Kohl Children's Museum reopens Jan. 29 with V.I.P. packages
With the rollback to Tier 2 mitigations Monday, Jan. 18, Kohl Children's Museum is reopening its V.I.P. (Very Important Play) packages for small groups of 10 or less starting Friday, Jan. 29. Online reservations will open Jan. 22.
Visitors can choose between three packages - one new and two tried and true.
Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails!, an interactive exhibit inspired by the popular children's series on PBS KIDS, continues its run. Featuring the favorite engines and destinations, the STEM-focused exhibit seeks to engage children 8 years and younger in foundational skills that foster science, math and engineering literacy through play.
Because of its highly hands-on nature, Thomas & Friends will be available to small groups of 10 or fewer guests under the museum's V.I.P. (Very Important Play) program.
This allows visitors to welcome trusted members of their family, social or learning pod for exclusive access to the exhibit for 90 minutes of play. After each session, the museum's Super Scrub Squad descends on the exhibit, disinfecting and sanitizing all elements and surfaces for the next group along with nightly deep cleans.
Not only does the Thomas exhibit bring beloved characters to life, growing brains are stimulated with learning activities like:
• Climbing into Thomas' cab and exploring the engine's inner workings. Flip levers and investigate other movable parts that trigger train noises such as braking, whistles and steam.
• Fixing Percy's wobbly wheel by removing and replacing parts and experimenting to find a combination of wheels, rods and bolts that work.
• Exploring Sodor destinations on a super-sized Thomas Wooden Railway train table.
• Loading luggage, livestock and other freight into the coaches of two train cars.
• Collaborating with others to get Percy moving by loading coal into his coal box and filling his tank with water from a water tower.
• Working the ticket counter at Knapford Station.
For families longing for the familiar, the "Main Street" package could satisfy a child missing their favorite museum exhibit. Six exhibits - the Whole Foods Market grocery store, SpotHero Car Garage, Pet Vet, Baby Nursery, Play Café and Sheridan's Books and Crannies - will be open as an exclusive session.
"The Works" package gives your creativity a whirl as kids explore all six exhibits in the west wing. Step into role-playing as your group has exclusive run of these six favorites: Water Works, Ravinia Festival Music Makers, City on the Move, Cooperation Station, Hands-on House and Build It.
The V.I.P. program will adhere closely to CDC guidelines, meaning every guest older than 2 will be required to wear a face covering. Sessions will be limited to 10 individuals at a time, all guests and staff will be temperature checked before entering the museum, and all exhibit elements and surfaces will be fully sanitized and disinfected after each session.
"We all agree safety is our number one priority," said Mike Delfini, president and CEO. "By providing these sessions to small groups, we can maintain as safe of an environment as possible, while providing the engaging and fun family learning experience that is our hallmark."
Exclusive V.I.P. sessions are offered Friday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Advance registration of 48 hours is requested. Prices vary for each package. Visit kcmgc.org/vip-sessions for information and tickets.
In recognition for its outstanding exhibits and impact on Chicago area families, Kohl Children's Museum was recently featured in USA Today's 10 Best Children's Museums in North America competition.
The museum's mission is to encourage young children ages 8 and younger to become effective learners through play. Its 17 exhibits and educational programs are grounded in early childhood research, and designed to nurture holistic child development, including cognitive, social, emotional, creative, and physical skills.
Kohl Children's Museum is at 2100 Patriot Blvd. in Glenview. The museum can be easily reached by public transportation, including Pace bus and Metra trains.
For information, visit kcmgc.org or call (847) 832-6600.