Stopped in while on the job…read more What a great place to bring kids both young and old. And to have it on the pier is perfect. After you spend a few hours burning the little ones out pop out and grab a bite. Employees are wonderful. So many things for the kids to do and see. If you have kids and you're visiting navy pier this is a must stop

This place is perfect for children and there are so many areas of play, creativity, and adventures…read more There is a lot to do and a lot to see, so you really can spend the whole day here. I'm from Houston, Texas and didn't like how we had to pay a non-residential entrance fee, which is more expensive. I feel like there should only be one flat fee. Also, the ticket price is so expensive, especially since we have to pay for the children AND adults. I mean, it's a children's museum so the adults HAVE to be there to accompany them. It's not like the adults come to play on their own. We come to play with the child. I just feel like adults should be free, or at least only pay like $5. On a normal day, it would not be reasonable to come here. I did see that they are hosting a Family Day when tickets are about $5 a person; that is an amazing deal and is so worth it. The hours are so short! We came on Thursday when the hours are 10-2pm. We came in at 11:30pm and I felt like we didn't have enough time! My boys wanted to play more; I wish we had come in earlier. So if you plan on going, I recommend going at 10am when they open, especially if you're going to pay full price. I didn't like how the hours are short and when it came to closing time, stations were shutting down early. At 1:45pm, the Cloud Buster exhibit was closed, which was disappointing because my boys wanted to go in there. A lot can happen in 15 minutes, so I didn't like that. The staff were all incredibly nice, sweet, and patient, though! They all kept their cool and were great at encouraging my boys, especially when climbing the Schooner. The museum reminds me of Montessori school, where it teaches independent play and discovery. I wish it included some facts and interactive play that reinforces the subject, like at a science museum. Overall, my two boys had a blast. They really enjoyed the "Play It Safe" and "Water City" exhibits. My favorite was Michael's Museum. I appreciated all the small messages of advice and reminders for parents in all play areas. It encouraged us and helped us understand the reasoning behind how children play or the purpose of the activity. From a child's perspective, this place is AMAZING, so I'm glad my boys enjoyed it.

We visited Winnie's Playroom with my daughter, and she absolutely loved it. From climbing into the…read moreball pit to playing in the kitchen area and then taking care of the baby dolls. They also had a little library and even an art corner setup. There were so many fun little spaces for her to explore. Everything was very clean and the set up is executed well. As a parent I appreciate places like these especially on a rainy day or even in the winter. It also allows my daughter to explore new toys and then I have an idea of what she will like at home. Such a cute indoor play space for toddlers and little kids. We'll definitely be coming back soon and hopefully get to enjoy one of the many events they also host geared specifically to kiddos!

My 2.5 year old daughter loved playing in this space. It was carefully designed and age…read moreappropriate. Even the bathrooms had small details that were kid friendly. It is a refreshing space to be in. The snacks are reasonably priced and a good selection. The store is cute with items promoting small businesses. It is super intentional. The coffee is yummy and the shaved ice was a perfect treat to end the visit. I wish I lived a bit closer because this spot is truly a gem. Will visit when we are in town :) P.s free parking!!!

It has been super cold for the last week or so and a friend and I decided we needed to get our kids…read moreout so they could have fun and run wild. I've seen Fit City Kids, having lived fewer than two miles away, but this was our first visit and it was great. The entrance fee wasn't bad, especially since one can stay for the full open play time. They have several different areas for play. There is a basketball court area, a play soccer field, gymnastics space, and an indoor playground. There's also a small area that is specifically designed for children aged three and under, although we were told that kids can play in any section (except for the bounce house, which is for the private parties). Our one year olds mostly played in the soccer area, having fun just running around. There's one half of the place where you can wear shoes or not (the basketball/soccer areas) and then in the other half you may not wear shoes. There are one or more party rooms in the back of the facility. (I'm not sure if they overlap parties or not; there were four happening on the day we were here.) Food is not permitted in the facility except for in the party rooms or in the front "lobby" area. They have a few snacks for sale, and based upon the water I bought for my babe the prices don't seem ridiculous. I really appreciate that they don't appear to have any restrictions on bring your own snacks and water, just asking that you respect the areas in which you can eat them. They don't have a water fountain (unless I just wasn't looking in the right places) so bring your own drinks. One downside is that I found only one changing station in the entire place. Don't look for it in the women's room (or probably the men's room, either, I'd expect) but in the individual gender neutral bathroom. With the number of children who might be here at any time and the age ranges they welcome, I was really surprised to see just the one. On the other hand, it was an actual changing table rather than a station that is bolted into the wall and folds down, which always make me a little nervous. They also don't have much space for parents to sit. There are some tables in the "lobby" and a few benches outside the various play areas, but it might be difficult for someone who needs a chair/seat, or someone who's disabled, especially if they want to be closer to the activity areas and keep an eye on their children. Another thing they need to work on is the parking lot. Their parking lot is really large, especially for Lincoln Square--and it's free!--so that's all to the good. Ideally they'd have straight parking spaces since that allows for the most spots; the lot is a bit narrow, so they've opted for diagonal with a few straight. But they need to paint the lot! Driving through this lot was difficult because people parked like they've never parked before. We will definitely return. There are several indoor playgrounds around and I'd like to try the different ones that offer entrance to kids as young as mine in part so we can figure out which are our favorites. But after my experience here I imagine we may be purchasing a membership in the future.

We had the opportunity to visit Fit City Kids for a private birthday party. The facility is…read morespacious, sectioned off by activity, and has a nice party room. At the entrance, they have tables/chairs and many cubbies for shoes/coats. Make sure you have socks as shoes must be removed in most of the play areas. A waiver needs to be filled out in order to participate. I liked that you could do a paper version, use a tablet, or scan a QR code and do it on your phone. That helped the line move fast! They have a little toddler section, a basketball court, soccer area, gymnastics area, and slides! So, there's something for littles and the big kids...and they are sectioned off. There are benches in between all areas for parents/grownups to sit. The party room has an area to set up food and then the area with tables. I loved that it was a private event. I'm assuming this is an available option after hours, as this party was at 7PM. My daughter had so much fun and wants to have a party there now. If we were in the area, we'd love to check out their classes and other offerings. They also have a free parking lot which is a huge plus in the city!

This place was incredible! My kids had so much fun! They…read morehad climbing structures of varying levels of difficulty for my bigger kids & a fun toddler area for my littles . They even had ninja warrior style ramps up to some of the climbing structures which my kids could do safely with the harnesses. And in the back there is a zip line obstacle course, video games, laser, tag, and more. We did not have time to do everything because there was just so much to choose from! I definitely recommend the physically active options over the video games. It is a bit on the pricey side, but definitely worth it!

We went to a birthday party this weekend at climbzone! I have seen ads for it all over the place…read morebut this was the first time seeing it. What a fun place!! There climbing walls, a soft play area, ropes course, zip line, laser tag, and bumper cars. As well as rooms/alcoves for birthday parties. It seems like there are activities for kids of all ages. I can't wait to go back with my little one.

Perfect place to have your toddler's party!…read more There's a reason Purple Monkey keeps popping up every time I looked up toddler birthday party! I was a bit hesitant for the price of the venue but it was so worth it. First, it's private. Just for your kid(s) and their friends. It's a large room with a section that has tables and a kitchenette for the food and cake part and the rest is for the kiddos. There's a play kitchen, train set, a slide, all the things any toddler would love. Even my 11 year old enjoyed it because it reminded him of his younger years. I love that you get a "helper" with the part packages. Ours was Shannon and she was great. Helped decorate a bit. Cut the cake. All the things you need help with that you may not have time for and feel bad asking someone else to take charge of. Overall we had a great party. Couldn't ask for more.

Food was great and the helper was very attentive .we will definitely come back for another round!!!read more

My son loves it here, specifically jumping into the foam from the diving board…read more It's worth a membership if you are going to go more than 1x a month. It's $10 for an adult to go without a membership. The memberships are for 1 adult and 1 child so if you get one your partner cannot share that membership. It's well managed, there are food options and we came here for a kiddo birthday and it was so fun, thy provide food with the party options. You get 2 hours to jump and they call you to leave by the color of your bracelet over the intercom.

We have come here before for a birthday party and had a great time. We recently visited on a Sunday…read morefun day with a few family friends. Signing the waiver is pretty easy, you can do so on your phone. They have socks for purchase but we had our own from the previous visit. They have plenty of lockers and cubby's to store your shoes, outer wear etc. The kids enjoyed the trampoline park & the arcade. There is a $30 minimum for warm food to be delivered. I ordered a 14" pizza from Salerno's and some fries to meet that threshold. The food was pretty good. I at first thought it was too much for my small group but we (or I) managed to finish it all. They have some beverages and snacks you can order in the meantime. There's plenty of space for adults or those not participating to sit and I saw quite a few people on their laptops working and even reading. Overall, the kids definitely had fun.

My little mini loved Kids Empire! It was our first time visiting this location. Despite the reviews…read morethe place was pretty clean. We arrived early right when they opened at 10am. The team was getting ready for a party. My kiddo was the only one in the store. Towards 1pm it was pretty busy. They do not allow outside food! You can purchase a customizable snack box. It is includes a drink, chips, pouch, and a crustable. They have high chairs and plenty of sitting. There is a toddler area where they keep the bigger kiddos out of so they can play comfortably.

SAVE YOUR MONEY! This place is Definitely super…read moreunprofessional! The staff is lazy, they all have attitude. Paid for my daughter's 2nd birthday we were supposed to have a host and literally no one came until the end to sing happy birthday. Which wasn't even them singing btw it was a lame as song in the background. The dragon parade was pathetic. Literally only stopped by our table for not even kidding 1 minute tops. Then two minutes prior to the party time ending my family members arrived and they were told they would be charged keep in mind I had a package deal. Anyway if you're thinking of booking this place for a party SAVE YOUR $. It's not worth it. Staff unprofessional. Lazy. Attitude. Never again.

The Shedd Aquarium is fantastic. They have obviously taken a great deal of time, care and research…read moreto design each habitat to fit the needs of the creatures within. With that said, I would strongly recommend bringing ear plugs with you, should you decide to visit. The screams of hundreds of children on school field trips is overwhelming and made us choose to leave earlier than we expected.

Shedd Aquarium is one of my favorite aquariums…read more The design components in the building make it a top notch experience. EVERYTHING is so wonderfully aquatic themed. And I think I can only see beluga whales at Shedd vs any other aquarium I've been to. I really appreciate their quiet rooms for sensory overload/etc. You just have to assume there will be field trips whenever you go, which unfortunately means lots of loud children and lines if you're trying to touch any of the plants/animals.