Week of Events
Geneva French Market
Geneva French Market
European-style market offers unique eats, treats and treasures in Geneva. For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Farmerโs Markets.
Budding Botanists
Budding Botanists
Watch out as you explore the Conservatory โ you may run into a Budding Botanists! on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm, Nature Educators will provide activities for kids of all ages at our Budding Botanists station. These programs are drop in and no preregistration is required. You can stop by and interact with...
Pretend Pizza Party
Pretend Pizza Party
Do you love pizza as much as we do? Stop by the Library to create your own pretend pizza and do some fun pizza activities. Stop by anytime between 12 and 4 and join us for some imaginative play, art activities, and fun. All activities are designed for our friends under aged five to explore...
Family Sensory Hour
Family Sensory Hour
The Family Sensory Hour offers the opportunity for children with special needs to use the Kids' Library in a safe and welcoming environment before the Library opens. Live in-person. Registration required.
Tractor-Drawn Wagon Ride
Tractor-Drawn Wagon Ride
Enjoy a 30-minute ride while learning about the forest preserveโs heritage and natural areas. Rides begin at 1, 1:45, and 2:30 p.m. All ages; under 13 with an adult. $5 per person ages 5 and up; under 5 free. No registration. Questions? Call 630-580-7025.
Adaptive Play Time
Adaptive Play Time
DuPage Childrenโs Museum is dedicated to being an accessible, inclusive environment for children to thrive through extraordinary learning experiences. Adaptive Play Time provides a modified environment for play and learning for children and their caregivers. This program is intended for families with disabilities, on the autism spectrum, and/or sensory processing disorders.
GrownUp and Me Storytime
GrownUp and Me Storytime
Join us for GrownUp & Me Story Timeโenjoy engaging stories, songs, and fun activities led by Miss Kathy! There are designated play areas for kids and opportunities to connect with other families. Complimentary coffee and tea will be available for adults. Feel free to bring snacks for your little ones. Fall Sessions: Kick-off! Mon, Sept...
Lego Free Build
Lego Free Build
Let's do Lego! Use the library's Lego collection to build whatever you'd like! We'll have some building prompts and activities but let your imagination be your guide. This is a drop-in event. Feel free to stop by between 3pm and 6pm to participate.
Building Block Challenge
Building Block Challenge
Let your imagination run wild! Drop-in for a Lego building block challenge! Stop by the Ask Me Desk for supplies.
Pokรฉmon Club
Pokรฉmon Club
Meet to play and talk Pokรฉmon with other trainers. Participants are welcome to bring along Pokรฉmon art, cards or other Pokรฉmon items for show and tell. Ages 6 and older, caregiver participation required.
Noche de la Familia
Noche de la Familia
รnete a nosotros durante una hora de historias, canciones y comunidad en esta celebraciรณn semanal de la cultura y la familia hispana.
LEGO League
LEGO League
We supply Legos and a theme, you supply the imagination! Children under 8, please bring your caregiver. Registration required.
Brick Builders
Brick Builders
Join other BRICK enthusiasts creating and building with Library supplied LEGOยฎ bricks. Themes and challenges will be provided but ingenuity and creativity is encouraged. Grades K-5 with an adult caregiver.
Chess Club
Chess Club
Drop in, learn, play, and have fun developing strategies with Brad Smith, retired teacher and chess expert. Chess Club welcomes newbies, novices and chess masters. Walk-ins welcome!
$1 Movie Mondays
$1 Movie Mondays
Enjoy the classics of modern cinema on the magnificent two-story screen at Paramount Theatreโฆfor the incredibly low price of just $1 per ticket! Buy tickets at the door. Cash only ($20 bills or less). Concessions available for purchase. Credit/debit cards accepted at concessions. Movies and showtimes are subject to change. Please check back here for...
Museum of Contemporary Art Free Day
Museum of Contemporary Art Free Day
Illinois residents receive free admission on Tuesdays. For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Museum Free Days.
T-Rex Tea Party
T-Rex Tea Party
Join us for dinosaur-themed games, crafts, and a tea party with a very special guest!
Wildlife Connections
Wildlife Connections
Stop by the visitor center to learn about reptiles, mammals, and birds from the residents of Misericordia โ Heart of Mercy.
T-Rex Tea Party Crafts
Building Blocks STEM Challenge
Building Blocks STEM Challenge
Build up your STEM skills using different materials at this monthly building challenge! (Grades Kโ5)
Night Dives: Illinois Resident Free Evenings
Night Dives: Illinois Resident Free Evenings
Our Illinois Resident Free Days include access to all open animal and permanent exhibit and seasonal Stingray Touch. Take a deeper look at our current available exhibits here. We offer several reservation options for Free Days. For those who prefer to plan ahead, online ticket reservations are available with a $5 convenience fee per order....
The Wild Robot Party
The Wild Robot Party
Have you read the book by Peter Brown or seen the new movie, The Wild Robot? Join us for a Roz and friends themed party with crafts and snacks! Ages 8-11. ** **Tickets will be available at the Children's Services Desk 30 minutes prior to the event.
Field Museum Illinois Resident Free Day
Field Museum Illinois Resident Free Day
Free Wednesdays are the perfect opportunity for you to explore our general admission exhibitions with your family or a group of science-loving friends. Adventure through the wilderness on a desert safari, explore ancient civilizations, and come face-to-face with prehistoric creaturesโ all in one place. The Field Museum has so much to explore, youโll need more...
Chicago History Museum Illinois Resident Free Day
Chicago History Museum Illinois Resident Free Day
The Museum offers free days to Illinois residents throughout the year, including commemorative days like Presidentsโ Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Fourth of July. Upcoming 2024 Illinois resident FREE days include: August 28; September 2, 25; October 14, 23; November 5, 11, 20; December 18 For information on more events like this,...
Wee Wandering Wednesdays
Wee Wandering Wednesdays
A special program for little naturalists. Read a story, make a craft, and go on an adventure. Ages 3 to 6 with adult; siblings welcome. Tickets on a first come, first served basis starting at 9:30 am.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art Museum Free Day
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art Museum Free Day
Wednesdays are Free Admission Days sponsored by RBC Wealth Management. For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Museum Free Days.
Fall STEAM
Fall STEAM
Stop by the Desk and pick up a fun STEAM craft to make at home. Ages 5 and up. While supplies last. Drop in.
DuSable Museum of African American History Free Days
DuSable Museum of African American History Free Days
DuSable Museum of African-American history is free to Illinois residents to visit on Wednesdays. We also give free admission to military and to first responders. That means Police, Fire, EMTโs. With valid ID. For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Museum Free Days.
Adler Planetarium Illinois Resident Free Days
Adler Planetarium Illinois Resident Free Days
The Adler is excited to announce that we will be free for Illinois residents (with proof of residency) every Wednesday evening from 4-10 pm (our new Wednesday hours.) Stop by after work or school, or for date night and enjoy everything the Adler has to offer at night, for free as part of our Illinois...
Wild Wednesdays
Wild Wednesdays
Wild Wednesdays are back for the season at Garfield Park Conservatory! Join Family Programs staff outdoors in Play and Grow Garden for free, drop-in activities, such as fort building, bug hunts, chalk drawing, and more! Find us every Wednesday evening from 4:00-7:30 pm. Just head outside through our Desert House doors and follow the giant...
Pokรฉmon Club
Pokรฉmon Club
Pokรฉmon fans unite! We will play games and complete crafts, all with a Pokรฉmon theme. For grades K - 4. Registration required.
T-Rexplorers
T-Rexplorers
Get a glimpse of what itโs like to go on a paleontological dig by exploring museum-quality fossil specimens from species like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex! Come 15 minutes before the program and get to meet Ranger!
Chick-fil-A Storytime
Chick-fil-A Storytime
Enjoy preschool stories, puppet plays and songs with our newest partner, Chick-fil-A. (Ages 2โ6 with an adult)
Little Saplings
Little Saplings
In this monthly program, geared for 3-5 year olds, weโll explore the natural world through a variety of activities specific to the theme of the month. Sessions include a combination of stories, nature hikes, songs, games, or crafts. A parent or caregiver must accompany child.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Illinois Resident Donation Day
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Illinois Resident Donation Day
We are pleased to offer weekly Donation Daysโevery Thursday the museum is openโfor Illinois residents. Illinois residents can enjoy free admission during these Donation Days, or support us with a $10 suggested household donation at the time of admission. Illinois residents can reserve their Donation Day tickets online or in person. For information on...
Homeschool Hangout
Homeschool Hangout
Get to know some other homeschool families in the area while playing games, trying out hands-on activities, and more! For families. No registration necessary.
Thanksgiving Table Crafts
Thanksgiving Table Crafts
Set your Thanksgiving table with a few special, festive touches! We will be making a fun felt pumpkin pie table runner and kraft paper silverware bag with autumn leaf place cards.
Cuentos en Espaรฑol
Cuentos en Espaรฑol
Acompรกรฑanos para una presentaciรณn de cuentos y mรบsica en Espaรฑol e Inglรฉs.
Hejsan: Story and Craft
Hejsan: Story and Craft
Join us in the Brunk Childrenโs Museum of Immigration for a story and craft on the last Thursday and Friday of the month. Free (with Museum admission). In May we will be reading The Swedish Girl of Motala, written and illustrated by Eric Basir.
Family STEAM Night
Family STEAM Night
Drop in between 6-7:30 pm to try out some STEAM activities as a family. You are welcome to stay as long or as little as you would like. Recommended age: 5 years and up with a caregiver
Brick Builders
Brick Builders
Join other BRICK enthusiasts creating and building with Library supplied LEGOยฎ bricks. Themes and challenges will be provided but ingenuity and creativity is encouraged. Grades K-5 with an adult caregiver.
La Hora de Cuentos
La Hora de Cuentos
ยกSumerja a sus hijos en un nuevo idioma o aumente la fluidez durante este divertido programa lleno de historias y rimas en espaรฑol! Immerse your kids in a new language or increase fluency during this fun program full of stories and rhymes in Spanish!
Family Reading Night Drop-In
Family Reading Night Drop-In
Spend quality time with your whole family enjoying books and other activities during this statewide reading event. Families of all ages are invited to participate in this drop-in program.
Family Reading Night
Family Reading Night
Come make bookish crafts together with your family. Family Reading Night is an annual statewide event held on the third Thursday in November to encourage families to spend time reading together.
Illinois Reads Family Reading Night
Illinois Reads Family Reading Night
Put on your jammies, grab a blanket and come join us for story time! We will snuggle in to enjoy some of the IReads titles.
Reels at the Rialto
Reels at the Rialto
Rialto Square Theatre is excited to announce our year-round movie series called โReels at the Rialto.โ This movie series is a nod to our Vaudeville movie palace past. โItโs important for us to offer a wide variety of entertainment options for the residents of Joliet and surrounding areas,โ says Wade Welsh, Rialto Square Theatre Executive...
Family Reading Night
Family Reading Night
Celebrate Family Reading Night! Wear your pajamas, bring a blanket, get cozy and read with your family. We will share a story, provide snacks and then your family can spend time cuddled up reading together. Please register as a family and indicate how many people will attend.
Community Partner Playdate
Community Partner Playdate
Join us for a playdate at the Wheaton Public Library. While children and families socialize, we'll have DuPage County community partners present to share resources including developmental screening, early childhood programming, and more! In partnership with the Wheaton/Warrenville Early Childhood Collaborative and World Relief. No registration required.
Pop-in Play
Pop-in Play
Drop-in activities recommended for ages 3-5, with a participating adult. Pop by the Library for a playful morning of popular activities!
A Morning on Sesame Street
A Morning on Sesame Street
Join us for a sunny day and sweeping the clouds away! Explore different activities based on the show "Sesame Street!" (Ages 3โ5 with an adult)
Exploration Station
Exploration Station
Learn through play! Join us for early literacy, sensory, and STEM activities that are just right for preschoolers.
Sensory Playtime: Fall Fun
Sensory Playtime: Fall Fun
Bring your little one for some developmentally friendly - and fun - sensory play stations. Dress to get messy. Please register each child separately.
Hejsan: Story and Craft
Hejsan: Story and Craft
Join us in the Brunk Childrenโs Museum of Immigration for a story and craft on the last Thursday and Friday of the month. Free (with Museum admission). In May we will be reading The Swedish Girl of Motala, written and illustrated by Eric Basir.
Scales-N-Tales Storytime
Scales-N-Tales Storytime
Start your Friday morning off at the library with a fun storytime all about animals. A new animal each week! Some bilingual Spanish.
Free Hours for Illinois Residents
Free Hours for Illinois Residents
Admission is free for Illinois residents on Thursday evenings, 5:00โ8:00, June 6โSeptember 26. You can reserve your free tickets online in advance; your resident status will be verified using the zip code associated with the billing address provided. If youโre unable to reserve tickets in advance, please stop by the admissions desks on the day...
Bargello Bookmarks
Reptile Rodeo
Reptile Rodeo
Aliโs Reptile Den will bring new snakes and reptiles to view and learn about. Children of all ages with an adult. Registration required for each attendee.
Deck the Green
Deck the Green
Ring in the holiday season with Deck the Green! This holiday event will take place outdoors on the Village Green, at the Burr Ridge Village Center in partnership with the Village of Burr Ridge. Join us on the Village Green for our annual tree lighting! Sip hot cocoa and take a magical ride on the...
Winter Lights
Winter Lights
The Merriest & Cheeriest of Seasons Starts with Winter Lights When: 6:00 p.m., Friday, November 22nd, 2024 Parade steps-off at 6:30 p.m. Where: Downer Place, from Water Street to River Street, in downtown Aurora Parking: Free parking available in all public Downtown lots Tips: Be sure to arrive early, as streets will begin to close...
Movies in the Corner
Movies in the Corner
All ages. Enjoy a family-friendly movie in the Poet Tree Corner on the second floor. October 25: Hotel Transylvania, animated, 91 minutes, PG November 8: Wreck-it Ralph, 2012, animated, 108 minutes, PG November 22: Moana, 2016, animated, 103 minutes, PG December 6: Madagascar, 2005, animated, 86 minutes, PG December 20: Ice Age, 2002, animated, 81...
Saturday Stay and Play
Saturday Stay and Play
Bring your family-building skills to Kids Landing during our Saturday Stay and Play! Your family will enjoy an endless variety of play patterns like construction, pretend play, role-playing, and inventing your own games while building with our new Blue Blocks. Most importantly, you will be deeply engaged and active and have hours of fun with...
Wheaton French Market
Wheaton French Market
Fresh flowers, artisan foods, music. For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Farmerโs Markets.
Amazing Owls – Free Nature Discovery Days
Amazing Owls – Free Nature Discovery Days
Discover the owls that live in our area year-round and the ones that might visit during the winter months. Investigate the amazing adaptations owls possess to hunt at night, play owl games, make an owl craft, touch owl feathers, read books about owls and more! Free, drop-in program Self-guided activity stations Designed for ages 4-10...
Nature Discovery Days
Nature Discovery Days
Discover the owls that live in our area year-round and the ones that might visit during the winter months. Investigate the amazing adaptations owls possess to hunt at night, play owl games, make an owl craft, touch owl feathers, read books about owls and more! Free, drop-in program Self-guided activity stations Designed for ages 4-10...
Dinovember LEGO Play
Dinovember LEGO Play
Drop in anytime between 9:30am-4pm to celebrate Dinovember! Take a trip back millions of years. Play with dinosaurs and create a thrilling Jurassic world with our colorful LEGO building blocks.
Commemorative Day: Native American Heritage Month
Commemorative Day: Native American Heritage Month
For thousands of years, the place now known as Chicago was a thriving center of Indigenous life. Potawatomi people lived on and took care of the land until they were forced out by non-Native settlers. The Ojibwe, Odawa, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Miami, Mascouten, Sac and Fox, Kickapoo, Ho-Chunk, Menomonee, and tribes whose names have been lost...
Supported Storytime
Supported Storytime
Supported Storytime is for children with disabilities who need sensory, visual, or communication support.
Family Storytime and Craft
Family Storytime and Craft
Saturdays are family days! Spend your morning together at the Library as we share stories and songs followed by a craft project. Drop in.
The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
For thirty-two years, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festivalยฎ has been a thrilling celebration: A day-through-night, mile-long holiday extravaganza. Its centerpiece is the largest nighttime parade in the United States. Led by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse of Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort, the spectacular parade down North Michigan Avenue features fabulous floats, giant helium balloons,...
Tiny Great Performances
Tiny Great Performances
Tiny Great Performancesโข bring professional and community performers to the Museum to promote a life-long love of the arts in children and their families. Performances feature a variety of subjects including dance, music, storytelling, theatre, and more. Tiny Great Performances are designed to be an integration of play and performance. Guests are welcome to stop,...
Budding Botanists
Budding Botanists
Watch out as you explore the Conservatory โ you may run into a Budding Botanists! on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm, Nature Educators will provide activities for kids of all ages at our Budding Botanists station. These programs are drop in and no preregistration is required. You can stop by and interact with...
Lego Club
Lego Club
Come in to build cool LEGO creations. LEGOs will be provided by the library. Ages 6-11.
Sensory Saturday
Sensory Saturday
This accessible play time is designed to provide an inclusive, supportive environment for children with disabilities and their families! We will have several sensory stations to explore and enjoy together. Recommended age: 3-7 years with a caregiver.
T-Rexplorers: Dinosaur Discovery
T-Rexplorers: Dinosaur Discovery
Get kids excited about science and nature! Meet Ranger the T-Rex outside the Library at 1:45 p.m. See dinosaur bones up close and get a glimpse of what itโs like to go on a Paleontological dig with authentic dinosaur fossils from species like Triceratops and T-Rex.
CheckMates Meetup
CheckMates Meetup
Join other chess fans for a mini lesson and guided instruction to sharpen your skills, or just stop by for a match! Best for ages 7-17; children ages 11 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Enjoy a short lesson and practice session for beginner players led by a Chess Scholars coach from 2-2:30...
Light Up The Park
Light Up The Park
Rosemontโs Parkway Bank Park entertainment district is thrilled to kick off the holiday season with the return of its Chicago Wolves Ice Rink Saturday, November 23rd Visitors can enjoy ice skating beginning at 11 a.m. in addition to several other holiday offerings available throughout the afternoon leading up to the Parkโs annual โLight Up The...
Woodridge Winterfest
Woodridge Winterfest
Join The Village of Woodridge, Curated Collections Events, the Woodridge Public Library, the Woodridge Park District, and the Woodridge Special Events Committee for a spectacular evening featuring a dazzling tree-lighting ceremony with a 20 Ft. Christmas tree, photos with Santa, a vibrant makerโs market showcasing over 20 vendors, delicious offerings from food trucks, festive holiday...
LEGO Club
LEGO Club
Drop by the library and build with LEGO. Each Wednesday we will have a different LEGO challenge you can try, or build whatever you want!
Friendship Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friendship Tree Lighting Ceremony
For information on more events like this, check out our roundup of Holiday Walks and Tree Lighting Ceremonies.
We do our best to provide comprehensive, accurate and useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from press releases, websites, signs around town and word of mouth. However, details change and people make mistakes, so please confirm the details before you go. Kidlist is not responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities listed on this site.
Submit an Event
Click on the button above to submit an event to the Kidlist calendar. We welcome everyone to submit events, given that they are family-friendly, free and/or drop-in, and are local for families in the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago. All submitted events are reviewed by the Kidlist team.