Experiences You Can Gift to your Child
Are you looking for a gift that your child(ren) will remember for years to come? Memories & time spent with them is truly the best gift you can give to them and to yourself, so consider giving them the an Experience gift.
Having trouble thinking of what kind of experience to do? Below is a list of ideas to get your started!
Become a member at your favorite local attraction [or just visit it for the day].
Chicago has a great variety of museums to go to. You can check out the different ones in the city, but there are also a lot of offerings in the suburbs. No matter if your child is an art lover, history buff, or wannabe astronaut, we have the museum for you! Or maybe you just want to go to a Children’s Museum where your littles can play and explore—we have plenty of those too!
Here are some fun places to go to on a rainy day:
Museums & Zoos
From Left to Right: Brookfield Zoo, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Children’s Museum, Field Museum, Milwaukee County Zoo, DuPage Children’s Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Kohl Children’s Museum, Racine Zoo. All photos via each organization.
Indoor Play Spaces
From Left to Right: 2 Hours of Freedom, Ball Factory, Exploritorium, Kids Empire, Play Cloud, Playroom Cafe, The Treehouse Play Cafe. All photos via each organization.
Need a full list of indoor play places in the city and suburbs? Check out my popular blog post below!
Ultimate List of Indoor Play Places
Theme Parks
From Left to Right: Haunted Trails Burbank, Haunted Trails Joliet, Pirate’s Cove Children’s Theme Park, Safari Land, Santa’s Village Amusement and Water Park, Six Flags Great America. All photos via each organization.
Unique Adventures
From Left to Right: Altitude Trampoline Park, Escape Factor, Funtopia, iFLY, K1 Speed, Lazer X, Paintball Explosion, Sky Zone, Urban Air. All photos via each organization.
Go to an immersive and interactive exhibit.
Interactive experiences are quite the rage in Chicago. Dubbed as “Instagram-worthy” or as “Selfie Museums”, these unique exhibits are fun for all age and sizes:
From Left to Right: Color Factory, Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, Museum of Ice Cream, Museum of Illusions, Selfie WRLD, Sloomoo Institute, WNDR Museum. All photos via each organization or owned by Kristel.
Take a class together.
No matter if it’s a drop-in class or instructor-led, your child will have so much fun learning a new trade with you.
Here are some of our favorite places:
From Left to Right: Board & Brush, Clay Monet, Romney Brown Candle Company, Taste Buds Kitchen, Thrown Elements Pottery, Tipsy Paint. All photos via each organization or owned by Kristel.
Watch a live theater show.
The theater scene in Chicago is truly remarkable. From the big production theaters downtown to the smaller off-broadway scenes, to everything in between, there are so many performances and theatrical events to choose from.
It might be easiest to first think about what kind of show your child might like: holiday-themed, a musical, a concert, improv, comedy, dancing, ice skating, monster trucks, the list can go on-and-on! You can also start by just browsing Ticketmaster, where you can search by categories.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
From Left to Right: Candlelight Concert, Joffrey Ballet, Medieval Times, Blue Man Group [photo via NYC GO and Off Broadway Week], Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Snow Queen. All photos via each organization, unless otherwise noted.
Cheer on your favorite sports team.
Wrigley Field | Photo via Lonely Planet
Does your kid like sports? Imagine how thrilled they would be in a large arena, cheering on their favorite team, like the Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs or the Chicago Fire. And even just as exciting are the lower division sports teams that have kids activities throughout their venue, such as the Chicago Dogs, the Wolves, Windy City Bulls or the Red Stars. Like everything in Chicago, there are so many teams to choose from!
Support your local park district.
There are so many top notch park districts in Chicagoland. Check out your local park district’s program guide and choose a fun class, activity or special event they’re offering for a fun date with your child.
Plan ahead for the summer with a pool pass.
Wheeling Family Aquatic Center | Photo via Wheeling Park District
If you spend most of your summers at the pool, then this one is a good choice! Check your local pool for when their passes go on sale. Usually it’s around March or April.
Agree to a Yes Day.
Based on the book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and the 2021 movie starring Jennifer Garner, a Yes Day is simply a day where you say yes to everything your kids ask for. Sound a bit scary…? Here’s a good set of ground rules for your Yes Day:
1. Can’t be too expensive
2. Must stay local
3. Can’t break any rules or laws
With these reasonable rules in place, your Yes Day is sure to be a fun one!
Spoil them rotten.
Not like everything else on this list isn’t spoiling your kids, but another fun idea for a day of experiences is to pamper your child at the American Girl Place, then get your nails and/or hair done. A high tea experience is a great add-on as well! While this all might sound like it’s geared towards girls, I for one know that all 3 of my sons would absolutely love doing all of this. But for those boys that might not, you can go to a place like Build-a-Bear, freshen up at a barber shop with a new haircut and then stop at a candy shop.
Surprise your kids with a vacation.
Photo owned by Kristel
You always hear of parents surprising their kids with a big Disney vacation or a luxurious cruise. Those are great options, but if your budget is a bit lower or Disney and cruises are just not your thing, any location will do just fine! Even if it’s a just a small weekend getaway. Your kids will be just as excited as you are to get out of town and explore a new city.
Staycations are the new way to travel.
Or maybe you’d rather stay local. Good thing is, you live in an amazing city with amazing surrounding suburbs, that a staycation is just as good as a vacation out of town! With many hotels to choose from throughout Chicagoland, you are sure to find one that fits your family. Pair it with a nice pool, a nearby fun restaurant and other local attractions, and you’ve got yourself the perfect getaway.
Need staycation ideas? Check out my blog post below!
What type of experiences do you like to do with your children? Let me know in the comments!
Are you looking for something truly unique to do with your kids? Take a trip on a Metra train! There are 11 different train lines to choose from, each with multiple stops that are sure to entertain your kids.