Warm Weather Fun

Welcome - I'm from Saginaw, Mi - Although, I lived around here for the past 25 years now, but still go back to visit family - There is lots to do - besides the CL beaches there is the Huntley water park, and the Woodstock water park. I live in Huntley now, and we have Deike Park with super long slide that the kids love. Randall Oaks park in West Dundee has a park and a small petting zoo. Donnelly Wild West Town is fun - especially if you have boys, I have 3 myself 8,5 and 3. There is always summer fests going on, with Food, games and rides, 4th of July parades, and a whole lot more.

Kohl's Children's Museum in Glencoe, Brookfield Zoo, Milwaukee Zoo, Jelly Belly Factory (tour) Kenosha, Wisconsin, Chicago Botanic Gardens in Glencoe are all really good places for kids and adults. Also Lamb's Farm in Libertyville.

HI M.,

I am in CL also and am part of a great moms group in the area called Mom-2-Mom. Each month we offer a kid party and weekly planned activities as well as mom only events like bunco, book club, scrapbooking and moms night out. We offer playgroups and a babysitting co-op too! Not to forget dads, we have poker night, dad's night out and couple's night out. If you would like a copy of our newsletter, you can email me at ____@____.com or call our hotline at ###-###-####. There a bunch of great parks in the area. You can go onto each towns website and they list the parks. Down on Randall in Dundee is the Randall Oaks Barnyard Zoo. I volunteer there and we have horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, cows, deer, foxes, hawks, owls and many other animals. My kids love going there and there are also 3 different parks within the area. The wood park in Algonquin or Woodscreek park in CL is also a favorite of my kids. I live right by the red park at Miller & Randall and that is a fun one too. Also being a CL resident, you have free access to the beach and lake off of Dole. There is a great park there as well. Last year we went a few times with my moms group and we hung out for most of the day. There are areas cordoned off for younger kids and lifeguards as well.

Have a great day
C.

Pump it Up in Crystal Lake is a fun jumping place when the weather is bad.
Randall Oaks is on Randall Rd going toward Elgin that has a petting zoo.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is free and then there is the other zoo....each are fairly easy to get to.
If you google things to do in Illinois or Chicagoland, you will see sites you can register at and they will send you loads of brochures and booklets about things to do.

There is a a little farm/petting zoo down the street from you on Randall Rd, near Higgins. The name is Randall Oaks Park, if I am remembering right. It is not big, but the kids enjoy it & you can feed them(I think $3 admission), there is also a park there for the kids.
Of course there is Brookfield Zoo which is great but probably an hour from you.

Welcome to McHenry County.
Here are some ideas:

Woodstock has a great pool "The Water Works" that is just like a water park. Corner of Rt. 14 and Kiswaukee Valley Road. Adults ###-###-#### (Rec. Dept. phone number)

There is a "Randall Oaks" a petting zoo / park on Randall Road outside of Elgin. ###-###-####

Crystal Lake has that great park/playground on Crystal Lake Ave.

There is the bike trail that starts way up by Richmond, runs through Crystal Lake and goes down past Algonquin. But you can bike with your 5 year old and the little one in a seat behind you.

You could have fun picking strawberries at the strawberry patch on Kishwaukee Valley Road, between Woodstock and Marengo.

There is Magic Waters in Cherry Valley outside of Rockford www.magicwaterswaterpark.com ###-###-####

There is the McHenry County Conservation District. They have events all over Mchenry County through out the year for all ages. http://www.mccdistrict.org/ They have classes kids can sign up for or family events like "Trail of History" and much, much more CHECK IT OUT !!

Check out his website http://www.visitmchenrycounty.com/navigation/outdoor.html#

The YMCA has day camps for your 5 year old.

Hope some of this helps you. Have a great summer

S.

a cool park is timbertown in cary- otherwise known as Kaper park- its all enclosed except for one way in so I love it! Its off of Georgetown and 3 Oaks

Get in touch with Lakeside Mom and Tots. They have a ton of fun activities for moms, kids, and families. I think their website is www.lakesidemomsandtots.com It is a great way to adjust to your move. I moved from Farmington Hills, MI 4 years ago...we definitely get more visitors here in Chicago land..be prepared!!

C.

The CL park district also has a nature center at Veteran's Acre park on the north side of town (off Walkup). There is a trail there to walk around. In the summer my 3 yr old loves to walk around the pond and look for frogs. LITH has a great park for this age too straight down Miller toward the police station. Quiet park.

There is also Stingray Bay Aquatic Center in Huntley. Always check the park district booklet (you should have gotten one in the mail). They always have a ton of stuff to get involved in and trips, (to the zoo, a museum, or baseball game) where you wouldn't have to drive.

Hi,

There is a little zoo called Randall Oaks, it is off of Randall road towards Elgin (play ground is free, there is a charge to go through the little zoo though). It is by Woodmans Food Store. Also I remember a place called Crab Apple Trails, I think it is off of route 62, but not sure (this is free) Other than public parks these are the places that I have been to.

Hope this helps,

Welcome M.! I too moved to CL 3 years ago, from Troy! We have enjoyed the Rockford Discovery Museum a couple of times (about 50 min drive but worth it), my kids love to go on the Metra, there is a 'drive-in' over in McHenry, Arlington Race track was fun for the kids and they have family type activities there besides the races, we went to the Brookfield zoo a lot our first summer here, Crystal Lake beach for swimming and the park, little boys seem to like that choo choo diner and you can take the metra there - it's kinda a dive place but the food comes out on a train that circles through the counter and kitchen. Tom's farm is really cool in the fall, they sell corn on the cob that you can pop into pop corn in a brown paper bag and make sure you are in town for the fireworks they really are great!

Welcome and hope this helps!

Hi M. W.

Welcome to the area! There is a couple places that are fun for you and your family.

Magic Waters in Rockford is a fun and good place.
http://www.magicwaterswaterpark.com

There is a new place in Huntley IL. Take Route 62 towards huntley, turn left on to route 47, take 47 to Main St turn right(light) then on your left handside there is an entrance to the waterpark.

Then of course the water park at Six Flags is good for little kids and Great for adults.

These are three of my favorite places to go during the summer.

M.