April 27th, 2008 larry
Nibbles Play Café in Wheeling is a fun, two-hour activity for parents and grandparents who want to visit or have lunch while their children play, want a low-key experience with the kids, a playgroup looking for an indoor activity or anyone looking for something to do with the five and under set in the northwest suburbs. Nibbles Cafe is on the corner of Dundee and Buffalo Grove Road and costs $7.50 per child (there may be a discount for a second child) and adults are free.
We took our 22 month old grandson for lunch and play and really liked this new playspace for children. It’s actually a restaurant with booths and tables, with the playspaces built around it. There are also high counters bordering each playspace, where you can sit and watch. Lots of Moms were having lunch the day we were there (we went 11am to 1pm) and we saw other grandparents too. They give you a plastic card with your name on it, which you can use to order food. You order at the counter, then when you leave, you pay for the food and the admission.
Of course the kids can just play, but the food was good and making it a lunch and play experience is worth it. Our grandson was just the right age for the room with the balls and tubes. This consisted of a kind of slide with attached tubes, and the kids drop various colorful balls into the top tubes, which then drop down through other tubes. It held his attention for a good hour! He also played in the sand room which is not really sand but filled with uncooked rice. There are two tables and lots of containers for rice. Filling and emptying the containers was another hit and the kids can get as messy as they want. There are a couple of staffers who do nothing but clean up the rice and the toys. We noticed baskets for dirty toys in each room.
Then we sat down for lunch. We sat in a booth, but there are also regular size tables and kid size tables and chairs. Our grandson had a kid meal which consisted of a fun peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut in the shape of a flower, a couple of baked smiley face fries, fresh fruit and milk. Grandpa had half of a provolone and roast beef sandwich with a cup of chicken noodle soup and grandma had an outstanding half of a roasted veggie, goat cheese and pesto sandwich on a ciabatta roll with a mandarin sesame salad. They also sell bite size desserts for $2 each and several other salads, sandwiches and kid meals. Our lunches were $7.75 each and the kid meal was $4.
After lunch, he played with the trains on the train table for awhile and then we left as it was his nap time. Other rooms had a kitchen, dress up clothes, giant Legos, face painting and craft supplies. So there’s some stuff for older kids, but we think 18 months-3 years old is the perfect age. There’s also an area with bright colored mats and tunnels for babies.
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Grandma and Grandpa
Grandma says: I would have loved a place like this when my kids were small. Lunch and conversation with a girlfriend, and still being able to watch the kids. And the food was great.
Grandpa says: There are plenty of seats where you can relax but still be able to watch the kids from close up. The food was good but the portions were more Grandma size than Grandpa size.
Posted in Food | 1771 Comments »
April 20th, 2008 larry
It is official. We are in a recession and it is spring. So let’s explore some free, outdoor fun in the form of playgrounds. The Chicago Park District has spent a decent amount of time and money setting up a fairly complex set of playgrounds in all kinds of assortments including large, small, new, classic, cute, exciting, safe, and adventuresome. First, the evaluation criteria we use to evaluate a playground is the following:
- Parking. If your kid is aching to go to a park, the last thing you want to do is circle, looking for a parking space. This criteria sometimes makes Lincoln Park less desirable.
- Age appropriate equipment. Every park is defined by the size of its slides. Slides basically come in three sizes, small (toddlers), medium (ages about 2-3), and large (ages 3 and over). Each size comes in a straight and twisty variety. If you have multiple kids or you are going with a group, a park with a variety of slide choices will work nicely.
- Equipment Variety. Every park has a climbing apparatus, slides, and swings, but more unique parks have sprinklers, sandboxes, teeter totters, fire trucks, and pirate ships.
- Safety. I think the new soft/rubber playgrounds do add a degree of safety as well as well as an enclosed fence to make sure they don’t get too far away. But the real safety concerns are more subtle. For instance, many playgrounds have a shaky bridge to walk across. If the sides of the bridge don’t go all the way to the base, it is easy for small kids to fall and roll off the side.
- Space. A great playground is not overrun with equipment but either has space within the playground itself or has some room outside of the playground like baseball diamonds and fields to run around.
- Stuff in the area. After playing at the park, it is nice if there are restaurants, treat shops, or bakeries in the area to stop by afterwards.
Based on this criteria above, we can recommend the following parks. Though in no particular order, these parks will give you a little variety, plenty of fun, and hopefully sound sleepers.
- Margate Park. On Marine Drive between Lawrence and Foster, this Lakeshore park has a great variety of equipment. With a soft ground, there is a toddler climbing structure, a large twisty slide, and bridges and climbing apparatus to tie it all together. There is one of the steepest slides in Chicago at Margate. Your kid can get airborne on this one. More importantly, there is a great see saw (one that has three different arms and seats) and a fire truck to climb on. And just to make it even better, there is a parking lot.
- Fellger Park. Even though it’s on the corner of Belmont and Damen, there is more parking than you would think. This park has a toddler structure with two different slides, a shaky bridge, and little tree stump steps to climb up to the bridge. It boasts one of the largest twisty slides I have seen as well as a double see saw. There is an enormous amount of space to play sports with small kids and a flat area where they can play with toys and cars. Unique to this park are a train to play in and a house where the little kids love to sit and have snacks. After Memorial Day, their water features are turned on which spray water down on the kids and fill up pot holes in the rubber park. These pot holes are good for splashing in.
- Adams Playlot. On Seminary, just south of Armitage, Adams Playlot is the water emporium of playgrounds. With sprayers, water guns, and playground types of water slides, this playground is what you are looking for in the summer. In addition to the outstanding waterplay area, it boasts one of the best climbing structures, a sandbox and a basketball court. The parking near this park is nearly impossible, but it’s worth it.
- Wrightwood Playground. This park has been around for a while, but it feels brand new. It has a pool, baseball diamonds, and a covered sandbox. There is an isolated toddler area and a medium sized climber and sliding structure. All of the equipment is in great shape and it has some unique climbing structures and monkey bars. Though the bridge is not as safe as it should be, get to this playground before 12:00 to beat the crowds.
- Millennium Park. Our taxes paid for Millennium Park, it’s beautiful, so you should use it. The big, black water sculptures on Michigan Avenue display pictures and dump, squirt, and spray water down on kids all day long. The favorite is always when a persons’s face appears and water squirts out where his mouth is. Treat yourself to a $17 Kobe hamburger at the Park Grill after racing after your kid all day.
- Blaine School Park. Blaine School is on Grace and Southport. There is nothing special about this park except that the school has a great Astroturf soccer field. So why go? Across the street are Dairy Queen and Sensational Bites. Who wants cupcakes and ice cream for dinner?!
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.home.cfm
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: These parks are our “go to” spots all summer. Be sure to check with Adams Playlot ahead of time to find out when open play is at the waterpark. There is NOTHING more disappointing for a child then to stand in front of that amazing water structure on a hot day only to find out they can’t go in because a summer camp has exlusive access.
Dad Says: Fellger park has a little bit of everything for everyone and every age. Splashing in water will add an hour to your park outing. But the fire truck at Margate is one of the simplest, best park features in the city.
Posted in Parks | 6063 Comments »
April 13th, 2008 larry
How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods they would never try in a million years? Have them do the cooking. The Kids’ Table, located in Bucktown at 2337 West North Avenue, offers cooking lessons to children as young as 2 years old. Their goal is to help parents raise healthy eaters. My 3 1/2 year old took a “Kids Can Cook” class this week, which cost $25, and it was fantastic.
I love everything about this business. From their philosophy of creating more adventurous eaters, to hands on experiences with food, to their support of local and organic produce, to the environmentally friendly building materials used to create to the space, and to the fun women who teach there. This is a place I feel great supporting.
Child-sized sinks, utensils, tables, chairs, and aprons make the space completely engaging for the children. They run in and can’t wait to put on their aprons and get started. The kids do everything. Peel, chop, stir, season, juice, all with safe, child specific tools. My son was so excited to be doing all the tasks he has seen me do in the kitchen. He kept saying, “I’m chopping just like a grown up,” and “I’m mixing just like a grown up.” He was very empowered.
Our recipes were organic sweet potato chips, sauteed sweet potatoes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Other recent classes were a bit more interesting - banana chocolate chip muffins, gnocchi, bruscetta. To recreate the recipes at home, they provide laminated recipe cards at the end of class. There is also a cute retail area to buy the child-friendly utensils. While your big kids are cooking, your tiny tots can play in the pretend kitchen up front. I’m telling you - this place has paid attention to the details.
They also offer adult classes on topics such as making your own baby food, dealing with picky eaters, and the link between nutrition and behavior. The Kids’ Table hosts private birthday parties and baby showers. The birthday parties are very cute. The children make their own individual cakes, while the cakes are baking they make fruit salad and fresh squeezed lemonade. After the cakes have cooled they frost and decorate the cakes. If you would like to add a savory recipe such as pizza or mac and cheese that is offered as well. The parties cost $345 for the 1.5 hour “Short, but oh so sweet” party and $395 for the 2 hour “Sweet and Savory Birthday Treat”. These prices are for up to 10 children, additional children can be added for an extra charge.
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Donna
Mom Says: Please try a class at The Kids’ Table. Your children will have a good time and end up trying healthy new foods. You get to sip a coffee or tea, and walk away with fresh ideas of what to feed your family. Fun space, smart teachers, healthy nutrition - this is a great activity.
Dad Says: It definitely doesn’t hurt to have as many good cooks in the house as possible. I am just waiting for when I tell my kid he can’t have any treats so he just cooks them himself.
Posted in Venues | 70 Comments »
April 7th, 2008 larry
Now this is the weather we have been waiting for. Over the next few weeks we’ll try to focus on outdoor activities after what seemed like a decade in hibernation. This week, we review one of the most famous names in kid’s fun, Kiddieland which opens on April 12, this Saturday. Kiddieland is about half to a third the price of Great America and will take you back to when you were a kid. Kiddieland is at North and Cumberland, about 20 minutes from the city and right across from Maywood Park. For 6 and older, it is about $23 a person, 3-5 is about $20, and under 2 is free. And let’s not forget that Pepsi soft drinks are free all day, every day.
Kiddieland is old school and does not try to hide it. The rides are just like you remember from when we were kids. There are spaceships that go up and down when you work the big lever in your rocket. You can hit the button to make a buzzer or laser sound. There are old time race cars that you can ride in a circle until you can’t stand it any more. Then there is the little water ride where you can ride in circles in a motor boat and ring a bell. There is a carousel with cars, motorcycles, and chariots that ride around in circles until you are dizzy. Any transportation vehicle — cars, boats, planes, spaceships– will ride around in a circle without too much drama at Kiddieland. For younger kids, there are also electric cars that they can ride with an adult and drive around almost the entire park. The roller coaster (Pipeline) works for many different age groups — we have seen anywhere from 2 year olds to 9 year olds hollering in excitement riding the Kiddieland roller coaster.
Kiddieland boasts bigger kid rides as well. The log ride - Log Jammer- is fast, fun, and wet but probably won’t be open for another 30 to 60 days. The Octopus and the Pirate ship will provide a little more gravity defying excitement for older kids. Likewise, there is a decent size video arcade with excellent video games like motorcycles and wave runners. The Dip N Drop is an “Edge” like ride where it takes you up about 3 stories and drops you down. In the back of the park is a climbing house with ropes as well as a play house.
You don’t go to the Kiddieland for the food, but the ice cream, popsicles, hot dogs, and hamburgers are exactly what you need for a day at the park. There is enough nutrition, or at least enough desserts, to get you through the day.
Our general opinion of Kiddieland is that if you are within 45 minutes of Melrose Park with a kid under 6, you should be visiting. Get there right when it opens at 11 and you won’t wait in line on any rides. You’ll be chasing your kid from ride to ride as they scream and shout and you’ll be saying, “I rode on that ride when I was a kid!” Kiddieland means fun and fun means about 4-5 hours of entertainment.
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Larry and Donna
Mom Says: This place is a classic! It is super-fun for kids and parents. The little trains that do laps around the park are a favorite.
Dad Says: It doesn’t get much better than Kiddieland. You can combine rides, water, and treats in one day. The spaceships are the best and it will make you feel like you are in a Flash Gordon episode. Get there early to get a good parking space and for less lines.
Posted in Venues | 70 Comments »