My Kinda Town

Chicago History Museum

Address: 1601 N. Clark Street, Chicago

Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sunday: 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Admission: $14 for adults; children under 12 are free

YAY!

• Offers hands-on learning? No
• Engages an active toddler in play? No
• Provides interaction with other children? No
• Allows children room to play without long waits? No
• Is clean? Yes

Like The Field Museum, this is a destination best left to future field trips. While it had many interesting exhibits (e.g., the dioramas), it’s too old & mature for toddlers. Even the children’s area is better suited to middle school children.

The Chicago History Museum was one destination on my list I was really dreading. And generally when I dread something, it turns out to exceed my very low expectations. This did not. Parking was terrible. The admissions process was terrible. The museum was small. And there was nothing to engage a toddler except a beat up old train car.

It felt like we were there two hours, but it was in fact only 30 minutes. And after the long drive battling traffic and searching for parking, I was not about to head home just yet. So we decided to take a walk to the Farm in the Zoo. It was fabulous and you can read our review!

Oh For Play Doh Pete's Sake!

Make Your Own Play Doh

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Science, math, colors, creativity
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? Yes

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 package unsweetened Kool Aid
• 1 cup boiling water

Adult Prep Work:

1. Combine flour, salt, cooking oil, Kool Aid
2. Add boiling water & mix
3. Knead the dough

What Your Child Will Do:

1. Play with the play doh once it has cooled

This was fun & so easy. My son loved helping me mix the ingredients (except for the boiling water, of course). We played with it once it cooled and then stored it in tupperware overnight.

I'm Puzzled

Make Your Own Puzzle

YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Critical thinking
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? No

What You’ll Need:

• Large piece of cardboard (e.g., an old cereal box)
• Markers
• Scissors

Adult Prep Work:

1. Write your child’s name on the cardboard
2. Cut the cardboard into large puzzle pieces

What Your Child Will Do:

1. Assemble the puzzle

We had an easier time putting the puzzle together when we used the cereal label side! While this is a cute idea, I think he’ll enjoy when he’s a little older.

Pop Art

Bubble Wrap Painting

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Colors, patterns, cause and effect, creativity
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? Yes

What You’ll Need:

• Pieces of bubble wrap
• Washable paint
• White construction paper

Adult Prep Work:

• Pour paint on bubble wrap

What Your Child Will Do:

1. Paint bubble wrap
2. Press bubble wrap on white paper

This was so much fun & the art work is really pretty. I even let my son pour the paint himself, which he loved.

I will warn you it does make a huge mess. So have lots of paper towels at the ready!

Shake It Like It's Hot

Make & Play Colored Rice

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Experimentation, cause and effect, tool use, fine motor skills
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? Yes

What You’ll Need:

• Rubbing Alcohol
• Rice and/or pasta
• Liquid food coloring
• Tupperware or ziploc bag
• Measuring cups or scoopers

Adult Prep Work:

1. Mix 1 tsp rubbing alcohol & 10 drops of liquid food coloring in a tupperware dish
2. Add 1 cup of rice or pasta
3. Put the lid on or seal

What Your Child Will Do:

1. Shake it to mix the color evenly over the rice or pasta
2. Let it sit to dry
3. Put it in a sensory bin or bowls & play

In one tupperware container, we mixed rice with red food coloring. In another, hard pasta (you can use alphabet or shaped pasta) and blue food coloring. My son loved shaking the containers. And they made such different sounds, which was fun.

Note: You should obviously keep the rubbing alcohol away from your child. But also do not open the bag or tupperware near your child after mixing as the smell is quite strong.

Brush Your Art Out

Toothbrush Art

YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Fine motor skills
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? No

What You’ll Need:

• White paper
• Washable Paint
• Old Toothbrush

Mom Prep Work:

• None

What You’ll Do:

1. Dip toothbrush in paint
2. Flick paint on to the paper

I thought this would change my son’s attitude toward his toothbrush. But the activity didn’t really work for us. For some reason, the paint splattered all over us, missing the paper. So he ended up using the toothbrush as a paint brush, which he seemed to enjoy. I do think this activity is better suited for the backyard.

It's a Holiday Somewhere

Learn About Holidays

YAY! YAY! YAY!

• Does it offer an educational experience? Yes
• What does it teach? Holidays, symbols, shapes, reading
• Is it age (i.e., 2 - 3 year old) appropriate? Yes

What You’ll Need:

• Scissors
• Glue
• Construction paper
• Washable colored markers, crayons, and/or paint
• Book about the holiday

Mom Prep Work:

1. Cut out the holiday symbols (e.g., shamrocks, hearts, Easter eggs, New Year hats)
2. Glue them on a large sheet of paper

What You’ll Do:

• Color the holiday paper
• Read a book about the holiday together