out & about

It’s summertime and that typically means it’s Chicagoland’s Fairs &

Festivals season! However, due to Covid-19 many local community celebrations have been cancelled or postponed. At the time of publication, the following fests were still moving forward with their special events offering a variety of entertainment, food, live music and craft fairs this summer.

Before you go, please check their website for timely updates about each scheduled event.

JUNE

Taste of Wheaton – 6/4-6/7. Carnival, beer and wine garden, arts and crafts and entertainment. Downtown Wheaton. wheatonparkdistrict.com. Lincoln Park Greek Fest – 6/5-6/7. Greek cuisine, music, dance, craft fair and kids’ activities. St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Chicago. lincolnparkgreekfest.com.

CANTIGNY Thinking of you Awaiting your return Ready to make new memories

Plan your visit today at Cantigny.org

Strawberry Festival – 6/7. 11AM – 4PM. Art, Crafts, Live entertainment, kids’ activities, Variety of food, drinks and Strawberry items. Small Memorial Park, Kankakee. CommunityArtsCouncil.org Ottawa 2 Rivers Wine Fest – 6/5-7. Local wine, fresh lobster, live jazz and outdoor market. Downtown Ottawa. ottawa2riversWinefest.com. Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival – 6/6-7. 130 juried artists, food and kids’ activities. Downtown Hinsdale. hinsdalechamber.com. Street Eats Festival – 6/13. Food trucks, live DJ Entertainment, a beer garden and a Vendor Village. 11 AM – 7 PM. Montgomery Park, Montgomery. montgomeryil.org. Wells Street Art Festival – 6/13-14. Six-block art fair with music and kids’ play area. Old Town, Chicago. wellsstreetartfest.us. Woodridge Jubilee – 6/17-21. Family fest with carnival, entertainment and fireworks. Woodridge. woodridgeparks.org. Libertyville Days Festival – 6/18-21. Carnival rides, arts and crafts, music and parade. Downtown Libertyville. libciviccenter.org/libertyville-days. Blues on the Fox – 6/19-20. Popular blues artists perform at this annual event. Children welcome with parents. RiverEdge Park, Aurora. riveredgeaurora.com. Daisy Days – 6/19-20. Carnival rides, pony rides, live music and craft fair. Downtown Clarendon Hills. clarendonhillschamber.com. Solstice Hop & Vine Fest – 6/20. Entertainment, food, wine and beer. Ages 21+. Meineke Park, Schaumburg. schaumburgparkfoundation.org. Craft Beer & Wine Festival – 6/20. 2-6PM. Live music, food and more than 60 beers and wines. Ages 21+. Heritage Park, Wheeling. beerwinefestival.com.

As life slowly springs back to normal in Illinois, we can look forward to visiting these local attractions.

The Forge: Lemont Quarries

As an innovative leader in outdoor recreation, The Forge: Lemont Quarries is a state-of-theart adventure park designed to deliver unique year-round activities for adventurers of all ages and abilities. Opening Summer 2020, The Forge: Lemont Quarries is a purpose-built social enterprise that provides countless opportunities to guests to experience elevated outdoor adventure 365 days a year. Featuring a versatile and wide-ranging mix of recreational activities set amidst a stunning natural landscape, the park offers an escape to tranquil and interactive green space where guests can test their personal boundaries while engaging with a passionate community of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. Check us out at www.forgeparks.com.

Cantigny Park

The 500-acre park in Wheaton looks forward to resuming a full slate of fun, family-friendly activities. Many events are planned, including concerts, festivals, garden tours and children’s programs. Permanent attractions include spacious gardens and two museums: McCormick House and the First Division Museum. When it’s safe to reopen, Cantigny will be ready! Visit www.Cantigny.org for the latest news and to view a calendar of currently scheduled events. To receive updates by phone, text PARK to 36000.

Golf is a big stress reliever for many, and courses in Illinois can reopen May 1st under strict safety guidelines. That includes two players per group, no golf carts and all practice ranges, putting greens and clubhouses will be closed. So, now it’s time to clean off the clubs and golf shoes and get out for a few rounds with the family. Follow the helpful golf tip provided from PGA Pro, Randy Cochran when heading out on any three of DuPage Golf’s courses.

You only need a few clubs! You’re allowed to carry as many as 14 clubs in your bag, but you won’t need nearly that many when you’re first learning. Instead, start with a driver, a putter, a sand wedge and supplement those with a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a pitching wedge, and a fairway wood or hybrid with 18-21 degrees of loft. These are the clubs that are the most forgiving and easiest to get the ball airborne. Make tee times now at Twin Lakes Golf Club. 400 W. 59th St., Westmont, IL 60559. 630.852.7167. www.westmontparks.org. The Preserve at Oak Meadows: 900 N. Wood Dale Rd. Addison, 630-595-0071. Maple Meadows: 272 Addison Rd. Wood Dale, 630-616-8424. Green Mead

Pottawatomie Golf Course

Having fun is most important when introducing your children to the game of golf, says Ron Skubisz, Golf Course Manager & PGA Golf Pro at St. Charles Park District. Take a tip from the master of family entertainment – Disney TM , which continually stresses the need to view the world through the eyes of a child. By playing from the same tees and using clubs that will travel the same distance as your child’s stroke, you will get to spend quality time during the round and create a realistic goal for your child of hitting shots further than you. I highly recommend practicing on a putting green or short game practice area that provide a great opportunity to teach proper posture, grip and alignment. One of my favorite activities is to form teams among family members and create competitions. The ultimate benefit is improvement in putting and short game which account for nearly 70% of the shots taken in a normal round of golf. Remember the goal is to have fun, be creative, and let your child create games that are fun through their eyes while instructive in the fundamentals through your eyes. 845 N. Second Avenue in Pottawatomie Park. 630-584- 8356. www.pottawatomiegc.com

Golfing Opportunities

Facilities of the St. Charles Park District for the Whole Family

For hours & fees:

riverviewminigolf.org

18 Holes of Challenging Miniature Golf Scenic Views Along the Fox River 9 Holes Wheelchair Accessible Refreshment Stand Daily Specials & Group Rates Kayak & Pedal Boat Rentals

P o t t a w a t o m i e

For hours & fees:

pottawatomiegc.com Pottawatomie Golf Course

G o l f C o u r s e Tournaments Leagues Lessons Pro Shop Club & Cart Rentals Refreshments

SAFARI LAND - Villa Park, IL Safari Land is the ultimate, INDOOR entertainment center, plus home of the largest year-round indoor roller coaster in Illinois. Open seven days a week, offering eight amusement rides, over 100 arcade games and 12 lanes of bowling. Ride wristband includes: Tilt-A-Whirl, Bumper Cars, Merry-Go-Round, Monkey Jump, Soft Play Area, Max Flight Simulator, Roller Coaster & Kiddie GoKarts. Free parking and a perfect spot for birthday parties! For more information visit www.safarilandfun.com or call 630-530-4649.

Odyssey Fun World – Tinley Park The place for out of this world family fun for all ages! Plan your next birthday party here. Boasting 150+ arcade and redemption games, a 4-story soft play center, Laser Tag, exciting indoor rides, and great food! All summer long we offer Go Karts, Mini Golf, Bumper Boats, a ZIPLINE (30 feet high!), and an Inflatable Kidz Park! Visit odysseyfunworld.com for exclusive discounts, or call 708-429-3800. 19111 S. Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park.

THE PLACE WHERE AWESOME LIVES

Home Zone: kcmgc.org/home-zone

Videos of STEAM-related activities to do at home While the Museum is closed, please check out our online resources

We can’t wait to see you come through our doors

Story Time: kcmgc.org/story-time

A video library of our favorite children’s books

Kohl Kids Live!: kcmgc.org/kohl-kids

Starts May 4: Each week we bring a di erent exhibit to you with Facebook Live sessions and at-home projects so you can contribute to an online gallery

www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org

By Mary Ann Blair

We’ve all heard these dreaded words a lot lately; “I’m booooored!” Kids are typically great at using their imaginations when given ample chances to do so, but with social distancing, school cancellations and in-home mandates...they may need a few suggestions from you to cure those boredom blues. Here are seven boredom busters sure to keep your kiddos entertained INSIDE the house on rainy days or when the temps get too hot this summer.

Plan a treasure hunt.

In this activity that kids of all ages love, each clue leads to the next until the final clue leads to the “treasure”. The number of clues and difficulty level can be tailored for a variety of ages. The final clue can lead to a special snack or a game you love to play together. You can help each child create a treasure hunt for their sibling, or have older children create treasure hunts for each other.

Construct an indoor city.

If it’s too hot to play outside, an open space in a kitchen, dining room, or entryway can serve as the perfect spot to create an indoor “city”. Have your kiddos lay down “roads” with masking tape that span out in different directions. Add wooden blocks for buildings, toy figurines to populate the city, and matchbox cars for some racing fun!

Design a yarn maze.

Start at the front door and wind yarn all around the house. Under furniture, up the steps, around the legs of the chairs—be creative! Little ones will delight in following this “maze” to see where it takes them. Place a small treasure or treat at the end for a fun surprise. Older siblings can easily take the lead on this activity.

Create an indoor sidewalk.

Drawing on sidewalks with chalk is a great way for budding artists to express their creativity, but butcher paper and crayons or markers can be a fun substitute. Roll a long stretch of

paper across your dining room table or floor and tape down the edges. The width of this type of paper provides an oversized canvas to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. (This can also be a fun way to create a unique table runner for holiday meals throughout the year.)

Make homemade ice cream.

This sounds more complicated than it actually is. You don’t need an expensive ice cream maker to tackle this project. You just need a few simple ingredients and some Ziplock bags. Do a quick web search of “ice cream in a bag” to find several easy recipes. What a great way to keep cool when it’s too hot to be outside!

Do a holiday-themed activity.

Dig out the plastic Easter eggs and have an indoor egg hunt. Instead of candy, fill the eggs with small toys that have been buried on the bottom of the toy box. Have a costume parade with stored Halloween costumes. Wrap a few favorite toys in holiday paper and play a game of twenty questions to guess what’s inside the package. Make heart-shaped sugar cookies. Pick a holiday and see what other ideas your kids can come up with.

“Camp” in the living room.

Pull out the sleeping bags. Have your child(ren) draw a picture of a campfire, and tape it to an empty wall. Make s’mores in the microwave, sit around the “campfire”, and read books or tell stories. If you can set up a small tent, this makes the experience even more enjoyable for kids.

Since we may be spending our summer together as a family, make it fun and festive by planning your own DIY summer camp at home It’s affordable, fun, and easier than it sounds to pull off. Nature Hunt Flowers and bugs and birds, oh my! Summer is the perfect season to explore nature with kids, whether it’s at a local forest preserve or right in your backyard. Bring a jar (with holes poked in the lid) or simply a pencil and paper to help your child to make observations about the bugs and other bits of nature she collects or sees. Just be sure to watch out for ticks. Not a fan of insects? Go on a bird watch or basic nature walk. Relay Races Relay races work well for any age. You will need to divide players into teams. Designate a starting and ending line and have teams line up behind the starting line. When the “Go!” command is given, the front person runs to the finish line and back again, tagging the next person on their team. This continues and the first team to have all their players back at the starting line wins. Some fun examples are: Pushing a tennis ball with one’s nose, carrying pails of water to fill a large bucket at the finish line, balancing a raw egg on a spoon. Word Basketball Use the backyard basketball hoop or a large trash can for this fun game. Choose a word – a name of an animal works well. The goal of the game is to not miss the basket. Players take turns and each time a player misses, they receive a letter from the chosen word. When a player earns all the letters in the word they are out. This game works for any number of players. You can allow other players to attempt to block or knock the ball of the player attempting to make a basket if you wish. It’s Show Time! Pop a movie on Netflix or Disney+. After the movie, let the kids be “movie reviewers” and talk about what they liked or didn’t like about the movie. Encourage a discussion about the story, acting, animations or soundtrack. Ask your kids to re-enact their favorite scenes. Bean Bag Toss All you need for a bean bag toss game is a large, sturdy, cardboard box. On one side, make one or more holes through which the beanbags will be tossed. Players start out about four feet away from the box and move farther back on each turn. The player making the most successful tosses wins the game. Water Game Olympics Plan an afternoon of backyard water games like sprinkler limbo or sponge dodgeball. Or, create a basic outdoor obstacle course that incorporates your sprinkler, water balloons, and buckets. Sand Art Sand offer endless summer craft possibilities. Stock up on colored sand or dye your own. Kids can draw or write on paper with glue or glue sticks and pour the sand on the glue to create their own sandy signs and designs. They can also use glue and sand to “color” printable coloring pages. Or, for an even cooler keepsake, they can fill a glass bottle, vase, or candle votive with layers of sand in a rainbow of colors. Field Day Outdoor games are a must for camp-inspired fun. Gather the kids for good ol’ group games like kickball, wiffle ball, and capture the flag, or try some classic backyard party games like sack races, horseshoes, or Tug o’ war! DIY Backyard Fun

Indoor Amusement Park Come and explore 62,000 square feet of indoor rides and amusements including Illinois’ Largest Indoor Roller Coaster! Tilt-A-Whirl ~ Monkey Jump ~ Merry Go Round MaxFlight Simulator ~ Soft Play ~ Bumper Cars ~ Kid’s Go Karts

Video Games ~ Bowling ~ Food Birthday Parties & Group Packages BUY A $15 WRISTBAND FOR ONLY $10!

Valid Monday - Friday only. Coupon must be surrendered. Coupon applies to 4 wristbands max. Expires 12/30/20

701 W. North Ave., Villa Park 630•530•4649|safarilandfun.com