The Chicago Children's Museum offers hands-on exhibits for children. Among 15 permanent exhibits are the Dinosaur Expedition; the Inventing Lab, where kids can experiment with different items; the Kids on the Fly exhibit, where kids can pilot a faux airplane; and a water playground known as Waterways. There are also special exhibits, such as "The Exhibit of Toys," which last for specified periods of time. A calendar of specialized children's activities is available on the museum website.
The Lincoln Park Zoo of Chicago is an place for children to spend a morning or an afternoon. It features displays of many different species of animals to observe, such as the flamingo habitat, a bear habitat, a sea lion habitat, a bird house, a birds of prey display and African species. There is also a designated children's zoo area, as well as shows and special events. Every Halloween, for example, there is a trick-or-treat event where kids can dress in costumes while wandering around the grounds and collecting treats. Educational programs are available as well throughout the year.
Fantasy Kingdom offers an indoor play area with private birthday party facilities. The facilities are decorated with bright colors and have miniature child-sized buildings for kids to play in, costumes for dressing up, sliding boards, climbing equipment, ride-on toys and a huge array of fantasy toys that appeal to both boys and girls.
Wishcraft is a child-friendly place that offers a variety of activities and a series of workshops. It is situated in the northern Chicago area close to Roscoe Village. Wishcraft offers a variety of ecologically friendly activities such as sewing, woodworking and arts and crafts. Some of the child-oriented programs include after-school hours with the Art & Craft Club for working creatively with paints, papers and other craft materials; Bookworms for creative writers; Dim Sum Paper Fun, which is an origami class; and Epic Yarn for those who would like to learn to knit, crochet and do macrame.
