I visited this place for a friend's sons 5th birthday. It looked small from the outside but it's a…read moregood size for a private party for one group. They had a couple of long folding tables and chairs when you first walk in. There's a basketball shooting game and a large connect four game. There's also a couple of chairs and tvs where you can watch a movie or play video games. I was able to relive my childhood Mortal Kombat game for a bit before a small child wanted to take over. In the other room there is a wall of nerf guns with 'soft' bullets. I say soft but they kinda hurt coming at you at a certain speed from a gun. Good thing they had safety glasses! A few of the kids had fun shooting at each other and running around. All around a cute little entertainment place. Well maintained and clean. The music playing when we walked in was loud and contained swear words, which is inappropriate for a kids place. It continued until eventually one of the guests asked to take over with her music; which ironically wasn't any better. Haha. I would suggest playing Kidz Bop?

Took my kids here just for fun. Great spot in Chicago/Beverly Area. Definitely recommend!!read more

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.

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

Inquired about hosting a birthday party here. I got a response back a week before my desired party…read moredate. I was not impressed. I will give them another try, but the first impression was not great.

I took my 4 year old daughter to Chicago Playpen to check it out for a summer camp option for her…read more She liked it so much that she begged to stay, and stayed that day and the rest of the week. Since then, we've done 2 other weeks of camp, and she still loves every minute of it. They play outdoors, dance, cook, read books, do some educational activities and art projects. Every day she's eager to go, and reluctant to leave when we pick her up. The price per week (and per day) is very reasonable. They serve snacks and lunch. The staff are friendly, loving, easy going, and have an excellent relationship with the kids. I highly recommend it.

This place is huge! There is a giant climbing and play area, with slides, trampolines, etc. theres…read moretwo areas too for toddlers and babies. There's an extensive game area, a tiny town, and a gym area with gymnastics type cushions and a small rock climbing wall. Lots of variety that will keep kids busy. There is a food area where you can order pizza, snacks, and drinks. Took away stars because parking was a little tough & I observed quite a few areas that could have been cleaner.

Not even worth the money saved on Groupon. This place is so dirty and ripped up, my 3 toddlers were…read moretripping on the bulging mats all throughout the place & the "little town" is a ghost town my toddler didn't even want to go in . I finally got her to go and there's not even any toy food for the market , I later found 1/2 a small pizza in a broken basket.... The actual indoor playground smelled like BO, and one of the squares on the upper level was completely detached from structure on one side. I wouldn't let my kids go in there alone. Just go to Kids Empire.

Great place to come with kids! We came for the fall pumpkin patch. There were lots of animals to…read morehold and interact with (pigs, goats, rabbits, etc). They also had smores, a tractor ride, pumpkin patch area, and corn maze.

My toddler son loves coming here. It's always very chill. The animals are friendly, the place is…read moreclean.

This place is absolutely wonderful!…read more The Hyde Park Neighborhood Club provides quality, affordable, inclusive childcare and extra curricular activities for the neighborhood and beyond. My son attended daycare/preschool here at Little Inspirations. It was absolutely wonderful. Staff was fantastic, programming was outstanding, the meals were homemade and smelled amazing. Exactly what you would dream to get from any place for your little one. We attended Tot Lot and Nature Club, both aimed at toddlers. Both fantastic. My son is mad every Wednesday now because he has to go to Kindergarten instead of doing more Nature Club. We do afterschool care a couple days a week, and also sometimes send my son for the school vacation day programs. (It is so incredibly helpful to be able to sign him up for fun programming on week days when their is no school! And luckily it's fun enough that he doesn't complain about going!) I as a parent have done caregiver fitness classes (I really need to start going again!!!!) I have also played badminton.

I admit I do not visit this place much at all, as I don't have or know any children in the…read moreneighborhood, but attending the Annual Pancake fundraiser breakfast always feels good, and I don't go every year. I am sure it is a fun place that encourages kids to be active and engage in team work. Please check it out! It can be sometimes 'crawling' with politicians (years ago I saw Toni Preckwinkle) and today was no exception, Ald Sophie King was behind the grill, but I spotted Bears legend OTIS WILSON! I got a pic with him too! The breakfast was well organized, in the gymnasium, with stations for pancakes, coffee/tea, blueberries/whipped cream/syrup, and bacon/sausages.

This place is absolutely phenomenal. We have been members for several years and my kids have grown…read morefrom the baby classes to older kids tumbling classes. They love free play and everything Fit City has to offer. Both of my kids also attended the preschool program, Learn and Play PreK, at Fit City Kids and we have been so happy with the early childhood educational experience the preschool offers. The unique program blends creative play with age-appropriate academic learning. Students make friends while learning in a safe, fun, and creative environment. Ms. Daye and Ms. Vanessa provide outstanding structure, guiding students to burn off their energetic wiggles and teaching preschool academics that prepare them for pre-k 4 and kindergarten. My 3-turning-4-year-old has mastered all her letters and numbers, can do basic addition, and writes her name and other words. My first-grader, who attended the preschool there several years ago, was more than prepared for elementary school. The unique environment lets students release their toddler- and preschooler-level energy in the indoor play space during cold Chicago winters. In warmer weather, students enjoy the outdoors at a local park or the outdoor field right at the school. You should check this place out! Next year, they will offer a full-day option, and you can customize morning, afternoon, or full-day attendance to create a schedule that works for you. So much more to offer than a traditional daycare.

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.

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.

This is a great asset for the neighborhood. There are better children's museums in the city for…read moreout of towners looking for a destination place, but for locals this is a great place for kids. Place was empty when I brought my boy in, so he had the run of the place. Some cool interactive exhibits representing life in Sweden and the U.S. for Swedish immigrants 100 years ago. Price is on par or better than neighborhood play rooms ($10 for family or $3 for kids over 1 and $4 for adults) and annual memberships are reasonable (family is $50, which includes admission to the regular museum also). The museum has child focused activities (story time, etc.) occasionally also. Free parking is available in the museum's lot but it is up the street from the museum itself (an easy walk, but not right next to the museum so look up where it is located if you are driving). Only major drawback is that the hours are a bit goofy and not the most convenient for two nap kids.

This is a separate, hands on part of the Swedish American Museum in traditionally Swedish…read moreAndersonville. Although I think that it has interesting exhibits, it has different hours than the bigger museum (after school hours), and can sometimes be inundated with excited kids, so factor that in. The kids I brought got a lot out of it, but it may not be a destination spot for you without the rest of the museum's exhibits.