Get those costumes ready! Our list of things to do with kids this weekend is jam packed with spooky adventures and Halloween fun. In our roundup below, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to collect candy, pick pumpkins, and enjoy festive activities for the whole family. With Halloween events in every corner of the suburbs, we can’t wait to see all the spooky and not-so-scary fun you’re having to celebrate the season.
This weekend planner is sponsored by the Wood Dale Park District Scarewalk, Rhea Lana of Schaumburg, and Brookfield Zoo Boo! Brunch
Scarewalk with Family-Friendly Hour and Active Scare Hours
Get ready for a night of thrills, chills, and Halloween fun at ScareWalk! Join Wood Dale Park District at White Oaks Park for a spooky journey filled with mystery, excitement, and surprises around every turn. Explore the walk and see what awaits as pumpkins glow, witches take flight, and Halloween comes to life!
For younger children and families, the Family Friendly Hour from 5:00–6:00pm offers a lighter, less-scary experience and is recommended for ages 10 and younger. Active Scare Hours run from 6:30–8:30pm for those looking for more thrills and frights.
Tickets are $6 per person when purchased in advance or $8 per person at the event. Pre-sale tickets are available at wdparks.org through October 16 at noon. Please note that all lines close 30 minutes before the event ends, so guests must be in line by 8:00pm. No refunds or rain checks.
Discounted Tickets to Boo! Brunch at Brookfield Zoo
Show off your spook-tacular costumes at Boo! Brunch. This one-day-only Halloween celebration features a festive buffet with a hauntingly good twist on brunch favorites and a signature witches’ brew lemonade. Tickets include Zoo admission, pumpkin decorating, face painting, themed photo opps and more. Advance reservations are required for 10 a.m. or noon seatings, with Zoo members receiving a discount on Boo! Brunch tickets. Tickets and details are available at brookfieldzoo.org/events/boo-brunch.
Use KIDLIST at checkout through Oct. 18 (or while tickets last) when buying one adult ticket to receive a kid ticket half off—a special discount typically exclusive to Zoo members.
Rhea Lana's of Schaumburg
You are invited to shop at Rhea Lana's of Schaumburg! We are the nation's premier children's consignment event. Hundreds of local families will be selling their gently used items priced at 60-90% OFF retail. You can rely on us for HIGH QUALITY children's clothing and more at unbeatable prices.
The key to scoring the best deals is shopping early! Get your ticket (paid and free options) to our private pre-sale, October 16-17th. Pre-sale tickets go on sale Friday, September 18th. Plus, we're open October 18-23 to the public, no ticket needed.
See our full schedule at Schaumburg.Rhealana.com
✨Clothing (Infant-Teen)
✨Shoes
✨Baby Equipment
✨Furniture
✨Toys, Books, and electronics
✨Bedding
✨Nursery Decor
✨& More!
Want $5 off Platinum and Gold Tickets? Click here for discounted tickets and use the code KIDLIST.
Table of Contents
Things to Do with Kids This Weekend: Western Suburbs
Please check the details before you go to these events to ensure you know about registration requirements and additional info to maximize your family’s fun. While we do our best to keep the most up-to-date information in our calendar, last minute location or time changes do happen. Want to find “weekend events near me”? We have you covered!
Friday
There’s quite a few choices for festive fun on Friday: West Chicago’s Boo Bash, Bolingbrook’s Freaky Fun Friday, and Haunt on Hirsch Street, which is hosted by Veterans Park District.
Saturday
It’s impossible to pick through the options on Saturday. There’s countless opportunities for Halloween fun, including Lisle Park District’s Monster Madness and Westmont’s Trick or Treat Trail and Caskets on Cass Races. Need a break from your costumes? Check out Berwyn Fire Department Open House.
Sunday
Montgomery’s Halloween Safety Event and Fitzgerald’s Fall Fair in Berwyn are full of family-friendly fun. It will be a beautiful night for Enchanted Adventure at The Forge: Lemont Quarries.
Things to Do with Kids This Weekend: Northwest Suburbs
We strive to answer the question “Where can I find weekend events near me?” Our team takes care to stock the calendar full of kid-friendly fun, but please keep in mind that last minute changes to events do happen. We recommend clicking through to the event details to double check if there has been a change in registration requirements and to get additional information before you go. Have fun!
Friday
Experience Wheeling’s Boonanza, Itasca’s Haunted Trail, or the Schaumburg Halloween Carnival for spooky fun.
Saturday
Celebrate spooky season at Wood Dale Park District’s Scarewalk, Springbrook Nature Center’s Trick or Treat Trail, or Des Plaines’ Harvest Hoot.
Sunday
Explore River Trail Nature Center’s Fall Festival in Northbrook or St. Gregory’s Pumpkin Patch in Deerfield. Cheer on the Chicago Wolves as they take on the Iowa Wild Sunday afternoon.
Want to look ahead to next week?
Check out all the family-friendly events happening in your neighborhood and beyond on our events calendar. You can filter the calendar by day by clicking the date on top, so if you are looking for things to do on a specific day, it’s easy to find!
You might also be interested in…
- All the Best Family-Friendly Fall Activities in Chicagoland
- The Ultimate 2026 Halloween Chicago Suburbs Family Guide
- 2026-27 Guide to Kids Classes and Teams
- Where to Have the Best Kids Birthday Party + Entertainers, Rentals, Decor, Food and More
- Find the Right Preschool and Daycare for Your Family
- Your Local Guide to Kids Eat Free
We hope you found some family-friendly fun in our list of things to do with kids this weekend in the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago! This list is updated every week and sent out in the Kidlist emails. (Click here to sign up if you haven’t already.)
We love local businesses, libraries, park districts, villages, and organizations — they plan great events for all of us to enjoy. If you are hosting an event or know of an event that should be on our list, click here to submit it to the Kidlist calendar!
We strive to be the most comprehensive source for family fun, which is why you’ll always see so many weekend events listed. It would definitely be easier to just list the details for a few events and call them “the best weekend events for families”, but we recognize that everyone has different interests. Not to mention, sometimes I’m in the mood to go to a huge festival, and sometimes I’d rather go to a low-key storytime at the library. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. That’s why we work hard and spend a lot of time to find everything going on in our area so you don’t have to!
We hope you find it helpful and we are open to suggestions. The Kidlist Team always talks about how we can improve and evolve to meet your needs, so let us know!
3 Comments. Leave new
This is a wonderful site. Thank you.
Love this Katie! Good job! Always looking for different healthy activities for the kiddos!
Awesome job, we struggle each week to find things to do with our grandchildren. Thank you so much.