MommyPoppins

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Presidents Day 2023: 19 Things To Do In Chicago With Kids

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Wed, 02/15/2023 - 11:22pm

Come & celebrate 'UMOJA', the Swahili word for 'unity,' at Homan Square Park. Photo courtesy of the park

Looking for the best things to do in Chicago this Presidents Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

Chicago families have plenty of fun options for the long February weekend. Get your vroom on at the final weekend of the Chicago Auto Show, with special kid-friendly programs throughout the weekend. Keep celebrating Black History Month at UMOJA Black History Month Celebration in Homan Square Park or at Chicago Black Restaurant Week. Presidents also get their own celebrations this week in Old Town, Elmhurst, and Winnetka

Museums in Chicago have free days throughout February, so check out our list of where to get in free this month. Visit one of our favorite indoor playspaces, or get outside for a winter hike in one of our favorite parks and forest preserves. Or explore some of our favorite black-owned businesses for Black History Month.

Here's the best of the activities for kids in Chicago this Presidents Day weekend!

MLK Weekend 2023 Best Things To Do in Chicago: Snowflake Scavenger Hunt, MLK Story Walk

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Wed, 01/11/2023 - 11:11pm

Black Creativity Family Day: Photo courtesy of the Museum of Science and Industry

Looking for the best things to do in Chicago this MLK, Jr. weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

Are you ready for even more days off school? Martin Luther King, Jr. Day means an extra day off just one week after winter break ends. There's plenty to do this weekend and the weather is likely to cooperate for some fun outdoor winter activities. Families can explore Lincoln Marsh at the Snowflake Scavenger Hunt, go snowtrekking in the nature sanctuary at Burnham Park, or enjoy a bonfire with s'mores and more at Winterfest in Itasca.

Celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. by learning about his legacy at the Chicago History Museum or joining in Black Creativity Family Day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Kids can also perform service projects in honor of Dr. King at a Cook County Forest Preserve or Naperville Public Library.

With temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s, this could be the perfect weekend for skating (anywhere) or skiing in locations that make their own snow. The long weekend also gives families a great opportunity to plan a day trip to one of our favorite Midwestern locations.

Here are our top picks for events to attend with your kids this weekend!

18 Family-Friendly Food Halls in NYC for an Easy, Delicious Meal

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Fri, 04/29/2022 - 11:46am

Essex Street Market's food hall offers a diverse selection of culinary delights. Photo by Jody Mercier

You want to grab a bite out with the kids and the local pizza joint isn't going to cut it—but asking your wiggly, tired kids to sit quietly in a nice restaurant is like lighting a firecracker and then hoping it won't explode. New York City's diverse selection of food halls is the perfect solution.

Despite their historic mall-culture reputation, the model of a casual food hall with multiple food options is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and not just in suburbia. Right here in NYC, food halls are gaining major foodie clout with excellent vendors, artisan marketplaces, and appealing perks (and sweet treats) for families with kids. It's the perfect eatery for families: There's a food option for everyone, minimal wait times, multiple bathrooms, and no one notices if your kid tantrums or drops half their meal on the floor.

Read on for 18 outstanding food halls in NYC offering top-notch eats, spacious seating, and lots to do in the surrounding neighborhoods, including Battery Park, Chelsea, Midtown, Dumbo, and more.

Check out our Guide to Family-Friendly NYC Restaurants for more dining in just about every neighborhood to satisfy every finicky palate.

40+ Free Things to Do in Chicago with Kids this Winter

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Sun, 01/02/2022 - 9:23pm

Sledding is always a fun free activity for kids in Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Forest Preserve of Cook County

Say what you want about Chicago winters, but the fact is, this town knows how to pack a lot of fun into the coldest months of the year. And best of all, there are plenty of FREE things to do in Chicago during the winter.

Some of the city's best attractions offer free admission during the winter, with free Illinois resident days at the M useum of Contemporary Art and the P eggy Notebaert Nature Museum—plus, The DuSable Museum is always free (to help you celebrate MLK Day and Black History Month in February), and the Art Institute of Chicago is free on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays through St. Patrick's Day. Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, lots of parades are returning as everyone becomes Chi-rish for a day, or you can see a different kind of parade at Chinese New Year in Chinatown. Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day also make our list of fun free things to do in Chicago this winter.

Looking for more? Our list of 100 Things to Do With Chicago Kids Before They Grow Up might do the trick, and of course you can always find more daily activities in our Chicago Event Calendar or our Chicago Winter Fun Guide.

13 Coolest Places in NYC to Take Photos of Your Kids

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Wed, 10/27/2021 - 9:04am

Wave Hill's sprawling lawns and panoramic vistas make for an excellent photo-op uptown.

Not to brag, but New York City is pretty darn photogenic. The glittering buildings, the amazing public art, the bright blue rivers, the buzzing neighborhood streets...It might just be the coolest family photo studio on Earth. No wonder you can hardly turn a corner in this town without running into a movie shoot.

Whether you're looking for the perfect backdrop for a family photo as the holidays approach or just looking up your Instagram game, we've rounded up a list of the best spots in the city to take pics of your kids. But of course, it's not just about getting that perfect shot—it's about having a perfect NYC memory, too. Each of these spots is also a great family destination in its own right, with playgrounds, parks, and museums to explore.

Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend: St. Patrick's Day, Maple Sugar, Kids' Theater

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Tue, 03/10/2020 - 7:11pm

The Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. Photo by Panu Tangchalermkul via Flickr

The biggest, greenest party of the year hits Chicago this weekend, with family-friendly St. Patrick's Day celebrations all over town. The biggest and greenest, of course, is the annual dyeing of the Chicago River on Saturday (catch the best views from a kid-friendly river cruise), set dressing for the great downtown St. Patrick's Day parade. But with kids it might be just as fun to hit one of the many neighborhood celebrations—the South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday is family-friendly, as are the Northwest Side celebration, the Naperville parade, the big party at Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville, and the St. Patrick's Festival at the Irish American Heritage Center.

It's another great weekend for children's entertainment. This is your last chance to see The Princess and the Pea at the Marriot Theatre, and on Sunday kids can rock out to the Music of Queen. Enjoy free movies and activites at the One Earth Film Festival and embrace your inner goth at a $3 screening of The Addams Family. Make this weekend extra sweet by hitting up the Sugar Bush Festival or the 48th Annual Maple Syrup Festival to see how maple syrup is made.

For more ideas for family fun in Chicago, our jam-packed event calendar is at the ready. Note that events may be cancelled due to the coronavirus, and we will continuously update our event calendar to reflect any change or cancellation.

Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend: Irish Fests, Jurassic Quest, Train Show

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 6:17pm

Experience what it was like to be among living, breathing dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest. Photo courtesy of the event

St. Patrick's Day celebrations kick off in earnest this weekend around Chicago, with parades with Irish dancing and music in Lemont and Elmhurst. (If you don't love swimming through beer and crowds, neighborhood celebrations like these are a kid-friendly alternative to the main parade downtown.) Dinosaurs have taken over the Dulles Expo & Conference Center as part of Jurassic Quest, and on Saturday families can enjoy the 65th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in Naperville.

Kids can color eggs for Persian New Year at a Persian Nowruz Celebration featuring music and dance performances, and at the DuPage County Fairgrounds kids can see the world's largest monthly train exhibit, with more than 550 tables of model trains to see and buy.

The Morton Arboretum has confirmed that their enchanted Troll Hunt will continue through this summer—since their gentle giants have weathered this rough winter so well. (Better than most of us, anyway.)

Looking for more family fun in Chicago? Look no further than our constantly-updating event calendar, and our indoor winter fun bucket list for Chicago kids.

Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend: Dr. Seuss, Monster Jam

Submitted by MommyPoppins on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 11:04pm

Looking for something to do this weekend that the kids will love? Mosey on over to The Newport Theater for The Greatest Story Never Told.Photo courtesy of the production

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! Oh, the places you'll go...in a giant mud-spewing monster truck. This weekend the Monster Jam tears up the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with wheelies, donuts, big engines, and even bigger tires.

Train-lovers and budding historians alike will find a rich story to explore at The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad – The Railroad Helped Build America, honoring the thousands of workers who helped create our country's transportation foundation. This is the last weekend for this exhibit! There's plenty more to do this weekend, from maple sugaring to N ick Jr. Live!, so check our picks below to get inspired. If you're looking for even more family fun, our event calendar and winter fun list should help.