Last weekend we went to a birthday party at Family Grounds. When it first opened we went a few times with my friend Pam but it dropped off our rotation and I had forgotten about it until the birthday party.

When I went to visit it again, it seemed smaller than I remembered. Ironically now that I’m so pregnant I looked at this as a bonus. I could sit down in one spot and see my kids no matter where they were playing.

Family Grounds

I went again with my friend Sarah this morning. Not only did one of the staff members stop in to read books to the kids, but another staff member played a guitar and sang some songs. I’ve never seen live music including in the admission price for any pay to play space, which made it quite special.

They also have a cafe attached. You can bring your cafe bought coffee right into the playroom to drink while watching your kids. We didn’t try the food, but I could have easily gotten a sandwich for lunch before leaving. Another nice touch.

This morning it was not too crowded, never more than 15 kids in the room. I booked a reservation for the 9-11 slot, but I probably could have easily just walked in and paid. At 11am, they didn’t kick us out. We stayed until about 11:30.

You can become a member, but for individual visits, it’s $6 for adults and kids.

I’m going to have to remember this place when the twins start walking as well. I’ll need to frequent smaller spaces or get eyes on the back of my head!

Juniper Park

Wednesday morning found us without any errands to run and a need to get out of the house (it’s cleaning day). Luckily we had excellent weather for March. My good friend Pam was in the same predicament as me so she suggested we meet at Juniper Park.

It was a lovely morning which reminded me of the endless mornings Pam and I used to share when we both only had one kid. We would scour the city looking for new and different parks to explore. And with the ease of only watching one, we had plenty of time to chat and enjoy each other’s company. Since our older kids are in school, we were back to one kid each – for now.

I first heard of this park from my friend Vonda. She had 3 kids at the time, I was still on my first. Even with one kid I thought it was a great park. It had all the elements one needs in a park. A water element. Sand. Two play structures. Two swing sets. Soft surface. Grassy areas, small but enough to picnic. Benches. Sun. And Shade.

Ben at Juniper Park

Now that I am soon to be a mother of four, I saw other benefits of this park that Vonda must have already thought about. It’s small enough to see your kids where ever you are standing. It’s completely fenced off. And there is plenty of free parking.

The only minus is that there are no bathrooms. Unfortunately for a lot of the parks in the city this is the case, so it’s hardly a limiting factor for me. Luckily I have boys, they can just pee on a tree. Hmmm, I should probably ask my attorney husband if there is an age limit for arrest of public urination…

Museum of Science and Industry with Kevin

Our cousin Kevin’s visit from Florida prompted us to leave our winter house bound cocoon and do something fun. We headed to the Museum of Science and Industry this morning.

I love this museum. I’ve been so many times and I still haven’t seen all of it. I think for the age my kids are at, most of the exhibit’s meanings are lost on them. Still there are plenty of buttons and levers for them to play with, even if they don’t get the full understanding.

They also have a room called the ‘Ideas Factory’ that is exclusively for kids. It’s pretty cool but be sure to bring another set of clothes. Your kids will get soaked!

We paid $180 for the doctorate level membership. It includes two adults, one guest and all children for admission. You also get passes to most special exhibitions, free and unlimited Omnimax tickets, free coat check and stroller service, free exclusive use of the Members’ Lounge, 10% discount in Museum stores and restaurants and most importantly FREE parking.

Xin Nian Kuai Le to all my China friends, and Kung Hei Fat Choi to all my Honkies!

Watching the Dragon Dance (while holding hands)

Today we crashed my friend Pam’s family day out at the Garfield Conservatory. They were having a Chinese New Year celebration. Special scavenger hunt, dragon parade, fortune cookies, clementines and apple cider.

It’s a wonderful place to visit in the winter. Some of the rooms are so warm and moist. It can be quite a relief, especially if you are suffering from sinus problems.

Most days they have events or activities in their children’s garden. Today the kids enjoyed the slide and digging in the dirt for bugs before heading to the see the dragon.

I’ve been here a few times and it’s never too crowded. And because it’s not smack in the middle of the city, parking is free. No entrance fee either!

Ben at Little Beans Cafe

A few days ago I met my friend Sara at Little Beans Cafe. I’ve been here before when it first opened. At that time it was very crowded. And for some reason I remember the open space + all the different push cars = a lot of crying.

This time I liked it a lot better. Maybe it’s because I didn’t spend the whole time telling Ben not to ram other people with push cars, like I did the first time with Jack. Or maybe because it wasn’t so crowded that I felt claustrophobic. Either way, it’s definitely something I would do again.

There are a few things that make this pay-to-play space different than some of the others in the city. First, you can bring food and drink into the play space. How often do you wish you had a coffee while you were watching your children not share well with others? We ordered a grill cheese and ate it without having to disrupt the play that much at all. Also, they give all the kids stickers with their names on them. I found this a nice touch. Kids respond to your reprimands a lot better if you use their name first. It just makes it all a bit more friendly.

It’s open M-F from 9-6. Sat from 9-3 and Sun from 9-1. Daily pass is $12 per kid, siblings are $7. You can save money buying a 10 visit pass or yearly membership.

Don’t forget your socks!

Just another cool and different thing about living in the city. There are a zillion little parks, all different, for us to play at.

We call this place the train park – the Metra train to the suburbs travels right above it and the kids scream like crazy every time it passes…

Ahhh! The Train!

It’s small enough so that you can see pretty much spot your kids at all times. And there is only one gated entrance. Unfortunately, it’s too small for a restroom. But in the winter it’s completely sunny!

Ben in the Water Room - He was soaked!

I first visited this place when Jack was somewhere in his first year of life. I remember thinking it’s soooo amazing, so clever! I want to live here! We went a few times after that and each time I enjoyed it immensely.

I have not been back since I had Ben. So it’s been a while. But not much has changed.

Both kids had a lot of fun, but this time around I definitely enjoyed it a lot less. Unlike the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, the Kohl’s Children’s Museum is basically one big open space. Most of the rooms have multiple entries or a single entry with no gate. I found myself darting around frantically trying to keep two kids in the same room.

Jack Decorating a Mini Willis (previously Sears) Tower

Although it didn’t bother me with just one kid, this time around the crowds in the suburbs grated on me. Why is everything so crowded in the suburbs? Isn’t the point of moving out there to have more space?

Also, in the city, you get a bunch of young energetic adults volunteering. Your kid makes a mess, they laugh and join in. Suburbs? Crabby retirees who remind you to put away all the fake groceries after you are finished playing with them.

In conclusion, it’s a great museum if you have a one-on-one coverage situation. Or if it doesn’t stress you out not to see your kids every single second.

We paid $28 for the three of us to get in this time, but the entry price can be applied to your membership cost if you buy that day. Membership was $100. Parking is free, one nice suburb perk. But I don’t think we’ll make it out there another 4 times this year so I skipped purchasing the membership.