The Chicago Children's Museum

A super fun day

I have never had a lot of what one might call, "Common Sense."

After all, a few days into my recovery from a sudden but unpleasant stomach bug, my in-laws (who are staying with us for the week between graduations) suggested taking the children to the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier... a place they'd never been.  We had attempted to go once, on a Sunday, and learned extremely quickly that this was a very bad idea.

As it turns out, the Children's Museum is a very small, congested space.  Great for kids, not so great for teeming masses of adults.  Yesterday's timing was perfect- mid-week, early in the day... it's how I would definitely recommend going.

And the girls had a blast.

Me?  It took me about 20 minutes to become utterly and completely exhausted.  Thankfully, Grandma and Grandpa were more than happy to take care of children while I collapsed on every single available chair or bench to rest and keep an eye on purses and diaper bags.  At least I was good for something!

It's definitely targeted to younger children.  Almost every exhibit has a "crawlers only" area for babies, and several nursing chairs.  There are also scattered "quiet rooms" for calming hysterical children, nursing, or attending to other wee needs.  There are strategically placed eating areas, where you can administer snacks. I'd say this place is great for babies through probably eight year olds.  After that, they'll probably get more out of the more grown-up museums.

The Children's Museum is mostly a gigantic playground with different themed areas- each section with a sort of educational tilt.  But I don't expect most children to come away with a lot of lessons.  However, it had the best kids' fire safety exhibit I've ever seen (actually helpful AND fun), and SO MUCH TO DO!

So here you are- Children's Museum Photo Spam!

The Circus exhibit- passing around the ice cream

DD dressed up as a clown

SI dressed up as a clown

Learning some circus tricks

SI the fireman, DD the dog, and Grandpa, lurking in the background

DD wanted to live in this fire truck

SI inside of a giant shoe in the Garden exhibit

My children, the bugs, pollinating the flowers

Musical slide!

A glass paneled piano- so you can see how the inside works!

Digging up some dino bones!

SI is not so sure about this T-Rex

DD enjoys paleontology a lot.  Grandmommy would be proud.

The kid-sized city.  I loved this exhibit.  Not as much as they did, though.

DD and SI performing some basic car maintenance

...and learning all about plumbing

...and buying some lemons at the grocery store

If she could have, there is no doubt SI would have taken that shopping cart home with her.

DD preferred the commercial kitchen

I accidentally snapped my own picture here- notice the HUGE PREGNANT LADY?

Yeah... that's me...

This garden was SO COOL.  I am definitely making one in the approximately
never-happening someday.  Plus, SI kept picking me artichokes.
That girl must love her mommy.  :)

Playing in the tree house

Fishing- this was probably one of the best parts of the day, if you ask them.

Michael's Museum of tiny things.  Another part of the museum that Grandmommy would love.

I like the tiny books.  :)

One of the largest exhibits is the water playground.  All sorts of levers and pumps
and pipes... all with tons of super fun water!

And this was also so clever!  They're painting with water on slate- so simple and so much fun!

Makin' it rain

Everybody loves Grandma!

A perfect companion to a children's museum- a big indoor area where you can RUN!

Looking out over Navy Pier's interior- this is where people line up to see the Imax movies. :)

All in all, a super fun day.  :)

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