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Mother's Day: Explore Chicago's Swedish American Museum Center

The Children's Museum of Immigration, located on the third floor of the Swedish American Museum Center (5211 N. Clark, Chicago, IL 60640, 773-728-8111; ) in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, is a true gem that your children will love exploring.  I know it doesn't sound like a place children will rush to, but the Swedish children's museum has done a phenomenal job ensuring that your kids will enjoy learning about the lives of Swedish immigrants. 

In this hands-on exhibit, kids can dress up as Swedish immigrants, get their passports, board an immigrant steamer, and travel to America to start a new life.  TJ liked swabbing the deck with a broom on the steamer.  Once in America, kids can check out life in a pioneer log cabin.  TJ loved picking realistic vegetables from the garden, then running into the little cabin to prepare dinner on the old fashioned stove for the baby in her cradle.  Kids can also fish off a bridge with a magnetic pole that catches stuffed fish, ride a horse, or check for freshly laid eggs under chickens.  Probably the highlight, though, is the Swedish farm house (or "stuga"), in which you can milk  a cow (ok, a wooden one, not a real one, but TJ didn't seem to care), churn butter, collect apples, and hang laundry out to dry.  All these activities may sound a bit pedestrian for kids of the electronic age, but maybe that's why they enjoy it so much; it's a complete departure from everything they know. 

The children's museum is by far the best part of the Swedish American Museum Center (in fact, kids will likely consider the other portion of the museum which highlights Swedes' contributions to Chicago downright dreary), so make sure to visit during the limited times the children's museum is open: Tuesday - Friday from 1:00 -4:00 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.  Admission is $4 per adult, $3 per child (under 1 get in free), with a $10 family rate.  Or, even better, visit on the second Tuesday of every month when admission is free! 

Mother's Day: Baby Loves Disco Sweeps The Country

Winter doldrums got you down?  Baby Loves Disco is sure to provide a cure for both you and your kids.  It just so happens that the latest Baby Loves Disco party will be in Chicago on February 17, 2008, from noon to 3 at local institution the Metro.  But the party isn't only in the Windy City-- 27 other cities have Baby Love Disco events too, from L.A to Boston. 

We  took TJ to a Baby Loves Disco party last year, and it was quite a scene.  Strollers lined up around the block outside a hip bar on a Sunday afternoon.  Inside - spinning disco balls, 70's and 80's music spun and mixed by a real DJ, a bubble machine, colorful scarves to play with, noise makers, lots of snacks (including a cash bar for Travelin' Mom and Travelin' Dad - total bonus!) and a "chill out room" with pillows, books, and stuffed animals to escape to when the boogeying got to be too much.  The party was sponsored by a number of local businesses who gave out coupons and other freebies. Although TJ was a little young at the time (only 8 months old), the older kids (2+) seemed to be thriving and dancing their little booties off. 

Check the website for the next time The Disco will be in your city, and make reservations in advance - the parties often sell out.  The cost is $12 per walking human, and non-walkers get in free.  So ditch the monotony of sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon, and go party like its 1979.

Two Reasons to Visit Chicago in February

Unless you live in, say, Antarctica, a February visit to Chicago probably doesn't sound too appealing.  But, two February attractions make a winter visit to the Second City at least a little more palatable. 

First is Paintings Below Zero, artist Gordon Halloran's 95-foot long, 12-foot high abstract painting involving constantly changing shapes of varying light and color.  Oh, and did I mention it's made of ice?  As the ice constantly freezes and melts with temperature fluctuations, the sculpture's appearance will change throughout the month.  During our visit, workers were constantly, brushing and spraying (coats of water, they explained) parts of the work.  The sculpture even looked different in the half hour we spent there, as brushing off whatever was coating the piece (residual snow?) made the colors more vivid. Paintings Below Zero (or, as Chicagoans are affectionately referring to it, "The Popsicle") will reside in Millennium Park throughout February as part of a larger winter event, the Museum of Modern Ice, which also includes cooking demonstrations, taffy making, and several other fun events.  You can even sit for your own ice sculpture portrait, although transporting it home may require some ingenuity.  If you prefer a more active pursuit in the cold weather, you can also skate over two other abstract paintings Halloran has installed in the Millennium Park ice rink (Skating is free, but skate rentals are $9). 

No matter how much you enjoy the Museum of Modern Ice events, it's still Chicago, it's still February, and it's still pretty darn cold.  Thankfully, once you've had enough outdoor fun, you can head to the nearby Field Museum (about two miles south of Millennium Park), which offers free admission the entire month of February.  What does the Field Museum have going for it?  For one, it's heated, which goes a long way.  In addition, there's Sue (the oldest, most complete T. Rex ever found), giant elephants, more dinosaurs, plenty o' mummies, a "family playlab," and more.  The Field is also an extremely kid-friendly museum.  You can download any of three Family Adventure Tours to plan a visit that will keep your children interested. 

So, next time someone asks you why in the world you'd want to be in Chicago in February, you now have two good answers.

**Update:  Since posting this, I've learned that the Art Institute of Chicago is also offering free admission throughout February.  Of course, if you're choosing between the two museums, it's probably a safe bet that the little ones will prefer dinosaurs and mummies to Degas and Monet. 

Mother's Day: Kids Love Niki

For all you Midwesterners, Niki in the Garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 North Cenrtral Park Ave., Chicago) is a must-see.  Make plans today to catch it soon-- October 31, 2007 is the exhbit's final day. 

The indoor and outdoor exhibit features over 30 spectacular mosaic sculptures by the world-renowned Niki de Sant Phalle.  Although it is fun to find her brightly-colored sculptures made out of stones, glass, mirrors, and other semi-precious materials buried in the wildlife inside the conservatory, the kids will especially love the enormous outside portion of the exhibit.  It's set in a huge, grassy area just begging for them to run wild.  Many of the sculptures can be touched, climbed on, and run through, making the artwork a truly sensory experience.   Kids will enjoy the subject matter, too: Nanas (mythical-like women), animals (lions, seals, and an alligator affectionately called the "Nikigator"), and sports figures (a savvy child will spot Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods homages among the sculptures). My son's favorite sculpture was definitely La Cabeza ("the head" in Spanish).  And yes, that's my litte one's head peeking between the sculpture's pearly white teeth. 

The exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extra long hours on Thursdays, until 8 p.m.  It is easily accessbile by the elevated train (take the Green Line to the Conservatory stop), or if you are driving, it is just off the Eisenhower Expressway (Exit 26A).  Check out the website for additional directions or information.  Parking is free, just to the South of the Conservatory's main entrance.  While you are there, also visit the Children's Garden in the conservatory (a year-round educational play area kids love).