Baby Sanity Tips

A place for Knights and Princesses

Fantasy Kingdom
1422 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago
(312) 642-KIDS (5437)
http://www.fantasykingdom.org/

Another children's play place has been set up near the Weed Street district called Fantasy Kingdom for children from 6 months to 6 years old. Inside you will find a medieval village, including a castle, with a myriad of activities and play stations that offer role-playing and dress up opportunities for girls and boys.

There is also a special pint-size area with toys for kids under two.

The one thing that really bums me out is that it is only open for "public play" on weekdays...and soon only during working hours. On the weekend they are closed for private parties. I can imagine that this place is very popular for kids birthdays, but it definitely makes it hard for working parents to take their children for an afternoon of fun.

Price is $12 per child per entry - Siblings under 1 get in free
They also offer membership packages, and a 10-visit punch card...but the membership packages seem like quite a rip-off to me. A one-month membership is $65 for the first child and $35 per additional child. Compare that to the annual fee of $65 for a Family Membership for up to four family members to the Chicago Children's Museum and it is hard to justify the cost. AND, for an additional $15 you can also get free admission for a year to 260 science-technology centers (ASTC*) worldwide, including some of Chicago's favorites like the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry!

If you do decide to head over the Fantasy Kingdom, don't forget your socks!  Otherwise you'll have to buy a pair to get in ($2 for adults and $1 for kids).

Winter WonderFest on Navy Pier

From December 10 through January 2, Navy Pier's Festival Hall will be transformed into a winter wonderland featuring breathtaking decorations, hundreds of trees, and thousands of sparkling lights, creating the most stunning event in town. Families with children of all ages will have the opportunity to celebrate the season with a wide variety of games, activities, holiday entertainment, and much more.

That is the pitch from the website anyway. We were over at Navy Pier today to go to the Children's Museum and it looked like the WinterFest was very popular. We didn't go check it out ourselves because it sounds like most of the activities are more appropriate for older kids. So maybe next year for us...

http://www.winterwonderfest.com/

While you are at Navy Pier - you can also take the kids to see Santa through Christmas Eve in the main pavilion.

Marshall Fields on State Street

I remember getting on the El with my grandmother every Chhristmas season to make the trek into the city to see the windows (and Santa) at Marshall Fields on State Street. It is a memory that opens a floodgate of emotion every year for me as I recall the excitement and anticiation in the hearts of every child as they wait anxiously for Santa's arrival.

You can't help but be overwhelmed with the Christmas spirit when you walk in the door of the store. But the decorations in the stores main atrium are just the beginning. In the Walnut room, there is a 45 foot tree decorated with over 1,200 ornaments and 25,000 twinkling lights, and just around the corner is Santa - live and in person!

I can't wait to take Sadie next year when she will finally catch the Christmas bug.

http://www.fields.com/common/state_street.jsp

Biggest Ol Pumpkin Patch in the MidWest

Bengston's Pumpkin Farm
OK - well maybe not - but pretty impressive by any standards. They've got a petting zoo, rides, pony rides, and yes...PIG RACES! Of course, you can also pick out a pumpkin to bring home and hack up too. Doesn't look like we're going to get to go this year, found out about it a bit late, but next year for sure!

http://www.pumpkinfarm.com/

Bubbles Academy

We have been taking Sadie to Wiggleworms at the Old Town School of Folk Music, but I believe we are going to move over to Bubbles Academy. Their range of classes as she grows sounds terrific and the facilities look really creative and enriching. At Old Town all you get is a boring dance room. We'll give a report once we try it out but it looks very promising and the reviews I have read on other sites have set some high expectations.