One of the world's foremost natural history museums, the Field Museum is jam-packed with artifacts, interactive exhibits, and media that are as fascinating to children as they are to...
Sharks, dolphins, whales, jellyfish, giant sea turtles, and endless colorful species -- not to mention the building's gorgeous architecture -- make the John G. Shedd Aquarium a feast for the eyes as...
Near North Extending some 3,000 feet out into Lake Michigan from downtown Chicago, Navy Pier is a kid haven and can't-miss family attraction. Kids love the carousel, Ferris wheel, live music...
Kids are fascinated by outer space: the planets, the stars, the galaxies far, far away ... and there's no better way to get acquainted with the final frontier than by spending...
The new-ish Chicago Children's Theatre (it mounted its first performance in 2006) stages lavish Broadway-style productions for kids ages 5 and up, though at $12-$30 for tickets...
Located near the front of Navy Pier in the Family Pavilion, the Chicago Children's Museum features 15 permanent exhibits, plus rotating exhibits, all of which are more than enough to...
What's so special about a Chicago hot dog? Did a cow really start the Great Chicago Fire? What was Chicago like before it was a big city? At the recently...
Sometimes overlooked among Chicago's better-known cultural institutions, the DuSable museum is worth a visit, particularly for school-aged and older kids who may be learning about the Civil Rights...
No visit to Chicago is complete without a bird's eye view of the city. The Hancock Building may not have the honor of being the tallest building in Chicago, but...
Chicago is known for its world-class museums, but this one -- the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere -- truly stands apart: More than 35,000 artifacts are housed in 400,000...
In 2006, Cubs Care is once again partnering with a number of organizations to bring quality sports programming to Chicagoans.
Rookie League
Competing in athletics is invaluable to the development of youngsters. Cubs Care funded baseball programs start for children at the age of six in the Cubs Care - Chicago Park District Rookie League, which has more than 1500 volunteers serving nearly 10,000 children. Rookie League emphasizes teamwork, equal participation and development rather than competition. The league provides all the equipment and coaching needed to introduce youngsters to the game of baseball and is available at over 90 Chicago Park District locations. Please contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742-PLAY for more information.
Inner City Little League
The Cubs reach out to inner city youth with the Inner City Little League program.
The Inner City Little League reaches nearly 600 children ages from the ages of 9 to 17 from the city's Chicago Housing Authority developments and scattered site housing throughout Chicago. Cubs Care partners with in-kind support in this program from the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Housing Authority, and the Chicago Park District. The League provides coaches, equipment and transportation with a summer schedule that culminates in the Inner-City Little League World Series. Through the Inner-City Little League program, children who would normally be recruited by Chicago gangs are given a fun and productive summer-time activity.
Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI)
For older children, ages 13-18, there is RBI Baseball, run by the Union League Boys & Girls Club.
RBI is an acronym for Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities, and serves over 350 teens in Chicago communities that are ridden by gang violence, teen pregnancy and drug abuse.
RBI is a Major League Baseball sanctioned program. Most ballclubs around the country sponsor RBI in their city.
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC)
Cubs Care also believes that athletics are rewarding for the physically challenged and partners with The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), an inpatient/outpatient facility that serves more than 6,000 children and adults annually. The Chicago Cubs were the first major league baseball team to sponsor a wheelchair softball team and today sponsor two co-ed RIC Cubs Wheelchair Softball Teams which compete on a national level. The two-time National Champions are looking forward to capturing their third championship.
Cubs Care also supports RIC's Sports Program which is designed to introduce kids with physical disabilities to sports and recreation. The children participate in many activities including softball, basketball, tennis, water skiing, golf and sailing.
Therapeutic Recreation Programs
Cubs Care and the Chicago Park District also provide programs geared towards helping children and adults with special needs. They include Beep Baseball for the visually impaired, Buddy Baseball for the physically challenged, Camp Sign Baseball for the hearing impaired and Alternative Athletic Conference (AAC) baseball for those with learning/behavioral problems. Please contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742-PLAY for more information.
Special Olympics
Cubs Care is also proud to be a long-time supporter of Special Olympics Chicago; the year-round athletic training programs for more than 3,000 developmentally challenged Chicagoans. The Cubs Care softball program through the Chicago Park District provides a softball league with all the traditional elements.
SPORTS CAMPS
The following is a list of Chicago area sports camps.
Entertainment Project 2834 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60657
www.EntertainmentProject.org The Entertainment Project sponsors one of the best Performing Arts Summer Camp programs in the United States. For over a decade, we have helped many campers develop a passion for the arts. Each summer is filled with exciting Music, Art, Dance, Drama and Technical Design segments taught by certified instructors and professional artists.
Registration for campers age 5-15 begins early and sessions fill up quickly. Monday through Friday 8am-4pm. Aftercare/Precare and Lunch/Snack packages are available. Each segment concludes with a Full-Scale Broadway style production, in which ALL campers perform. This summer shows are: Wiz of Oz, Peter Pan and Grease.
Small municipal zoo, primarily North American Animals. Approximately 40 species/100 animals. We have Gray wolves, Cougars, Otters, Bald Eagles, Turkey vulture, an Elk herd, along with Alligators and several species of snakes/tortoises/turtles.
We are a small municipal zoo, established in 1915. We are located in a large park that is over 108 years old. Our visitor center houses several Mastondon bones that were discovered in our park in the 1930's. We currently do not have a giftshop.
Dream of being a zookeeper? Try the job on for one day and work with keepers to prep for an “Animals in Action” presentation in the Children’s Zoo arena. Join the crew as they work with a variety of animal stars to get ready for the big show. Top off this cool experience by posing for pictures with Leah Bald Eagle. A souvenir horseshoe will not only bring you luck but will remind you of your time training some of the zoo’s most visible and talented animal stars.
To take a timeout for training, follow these four easy steps:
If you have reviewed the Get Ready for a Wild Encounter fact sheet, click below to pick the preferred date range for your visit and get ready to mingle with other zookeepers and all sorts of animals! This program is offered June 5 through August 11, 2007.
Regenstein African Journey Exhibit at the Lincoln Park Zoo
The animals of Africa thrive in Chicago—from stately giraffes to mighty rhinoceroses to schools of colorful fish. Regenstein African Journey brings the awesome sights and sounds of this great continent to millions of visitors each year, who stroll through four distinct habitats and experience the abundance of life that populates each. This is more than an exhibit...it truly is a journey. For more information, click here.
Stop by the Australian Walkabout where you can stroll along a path and walk amongst the free-roaming wallabies and emu.
Within the Australian Walkabout you'll find Lorikeet Landing, a natural setting where visitors can feed cups of nectar to the many colorful Australian Lorikeets.
Peoria Zoo is currently located on 7 acres in Peoria illinois. In the Spring of 2009 the zoo will increase to 14 acres with the addition of the new AFRICA! exhibit. Currently the Zoo exhibits 75 Species, 200 Specimens.
The current zoo exhibits include tigers, zebras, sea lions, primates, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Peoria Zoo is the only zoo in the country to exhibit Giant Zambian mole-rats. The new AFRICA! exhibit bring giraffes, lions, rhinos, mandrills, red river hogs, antelope, small mammals and birds.
Experience animals and nature from dusk till dawn without ever leaving the suburbs. We'll provide the activities, an evening snack, continental breakfast and tons of fun!
Who- Groups with participants 6 years of age and up. Perfect for Scouts, 4-H, community groups, etc.
Group Size- Minimum 15/Maximum 40, if your group is smaller than 15, invite another group to join in the fun!
Chaperones - One adult chaperone per every 10 participants is required.
Time - The adventure begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends the next morning at 8 a.m.
In a crash of waves, descend into Wild Reef and get a diver’s-eye view of a diverse marine metropolis.
Get as close as you want to sharks. Explore underwater gardens of iridescent corals and — yes — garden eels. Wander through a lagoon and mangrove forest and visit a fishing village where residents saved their reef from destruction — all in this award-winning exhibit.
