Naperville Plays invites families to get hands-on

Most days, Naper Settlement invites visitors to step back in time to learn what our suburbs were like when they were fledgling prairie towns.

But on Sunday, families were treated to more modern activities - like air propulsion experiments and frozen bubbles.

Naperville Plays brought together Naper Settlement, the Naperville Public Library and the DuPage Children's Museum for an afternoon of hands-on entertainment on the grounds of the 19th century museum village.

Children could try their hands at ice painting or construction. They could check out games and activities from the pioneer days to the modern day. They could try on firefighter gear and join a bucket brigade. And they could experiment with frozen bubbles and see how vehicles can be pushed by expelling air.

The afternoon also included bubble walks, tours of the Martin Mitchell Mansion, a story walk, a scavenger hunt and a theatrical presentation of Hans Christian Anderson stories. The cherry on top - quite literally, for some - was a timeless favorite: an ice cream sundae bar with do-it-yourself toppings.

Naperville resident David Andrews visited with his 7-year-old daughter, Paloma.

"This was a great opportunity to spend a lazy afternoon and enjoy some free ice cream," he said.