Kid-Friendly Adventures Around the Midwest
With summer vacation so close we can taste it, we thought it was time for a blog post for some of our most discerning young travelers. You know as well as we do that the one-size-fits-all, family-friendly activity is a rare find, so your best bet is to try a little bit of everything (without breaking the bank, of course). Here are some of our picks for mini-tourists and their developing palettes:
FOR THE ANIMAL LOVER
Wagner Farm
1510 WAGNER ROAD | GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS
Animal-lovers (and history buffs!) will appreciate this 18.6-acre, genuine American farm, located just north of Chicago in Glenview, Illinois. Pint-sized farmers can experience everything a working farm has to offer, minus the early-morning wakeup call.
Kids can feed the chickens, take a hayride, or shake things up at the barn dance. Best of all, they can milk a cow. After all, this is one of the last working dairy farms in Cook County. Be sure to check out their award-winning blog, Wagner Feed, for photos and information on upcoming events! See more of Wagner Farms in the video clip below:
FOR THE BUDDING SCIENTIST
Discovery World
815 N. JAMES LOVELL STREET | MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
This 120,000-square foot facility is just about as close to an educational amusement park as you can get. Interactive exhibits and learning labs range from technological to virtual to historical to musical, and everything in between.
Daring visitors can lie on a bed of nails, take a peek inside a nuclear reactor, or get up close and personal with stingrays, sea urchins, sturgeons and more. Perched on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan, Discovery World is theplace to learn about what makes the Great Lakes so, well, great (e.g., the world’s largest model of the Great Lakes, or a 137-foot replica of a 19th century Great Lakes schooner). Or, how about taking a guitar lesson from Les Paul? Check out the clip below for details:
FOR THE MOVIE BUFF
The Skyway Drive-In
The only thing better than taking in a summer movie? A summer movie under the stars. The Skyway Drive-In is one of the last drive-in theatres in the state, besides being one of Door County’s favorite activities. We’re pretty sure most kids would agree, there’s something about a giant outdoor screen, a healthy serving of popcorn and snacks, and your new favorite movie that can’t be beat. Throw in an on-site playground and make it a double feature, and you’ve got yourself a deal. Check out the clip below for details:
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