Find fun for the kids when school's out
Suburban schools break for the summer this time of year, bringing both pleasure and panic to local families.
Whether your kids will be busy at camp five days a week or leisurely hanging out at home, it helps to have some fun activities planned for the months ahead.
So here are a half-dozen ways to spice up your summer and keep kiddie boredom at bay.
A favorite returns
Santa's Village, which entertained generations of suburban kids before shutting down in 2005, is making its return.
Renamed Santa's Village AZoosment Park, the East Dundee facility combines some classic rides from the old Santa's Village (and a few from the defunct Kiddieland park) with new attractions and a slew of animal-related activities, including a petting zoo and pony rides. The grand opening is Friday, May 27.
Among the vintage fun to be had: Sleigh rides, which give families a chance to take in the park's sights while being carried by horse-drawn sleighs, and the classic Midge o' Racer from Kiddieland, which allows children to drive an old-fashioned race car.
New attractions include a Ferris wheel and the Dragon Coaster, along with the animal activities, designed to be both fun and educational.
The park is at 601 Dundee Ave., East Dundee. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $16.50 per person, with children 2 and under free. Parking is free. (847) 426-6751 or santasvillagedundee.com.
Old-fashioned fun
Local county fairs pay tribute to the area's agricultural roots while at the same time embracing a sense of old-fashioned fun. Expect carnival rides, petting zoos, livestock judging, demolition derbies and a whole lot more.
The schedules are jam-packed so you can pick and choose what suits your family's taste, from magic shows and monster trucks to tractor pulls and pig racing.
And then, of course, there's the fair food. No counting calories allowed.
The Kane County Fair runs Wednesday to Sunday, July 20-24, at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. kanecountyfair.com. DuPage County Fair runs Wednesday to Sunday, July 27-31, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton, dupagecountyfair.org. Lake County Fair is Tuesday to Sunday, July 26-31, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Petterson Road, Grayslake, lcfair.com. McHenry County Fair runs Wednesday to Sunday, Aug. 3-7, McHenry County Fairgrounds, Country Club Road, Woodstock, mchenrycountyfair.com. For exact hours and entrance fees, visit fair websites.
In the pink
Kids will be tickled pink by Emerald City Theatre's 2010 hit “Pinkalicious,” coming to Chicago's Broadway Playhouse on Friday, July 8, for an eight-week run.
This musical — geared for those 3 and up — is based on the popular book by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. When the cupcake-loving Pinkalicious Pinkerton eats one too many, she comes down with a colorful case of Pinkititis.
Performances are 10 a.m. Thursday through Sunday at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut, Chicago. Runs Friday, July 8, to Friday, Sept. 2. Tickets are $16 to $22. To order, go to broadwayinchicago.com or call (800) 775-2000.
Stroke a stingray
School is out, and the stingrays are waiting!
Guests of all ages are invited to reach into the water to touch a cownose stingray as it glides by in Brookfield Zoo's interactive Stingray Bay exhibit.
More than 50 stingrays live in the exhibit's 16,000-gallon saltwater tank. Amenities include a waterfall and a center area where the creatures can get a respite from all of the eager hands reaching for them.
Zoo caretakers keep careful tabs on and trim the stingrays' barbs, so there is no need to worry about stinging incidents. Experts will be on hand to answer guests' questions.
Stingray Bay is open daily through Monday, Sept. 5, and on weekends though September at Brookfield Zoo, 1st Avenue and 31st St., Brookfield. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. General admission is $9.50-$13.50. There is an additional $2-$4 admission fee for Stingray Bay. Zoo parking is $9. For information, visit czs.org or call (708) 688-8000.
Music and more at Ravinia
Ravinia Festival cooks up summer fun for youngsters with its Kraft Great Kids Concert series and other family events. Eight family-friendly concerts are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. Performers include the Dirty Sock Funtime Band (Sunday, June 19), Ralph's World (Sunday, July 3), the Highland Park Strings (Saturday, Aug. 6) and Momix (Saturday, Sept. 10).
On Thursday, June 9, Ravinia celebrates its opening night with a performance by the Chicago Children's Choir. Kids' activities include a train ride and activity booths.
And before select Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts, guests can take part in family events on the park's north lawn. Sample everything from music-related crafts and storytelling to an “instrument petting zoo,” where kids get an up-close look at musical instruments.
This year, Ravinia is offering discounts for youth for all of its classical concerts. Kids ages 15 and younger, and high school and college students with a valid student ID, are admitted free to the park's lawn for all classical concerts.
Ravinia Festival is at 418 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. Tickets for the Kraft Kids Concerts series are $10 for reserved seats and $5 for lawn seats. For Ravinia's full summer schedule, ticket prices and other information, visit ravinia.org.
Heroes new and old
It's a great summer for superhero fans of all ages.
“The Green Lantern” comes to movie theaters on Friday, June 17, and “Captain America” follows on Friday, July 22. Then in August, you can wrap up summer break with the Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con, a one-stop-shop in Rosemont for pop-culture fun.
Parents will enjoy seeing the pop-culture heroes of their youth, from once and current Monkee Peter Tork to the former Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. Children, meanwhile, will love diving into the boxes of comic books for sale and meeting some of their favorite superhero creators, including Streamwood resident Art Baltazar, co-creator of the popular (and kid-friendly) “Tiny Titans” book from DC Comics.
Wizard World will take place Aug. 11-14 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Tickets are $25 per day (in advance) or $50 for a weekend pass. Go to wizardworld.com/chicago.