When you were a child, snow was magic. Now when the flakes start falling, your adult self probably thinks less about snowmen and more about snow blowers. Shift your winter outlook by making it fun again. Behold, 15 ideas to take the trudge out of the season and put a spring in your step.
Get Cultured
1. Visit Chicago’s Adler Planetarium for their Winter Skywatch Live to find some beauty in this frigid season or spend the night in the museum with your 6-10 year olds at the Astro Overnight (there are evening-only options for those who like the comfort of their own beds). 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 312-922-7827
2. Leave it to the Museum of Science and Industry to make a mirror maze educational—have silly fun with their Numbers in Nature. 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 773-684-1414
3. It may be icy outside, but it’s warm inside the Orchid Show Greenhouses and Galleries at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The show runs from Feb.14 to March 15, featuring Morning Music with the Orchids on Tuesday and Thursday mornings as well as special events like an Evening with the Orchids Cocktail Tasting and the Illinois Orchid Society Spring Show and Sale. 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, 847-835-5440
Foodie Fun
4. Give your kids some kitchen skills with The Chopping Block’s Kid’s Cooking Classes on Saturdays (ages 7-11) or Sundays (ages 3-7). Upcoming classes will cover sushi, sloppy joes and sweets. Or, try Sweet Mandy B’s for a midweek class experience that will leave your tot with treats to bring home—everyone wins. The Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 773-472-6700; Sweet Mandy B’s, 1208 W. Webster Ave, Chicago, 773-244-1174
5. Make like a tourist and head to the House of Blues Gospel Brunch. The brunch features stations serving omelets and fried chicken-and-waffles as well as carved meats and macaroni and cheese. Local and regional gospel acts take the stage and bring you to your feet every Sunday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. 329 N. Dearborn, Chicago, 312-923-2000
6. Enjoy fresh food and homemade goodies at an indoor farmer’s market. Evanston’s Farmer and Artisan Indoor Market takes place every Saturday through April at the Evanston Ecology Center. The Green City Market also carries on through winter on two Saturdays a month, January through April, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd., Evanston, 847-448-8256; Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive in Lincoln Park, 773-755-5100, Chicago
Get Active
7. Tired of skating in circles at your local ice rink? Try the newly opened Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon. The ribbon meanders along a creek-like path through trees at the base of Chicago’s skyline. Admission is free but skate rentals run $12 (expect long lines for rentals, bring your own if you have them). North end of Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St., Chicago, 312-742-7648
8. Make like it’s the ‘70s and trade in your blades for some wheels. Head to Orbit Skate Center for some old-fashioned roller skating fun to some new-fashioned pop music. The enthusiastic rink coaches offer free lessons every Saturday at noon for newbies. 615 S. Consumers Ave., Palatine, 847-394-9199
9. A sport that you can sit down for? Check out the newly opened WhirlyBall in Bucktown (other locations in Vernon Hills and Lombard). WhirlyBall combines lacrosse, hockey, basketball and bumper cars for a game that features more amusement than athletics. In fact their site notes, “Agility. Speed. Strength. None of these qualities will be of any use.” The bad news: only kids 12 and older can play. The good news: you won’t be beat by your 6-year-old. If you’re still feeling playful, they’ve got laser tag and bowling for all ages. 1825 W. Webster Ave., Chicago, 773-486-7777
Stay Home
10. Pop some corn, light the fireplace, bring on the pillows and blankets to host a family movie marathon. 2015 is the year forecasted in “Back to the Future Part II”—flying cars and self-tying shoes anyone? Spend a day inside watching the “Back to the Future” trilogy. For younger kids, the key is to find a movie that they’ll like but won’t make you miserable. Try “Enchanted,” “The Iron Giant” or “Up.”
11. Gather the whole family and work together to get creative. Write a group story by sitting around a table and giving each person a piece of paper and a pen. Instruct everyone to write the first three sentences of a made-up story then to fold the paper so that only the last line is showing. Pass each paper to the right for the next person to add three lines to the story and fold until only their last bit is showing and so on. When the page makes it back to its owner, stop and read the stories aloud (they are often hilarious). You can do the same with drawing monsters by folding a blank sheet into thirds and drawing a silly or scary head in the first section, folding it over and passing it on for the next person to do the body then to the third for the legs and feet. Open the pages and name your monsters.
12. Belly up to the table, put on some music and play some board games. For younger kids, choose games with simple rules like Don’t Break the Chain, Finders Keepers, or Jenga. With your 8+ year olds, introduce strategy games such as Clue, Picwits, or Spy Alley. And if you have teens that want to hang and play a game with you (congrats you!), try Balderdash, Apples to Apples, or Loaded Questions.
Leave the Kids at Home
13. Check out the line-up at the Winter 2015 Chicago Humanities Festival to learn a thing or two about the creative arts. Graphic novelist Scott McCloud, Sonic Youth band founder Kim Gordon, and author Christina Henriquez will speak at this season’s events, which take place at various locations.
14. Feel in-the-know by taking your friends to one of the city’s “hidden bars.” See that small door handle hiding in the mural across the street from Bucktown’s Big Star restaurant? Open it to enter Violet Hour and indulge in their fresh, innovative cocktail menu. For a louder and rowdier experience, head down the alley between Hubbard and Illinois and look for the blue light to find Three Dots and a Dash—a tiki bar featuring island flavors and extravagantly garnished drinks. Violet Hour, 1520 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, 773-252-1500; Three Dots and a Dash, 435 N. Clark St., Chicago, 312- 610-4220
15. Union Station turns into a giant beer hall for The Chicago Beer Festival on March 21. More than 45 domestic and international breweries will be offering their seasonal spring beers (you can pretend winter’s over!). Get your tickets in advance since no door tickets will be sold at this event. 500 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago
