An Ode To the Front Yard

One of my favorite things about our house is our yard. It’s not massive. But that means that it’s easier to take care of (or rather, it’s easier for Ryan to take care of…he’s the king of the yard…)

This summer, our girls spent way more time in the yard than they ever have. I am always impressed with how creative they can get with their imaginative play while outdoors. Sticks become swords, sure. But sticks also become magic wands, tools for making food, bows, tracks, and landing areas for dragons.

The girls wanted to be sure that they had time to pick dandelions. However, partly because Ryan is the king of the yard, and probably partly because these girls are frequently running back and forth and back and forth and back and forth around the whole yard – we just didn’t have  many dandelions this summer. But, the girls definitely had a lot of fun in the yard.

There were several days in which all that they wanted to do was have a “mud party.” You can see the aftermath of one of those parties in the pic below lol.

The list thus far:

• Go to Disney World.
• Pick blueberries.
• Go bowling.
• Bake some treats.
• See outdoor movies.
• Go to the museums.
• Go to LEGO Discovery Center.
• Visit Brookfield Zoo.
• Go to Morton Arboretum to see the Lego sculptures.
• Visit the Art Institute.
• Eat ice cream.
• Play on the playground.
• Go on a hike.
• Go to the library.
• Go to a festival.
• Have a slumber party.
• Have a pajama day.
• Watch movies at home.
• Visit Granny and Pa.
• Visit Mimi and Pa.
• Have a beach day.
• Pick dandelions out of the yard.
• See fireworks.
• Go to the splash pads.
• Visit Chinatown.
• Play outside.
• Have tea at American Girl.
• Play in our house.

Many museum days

When the girls added “go to the museums” to our summer list, I know that they had planned on hitting up the Chicago museums on the free days. We do those days every summer. However, many of the free days happened while we were on our epic road trip (more on that in a later post). So, although we did go to many museums, we didn’t hit up all of the Chicago museums. And, honestly, that’s ok with me.

Where did we go?

Adler Planetarium

This was the only free day that we went to. It just so happened to be the week before we started our road trip to Florida. The free days are always busy and it can be stressful if you don’t plan out your day. You can read my tips about visiting on free days by clicking here.

Elmhurst Art Museum

This is a small local museum that we love. It’s small enough that you don’t leave the museum feeling exhausted but there is enough to see that it can be a great afternoon activity. Keep an eye on their website to see what new exhibits are coming in and when they’re coming.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Yes, this one was it’s own item on the list. And I already crossed it off. But, I’m listing it again because we just love this museum. 🙂

 

 

 

• Go to Disney World.
• Pick blueberries.
• Go bowling.
• Bake some treats.
• See outdoor movies.
• Go to the museums.
• Go to LEGO Discovery Center.
• Visit Brookfield Zoo.
• Go to Morton Arboretum to see the Lego sculptures.
• Visit the Art Institute.
• Eat ice cream.
• Play on the playground.
• Go on a hike.
• Go to the library.
• Go to a festival.
• Have a slumber party.
• Have a pajama day.
• Watch movies at home.
• Visit Granny and Pa.
• Visit Mimi and Pa.
• Have a beach day.
• Pick dandelions out of the yard.
• See fireworks.
• Go to the splash pads.
• Visit Chinatown.
• Play outside.
• Have tea at American Girl.
• Play in our house.

A Day Full of Art

One of our favorite destinations in Chicago is the Art Institute. Seriously. It’s amazing. And the family programs are fantastic – age-appropriate exploration for the kids and interesting/engaging for the parents, too.

There is a lot to see at the Art Institute. A. Lot. You could spend an entire day wandering around, visiting galleries, reading signs, taking pictures…..and if you are doing it with young kids, you’re probably going to end up crabby. My recommendation? Everyone picks one thing that they want to see or do. Or, complete a passport in the Ryan Learning Center and let that guide your visit.

There are always activities going on in the Learning Center. On our last visit, young artists were encouraged to draw their own still life.

Now that summer is winding down, be on the lookout for most posts as I sum up what we’ve done during the summer months…and how we’re getting ready for fall…..

Our list:

• Go to Disney World.
• Pick blueberries.
• Go bowling.
• Bake some treats.
• See outdoor movies.
• Go to the museums.
• Go to LEGO Discovery Center.
• Visit Brookfield Zoo.
• Go to Morton Arboretum to see the Lego sculptures.
• Visit the Art Institute.
• Eat ice cream.
• Play on the playground.
• Go on a hike.
• Go to the library.
• Go to a festival.
• Have a slumber party.
• Have a pajama day.
• Watch movies at home.
• Visit Granny and Pa.
• Visit Mimi and Pa.
• Have a beach day.
• Pick dandelions out of the yard.
• See fireworks.
• Go to the splash pads.
• Visit Chinatown.
• Play outside.
• Have tea at American Girl.
• Play in our house.