Harry's Day Out at the Children's Museum of Chicago

What I love about Chicago is that even when the weather is bad, there is still so much to do with children. From Museums to indoor kiddie gyms, Chicago has it all! 

This week we decided to take Harry to the Children's Museum on Navy Pier. To me, it sounds like a museum full of kids art or something but no...this place is amazing! 2 floors of fun-filled spaces ( I know it's technically 3 stories but the first floor doesn't count as it's just a gift shop that I quickly whizzed past before he caught sight of something!) 

Here are some photos I took from our day at the Children's Museum. You can also check out the schedule here if you feel like going with your little one. As you can see, there are so many interactive experiences, from putting out fires at the fire-station, washing real cars in the Kid Village and going grocery shopping! There is also a big dinosaur excavation site where you can be a paleontologist for the afternoon. For Harry's age group, there is the Pritzker Playspace where he engaged in messy play with paint and shaving cream as well as crawling through tunnels and constructing towers with wooden blocks. I loved this room as it reminded me of a Montessori environment with its wooden purpose-filled activities. 

Harry's favourite area was the water area by far. He literally had to be forced out at closing time kicking and screaming!! The best part was, he slept for two hours afterwards! I even had time for a nap too! 

Hope you too can enjoy a day out at a Children's Museum or something similar near you! 

Alison xoxo

Museum Monday

There is nothing quite as spectacular as passing the Field Museum in Chicago with its grand entrance and pillared facade. With its scientifically rich and sensorially engaging environment, you really ought to get out with your little one and experience it! The best part is they have free admission for Illinois residence on certain days so be sure to check their website to avail of the offer! 

Harry and I accompanied our neighbour friends Amy and Theo for a winter excursion this past Monday and were blown away with what the museum had to offer for the little ones. Our fav spot was the world music room which is located on the ground floor. It is a sound-proof room filled with percussion instruments from around the world. Harry and Theo spent forever running around chasing each other banging on the bongos and shaking the elephant bells. The bright,red, giant buttons on the walls held their attention for a long time as they ran between them, pushing them to hear the different instrumental sounds. 

The magical red buttons that kept them busy for ages!! They played beautiful insturmental music from different parts of the world. 

One of my favorite spaces was the Dino activities area which I look forward to taking Harry when he gets a bit older. This is filled with sensorial experiences and fossil brushing activities. Super fun and educational at the same time. Apparently you can even do sleepovers there 'Dozin with the Dino's' How cool is that?  So much to do in here, I could go on forever. I hope to go back on the next free day to explore the section all about China!

Forget the Mosh pit, it's all about the Dino Pit!