‘Create some memories’: 10 activities to do with your kids before school starts

School is right around the corner, but summer isn’t over yet.

Activities like exploring nature at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe and experiencing history at the Volo Museum allow children to disconnect from their devices and learn while having fun.

“In the midst of having fun, we trick them into learning stuff as well,” said Jim Wojdyla, the Volo Museum’s marketing director. “It’s teaching them about our culture, teaching them about history and teaching them about the mechanical marvels that have come and evolved in the last 100 years.”

Whether it’s making a splash at Raging Waves Waterpark in Yorkville or singing along to Laurie Berkner at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, the suburbs are home to an array of activities for the entire family.

“This whole area has so much to do in the summertime between town festivals and community events,” Wojdyla said. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money. You just have to spend a lot of time (with your kids), and create some memories before they go back to school.”

Here are 10 activities for suburban families to keep kids entertained for the remainder of summer.

Bristol Renaissance Faire

12550 120th Ave., Kenosha, Wisconsin, (847) 395-7773, renfair.com/bristol/

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day through Sept. 7.

Cost: $48 for adults, $23 for kids 5-12, and free for kids 4 and younger.

Travel back in time to the year 1574 in Elizabethan England and experience a Bristol village festival with 16th-century games, rides, food, arts, music and crafts. Explore the 30-acre site with 16 stages of entertainment all day long. The faire also features theme weekends and a fully armored joust show.

Chicago Botanic Garden

1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe, (847) 835-6801, chicagobotanic.org/

Hours: Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; members only can enter early from 8-10 a.m.

Cost: For Cook County residents: Adults $24.95, kids 3-12 $16.95; for all others: Adults $26.95, kids 3-12 $18.95. Free for kids 2 and younger. chicagobotanic.org/visit. Memberships available.

Explore 385 acres of nature at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Kids can run up and down the hills at the Nature Play Garden, which includes multisensory areas. Step into a landscape of larger-than-life bubble sculptures with the seasonal exhibition “Shimmering Summer” until Sept. 20. The Chicago Botanic Garden offers some free admission days for Illinois residents each year.

Concerts in the Plaza at Independence Grove

16400 W. Buckley Road, Libertyville, (847) 968-3499, lcfpd.org/things-to-do/concerts/

Hours: 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 4

Cost: Vehicle entrance fee is $20 starting at 4:30 p.m.

The upcoming entertainment lineup includes live music from Nashville Electric Company on Tuesday, July 28, and Hurricane Reggae Band on Aug. 4 at Independence Grove Forest Preserve. Concerts, which are open to all ages, are held at Millennia Plaza, an outdoor amphitheater overlooking a 129-acre lake.

Dinos! at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

8400 31st St., Brookfield, (708) 688-8000, brookfieldzoo.org/events

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 25

Cost: Included with zoo admission. Tickets range from $20.95-$32.95. Free for kids 2 and younger.

Dinosaurs have taken over Brookfield Zoo Chicago this summer with more than 20 life-sized animatronics throughout the zoo. Go on a Jurassic journey filled with prehistoric fun by digging for fossils, walking through a dinosaur rib cage tunnel and meeting a realistic raptor.

Laurie Berkner at Ravinia Festival

201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, (847) 266-5100, ravinia.org/events/detail/laurie-berkner-260801

Hours: Event starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Gates open at 9:30 a.m.

Cost: Tickets are $20.

Well-known children’s musician Laurie Berkner will return to Ravinia Festival Saturday, Aug. 1. Referred to as “the Adele of the preschool crowd,” Berkner will perform family-friendly hits with a high-energy, interactive performance at the Hunter Pavilion.

Marriott Theatre’s “A Year With Frog and Toad”

10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 634-0200, marriotttheatre.com

Hours: 10 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays through Sunday, Aug. 9

Cost: Tickets start at $18.75.

“A Year With Frog and Toad” is based on Arnold Lobel’s books and follows two friends, Frog and Toad, through four fun-filled seasons. This 60-minute performance at Marriott Theatre tells the story of friendship and adventure.

Minecraft Experience at EXP Rosemont

9900 Berwyn Ave., Rosemont, (833) 590-0938, minecraftexperience.com

Hours: Now through Sept. 7. Visit minecraftexperience.com/chicago/plan-your-visit/ for current days and hours of operation.

Cost: Tickets start at $28.

Go on a quest and experience immersive, interactive play with Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue at EXP Rosemont. This hourlong rescue mission involves traveling through multiple Minecraft biomes to help save the villagers, bringing the world of Minecraft to life for all ages.

Raging Waves Waterpark

4000 N. Bridge St., Yorkville, (630) 882-6575, ragingwaves.com/

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Cost: Tickets start at $34.99 online. Season passes available.

With over 40 attractions, Raging Waves is reportedly Illinois’ largest waterpark. The 50-acre waterpark features a wave pool, lazy river, water slides, dining spots and more. Make waves this summer with high-thrill rides like the Aussie Mat Dash and Wonambi.

Volo Museum

27582 Volo Village Road, Volo, (815) 385-3644, volocars.com/

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Cost: For ticket options, visit volofun.com/attractions/. Platinum pass (all-access): $59.95-$69.95; Museum pass: $28.95-$39.95. Annual passes available.

The family-owned Volo Museum, which started out selling cars, has since evolved to feature historical exhibits showcasing dinosaurs, the Titanic, classic cars and Hollywood vehicles, snowmobiles, the military and more. Celebrating its 66th anniversary this year, the museum gets about half a million visitors a year from around the world. The museum allows visitors to experience history along with vintage arcade games and rides, an antique mall with over 300 vendors, play places and animatronic shows.

Wonder Woods Mini Golf

At The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle, (630) 968-0074, mortonarb.org/explore/activities/events/wonder-woods-mini-golf/

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Cost: Tickets required at mortonarb.org/.

This mini golf course for ages 4 and older features nine tree-themed holes, bringing The Morton Arboretum’s tree science to life. The course was designed with the help of research scientists and explores scientific concepts through mini golf.