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After a summer hiatus, Family Days are back! Join the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for a day of family fun! Designed and led by Chicago artists, Family Day is a monthly program that allows families and youth to connect and engage with contemporary art through activities and performances for all ages. Enjoy FREE admission while taking part in workshops, open studio sessions, gallery tours, performances, and more. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Garage parking is available. The parking garage is located on Chicago Avenue just west of Fairbanks Court and adjacent to the museum. The garage does not provide direct access to the museum. When you exit the garage, simply turn right and walk west up Chicago Avenue. Our entrances face Mies Van Der Rohe Way. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: SYPervaiz@mcachicago.org.

NPN Playdates are a perfect start to the day. Join us for Sunday play at the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park in their indoor/outdoor play space! Children will enjoy unstructured gross motor activities, sensory play, crafts, and light refreshments. Parents, grab a cup of coffee, chat with other parents, and enjoy an easy morning. This event is best for kids aged 2 - 5 years old but children of all ages are welcome. Spots are limited so register today! Parking Information: There is limited street parking both free and metered around the school. There is a pay-to-park garage directly behind the school and you can bring the ticket into the school to validate for a reduced price. There is also a pay-to-park garage in the New City complex across Halsted. British International School of Chicago is located at 814 W Eastman St, Chicago, IL 60642

Discover the power and joy of music! Meet Southport FUNdamentals and join The Music Playhouse of Chicago for singing, dancing, learning, and fun! This class features music and curriculum by The Music Class® Inc. The Class is 45 minutes in length. Southport FUNdamentals is a community center located on the north end of Chicago's Southport Corridor neighborhood dedicated to MAKING LEARNING FUN for kids of all ages (even grown-ups)! This is a FREE in-person indoor class at Southport Fundamentals. RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Free neighborhood street parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: erin@themusicplayhouseofchicago.com

For families who are NEW to The Music Playhouse! Learn how to interact musically with your child, and Meet The Music Playhouse! Sing, dance, play, and learn! Engaging and interactive songs and activities are designed and modified to benefit little ones. We use play-based and research-based techniques, gamification, and hands-on, interactive activities that keep students engaged and excited to learn. Our primary goals are to foster development, parent/child bonding, and independent music accuracy, and to instill a lifelong love and understanding of music through variety, repetition, and fun! Research shows that exposure to a variety of sounds and rhythms in the first few months of life creates the strongest foundation for developing communication skills and musical aptitude as they grow. Research also shows that singing to and dancing with your baby enriches emotional and social development. This is a free event. RSVP Required. Go here to register. Free neighborhood street parking is available. This is a repeating event with another free class on September 1, 2023, from 9:30 AM to 10:15 AM. This event is located at 5306 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625. RSVP Required. Go here to register for the September 1 class. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: erin@themusicplayhouseofchicago.com

Bubblespalooza Block Party is back! Join us as we celebrate Bubbles Academy's 20th Anniversary and come together to raise funds for Whole Child Arts - free arts programming and scholarships. We're gathering with our favorite small businesses and performers for an amazing morning of music, art, a bubble show, photo booth, vendor activities and more! Register ahead and get your ticket for $10. Free parking with online registration. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: sarah@bubblesacademy.com

The St. Helen Carnival is a fun-filled three-day family-friendly event featuring rides, great music, and delicious food. Hosted in the heart of Chicago's Ukrainian Village is the largest annual event hosted by St. Helen School. The event is free entry with optional food, beverage, and ride tickets available. A 3-day carnival ride pass is available on-site. Friday 9/29: 5 pm - 10 pm Saturday 9/30: 12 pm - 10 pm Sunday 10/1: 12 pm - 8 pm No RSVP is required, but please go here for more information. The event is free entry with optional food, beverage, and ride tickets available. A 3-day carnival ride pass is available on-site. Neighborhood street parking is available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: jennbarron.chicago@gmail.com.

Join us for Sunday play at City Garden Waldorf School! The playdate will start in the private garden where families and children can explore the sandbox, play train, mushroom house, and the rest of the secure play space. Children can roll dough and bake bread with a teacher and while the bread bakes, enjoy a short, age-appropriate puppet play. Afterward, enjoy the fresh-baked bread, continue playing and mingling with other NPN families, and if you like, use the time as an opportunity to talk with the school staff about their program and Waldorf early childhood education. City Garden Waldorf School is located at 920 W 19th St, Chicago, IL 60608. There is ample street parking on 19th Street. Enter the school through the garden located between 920 and 912 W. 19th Street.

Join us for Sunday play at Sacred Heart Schools! There will be fun activities and open play on the turf field if it is nice out or in the gym in case of inclement weather. Parents, relax and enjoy coffee and light bites during this relaxed, fun morning! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Sacred Heart is located at 6250 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago. Park in any of the school lots: https://www.shschicago.org/directions-parking

Celebrate July 4th in Hyde Park with the 4th on 53rd Parade and Festival! The day features a parade with floats, marching bands, community groups, and kids on decorated bikes and scooters on the 1.3-mile route. The parade starts at Hyde Park Bank and ends at Nichols Park with a free festival from 12- 3 p.m. with performances, a petting zoo, bouncy houses, a magician, face painting, and much more. Interested in volunteering? Please go here for more information. Participation in the parade is also welcome. If you are interested in marching, please go here. This is a free event, but donations are welcome. Please go here to donate. For more information about this event, please go here. Paid street parking, Harper Court paid parking structure (entrance on S. Lake Park Avenue just south of McDonald's), Harper Avenue paid surface lot (between 53rd Street and 52nd Street). This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: acsrodon@uchicago.edu.

NPN Playdates are back! Join us for Sunday play at Catherine Cook! There will be fun activities on the Rooftop Playground and there will be two drop-in Read Along sessions 9:15 am - 9:30 am and 10:00 am to 10:15 am in their cozy library. Parents, grab a cup of coffee, share some yummy snacks with your children, relax, and enjoy as your kids experience some fun and unique Catherine Cook School activities! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Catherine Cook is located at 226 W Schiller St, Chicago, IL 60610

Sacred Heart is offering a free parent-tot play group this spring on Wednesdays from 9 - 10 a.m. at our preschool location. For ages 1-3 years old. Join us! This is a repeating event with groups meeting at the same time on May 10, 2023, May 17, 2023, and May 24, 2023. RSVP Required. Please go here to register. Please park on the east side of the church, facing the fence. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: marjie.murphy@shschicago.org

Join CPL for a celebration of the power of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math)! Take part in a wide range of activities at the iconic Winter Garden that will help you learn more about STEAM in the world around you. This is a free event for kids 3 to 11 and their families. No RSVP is required, but you can go here for more information about this event. Street parking is available along Lake Street, or you can find a nearby parking facility here. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: onunez@chipublib.org.

NPN Playdates are back! Join us for STEAM Sunday play at Bennett Day School! There will be fun STEAM activities and snacks for the kids! Parents, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy as your kids have fun and engage with peers! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Bennett Day School is located at 955 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642 If you are planning to drive, you can park for free in the gravel lot on the NW corner at Morgan and Hubbard. There is also free parking available on the west side of Morgan and south side of Hubbard, or metered parking on Grand Ave.

Playtime: Family Fun! Come share moments of joy, laughter, and comfort with these vibrant tales about family, friendships, and life—fun for all ages! Presented by Cinema Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival, the 2023 CineYouth Festival runs April 21-23 at FACETS, featuring the work of students and young filmmakers aged 22 years and younger from Chicago, the U.S., and 17 different countries around the world. Over 60 short films will be programmed into themed screening blocks including "Playtime: Family Fun" with films for all ages. CineYouth also offers workshops and filmmaker Q&As and is an excellent opportunity for emerging filmmakers and anyone interested in the arts to learn more about the industry. We encourage local youth and film lovers of all ages to attend! Dates, times, and events vary. Please go here for more information. This is a free event and street parking is available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: lara@bogenriefPR.com.

Designed and led by Chicago artists, Family Day is a monthly program at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for all families and youth. Enjoy FREE admission while taking part in workshops, open studio sessions, gallery tours, and performances. Free with code FAMILYDAY. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Parking available on site. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: gclarke@mcachicago.org.

To cap off the month of Greek heritage celebrations, Greektown commemorates Greek Independence Day by hosting the Greek Heritage Parade the day after Greece’s national holiday. Presented by The Federation of Hellenic-American Organizations (ENOSIS), and sponsored by Greektown Special Service Area #16, the Greek heritage parade has been established as one of the biggest annual events in the Chicago Greek community since its founding in the 1960s. During this parade celebration, visitors can see colorful traditional costumes, experience traditional Greek music and dance troupe performances, and watch as the community officially celebrates Greek Independence. Keep a look out for more parade announcements on GreektownChicago.org. This is a free event! Street parking is available, as is paid parking for $9. Learn more at greektownchicago.org. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: Maggie@silvermangroupchicago.com.

Join The Goddard School for a fun morning with the Easter Bunny. Enjoy pictures with the Easter Bunny and do arts and crafts with our teachers. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Garage parking is available on Quincy street at the Arkadia garage. Stroller parking is available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: dchicago4il@goddardschools.com.

What do witches, decorated branches, and Easter have to do with each other? Come learn about and celebrate Swedish Easter traditions at the Swedish American Museum! We will serve a Swedish pancake breakfast while kids can do Easter-themed crafts and activities, including making their own påskris – colorful, decorated branches that are found all over Sweden around Easter. Guests will also learn about the very Swedish tradition of Easter witches, where children dress up as witches on the Thursday before Easter and go door to door asking for treats. After breakfast, we will have an Easter egg hunt and scavenger hunt in our Children’s Museum. Whether or not your family celebrates Easter, you are welcome to join in the fun! Easter is often celebrated as a secular holiday in Sweden and this will be a welcoming event. Guests may also come dressed as Easter witches! These witches don’t wear black hats, though: Swedish Easter witches wear colorful scarves tied around their heads, and old clothes, and paint their faces with freckles and red cheeks. Cost: $15 Swedish American Museum members (adults and children 2 and over); $20 non-members (adults and children 2 and over); $5 children aged 12-24 months; Infants are free. Prepaid and confirmed tickets are required and no refunds are available for cancellations within 5 days of the event. Max 60 participants. RSVP Required: Please go here to register. Museum parking is available on the corner of Foster and Ashland Avenues. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: afarzanehfar@samac.org.

NPN Playdates are back! Join us for Sunday play at CPS's brand-new Lincoln Park Early Childhood Center! There will be an open play space, STEM activities sponsored by Peggy Noterbaert, and snacks for the kids! Parents, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy as your kids experience some fun activities! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Location: 1840 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614 (2nd floor of Hemingway Professional Building) Plenty of Street Parking Available

NPN Playdates are back! Join us for Sunday play at Bright Horizons Lakeview! There will be fun art & STEM activities, an obstacle course, a LOVEVERY raffle prize, and snacks for the kids! Parents, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy as your kids experience some fun activities! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Bright Horizons Lakeview is located at 2840 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60657 (plenty of street parking available)

Join us for an opportunity to decorate cookies and create your own Valentine's crafts at The Goddard School of West Loop! No RSVP Required. Garage parking available, at Arkadia Garage. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: Chicago4IL@goddardschools.com.

NPN Playdates are back! Join us for Sunday Family Day at Park West Cooperative! Come and experience a fun day of play in one of Park West Cooperative's award-winning classrooms! Let your child's imagination be your guide and follow them as they explore sand and water, paint, playdough, games, blocks, puzzles, and more. We will have our classrooms and gym space open for families to explore. There will be allergy-friendly snacks provided! This event is for kids aged 2 - 5 years old. Spots are limited so register today! Park West Cooperative is located at 2214 N Bissell St, Chicago, IL 60614

Come for music class, stay for ice cream! Kids who attend this event receive one free kid scoop with purchase of one adult scoop!! Join us at Jeni's Spendid Ice Creams for a fun and active music class for the whole family! Work up an appetite and earn that ice cream with non-stop interactive songs and activities! For families with children ages 0-6 years old to enjoy with a parent or caregiver. Admission is $18 per child. RSVP required. Please go here to register. Street parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: erin@themusicplayhouseofchicago.com.

As a mom to a boisterous four-year-old girl, I am always looking for ways to entertain her and keep her busy. That's why I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to take my daughter, Clarke, to see The Nutcracker for the very first time this year. Clarke has been captivated recently with dance and gymnastics - so I figured an opportunity to take her to see the greatest holiday show ever would be as magical for her as it would be for me! Growing up, I was the girl that always dreamt of going to fancy shows and getting dolled up to go out with my mother. However, with two busy working parents and four other siblings, there was always either a shortage of time or money which meant no ballet performances for me; the closest I would get would be to watch a performance on television. So, once the ticket notification hit my inbox, I was overjoyed! We were going to see The Nutcracker for the first time ever!! In all of my excitement, I ignored warnings that my daughter might be too young to admire the amazing skills of the dancers or to be truly interested in a performance without words or animation - but as we got closer to our performance date, I began to worry about her attention span and a little bit of everything else. Will our seats be close enough for her to see what's actually going on? Will she want to talk the entire time? Will the people near us be patient and understanding if (when) she does talk the entire time?? Will other kids her age even be there??? Alas, our performance date arrived, here's how it went and how I did my best to prepare her. Hours before the ballet: The afternoon leading up to the ballet, we talked about how ballerinas can be girls and boys and how they study dance and practice for years to take part in performances. We also watched a few clips from a YouTube video on the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to prepare for The Nutcracker performance. Personally, I watched a video about the history of The Nutcracker. (Did you know that it was originally written in 1891?!) I didn't set out to watch this video on my own but my daughter was not at all interested in this content. On the way to the ballet: On the way to the ballet, we listened to the famous Tchaikovsky tunes from The Nutcracker while I called out different melodies that I hoped she'd be able to recognize later. During the ballet: After struggling to find parking, we ended up arriving 8 minutes late and had to sit in the late section for the first act. This was the roughest part of the experience for Clarke. She kept asking questions about why the dancers were so far away and trying to rock around in her seat to peer a tiny bit closer at the action on stage. I silently counted down until the conclusion of the first act so we could move to our actual seats. After intermission, a snack, and a bio break - we finally settled into our seats and enjoyed a much closer view. To my delight, we sat next to a five-year-old girl that was also there for her first show with her mom. Her mother and I exchanged smiles of support as the lights dimmed for the final act. Much to my surprise, Clarke was completely enthralled! She was focused in and amazed at the movements. She recognized many of the songs we'd listened to on the way there and she giggled along during the hilarious moments and clapped loudly at the end. I'm pretty sure I sprained a cheek muscle from smiling ear-to-ear for 45 minutes straight. Afterwards: For about a week, our kitchen floors received a complimentary wax as a result of all of the spinning and gliding from Clarke and her fuzziest socks. She was going to be a ballerina, she exclaimed! The kind that dances with nuts. We definitely just started a new tradition in our home. I cannot wait to take her back next year and to personally experience the magic again, myself. The Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker” runs through late December at the Lyric Opera House. A very special thank you to The Silverman Group for providing complimentary tickets and making our dreams come true!

Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is hosting a day of free immersive art exhibitions and activities as part of their series Center Days, an all-ages program filled with artmaking activities, workshops, and artist talks. This month’s program, fully in-person on Saturday, December 10th from 1-4 p.m., is centered around the current exhibitions Ground Floor, Joseriberto: BoboDeco, and Regarding the Missing Objects which features its own tour with the curator, artwork activations by exhibiting artists, classic holiday performances by Four Coast Ensemble and all-age artmaking, while offering open studios from the art center’s new roster of resident artists in 2022. The event is free and open to the public, and pre-registration is encouraged at hydeparkart.org. Advanced registration is required, please go here to register. Parking is available outside the main entrance on Cornell Ave. If the lot is full, you can park on the street anywhere around the Art Center; however, it can take 10-15 minutes to find a spot. These are external partner events. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: maggie@silvermangroupchicago.com.