Spring break in the 'burbs: 8 ideas to liven up your staycation

If you've opted for a spring break staycation this year - or your budget made the decision for you - you can still find plenty of places to keep the family entertained without venturing far from home. It may not be the exciting getaway you would have preferred, but the right lineup of indoor games and outdoor adventures can make you feel like you've left town - if only for a few hours.

So check out these ideas for keeping the kids busy over break:

Try a new sport

Up for an adventure? Then try BubbleBall, surely one of the strangest things you'll ever experience.

Step into a big inflatable sphere, head on to the field and then play bubble soccer, sumo smash or zombie ball - with the overall goal being, of course, to knock people down.

The activity is new at Players Indoor Sports Center in Naperville - and one of the most fun things you'll ever do, says sport director Gus Appenbrink. "It's just hilarious to watch," he says. "We started it just recently, and the players can't get the smiles off their faces. It's really a unique and different thing."

Players also offers hurling and lacrosse, among other sports.

Or head out to TopGolf Chicago in Wood Dale, an entertainment complex where players hit microchipped golf balls onto a target 20 to 240 yards away in an effort to rack up points. The unique concept has caught on with golf fans and nongolfers alike, and a new facility will be opening in Naperville this summer.

• Players Indoor Sports Center, 1740 Quincy Ave., Naperville. playersindoor.com

• TopGolf Chicago, 699 W. Thorndale Ave., Wood Dale. topgolf.com/us/Chicago/

Get your game on

Take your pick - from arcade games to good old-fashioned board games, or basically anything in between.

At Enchanted Castle and Restaurant Complex in Lombard, you'll find hundreds of arcade games and redemption prizes - but there are also indoor go-carts, laser tag, bumper cars, mini-bowling, inflatables, karaoke and much more. A spring break deal offers unlimited rides and attractions from March 30 to April 3.

For a slower pace, check out Fair Game in Downers Grove, where the focus is on engaging one another face to face over a game. Drop in or come for a scheduled card game or a round of Dungeons & Dragons or Heroes of Normandie.

Other independent game shops in the area include Everything Games in Buffalo Grove and Games Plus in Mount Prospect, which both cater to niche communities.

• Enchanted Castle, 1103 S. Main St., Lombard. enchanted.com

• Fair Game, 5147 Main St., Downers Grove. fairgamestore.com

Bounce off the walls

One of the best ways to blow off steam? Bounce off the walls - literally. Sky High Sports, a 50,000-square-foot indoor trampoline park in Naperville, features a large main court, a two-lane foam pit with a rope swing, two basketball lanes and an area for smaller kids. Get in on a dodgeball tournament or try an AIRobics workout class for a unique form of cardio.

Or visit another trampoline center near you: Xtreme Trampolines in Buffalo Grove and Carol Stream, MegaTrampoline in Crystal Lake, Sky Zone in Elmhurst or Jump America in Gurnee.

• Sky High Sports, 2244 Corporate Lane, Naperville. nap.jumpskyhigh.com

Free your inner artist

Get in touch with your creativity at Thrown Elements Pottery in Arlington Heights. Learn hand-building or wheel-throwing pottery techniques or drop in to paint your own piece.

Spring break camps designed for kids ages 6 and older are being offered March 23 to 26, featuring themes including farm heroes, British invasion, Harry Potter and trolls.

"It's a uniquely fun and educational environment," says studio director Ed Hirsch. "The kids are learning a new skill, and they're having fun while doing it. It's a great place for them to get a little messy and explore their creativity."

• Thrown Elements Pottery, 260 N. Evergreen Ave., Arlington Heights. thrownelements pottery.com

Get down on the farm

Journey back to a simpler time and check out one of the suburban area's farms to learn about pioneer living.

Primrose Farm in St. Charles offers visitors the chance to experience 1930s farm life by exploring restored buildings and taking part in activities like milking a cow, gathering chicken eggs, grooming a draft horse, baking biscuits or churning butter.

"It's a wonderful chance for families to get outside, visit with farm animals and costumed interpreters and learn about the agricultural history of the Fox River valley," says Laura Johns, manager of farm programs and interpretive services.

Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago depicts life on a DuPage County farm in the 1890s. Stroll through a restored farmstead structure, and costumed interpreters will teach you about the tools and techniques used in the day. The kids can help out with spring chores, take part in blacksmithing demonstrations and go trout fishing.

• Primrose Farm Park, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. primrosefarmpark.com

• Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago. dupageforest.com

Reconnect with nature

There's no better place to celebrate the return of spring than at the Morton Arboretum.

The 1,700-acre outdoor tree museum in Lisle features more than 222,000 live plants and a popular children's garden. Spring activities include exploring the grounds with a self-guided family backpack, making musical instruments with natural materials, experiencing traditional maple tapping or joining a Flower Petal Tea Party.

If animals are more your thing, check out the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, a rehabilitation facility in Glen Ellyn that provides care and medical treatment to injured and orphaned animals. Permanently disabled eagles, songbirds, owls, raccoons and foxes are just a few of the 80 native Illinois animals on display here.

The educational center teaches families how to live in harmony with diverse, healthy wildlife populations.

• Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. mortonarb.org

• Willowbrook Wildlife Center, 525 S. Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. willowbrookwildlife.com

Check out a museum

Kids who dress as their favorite princess or superhero earn free admission on Sunday, March 29, at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo. The car museum has more than 300 classic, antique, muscle and Hollywood cars on display. The special event offers kids a chance to see their favorite princess or superhero, courtesy of Costumers with a Cause. Don't forget the camera; peak character appearances will be between noon and 3 p.m.

Another museum option? The Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier, which is offering a high-energy exhibit designed to get kids jumping, crawling, bending, leaping and even sweating. "Move It!" is on display through April 19 and features movable playground components and a rope-climbing structure to engage kids both physically and cognitively.

"The human body is wired to learn through movement," says museum President and CEO Jennifer Farrington. "While active play is an absolutely essential component to healthy growth and development for children at any age, it is also the perfect antidote to the inactivity rut when the mercury drops."

• Volo Auto Museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo. volocars.com

• Chicago Children's Museum, 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. chicagochildrensmuseum.org

Hit up a water park

It's still too cold to swim outside - but there are plenty of places indoors to splash around.

KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort in Gurnee has 65,000 square feet of water fun, including thrill rides, a lazy river, a hurricane vortex and a play pond. When the kids are done swimming, they can check out an arcade, an artistic adventure spot and a pet palace.

"Reminiscent of the Florida Keys but a lot closer to home, KeyLime Cove is a great way for families to experience a tropical, 84-degree getaway while the kids are on spring break, without the expense of flying somewhere warm," says general manager Dale McFarland.

Or, visit a local park district with an indoor aquatic center, like Oak Brook's Family Aquatics Center, The Water Works in Schaumburg, Arctic Splash in Wheeling or Streamwood's Park Place Family Recreation Center pool.

• KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort, 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee. keylimecove.com