Glencoe Carriage Rides

Carriage rides, hot chocolate, music and free breakfast. What could be better? Saturday December 13th and 20th. Click here for more information, then scroll down to December events.

Visit Santa in Evanston

Children can bring their wishes to Santa December 6th, 7th, 13th and 25th from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm downtown Evanston at the Sherman Plaza (1620 Sherman Ave). Parents can take their own pictures of their children with Santa. After the kids visit the North Pole, you can explore Evanston by collecting trinkets and candy from coupons in Santa's goodie bag. Click here for more information.

Swim Lessons

OK, so swim lessons aren't free, but after checking the prices of everyplace in Evanston that I could think of that would offer swim lessons (YMCA, YWCA, EAC, etc) I discovered that Evanston Township High school offers lessons (both parent/tot classes, and just the child classes) year round in the evenings Monday-Thursday, and Saturday mornings. Their website, which shows dates, times, and prices is pretty sparse on other information, but if you have any questions, contact Joe Springer at lts@wildkitaquatics.com, and he can help.

Note: Northwestern offers pretty cheap classes too, but unless your child is 4 years old or older, classes are only offered on Sundays.

Brookfield Zoo

So, the Brookfield Zoo isn't super close to Evanston, but it is supposed to be bigger and better than Lincoln Park. (I've never been) Starting October 2, 2008 through December 30, 2008 zoo admission is free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free zoo admission is good only during normal zoo hours. Parking costs $8.75.

Meet your favorite Star Wars™ characters

Bring your kids to meet their favorite Star Wars™ characters in action at a special event at participating Pottery Barn Kids stores. Bring your camera and get ready to experience the Force in person. Priority tickets are available for this event. Visit a participating store anytime prior to the event day to pick up your complimentary tickets. (* Limit 10 tickets per person. One ticket per person required for entry to priority line. Lineup order within the priority line is on a first-come, first-served basis).

Special notes about this event: Pottery Barn Kids stores cannot confirm which characters will appear. Circumstances beyond the control of the organizers may necessitate substitution, postponement or cancellation without prior notice.

Here are the stores participating in Illinois:

Chicago, Pottery Barn Kids - Market Sq.
September 13th, Noon - 2 p.m.

Deer Park, Deer Park Town Center
September 6th, 10 a.m. - Noon

Oakbrook, Oakbrook Center
September 6th, 10 a.m. - Noon

Food for Thought

Come to the Downtown Evanston Whole Foods Market from 10:00-11:00 a.m. one special Saturday a month to learn how to make your favorite breakfast delights. Kids will learn how to measure, mix, chop and cook up breakfast in this free class open to children ages four and up. Space is limited, so please pre-register at Customer Service, or call 847-733-1600.

Saturday September 20th is waffles, last month they did omelette's. There isn't a set schedule of dates/recipes, so stay tuned here at the whole foods calender.

Library Storytime Registration TODAY

If you want to register your children for Parent/Child Workshop, Time for Two's, Book Babies, All by Myself, or any of the other programs do it today! Spots fill up fast. Call 847-448-8610. For more information, click here.

Dads and kids

Saturday, August 16, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Children's Room, Evanston Main Library

Come join the fun! Join us for a morning of family fun at the Evanston Public Library. There will be face painting, storytelling, and arts and crafts. This is a free event! No registration required. Sponsored by the McGaw YMCA Adventure Guides Program. The Adventure Guides is a program offered in YMCAs across the country designed to strengthen the relationship between fathers and their children in grades K-3rd grade.

James and the Giant Peach

Come watch this, Wednesday, August 6, 7 p.m., Barbara Friedberg Room, Children's Department, Evanston Main Library.

Roald Dahl's modern classic for children is a delightful combination of live action and stop-motion animation. The story is about young James who is orphaned and left with his two cruel aunts. Rescued by a mysterious fellow, James ends up inside a giant peach, drifting over the Atlantic Ocean in the company of a gentleman grasshopper, a fast-talking centipede, an anxious earthworm, a matronly ladybug, and a spider.

Family Day at the Block Museum of Art

Saturday July 12, 1-4 pm
Stop by the Block for an afternoon of art! Drop in anytime you want to make your own clay creation or paper art, go on an outdoor scavenger hunt in our Sculpture Garden, and more. Recommended for families with children 5–12 years old. Click here for map.

Sandcastle Contest

July 14th from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Clark Street Beach (Admission is free Mondays at Clark Street Beach from July 7 through September 1, 2008 for Evanston residents). Bring your own buckets, shovels, and sculpting tools. Prizes will be awarded for largest castle, best family effort, etc. Preregister by calling 847-866-4167 between July 1-11. Rain date is July 21st.

Fourth of July

Here is a link detailing Fourth of July festivities in many of the North Shore neighborhoods, including Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Glencoe.

Catch the reading "bug"

The summer reading program at the Library is starting. Their theme this year is "Catch the reading bug," which includes special activities related to insects and spiders - the good the bad and the bugly. On Saturday July 19 from 10 - 11:30 am there is a special program "Batman, Bats and Bugs" at the Evanston main library.

In addition, children of all ages can stop by the children's room of the Evanston main library anytime on Thursday's during July to make a buggy craft.
July 10--Colorful Butterflies
July 17--Sipping Flies and Mosquitoes
July 24--Caterpillar rings
July 31--Glowing Fireflies

Finally, Tuesday July 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th for children grades k-2 at 4:15-5:00pm there is a story and craft time. (registration required--call 847-448-8610)
July 8th--Frankenbug--create your own bug using recycled materials
July 15th--Dig it!--Make your own delicious "worms in dirt"
July 22--Dug Off!!--Scare those bugs away with your own noise maker.
July 29--Buzz Buzz Splat! (I'm not sure what this is)

Family Fun Festival at Millennium Park

June 3 - September 1 The Family Fun Festival returns, full of interactive activities, a performance stage, a reading circle and musical games for kids of all ages, along with three concerts on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Click here for more info, and the calendar of events.

Wilmette Theatre--More free movies

The Wilmette Theatre is proud to once again offer this free film series for nine weeks this summer. Admission is free for children and parents alike!

SHREK -Wed June 18, 11am
CHARLOTTE'S WEB - Wed June 25, 11am
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE - Wed July 2 11am
RUGRATS THE MOVIE - Wed July 9 11am
CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT - Wed July 16 11am
BON VOYAGE, CHARLIE BROWN - Wed July 23 11am
BLACK BEAUTY - Wed July 30 11am
BARNYARD - Wed August 6 11am
JIMMY NEUTRON BOY GENIUS - Wed August 13 11am

Winnetka Children's Fair June 13 & 14

The Winnetka Children's Fair will return to the Village Green on Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fair is located on Winnetka's Village Green, located between Elm and Oak Streets and between Sheridan Road and Green Bay Road. Everyone is welcome and admission to the fair grounds is free. Tickets for rides and games will be sold at the Fair. This year promises to be great fun for preschoolers through preteens with rides, arcade games, and arts and crafts. Food will be available at the fair throughout the weekend. For more information click here.

Summer Movie Program

For six weeks (June 18th- July 31) Kerasotes theaters will be offering free admission to children of all ages for the movies listed below on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 10:00 am. The theater doors open at 9:00 am, and seats are filled on a first come, first served basis. Click here for a list of participating locations. The closest theaters to us are in Glenview and Skokie.

Glenview Schedule:
June 18, 19: Surf's Up
June 25, 26: Shrek the Third
July 2, 3: Bee Movie
July 9, 10: Night at the Museum
July 16, 17: The Water Horse. Legend of the Deep
July 23, 24: Alvin and the Chipmunks
July 30, 31: Horton Hears a Who

Skokie Schedule:
June 18, 19: Night at the Museum
June 25, 26: The Water Horse. Legend of the Deep
July 2, 3: Alvin and the Chipmunks
July 9, 10: Surf's Up
July 16, 17: Shrek the Third
July 23, 24: Horton Hears a Who
July 30, 31: The Pirates Who don't want to do anything

Long Grove Strawberry Festival

Enjoy chocolate-covered strawberries, ice cream, and baked goods along with entertainment. June 2o-22 from 10 am-7 pm. Free Admission, and Free Parking. Click here for more information.

Printers Row Book Fair

June 7-8 from 10 am-6pm

The largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest
The Printers Row Book Fair was founded in 1985 to attract visitors to the Printers Row neighborhood (once the city's bookmaking hub). By 2002, it had grown to five city blocks (on Dearborn, from Congress to Polk), attracting booksellers from across the country. For more information and directions click here.

What do they have for children?
The 2008 Printers Row Book Fair will include the Kids Corner, where kids and parents can enjoy storytelling, costumed characters, performances, sing-alongs, and special activities coordinated by educational and cultural groups. For a schedule of the kids events, click here.

Jammie Time

For children ages 2-9. Put on your PJ's, bring your favorite blanket and teddy bear, and drop-in for story time at the Evanston Main Library. From 7:00-7:30 pm June 19th, July 17th and August 21st.

Movies at the Library

Every Friday in June they will be presenting children's movies at the Evanston Main Library. Movies start at 3 pm.

June 6-- Ratatouille
June 13-- The Bee Movie
June 20--Howl's Moving Castle
June 27--Triplets of Belleville

Wilmette Memorial Day Parade

The American Legion and the Village of Wilmette will be hosting a Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 26. The parade will begin at 10:30 am at Lake Avenue and Ridge Road, proceed east to Park Avenue, South to Wilmette Avenue and conclude at the Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Avenue.

Parade units will include a Marching Band, the American Legion Huerter Post Color Guard, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Wilmette Police and Fire Departments, and Military Units. Once at the Village Hall, a brief ceremony beginning at approximately 11:15 am will be held near the war memorial.

Free Lunch

The City of Evanston sponsors a free summer lunch program for ALL kids 2-18 years old. It is Monday - Friday throughout the summer (June 16-Aug 22). There are three locations to choose from : Mason park, the parks adjacent to the Fleetwood-Jourdain Center, and the Robert Crown Center. Lunches must be eaten on site and parents must accompany young kids. There are no income requirements to qualify for the program. For questions and serving times at the different locations, call 847-448-8254.

Free Fishing Fun

Free catch and release for children age 5-15. Equipment, bait and fishing expertise are provided! Get in on the fun Saturdays from 9am-noon at Lovelace Park, from May 3 through October 25. No license is needed for those under age 16. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Questions? Call 847/448-8256.

Free Classes

Gymboree offers classes for newborns all the way up to preschoolers. There are many different classes to choose from, and you can sign up for a FREE class. There are Gymboree's at both the Old Orchard Mall and Northbrook Mall. You can choose the type of class. They even offer classes especially for families with more than one child. Click here for more information and to get the free coupon.

Language Stars offers classes in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Mandarin Chinese. Native speaking teachers help the children learn other languages using art projects, treasure hunts, songs, and other fun games. They have locations in Wilmette and Deerfield. Click here to register for your FREE class. Language Stars came to the library and did a 15 min demonstration in Spanish, and my daughter loved it!

LEGO Fun

Children can help build an eight-foot tall R2D2 made entirely from LEGO bricks from 11am to 7 pm May 2 and from 10am-6pm May 3 and from 11am-6pm May 4 in the work stations at Lord and Taylor at Northbrook Court 1515 Lake Cook Road.

Each child will be supplied with the appropriate pieces and instructions to build a specific "brick" which they will give to the master builder to construct the life-size model. Participating children receive a store coupon, as well as a store token to collect their official building certificate. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. For more information, call Northbrook Court Guest Services at (847) 205-3333

Mayor Daley's Kids and Kites Festival

When : May 3rd 2008

Where: North side of Montrose Harbor in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Cost: Free

Times: 10am-3pm

Watch professional kite-flying demonstrations and make, decorate and fly your own kite at the 10th annual outdoor fest. Additional activities include face painting, storytelling and caricature drawing.

Friends who have been say this is a lot of fun.