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Two weeks of winter break from school is a long time to keep the kids occupied.
This holiday hiatus is the best chance of the season for families to do something together. For those who cannot plan a long getaway and need help coming up with a quick idea, here is a to-do list of activities that should be easy to set up.
Visit a local museum
The big museums in downtown Chicago are hotspots, but they also can be crowded. Meanwhile, there are several museums in the suburbs with exhibits and activities targeted towards families.
Example: DuPage Children’s Museum
Museum spokeswoman Alison Segebarth said the museum is a good place for kids to burn off excess energy.
“They can make a mess here, as opposed to their house,” she said.
The museum, located at 301 N. Washington St., Naperville, has three floors of different interactive exhibit neighborhoods geared towards different ages and interests. There also is a constant schedule of special activities and programs, such as an engineering minicamp and the Tiny Great Performances concert series.
Museum hours during the winter break are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7.50 for ages 1 to 59 and $6.50 for seniors 60 and older.
For more information, visit www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org.
Play outside
Snow and ice can be a hassle when it piles up on the road and sidewalk.
But the frozen fluff also provides fun activities, including sledding, skating and building snowforts. Besides, an hour outside is the perfect excuse to make some hot cocoa.
Example: Snow tubing at Blackwell Forest Preserve’s Mount Hoy
Mount Hoy is the only place in the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County specifically designated for downhill recreation. You can’t bring your own sled, but for $4, you can rent a tube for the day.
Tubing hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and school holidays. Blackwell Forest Preserve is accessible from Butterfield Road, west of Winfield Road and east of Route 59, in Winfield. The closest parking to Mount Hoy is at the boat rental area.
For sledding conditions, call the Outdoor Report at (630) 871-6422.
Bonnie Olszewski, who works with the Forest Preserve public affairs department, said visitors also are welcome to sled anywhere else in the forest preserves at their own risk, as long as there are no signs prohibiting it.
Two weeks of winter break from school is a long time to keep the kids occupied.
This holiday hiatus is the best chance of the season for families to do something together. For those who cannot plan a long getaway and need help coming up with a quick idea, here is a to-do list of activities that should be easy to set up.
Visit a local museum
The big museums in downtown Chicago are hotspots, but they also can be crowded. Meanwhile, there are several museums in the suburbs with exhibits and activities targeted towards families.
Example: DuPage Children’s Museum
Museum spokeswoman Alison Segebarth said the museum is a good place for kids to burn off excess energy.
“They can make a mess here, as opposed to their house,” she said.
The museum, located at 301 N. Washington St., Naperville, has three floors of different interactive exhibit neighborhoods geared towards different ages and interests. There also is a constant schedule of special activities and programs, such as an engineering minicamp and the Tiny Great Performances concert series.
Museum hours during the winter break are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7.50 for ages 1 to 59 and $6.50 for seniors 60 and older.
For more information, visit www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org.
Play outside
Snow and ice can be a hassle when it piles up on the road and sidewalk.
But the frozen fluff also provides fun activities, including sledding, skating and building snowforts. Besides, an hour outside is the perfect excuse to make some hot cocoa.
Example: Snow tubing at Blackwell Forest Preserve’s Mount Hoy
Mount Hoy is the only place in the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County specifically designated for downhill recreation. You can’t bring your own sled, but for $4, you can rent a tube for the day.
Tubing hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and school holidays. Blackwell Forest Preserve is accessible from Butterfield Road, west of Winfield Road and east of Route 59, in Winfield. The closest parking to Mount Hoy is at the boat rental area.
For sledding conditions, call the Outdoor Report at (630) 871-6422.
Bonnie Olszewski, who works with the Forest Preserve public affairs department, said visitors also are welcome to sled anywhere else in the forest preserves at their own risk, as long as there are no signs prohibiting it.
Do an at-home craft
Get the kids’ creative sides going with an art project. If you’re short on ideas or supplies, some museums and libraries have drop-in and take-home crafts.
Example: Origami
Hinsdale Center for the Arts program coordinator Adrienne Lessard said this art of paper-folding is an activity for all ages because it can be done at different levels. Adults are needed to help figure out how to fold the paper, but the kids finish it on their own. After the folding is done, you can decorate the design to complete the project.
Parents can find books with instructions for origami designs or check the Internet for Web sites with detailed explanations.
Lessard said art projects provide a low-pressure environment for parents to bond with their children in a environment.
“There’s no right or wrong way (to do an art project),” she said.
Find a book to read aloud
On days or nights when you do not feel like being out, gather around and read a book aloud. Unlike watching a movie, everyone can be actively involved and share in the reading duties, if old enough.
Example: “Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame
A. Denise Farrugia, youth services manager at the St. Charles Public Library, said this book is one of her all-time favorites.
“It’s the whimsy in it and the wacky things they do,” she said.
The book is part farce and part fantasy, with talking animals as characters. The most memorable is the rich and spoiled Mr. Toad, whose obsession with vehicles gets him in trouble.
If this book doesn’t sound like it is for you and your family, Farrugia encourages you to stop by your local library and ask a librarian what are some good books. There are no shortages of answers, but they can vary depending on what genre and age level you are seeking.
