Chicago with Kids Weekly Activity Guide June 13 - Sunday June 19, 201

Kidwinks - Chicago with Kids - Blog

June 13, 2011

Here is a little info from our Weekly Activities Guide. If you would like to view the whole guide with a great selection of hand picked events and activities for kids in Chicago and the suburbs click here.

Ummm...Is it June or October? Hard to say judging by recent temps! On the bright side, at least I haven't had to don my bathing suit yet this year!

Dads, it's all about you this Sunday! Kidwinks is proud to have many dads as members. They subscribe to our emails, write moving bios about how much they love their kids, write reviews and participate in our contests. Cheers to you, Dads! Find area Father's Day Events.

WGN: If you missed it, here's the link to our appearance on WGN Midday News last week. If your kids like biking, check it out - there are some activities on there you probably haven't heard about.

NEW COUPONS: Check our Coupon Section below for two new coupons. Make-A-Messterpiece, a fun & messy creative studio for kids, is offering savings on their Messiest Package and their birthday parties.

June 7: Focus on Family - Biking With Kids in Chicago

June 7: Focus on Family - Biking With Kids in Chicago

Biking With Kids in ChicagoAs the weather turns warmer, parents begin looking for outdoor activities to share with their children. Biking is a popular activity that can be enjoyed (often for free) in many different ways and places throughout Chicagoland, and today Jean Lemke and Nina Taluc, co-founders of kidwinks.com, are here to share some of them with us. All of these bike activities and more may be found in their online Guide to Biking With Kids in Chicago which is published on their free website, www.kidwinks.com.

For many more ideas on year-round and seasonal kid-friendly events and activities, restaurants where kids eat free, birthday party places, summer camps and more, visit www.kidwinks.com, their terrific website that gathers the best of Chicago area family fun into one easily searchable site.Busse Woods Bike Trail (Cook County Forest Preserves)There are many bike trails in Chicago and the suburbs, and you can find them easily in kidwinks' Guide to Biking With Kids in Chicago.

The trail we are highlighting today is the Busse Woods Bike Trail, part of the Cook County Forest Preserves. This trail is particularly well-suited to families. The trail winds through forest, past a lake, and even past Elk Grove Village's resident elk herd. The terrain is mostly flat so it is easier for small children to navigate. The trail is also shorter in distance, so it is not a particular favorite of die-hard bike enthusiasts who often travel at high rates of speed and may pose a bit of a safety concern for younger riders just learning the rules of the road.Where: Schaumburg / Elk Grove Village When: Open daily Cost: Free Ages: All ages

Safety Town Open Road Times (Elmhurst)Looking for an opportunity to teach your child safe biking skills in a fun environment? Safety Town Elmhurst is a miniature representation of the Elmhurst community, and is designed to teach children the importance of safety. Safety Town includes miniature buildings, street signs and lights, sidewalks, railroad crossing, and a distinctive residential and downtown area. On Thursdays from June 9-August 11, children ages 4-7 with tricycles and helmets can ride through Safety Town Village free of charge. Qualified Safety Town staff is on hand to help children walk, bike, and practice being "safety smart." All ages are welcome, but no two-wheeled bikes (with or without training wheels), roller blades, roller shoes or skateboards are allowed. There is a $5 fee if you would like to rent a bike and/or helmet. Bicycling safety classes are also offered throughout the year for kids 6-10 years old. For more safety towns in the Chicago area, visit kidwinks' Guide to Biking With Kids in Chicago.

Where: 511 S. York, Elmhurst When: Thursdays 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. June 9 – August 11 weather permitting. Cost: Free; three-wheel bikes and/or helmets are available for rental for $5. Ages: 4 – 7 years

Kidical MassKidical Mass is a takeoff of the term, Critical Mass -- the monthly bicycle ride that happens here in Chicago and around the world. Whereas Critical Mass is a ride for everyone, Kidical Mass is a ride for kids! The rides are chaperoned by parents and generally stick to residential streets. Rides depart regardless of weather: rain, snow, or shine! Where: Palmer Square, 3064 W Palmer Blvd, Chicago When: The second Saturday of every month; gather at 10:30AM for 11:00AM departure. Cost: Free Ages: All ages – babies and younger children may ride in trailers or bike carriers with their parents.

Plainfield Bike ParkThe Plainfield Bike Park is a free to the public, two acre bicycle skills park which includes dirt jumps, a pump track, and a skills section. The park was designed with progression and safety to allow boys, girls, young children and adults to learn bicycle handling skills in the safest environment. There are different areas designated for different skill levels, from beginner to expert. This is an extreme sports facility and is a high risk area. The park is ride at your own risk, and an appropriate bike, helmet and safety gear is strongly recommended.Where: Approximately one mile south of the Rt. 30 and I-55 interchange in Plainfield, IL. When: Open daily Cost: Free Ages: Anyone who can ride a two-wheel bike

ABOUT KIDWINKS.COM Kidwinks.com is a boutique website that caters to today's generation of parents who are time-crunched, socially conscious and internet reliant. Kidwinks provides one-stop access to information about kid-friendly events, activities, restaurants, shops and services in the Chicago area. There is no charge to use kidwinks and membership is also free. Members enjoy additional benefits including the ability to enter contests for great prizes, email reminders and the ability to sort search results by distance from their home. Developed by two Park Ridge, IL moms, kidwinks has grown to thousands of members. For more information, please visit www.kidwinks.com.

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Educational & Free in Chicago with Kids

School is out for many kids in Chicago and the suburbs. If you are looking for a fun educational experience check out the Free Admission - Museum of Science and Industry June 19th and Free Admission - Adler Planetarium.

Chicago with Kids - May 24th, 2011

What else is going on this week? Well, here are a few sugestions:Now doesn't this look totally cool? - Calving Kline Creek Farm what kid doesn't want to see calves being born? Here another that may also apeal to Chicago kids - Chicago Turkish Festival at Daley Plaza. This is such a great program that I just have to post it. They fit the helmet to YOUR child's head (I think this is the hardest thing to do) and the helmets only costs $10. They have many helmets to choose from. It is best to call before you go. Bike Helmet Program - Advocate Lutheran General Hospital - Chicago with Kids - Blog

Kidwinks - Chicago with Kids - Weekly Activities

Kidwinks - Chicago with Kids - Blog

May 23, 2011 Kidwinks Blog
Here is a little tidbit from our Weekly Activities Guide - if you don't get it you should sign up for before summer starts so that you will never be at a loss for things to do with your kids:
What a (mostly) glorious weekend! Perfect for our soccer games, bike riding and graduation party we attended. Let's hope we can get a repeat performance for the coming holiday weekend. Speaking of which, this Activities Guide covers the long Memorial Day Weekend, so the next Guide will go out on Tuesday, May 31st rather than Monday, May 30th.
To view the whole guide click here: Chicago With Kids - Weekly Guide for May 23 - 30, 2011

Kidwinks' Jean Lemke and Nina Taluc with ideas for Chicago Area Free Sum...

Flying With Kids

I have been thinking about all of the wonderful things that I wanted to say about my vacation to Costa Rica. However, what I thought might be useful was something different. While at the airport waiting to board our plane my boys were playing their PSPs (A big treat for them since I usually don’t let them play). It occurred to me how much easier it had gotten to travel with them now that they are a little older. When my boys were very young I took them on several trips without my husband. That means it was just me and them, scary! I took them to Germany, the East Coast, and Mexico in addition to other places that we went with my husband. I thought I would share some of the things that I have learned so that maybe one or two of the tips may make your travel experience better.

Here it goes….

Nurse – if you are still nursing your baby then plan to nurse on take-off and landing. It helps their ears to adjust to the altitude easier. With my younger one it would put him to sleep, double bonus.

Buy them a new book. Before one trip I went to the discount lane of the book store and picked up a huge sticker book for just a few bucks. It was great to keep them occupied for a little while.

Pack little bags. This works for car rides too. I get some brown paper lunch bags. In each bag I put something different. A few toys from the dollar store, a toy or game from home that they haven’t played with for a while, an edible treat that they usually don’t get at home, a few hot wheels, you get the idea. You want to create a little surprise in each bag. When they would get bored with the items in one bag I would give them another. Don’t let them know you have several bags that way they won’t just rip through them all right away. I always try to avoid candy on a trip. The sugar does not encourage sitting still and relaxing.

If you have a portable DVD player bring it. Our DVD player was invaluable the time it took me and the boys 26 hours to get home from Mexico. We spent most of that time on the runway in airplanes, or waiting at the airport. My kids held up almost better than me.

Choose a direct flight whenever possible. It is faster, less taking off and landing, less chance of delays and cancelations.

If you do have connecting flights pack your carry-on bag with things you will need in case you spend the night. Another lesson I learned from my Mexico trip. Luckily my youngest always had his blankie with him but there were other things that it would have been nice to have. Bring a change of clothes or two (depending on the age) and plenty of diapers, ointment, and underwear. Bring fever medication. You will be hard pressed to find children’s Tylenol at an airport especially the later it gets and that is when they cancel flights.

Bring small games such as cards, right left center, dominos, etc.

With babies don’t underestimate the entertain value of the plastic cups they give you your drinks in. When my oldest was a baby he played with 3 of the plastic cups for almost the entire flight.

Plan to be ON the entire time. After a flight I was always exhausted because I spent so much time making sure my kids were content. When I flew to Germany it just so happened that when my 2 year old would fall asleep my 4 year old would be awake and need something to do. There was no rest for the weary on that flight. So many times after a flight other passengers would come up to me and tell me how well my kids did. These were the same people who were looking very worried about the prospect of having a baby or small child near them on a flight.

And one last note. Please don’t let your kids kick the back of the seat in front of them.

On our way back from Costa Rica our connecting flight was delayed 4 hours. It was 10:30 at night (we had been traveling since 10 that morning) and we were all a little stir crazy. We played UNO, Right Left Center, Rummy, you name it we played it. Luckily we had bought a small kick ball in Costa Rica and packed in one of our carry-on bags. I found a deserted spot in the airport and the boys played soccer to burn off some energy. An airport security guard even joined in the game which the boys thought was really cool. Earlier we had lent it to a fellow passenger who was trying to keep their 2 year old entertained. My husband had put the ball in his carry-on bag because there was no room for it in our checked baggage. Who knew it would be so useful!

I would love to hear your suggestions on how to keep the little ones happy on a flight.