Chicago offers more than fantastic shopping and baseball games. Families with young children have weeks worth of activities available in the Chicago area during all seasons. Tourists have plenty to do even during frigid winter months. At every turn, Chicago offers toddlers' activities and entertainment to stimulate their minds and exercise their bodies.
Amusement Park
The Navy Pier, in the heart of Chicago, offers amusement park fun and visual entertainment for toddlers. Characters in costumes, and performers like jugglers and magicians regularly walk the pier. Although this attraction has amusement park rides suitable for older children, it also has rides appropriate for toddlers, like a carousel. Simply taking a stroll on the Navy Pier acts as good exercise for the entire family. At the end of the Navy Pier, children can exercise their brains at the Children's Museum. The museum has three floors with plenty of toddler exploration areas. Children can dig for dinosaur bones, shop in a miniature grocery store and explore the inside of an airplane. Some nights, the museum opens to the public free of charge.
Food
Chicago offers programs to teach toddlers how to cook healthy meals and have fun doing it. The Kids' Table, for example, has tiny cooking utensils suitable for toddler hands. They teach the children how to grate, wash, chop, mix and roll food. This helps kids develop an appreciation for home-cooked food. Parents take this class alongside their toddlers to help them along the way.
Art
The Art Institute in Chicago not only has beautiful paintings and sculptures for adults, but is also has a family room that caters toward children exploring art. It has puzzles of the displayed masterpieces, children's books about art and colorful building blocks that allow toddlers to create their own masterpieces. This indoor attraction works well during extra hot, cold or even rainy days to keep children active and keep them off the couch. Another creative outlet for toddlers in Chicago sits at the Chicago Children's Theater. Here, professionals perform plays and musicals suitable for older children and toddlers alike. Musicals like Mary Poppins, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and The Hundred Dresses introduce children to theater art and stimulate their minds.
Summer Camp
Toddlers enjoy unique summer camps in the Chicago area. The Bubbles Academy in Chicago, for example, only registers children up to age 5. They have Toddler Yoga suitable for children as young as 2 years old. They also have a creative movement class to help toddlers express their creativity while exercising their bodies and improving their balance and coordination.
Seasonal
The city of Chicago has many events and programs scheduled each year. One special seasonal event is Snow Days. It takes place in Grant Park with igloo activities, dog-sled races and ice sculpting. During the summer months toddlers love the Crown Fountain at Millennium Park. Kids and adults splash around here and get wet on a hot day in Chicago.
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