Places to Take a 3 and a 12 Year Old

Check out the Dupage Children's museum. Navy pier also usually has some activities for the kids all throughout the year. Also, if you wouldn't mind going over night and driving perhaps no more than 2 hours, there is a new hotel with a huge indoor waterpark that I just saw advertised in Milwaukee wisconsin. Can't recall the name but you could google it. Hope that helps.

Hi, there! Just saw your request and thought I'd say hello! ;-)

Hope you're enjoying your visit--by the time you read this, Steven and Carol will have arrived. Please let us know if you need anything. We'll let you guys have your time to visit unless you call--that is until Friday! We're still on for grilling here, I hope. Sean's been looking at his grilling cookbooks to find something to impress his British friends with.
:-)
M.

Hi there, I lived in Elgin about a year ago...the library is fun with a great play area, try the indoor pool at the rec center, Sring hill mall has a fun play area. The Children's museum in Naperville is great fun for that age. If your children are train fans you could take a short metra ride to the "Choo Choo " restaurant in Des plains. I would park one stop over from the des plaines station just for a short ride, then get off at des plaines stop and the restuarant is right there. Downtown, the Science and Industry Museum and Aquarium are good for that age...I've been wanting to go to the Thomas store at Watertower place, it has train rides...

We recently went to the Shedd acquarium/oceanarium with a mixed age group. My 2 year old loved it.

Hi K.,

Here are a few places you might consider visiting while your nephew and mom are in town:

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago (fee) www.lpz.org

Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield (fee) www.brookfieldzoo.org

Red Oak Nature Center, North Aurora (FREE) http://www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org/facilities/redoak/re...

Cosley Zoo, Wheaton (FREE) http://www.cosleyzoo.org/

Kline Creek Farm, Winfield (FREE) http://www.dupageforest.com/EDUCATION/klinecreek.html

Peck Farm Park, Geneva (FREE) http://www.genevaparks.org/peckfarmpark.html

Willowbrook Wildlife Center, Glen Ellyn (FREE) http://www.dupageforest.com/EDUCATION/willowbrook.html

Aurora Regional Fire Museum, Aurora (fee)http://www.auroraregionalfiremuseum.org/

DuPage County Historical Museum, Wheaton (fee) http://www.dupageco.org/museum/index.cfm

I have visited all of the above with my kids (ages 3 and 1) except for the Fire Museum. All are very enjoyable and I think would appeal to both 3 and 12 year olds.

There are also places like Odyssey Fun World (Naperville) and Chuck E. Cheese (various locations) which are big arcades that the kids might have fun at too.

I have also heard good things about the Children's Museum in Rockford (http://www.discoverycentermuseum.org) and the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville (http://www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/), but have not been to either. Both charge admission.

Good luck and have a great time exploring!

A.

Try the DuPage Children's Museum; it's in Napierville (spelling?). We have had memberships there for the past three years, and it's pretty much got something for every age. I'm 40 and I relly enjoy playing with some of the stuff :)