Winter and Spring Outings

Well, if you live in the midwest, it doesn't look like spring is coming any time soon, so in order to keep us from all going insane, I put together a list of winter/spring outings you can take your kiddos on. I know I go crazy if I'm in the house for too many days on end, so these are some of our favorite go-to places that we visit. Some are free, many are cheap, and then I threw in a few splurges. I hope this gives you at least one or two new places to go until we get some warmer weather!

**OH, and if you live in the suburbs west of Chicago, I added some specific places that are in our area!**

Winter and Spring Outings:

• ·      Nature Center (Red Oak in North Aurora or Hickory Knolls in St. Charles-FREE)
• ·      Open gym (Excel Gymnastics in Geneva or St. Charles Gymnastics Academy in St. Charles-$5/child)
• ·      Open swim (Goldfish Swim School in St. Charles-$5/person)
• ·      Barnes and Noble-Ours has a train table, a Duplo blocks building station, story time, and obviously books!-FREE
• ·      Story time at the library-FREE
• ·      Children’s museums (Dupage Children's Museum in Naperville-$11/person)
• ·      Playplaces in restaurants like Chick Fil-A or McDonald’s-FREE
• ·      Train restaurants (The one by us just closed but there is one in Glen Ellyn called 2Toots Train Whistle Grill)
• ·      Train ride or trolley museum (Fox River Trolley Museum in Elgin-FREE)
• ·      Play and Jump Centers (Little Monkey Bizness in Wheaton-$8/child)
• ·      Museums (Most museums have free admission days during the week. Look online to find out which days are free for your specific museum.)
• ·      Zoos (Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield-$16.95/adult, $11.95/child, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago-FREE, and Cosley Zoo in Wheaton-$5/adult, children are free!)
• ·      Malls with play areas

If you have any other places that you like to take your kids (especially in the winter), please share with the rest of us!!