Edition: Kidding Around Chicago

Culture & Attractions: Kid-friendly Favorites

Author: Emily Capdevielle and Sarah DiGiulio

 

 Warm weather and plenty of summer festivals bring Chicago out-of-doors for good times the whole family can enjoy. See exotic animals from jaguars to Chilean flamingos at the Lincoln Park Zoo, or dyeyour hair green at Lollapalooza's Kidzapalooza. These must-see attractions are sure to fill any trip to the Chicago area with fun and entertainment for kids of all ages. 

Six Flags Great America: Six Flags Great America is bursting with fun and entertainment for the family. the park includes four different kiddie theme areas - Bugs Bunny National Park, Camp Cartoon, Skull Island in the Hurricane Harbor water park, and Wiggles World. Skull Island, the world's largest water playground, provides 100,000 square feet of fun for both kids and adults. Big or small, you can play games, go on rides rating from for the youngsters to max for thrill-seekers, and visit with a variety of Looney Tune characters scattered around the park. Bugs Bunny National Park in the Yukon Territory area has Looney Tune-themed rides for the little ones and their parents. The Looney Trotter is great for children accompanied by an adult, giving you a scenic train ride throughout Bugs Bunny National Park. From foot-long hotdogs to funnel cakes, Six Flags Great America also has a variety of food stands and restaurants to satisfy your appetite. The family can end their day at the park with Bugs Bunny's Starlight Spectacular, which includes a show and parade of your favorite Looney Tune characters (through August 17).

Navy Pier: This is definitely a one-stop shop for family-friendly entertainment. Start with the Chicago Children's Museum. Creative minds are able to design their own skyscraper or invent a flying machine. Kids will love rocking out with guitars on the stage of Block

Party, the museum's street fair made just for kids. Next door is Pier Park, home to the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel and a slew of rides: The Wave Swinger whirls riders 14 feet in the air and the Musical Carousel is a steady favorite. The pier offers a vareity of shops, theaters (including Navy Pier IMAX Theater and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater), boat tours of Lake Michigan, and plenty of eateries to tantalize every appetite, from high-end seafood at Riva to food court fare. Try an infamous cheeseburger from the Billy Goat Tavern, seafoods at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. or an ice cream cone from Haagen-Dazs. And, if everyone can stay awake, don't forget fireworks at 9:30 on Wednesday nights and 10:15 on Saturdays.

Lincoln Park and Brookfield Zoos: Mintues north of downtown, just off of Lake Shore Drive, Lincoln Park Zoo is easy to access by bus or CTA train. And parents will love the price: free. The "Regenstein African Journey" takes visitors on a trip through the African continent to see camels, gazelles, giraffes, hippos, zebras and rhinos along the way. "At Home in the Woods" shows off the region's native species (red wolves, screech owls and spotted turtles) in an exhibit made for kids. And the "Farm-in-the-Zoo" gives families a taste of country life, from milking cows to animal feedings. Fourteen miles from downtown, Brookfield Zoo offers a view of the animals sans skyline. The "Hamill Family Play Zoo" is designed to teach kids how the zoo works. Youngsters can pet animals, study animal x-rays and plant gardens. A children's zoo takes kids to the farm; the "Living Coast" exhibit journeys along the coasts of Peru and Chile; and the "Seven Seas Dolphin Show" makes a splash every day.

Lollapalooza's Kidzapalooza: This may come as a surprise to some, but the three-day concert event that is Lollapalooza to be a welcoming environment for kids. Why? Because of Kidzapalooza. This music extravaganza has workshops where kids can rock out with a band set-up, complete with microphones, drums, guitars, amplifiers, keyboards and bass in the School of Rock Jam Tent. Kids not only learn how to play instruments, they can learn some dance moves as well by visiting the break dancing workshop with the Brickheadz. The line-up on stage includes performers like the Terrible-Two's and the Dream Jam Band to enjoy in between the many ongoing activities. Kids can also get their own rock-style look complete with a mohawk and hair color by the Siren Salon and tattoo by Small Paul (temporary of course). By the end of the day the future rock stars will be able to take home a CD with a recorded track of their own. Kidzapalooza and Lollapalooza take place August 1-3 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lincoln Park Zoo
2200 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL 60614

Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave. , Chicago, IL 60605