes can be really difficult to get into if you want something during popular times and the staff can be a bit cranky but my daughter loved her classes and has been begging me to sign her up for more.
The Nature Center provides an opportunity for city kids to experience woodland, prairie, savanna, and wetland settings as the website boasts. The 46 acre nature preserve has trails that are completely appropriate for young children meaning that they are not too long or difficult. You definitely won't get lost. Anytime you go you're sure to see deer plus some interesting birds and other animals. In the nature center they have a bunch of activities every month for all age groups from preschool to senior citizen. They also have a really interesting Maple Syrup festival in March every year where they show you the process of tapping a maple tree to get sap. The Nature Center is open almost every day of the year and its free. A newsletter called the Urban Naturalist is put out quarterly by the Nature Center detailing all of their upcoming programs. You can sign up to receive the newsletter by email by going to the Nature Centers' page on the Park District's website (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com).
- Millennium Park: This beautiful park makes me jealous of families that live in the South Loop. I know this one doesn't exactly fit in this list because it is a tourist attraction with amazing architecture and is so much bigger than the other parks but I think it's great and wanted to include it. The Park always has a really great family summer program (Family Fun Fest) with musical acts and arts and crafts sponsored by different museums and organizations in the City. The big fountain that the kids can splash around in is worth a trip on its own. My kids went crazy for it last summer. Then they have ice skating in the winter which hopefully we will be able to do when kids get older and can keep up with the other skaters. The only problem with it for us is that we pretty much have to drive to get there, which is no fun, and then we have to pay for parking - but the parking lot is very convenient.
- Kilbourn Park and Organic Greenhouse: They only have a fairly average playground here but the organic greenhouse and programs associated with it are unique for the City parks. Every spring they have an organic plant sale where they sell seedlings for $2-$3 per plant. We bought tomatoes (they specialize in heirloom varieties), broccoli, and cucumbers but they also sell a wide variety of peppers, kale and other greens and flowers. They also offer lots of gardening classes for adults and a Garden Buddies program for kids (they are having an event this Saturday from 10-12). The Park makes a huge effort to making gardening accessible to city dwellers who may only have a small patch of lawn to work with. It is great for kids too to see where the food they eat comes from and how it grows.
- Indian Boundary Park - It's hard to find a playground like this anymore. Everything is wooden as opposed to metal or plastic. There are really interesting things to climb over and through and neat little wooden bridges to walk across. They also have a very small zoo where kids can see chickens, a llama, and goats.
- Adams Playground Park - The best CPD water playground that I've been to. The water area is really big with a couple of water slides and lots different contraptions spouting water. The kids have so much fun here and even though it is in Lincoln Park we've never had a problem finding parking right nearby. Definitely worth the trip. The regular playground is also quite nice and large with a big sand play area.
Parks I want to visit soon:
- Berger Park and Cultural Center - Supposedly has a view of the lake from the playground.
- Northerly Island - This park is located on a peninsula near the Museum Campus and they always seem to be having nature themed activities for kids. One of these days we'll get there.
On the park district website www.chicagoparkdistrict.com you can sign up for a monthly newsletter that provides a summary of events happening at parks around the City.
- Peterson Park/North Park Village Nature Center: This park has it all with a playground, soccer field and programming like any other park plus a gymnastics center and nature preserve. The gymnastics center is really large with two floors full of gymnastics equipment. They offer classes starting, I think, at 18 months that the parent participates in too and then there are drop off classes for children three years and older. They also have a gymnastics club for older kids who compete at meets. The classes can be really difficult to get into if you want something during popular times and the staff can be a bit cranky but my daughter loved her classes and has been begging me to sign her up for more.
The Nature Center provides an opportunity for city kids to experience woodland, prairie, savanna, and wetland settings as the website boasts. The 46 acre nature preserve has trails that are completely appropriate for young children meaning that they are not too long or difficult. You definitely won't get lost. Anytime you go you're sure to see deer plus some interesting birds and other animals. In the nature center they have a bunch of activities every month for all age groups from preschool to senior citizen. They also have a really interesting Maple Syrup festival in March every year where they show you the process of tapping a maple tree to get sap. The Nature Center is open almost every day of the year and its free. A newsletter called the Urban Naturalist is put out quarterly by the Nature Center detailing all of their upcoming programs. You can sign up to receive the newsletter by email by going to the Nature Centers' page on the Park District's website (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com).
- Millennium Park: This beautiful park makes me jealous of families that live in the South Loop. I know this one doesn't exactly fit in this list because it is a tourist attraction with amazing architecture and is so much bigger than the other parks but I think it's great and wanted to include it. The Park always has a really great family summer program (Family Fun Fest) with musical acts and arts and crafts sponsored by different museums and organizations in the City. The big fountain that the kids can splash around in is worth a trip on its own. My kids went crazy for it last summer. Then they have ice skating in the winter which hopefully we will be able to do when kids get older and can keep up with the other skaters. The only problem with it for us is that we pretty much have to drive to get there, which is no fun, and then we have to pay for parking - but the parking lot is very convenient.
- Kilbourn Park and Organic Greenhouse: They only have a fairly average playground here but the organic greenhouse and programs associated with it are unique for the City parks. Every spring they have an organic plant sale where they sell seedlings for $2-$3 per plant. We bought tomatoes (they specialize in heirloom varieties), broccoli, and cucumbers but they also sell a wide variety of peppers, kale and other greens and flowers. They also offer lots of gardening classes for adults and a Garden Buddies program for kids (they are having an event this Saturday from 10-12). The Park makes a huge effort to making gardening accessible to city dwellers who may only have a small patch of lawn to work with. It is great for kids too to see where the food they eat comes from and how it grows.
- Indian Boundary Park - It's hard to find a playground like this anymore. Everything is wooden as opposed to metal or plastic. There are really interesting things to climb over and through and neat little wooden bridges to walk across. They also have a very small zoo where kids can see chickens, a llama, and goats.
- Adams Playground Park - The best CPD water playground that I've been to. The water area is really big with a couple of water slides and lots different contraptions spouting water. The kids have so much fun here and even though it is in Lincoln Park we've never had a problem finding parking right nearby. Definitely worth the trip. The regular playground is also quite nice and large with a big sand play area.
Parks I want to visit soon:
- Berger Park and Cultural Center - Supposedly has a view of the lake from the playground.
- Northerly Island - This park is located on a peninsula near the Museum Campus and they always seem to be having nature themed activities for kids. One of these days we'll get there.
On the park district website www.chicagoparkdistrict.com you can sign up for a monthly newsletter that provides a summary of events happening at parks around the City.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Grown Up Dinner - Maude's Liquor Bar
July 17
So during our week away from our daughters my husband and I were able to go out for a nice dinner. Friday night we went out to Maude's Liquor Bar on Randolph Street. It was a good compromise for us because I like fancy drinks and he likes wine and they had a good selection for both. It's a French restaurant and as our waitress explained all of the dishes are meant to be shared and based on what we ordered that seemed to be true. The waitress also said they brag about the seafood there. They have these seafood towers that have like shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels and are insanely big. It looked really good but since my husband isn't that into seafood and it just looked like way too much for us we decided to get other things. We shared a steak and some sides and they seriously aren't kidding when they say the portions are meant to share. The steak was huge and good as was everything else we had. I had a smash to drink, which the waitress described pretty accurately as a mojito where you get to pick your alcohol - lots of crushed up ice, lemon and lime rinds, and mint all muddled together. I thought it was great, although at $12 a drink I couldn't really justify more than two. My husband had a really good glass of wine and overall it was a really nice dinner.
It generally didn't seem like a natural place to bring kids but there was one family there while we dined. The staff seemed really cool about it - maybe because the child was so well behaved. But there is definitely no children's menu, high chairs, or crayons. If you can, I suggest getting a babysitter and leaving the kids at home.
So during our week away from our daughters my husband and I were able to go out for a nice dinner. Friday night we went out to Maude's Liquor Bar on Randolph Street. It was a good compromise for us because I like fancy drinks and he likes wine and they had a good selection for both. It's a French restaurant and as our waitress explained all of the dishes are meant to be shared and based on what we ordered that seemed to be true. The waitress also said they brag about the seafood there. They have these seafood towers that have like shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels and are insanely big. It looked really good but since my husband isn't that into seafood and it just looked like way too much for us we decided to get other things. We shared a steak and some sides and they seriously aren't kidding when they say the portions are meant to share. The steak was huge and good as was everything else we had. I had a smash to drink, which the waitress described pretty accurately as a mojito where you get to pick your alcohol - lots of crushed up ice, lemon and lime rinds, and mint all muddled together. I thought it was great, although at $12 a drink I couldn't really justify more than two. My husband had a really good glass of wine and overall it was a really nice dinner.
It generally didn't seem like a natural place to bring kids but there was one family there while we dined. The staff seemed really cool about it - maybe because the child was so well behaved. But there is definitely no children's menu, high chairs, or crayons. If you can, I suggest getting a babysitter and leaving the kids at home.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Art Institute
My daughters were out of town for a week and the one thing I really wanted to do was see the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute (which actually isn't so new anymore). While I was there I also wanted to evaluate whether it is a place I would want to take my children in the near future. I would love to have them exposed to as much art as possible at a young age and the Art Institute is AMAZING but I don't think I will be taking them anytime soon.
First in regards to the Modern Wing it is beautiful and a real contrast to the rest of the museum which is old, dark, marble, and also beautiful in a completely different way. The Modern Wing is open and airy with a cute little courtyard where you can have lunch and awesome views of Millennium Park. One important note, however, is that the Modern Wing does not open until 11:30 whereas the rest of the museum opens at 10:30. I did not know this ahead of time and there really isn't any information indicating what time it opened so when I first got there and everything was on lock down I was not happy. What kind of museum doesn't open until 11:30?! It was worth the wait though. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing museum in our city plus residents get a $2 discount!
On the kid front, kids under 14 are free (awesome!) and they do have family programs and a Family Room, which I didn't go into because I was without kids. However, I feel like you take your kids to the museum to see priceless works of art not play in a kids room. I mean it is great/important to have a place where kids can take a break and where they are welcome and there is programming for them -I think all museums should have rooms like this which makes what they will be seeing accessible to them - but you are all there to also spend time in the museum. (On a side note the family room at the Field Museum is super awesome) Basically what convinced me that I need to wait a few years before taking my kids (maybe when they are 6 and 9?) is watching a mother go through an exhibit with her two kids, who looked to be maybe 2 and 4 years old. Now these kids were perfectly well behaved. Much better than my kids would have been but it still wasn't working. First of all there is museum personnel in every room in the museum (which I totally understand) but these people were tracking the kids like it was a given that they would destroy one of the paintings. Then the one boy started running his hand along the wire rope that keeps people far enough away from the paintings, which was making the museum staff really freak out. Overall the kids didn't seem that into it and she was struggling to keep everyone happy and under control. I could completely picture myself in that scenario and it going even worse with my 2 year old doing some irreparable damage to a Monet painting. When I think about the value of these works of art and the fact that you are only separated from them by a little rope (that could easily be tripped over by a child) I just could not imagine being there with my kids. I would be a nervous wreck the whole time. I did see lots of kids who were 10 and older and it seemed like a much better experience. So I definetly will be waiting a few more years before I go with my kids.
First in regards to the Modern Wing it is beautiful and a real contrast to the rest of the museum which is old, dark, marble, and also beautiful in a completely different way. The Modern Wing is open and airy with a cute little courtyard where you can have lunch and awesome views of Millennium Park. One important note, however, is that the Modern Wing does not open until 11:30 whereas the rest of the museum opens at 10:30. I did not know this ahead of time and there really isn't any information indicating what time it opened so when I first got there and everything was on lock down I was not happy. What kind of museum doesn't open until 11:30?! It was worth the wait though. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing museum in our city plus residents get a $2 discount!
On the kid front, kids under 14 are free (awesome!) and they do have family programs and a Family Room, which I didn't go into because I was without kids. However, I feel like you take your kids to the museum to see priceless works of art not play in a kids room. I mean it is great/important to have a place where kids can take a break and where they are welcome and there is programming for them -I think all museums should have rooms like this which makes what they will be seeing accessible to them - but you are all there to also spend time in the museum. (On a side note the family room at the Field Museum is super awesome) Basically what convinced me that I need to wait a few years before taking my kids (maybe when they are 6 and 9?) is watching a mother go through an exhibit with her two kids, who looked to be maybe 2 and 4 years old. Now these kids were perfectly well behaved. Much better than my kids would have been but it still wasn't working. First of all there is museum personnel in every room in the museum (which I totally understand) but these people were tracking the kids like it was a given that they would destroy one of the paintings. Then the one boy started running his hand along the wire rope that keeps people far enough away from the paintings, which was making the museum staff really freak out. Overall the kids didn't seem that into it and she was struggling to keep everyone happy and under control. I could completely picture myself in that scenario and it going even worse with my 2 year old doing some irreparable damage to a Monet painting. When I think about the value of these works of art and the fact that you are only separated from them by a little rope (that could easily be tripped over by a child) I just could not imagine being there with my kids. I would be a nervous wreck the whole time. I did see lots of kids who were 10 and older and it seemed like a much better experience. So I definetly will be waiting a few more years before I go with my kids.
Michaels Passport to Learning
June 30, 2011
Michaels has a series going on right now celebrating different countries around the world. They are calling it their Passport to Fun. We were at a store to get some supplies for an upcoming birthday and saw an arts and crafts table set up. Nothing can keep my daughter from an arts and crafts table – nothing. So she of course did the activity. On the day we were there the theme was Canada and she made a super cute moose. I’ll say the girl running the activity wasn’t the most engaging but she was perfectly nice. While I’m at it, the other complaint that I had was that a lot of the activity needed adult assistance - it's supposed to be for kids plus I have another child to keep my hands busy. Although actually I really think the kids could have done most of the steps themselves but the helper was keeping tight control over everything. She just didn't seem to want to let anyone use her glue. Anyway, I don’t know if the craft project was the kind of thing you would make a special trip for but if it is convenient for you to go it’s definitely something fun to do. The difficulty level for what we did was probably at least for a four year old (didn’t even attempt it with my two year old). Check Michal’s website for dates (I think they do these mostly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) and what activities they will be doing because some definitely sound better than others. After all the money I spend in that store, though, it’s nice to get something back. What we did was free but I think you might have to pay for the materials for some of the activities.
Arlington Park Racetrack
June 19, 2011
Sundays are family days at the Park and the best days to take little kids. They have a different theme/sponsor each week with related activities and always have pony rides. We stood in a VERY long line for the girls to ride on the ponies for about three minutes but it was for sure the highlight of the day. My two year old was still talking about it almost a month later.
Is Arlington Park Racetrack appropriate for kids? The park definitely thinks so and I kind of agree. We went there for Father’s Day along with at least half of all of the other fathers in the Chicagoland area. It was busy but we had so much fun. The girls loved it! Both of them, but my oldest daughter especially, are going through a major horse phase. All day long it is My Little Pony everything so it wasn’t just a selfish suggestion by my husband to go gambling for Father’s Day (although he does really enjoy the gambling part). We’ll call it a compromise.
Arlington is a beautiful park and perfect for little horse lovers. Before each race they bring the horses out into the courtyard and parade them around for everyone to see. The girls also thought the races were really exciting - shouting along with everyone else. It wasn’t a big deal that we couldn’t find a seat in the grand stands because the races are so short and then you can go out and sit in the courtyard. There really isn’t that much time in between races which prevented anyone from getting bored. We had a really great time picking our favorite horses based on their amusing names. My daughter also rooted for any horse with braids or other decorations in their mane or tale.
Sundays are family days at the Park and the best days to take little kids. They have a different theme/sponsor each week with related activities and always have pony rides. We stood in a VERY long line for the girls to ride on the ponies for about three minutes but it was for sure the highlight of the day. My two year old was still talking about it almost a month later.
Logistically, you’ll probably have to park far away. There is shuttle that I highly recommend after carrying a 30 lb kid for approximately a mile to our car because I just didn’t want to wait for the shuttle. You can bring a stroller and there are lots of stroller friendly areas if you have a small baby but this place gets really crowded on the weekend so it would probably be pretty hard to maneuver it once you are in the park. There is a nice grassy area where a lot of families get set up where you have a good view of the races (but not the finish line) and can set up a picnic lunch. Also, it’s a bit more shaded than the grandstands. We only were planning on staying a couple of hours at most and ended up spending the whole afternoon there with plans to perhaps come back again this summer - maybe for the Arlington Million in August.
Choo Choo Grill
June 16, 2011
So we went to the Choo Choo Grill today in Des Plaines. The first and only other time I’ve been there I swore I would not be back. And I still fully believe that I will never go back on a Saturday - that place is CRAZY. On a Thursday at 11 o’clock sharp, though, not so bad. Also, since it’s summer I am a little desperate and need some new places to go to that keep everyone from getting cranky and bored. It is a fun place to go IF it can be a low stress situation. If you have a kid who loves trains (even one who doesn’t) they will really enjoy watching the train going around bringing everyone their food and the food is not so bad. There are lots of seats along the train tracks but a few that aren't and it can be a big disappointment if you don't get one of the good seats. My girls especially love the sprinkle cupcakes for dessert however I’m not so crazy about the train whistles that come on top.
So in summary, if you go during a quiet time it can be a fun little outing for kids 5/6 and under (don't know if there would be much interest for older kids). That being said if you go during peak time it can be a nightmare. It is self seating with really nowhere to stand while you wait. The self seating alone gets you all stressed out because you are convinced that when your time comes some jerk will try to cut in front of you which makes you act like a jerk and the cycle continues. For the duration of your visit you will hear the happy birthday song with train whistles to go with it only about a million times. Parking lot is also way too small. So I would say take your kids, it can be fun, just go on a weekday, early – it opens at 10:30. Also, I would advise against going with a big group. It would probably be impossible for everyone to sit together. Most booths only seat four and you never know how many seats in a row you might be able to get at the counter. Don't miss the little train ride at the restaurant entrance. So much fun for a quarter.
So in summary, if you go during a quiet time it can be a fun little outing for kids 5/6 and under (don't know if there would be much interest for older kids). That being said if you go during peak time it can be a nightmare. It is self seating with really nowhere to stand while you wait. The self seating alone gets you all stressed out because you are convinced that when your time comes some jerk will try to cut in front of you which makes you act like a jerk and the cycle continues. For the duration of your visit you will hear the happy birthday song with train whistles to go with it only about a million times. Parking lot is also way too small. So I would say take your kids, it can be fun, just go on a weekday, early – it opens at 10:30. Also, I would advise against going with a big group. It would probably be impossible for everyone to sit together. Most booths only seat four and you never know how many seats in a row you might be able to get at the counter. Don't miss the little train ride at the restaurant entrance. So much fun for a quarter.
Exploratorium
Am I the only one who misses the old Exploratorium? I mean the updates are very nice. The toddler play area is great as is the new water area (the old water area was kind of pointless) and the train table. However, now that it is all nice and shiny everyone and their nanny wants to go there. It gets so crowded. I really miss the days when we could get there at opening and be almost the only ones there for at least an hour. Now it fills up by 10. I also really miss the craft project that they set up in the old art area. It was always something cute and doable for a range of age and skill levels. Also a good balance with all the running and climbing they do there. They still have a couple of tables but only coloring sheets, no art projects. Obviously I am in the minority because the place is crazy busy and everything does have a nice new feel to it. I probably just have nostalgia for that time in my life where we were going there at least once a month before the renovations. My youngest was a baby and she would just sleep in the carrier while my older daughter (who was 3 at the time) would run around and play. It was a completely open room so I could always see where she was and a had good balance of the climbing gym, building blocks, dress up, books, and art projects. I could relax and look at a magazine but now with all of the people that is impossible. I guess change is always hard even if it may be an improvement.
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