Kids rule at weekend expo
Looking for a sure-fire cure for the winter blues?
Look no further than the Schaumburg Convention Center, where the Chicagoland Kids Expo returns this weekend, promising plenty of activities for kids to release all their pent up energy.
The consumer show returns for its sixth year to the Chicago area, and second in Schaumburg. Last year's two-day run drew nearly 10,000 people, says show producer Jody Baum of Tower Show Productions.
"It's something entertaining and fun for the whole family to do," Baum says, "and this year we've added some new things to make it more interactive than ever."
For starters she points to the new Safari Stage, with its lineup of reptiles, presented by Serpent Safari, and exotic animals displayed by "A Zoo to You" mobile petting zoo.
The live animal attractions have given the expo a safari theme this year, so look for palm trees, and wild animals incorporated into the decor.
Several of the show's traditional activities return including a variety of inflatable play stations -- from a giant slide and moonwalk to an obstacle course -- and a climbing wall for the more daring adventurers.
The show's main stage will feature a variety of children's entertainment, from Radio Disney's party patrol, Ronald McDonald and Friends, jugglers, magicians, dancers, a drum line and an all-female band, The Lady Bugs, performing "kiddie rock."
Then there will be mascots and characters who'll mingle in the crowd, so parents are advised to bring their cameras. Some of them include the Cabbage Patch Kids, Waldo, Maisy, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Sky Guy, the mascot of the Chicago Sky Women's Professional Basketball team.
However, the show aims to be educational for parents as much as it is an entertainment destination.
Inside the convention center, parents will find more than 100 booths, with the latest products and services, and all geared toward kids and their families.
Some of those include children's furniture, educational products, apparel, health care, museums, camps, schools, food, gifts, sports, music and entertainment.
Last year's debut show drew mostly young families, Baum says, with children and toddlers in tow. Knowing that, this year they have widened the aisles of the show's layout to accommodate all of those strollers.
If you go
What: Chicagoland Kids Expo
When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg
Cost: $10 adults, $6 ages 3-12; free for ages 3 and younger; $1 discount coupon for adults online
More information: Visit chicagokidsexpo.com