December 31st, 2008 larry
We took a trip down to Naperville to check out the monolithic play place and arcade, Odyssey Fun World. There is no admission to get into Odyssey (on I-88 and Route 59), but it is one of those places where you need to place your bets: Do you pay per ride/game/attraction or do you buy a bulk pass or wristband? The rides are about $3.00 a piece or $7.00 for all-you-can-ride. The giant maze is also $7 for all-you-can-climb and the laser tag is $7 per game.
Odyssey is an enormous place with indoor rides (bumper cars, octopus, teacups), kids games that pay out tickets, older kids games with the blood and gore, a giant climbing maze, laser tag, and food. It is located in a huge warehouse that is a little daunting when you walk in. We recommend that you walk around to get the lay of the land and then purchase wristbands and tokens.
If you have kids under 5, you’ll definitely want to buy the wristband for the maze. It is the biggest climbing maze we have ever seen. This maze is about 4 stories high but perfectly safe. There are two large slides that you can take to get down and there is also a bridge that can take you to a different section above the arcades. At the bottom of the maze is a ball crawl and a small bouncy. This maze is kind of Exploratorium-meets-Monkey Island. Lots of fun to be had but due to the size, it is easy for the kids to get lost if they are not paying attention. We had to send out a search party for our kid when he didn’t show up after a while.
The arcade has everything you want including mini-bowling, skee-ball, spider stomp, and all of the “luck” type of games that could pay out lots of tickets, or more likely, nothing. At two tokens per game, it is twice as expensive as Chuck E Cheese, but it is a step up in maintenance and usability. We got hooked on a trash talking skee-ball that was absolutely hysterical. The game taunts you, calls you names, and ridicules your accuracy with a razor sharp wit. It definitely felt personal and we spent lots of tokens on this game just to get even.
Throw in the laser tag and some food, Odyssey is one of the largest fun houses that differentiates itself by catering to a wide range of age audiences. Though we would skip the rides, the maze is worth the trip, even if you don’t live by Naperville. If you do live by Naperville, this is all day activity that will leave you and your kids exhausted.
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Larry and Donna
Mom Says: I liked that the games for the older kids and adults are upstairs, so if you don’t want your young children to see the guns and the violence, you can avoid it completely. I also liked that the climbing maze is separate from the rest of the arcade. Adults and children need to be buzzed through to both enter and leave the area. This isn’t a fail-safe security system, but it does help. In addition to the climbing structure, this area also had an attached toddler play space for crawlers and toddlers. The last (and some may say best) feature of this area, is a “dad-friendly” quiet room with TV’s, reclining chairs and couches. On the Sunday we were there the room was filled with dad’s watching football while holding sleeping babies. The TV reception was bad, but no one seemed to care!
Dad Says: When I looked at the size of the maze, I wondered how our kid was going to find his way down. He did it correctly three times in a row before he got stuck some place. Odyssey is absolutely mammoth, fun for all ages.
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December 17th, 2008 larry
If you’d like to see what a 21st Century video game arcade looks like, I suggest you head out to GameWorks in Schaumburg. Located at The Streets of Woodfield just off of route 53, GameWorks is a two story arcade with over 200 high tech video games, sports games, pool tables, air hockey, and virtual reality machines. And if thats not enough, theres also a sports bar and full service resturant serving tasty Kobe beef hot dogs and Angus beef burgers.
I took my kids (13, 11, 10, and 8 years old) on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30pm. You can either pay per game, or play unlimited for a specified amount of time. We opted for 2 hours of unlimited games for $15 per person. When you consider most arcade games cost close to a dollar to play, this option was well worth it. My kids were on a mission to play as many games as they could in the allotted time.
On the first floor, there was a big variety of race car games. We especially enjoyed the Indy 500 Challenge, which allow up to six players to compete against each other. We all had our own Indy car that shook and rattled with every turn and crash. There’s also a good variety of sports skills games, like basketball pop-a-shot, bowling, soccer, and quarterback football. The Mini-Rider 2 is an interactive virtual reality ride that my kids really enjoyed.
The second floor caters more to the young adult crowd. Most of the games are the “Rambo” type and involve shooting your enemies, zombies, or dinosaurs with realistic machine guns, pistols, and blood.
Overall, I would recommend spending an afternoon at GameWorks with the kids (probably 8 years old and up). The earlier the better. Around 4:00 or so the place really starts getting packed on weekends. The $15 per person fee may seem a bit expensive at first, but you really get your bang for your buck through the video games. In actuality, it is not much more than the price of a movie ticket and popcorn. Besides, my kids loved it, but what’s not to like about playing unlimited amounts of video games. The kicker for adults, has to be the sports bar, which is convienently located on the first floor with full view of the game room. Its a great way to watch your kids run around in their own little video game fantasy world, all while you enjoy a cold beer.
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Tom (Guest Blogger)
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December 10th, 2008 larry
Motivated by a Bears Win on Sunday, we donned our snow pants and hats, put on two layers of socks and headed over to Holiday Magic at the Brookfield Zoo. Holiday Magic is an ongoing event for the next 3 weeks that entails all sorts of special holiday features at the zoo from now until after New Year’s Day. Brookfield Zoo was a lot closer to the city than I thought it was, just 15 miles down 290 or 55. The Zoo is pretty compact and well laid out but if you don’t want to do all of the hiking, you can buy a Motor Safari pass ($2 a person) that will take you to the Zoo’s key attractions. We did a lot of walking but also used the Motor Safari which our kid thought of as another kind of train.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Zoo is that they have decked out everything in site with holiday lights. There are rows of Christmas trees that community groups like the Girl Scouts have decorated, special lights for each of the main categories of animals (monkeys, cats, dolphins), and basically colored lights on every tree, bush, and fence. The animal lights are usually in some sort of animated layout: diving dolphins, jumping lions, or chomping alligators. Our kid saw an older kid take a picture by the alligator’s mouth biting down on him and had to have one himself. The lights are beautiful and we spent the first part of our visit on the Motor Safari just checking them out. There is a laser light and sound show that starts every 30 minutes. I wouldn’t go out of your way to see this, but if you are in the area it is a good resting point.
Especially high on the cute scale is the caroling in front of the animals. Basically, the Zoo Staff gathers the group in front of the one of the animal exhibits (it was appropriately Bears for us on Sunday night), hands out lyrics for well known holiday songs, and asks who would like to lead the group in song. People take turns with the microphone. We saw six brave souls (Moms, Dads, and Kids) lead the group in singing to the Bears and I definitely got the feeling that the animals were thoroughly entertained. I don’t think anybody will be placing in American Idol but well-done for 20 degrees at the Zoo.
There are plenty of opportunities to warm up in between the outdoor activities such as the giant carousel (Dad sat on a Turtle and Mom sat on a leopard), the Elf Express train ride, caroling, ice sculpting and magic show. The Children’s Play Zoo is open at no additional charge during Holiday Magic. It was toasty inside where the kids were playing and making adorable wrapping paper with rubber stamps. For $8.95 you can have a holiday photo taken with an animal (we saw kids taking pictures with Lamas and Reindeer).
As in all cases, you never know what your kid is going to find most enjoyable. As it had snowed the day before and the Zoo’s plows had created large snow mountains that many of the kids were climbing and sliding down. We were very happy to have brought with the snow pants at that point. You’ll also be hard pressed not to buy your kid some sort of light accessory. All of the kids were walking around with lighted candy canes, necklaces, and magic wands. Our kids bought a wand which held his attention for most of the time at the zoo and the entire car ride home. These will cost you about $5 which doesn’t seem too bad considered we saw similar stuff at the Circus for $15 or $20.
Though we were worried about the cold, Holiday Magic at the Brookfield Zoo was more than entertaining and fun. In fact, Dad was complaining more about the cold than the kid was. We spent around 2 hours at the Zoo, slid down snow mountains, had some hot chocolate, said “Hi” to Mr and Mrs. Claus, saw some cool animals, and had a blast.
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: Working on this website pushes me to do things I would not normally do - and it’s great. I was very skeptical that I could have fun spending the evening in below 20 degree weather. Yet, with the proper attire I was able to have a wonderful time at Holiday Magic. The combination of outdoor activities with toasty indoor fun was perfect. Take a moment to look at the schedule and plan around all the activities, because it’s worth seeing as much as you can. Don’t miss the Caroling for the Animals! “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!”
Dad Says: To be honest, my favorite part was the snow leopard that was the only animal that was stalking outside. It was a great looking animal and actually a little spooky at night.
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December 4th, 2008 larry
Welcome to our first Holiday Activity Guide. This Guide is meant to help you navigate the fun things to do this holiday season. To give you a taste of these events, we review Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderfest and the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Wonderland Express, as well as providing a complete list of our recommendations for the season.
Earlier this year, we visited Spring Family Fun at Navy Pier which is a good time. Spring Family Fun can be considered the little brother of Winter Wonderfest which is a fantastic time. Winter Wonderfest is $12 for basic wristbands ($16 for a premium wristband if you’d like to ice skate) and of course $10,000 for parking at Navy Pier. If you are coming with a family there are some new deals that include free parking. Bank of America is sponsoring the festival again and you can usually get discount coupons from their ATM’s. So if you aren’t with Bank of America, find a friend to get the coupons (usually 2 for 1 which is even worth the ATM fee). In general, go as early as possible. After lunch, and definitely between 1 and 2, this place gets really hopping and crowded.
Winter Wonderfest has something for everyone. There are some pretty serious attractions for older kids (maybe 8 or 9 and over) like the Winter Wind Glider that simulates hang gliding and the Extreme Ice Trails Rope Course. Then there are some tamer rides like a ferris wheel and carousel. There are typically two large inflatable slides and bouncers. Maybe most importantly, there are rides on the Reindeer Express. We typically get there earlier enough that we can do a quick 8 or 9 train rides before the line starts backing up.
For much smaller children there is Wonderfest Jr. This includes a Nerf snowball area, that usually turns into a Nerf snowball fight. Though you can set up little snow fortresses, throwing the cushy snowballs at Mom and Dad turns out to be more fun. Right outside this attaction is a small zone with little tunnels that the kids can crawl in and out of. It is always interesting to see how kids react when they meet someone going the opposite way in the middle of the tunnel. Our favorite spot is definitely the inflatable pyramid. The line usually takes about 10 minutes, but it’s worth the wait. The inflatable is in the shape of a standard pyramid. Most kids goal is to climb to the top which is about 10 feet off the ground. However, in typical King of the Mountain style, other kids are either purposefully or accidentally getting in each other’s way which leads to your kid rolling down the side of the pyramid. Our kid loves the challenge of getting to the top (although I think he likes falling down better). However, if your kid is not used to being manhandled in a crowded environment, it can be a little daunting.
There is even more to this event like ice skating, a climbing wall, treats, stage performances, and typically a car company sponsorship where kids can jump in and out of models (last year was a Chrysler mini-van). Other holiday amusement in the area include: Christmas Around the World at the Museum of Science and Industry, Caroling at Cloud Gate at Millennium Park, Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, Long Grove Holiday Festivities, Breakfast with Santa at the Brookfield Zoo, and Zoo Year’s Eve at the Brookfield Zoo.
We visited the Botanic Garden’s Wonderland Express, figuring since their outdoor model train exhibit is so good, the indoor one is probably phenomenal. The display is really beautiful. As you walk into the room snow is gently falling from the ceiling - very cool. It is completely different then the outdoor train exhibit they have during the summer. The winter scenes are made up entirely of Chicago landmarks. My son and I had fun coming upon places he recognized and he wanted me to tell him the names of all the buildings he didn’t recognize. If your child is preschool age or above make sure to take the Holiday Bingo handout as you enter. We had fun finding all the items and marking them with stickers. We took advantage of Free Tuesday, which saved the ticket cost - we still had to pay for parking. Do this if you can, it is a really great deal. If I had to pay an additional $12 bucks per adult and $8 per child it might not have seemed as worthwhile. My main complaint is that it is a small display and went by quickly. We made the most of the trip by having lunch at the restaurant in the main building. They had a lot of great food choices for everyone. It was a nice afternoon.
Other Train events and Holiday Lights festivals in the area include: CTA Holiday Train, Festival of Lights and Trees at Cosley Zoo, Holiday Sleigh Rides at Primrose Farm, Polar Express at Blackberry Farms, Symphony in Lights at The Promenade of Bolingbrook, Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show at Cuneo Museum, Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo, Winter Flower & Train Show at Lincoln Park Conservatory, Wonderland of Lights at Arlington Park Racecourse, Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Special thanks to our Holiday Activity Guide sponsors, Fun IQ Toys and Greatkidscorner.com. We discovered these unique on-line retailers during research for our last Blog regarding our favorite toys. Fun IQ Toys is a well edited site that guides you toward toys that will entertain and enrich your children. It is organized by categories, such as Word Smart Toys, Spatial Smart Toys, Science Smart Toys and Music Smart Toys. Those categories are then broken down by age, from birth to 8 and older. GreatKidsCorner.com sells everything from furniture to educational toys. They are also building an interactive website that acknowledges children’s achievements. See our COUPON section for great discounts from both retailers - just for our members.
To Review any of these items, click on the links above
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: We live in a remarkable city. During this busy season, please make plans to spend time enjoying all the opportunities Chicago has for family fun.
Dad Says: My kid is 4 and we have gone to Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier 3 times. It is always and fun and he seems to be growing up with the rides. We do get there early so we can beat the long lines, this place does fill up fast on the weekends.
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December 2nd, 2008 larry
I was hesitant about taking my son to see Hansel & Gretel. I’ve always felt the story was really scary. Getting cooked alive and eaten for dinner is a pretty steep punishment for not listening to your parents. However, my hesitance was unfounded and Emerald City’s production of Hansel & Gretel is not scary at all. It is light and fun, barely touching on the nasty bits and focusing on catchy songs that my son is still singing days after the show. Hansel & Gretel is playing at the Apollo Theater through January 4, 2009. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for children and is recommended for kids 3 and older.
This production follows the story in the traditional sense that Hansel & Gretel are poor, hungry children who live with their father near the woods. The father tells them to stay out of the woods, but they are easily coerced by a stranger, the witch in disguise, to venture in to search for a house made entirely of candy. After finding said house they are captured by the witch and have to outsmart her to escape. The costumes are also what you imagine when you think of Hansel & Gretel, rainbow colored smocks and vests and rosy cheeks on the actors. However, this show is actually pretty unique. It tones down the darkness of the story and punches up the comedy.
The main source of comedy comes from the music and two supporting characters, the witch’s helpers Boris, a buzzard, and Naal, a rat. This world premier show was written by the wildly popular children’s musician Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World and G. Riley Mills, so they obviously know what kids like. Boris and Naal look silly, act silly, dance silly and sing silly songs. Silly is good and there was a lot of laughter and audience participation. The music is the highlight of the show. Boris and Naal have a great number where they ask the audience members what their chores are and get many, many responses. Then they explain all the chores they must do for the witch and break into the very memorable, “I Don’t Wanna Work.” Another favorite was Gretel’s, “My Brother is a Chicken,” where feisty Gretel tries to convince her rule-following brother to go into the woods with her. By the end of the number the whole audience is flapping their arms and bawking like chickens. The witch is portrayed as an ultra vain woman with purple hair. Her strongest song is the poppy and funky “Candy House.” She, Boris and Naal sing, dance, and shake to this very contemporary sounding song.
As with any show for young audiences Hansel & Gretel benefits from being an hour long. Just as the children begin to squirm in their seats it wraps up and everyone lives happily ever after. A side effect to this is that the time spent in the candy house with the witch, and therefore anything that would be in the least bit scary, is wrapped up very quickly as well.
Mom Says: My family had a great time at this show. It was colorful and seasonal, a great holiday show. The audience was filled with children who were very engaged. At many shows the actors are practically begging for audience participation, at Hansel & Gretel the kids just naturally wanted to be involved, yelling out to the actors and having a fun time.
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