Things to do with kids in Chicago, IL

Week of Jul 29 – Aug 5, 2026

Here's what's actually worth your family's time this week — each one checked against its source, with the registration windows and ages we could verify. We left out anything we couldn't stand behind.

Last checked Wed, Jul 29

• Class #551: Oil Painting – Still Life: Any Subject with Michael Van Zeyl

  Ongoing through Tue, Aug 25 · Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts

  • $$$
• Little Red Schoolhouse Bird Watching & Binocular Basics

  Wed, Jul 29 · 9:30 AM · Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

  • Free
  • Ages 4–14
• Scoville Park Outdoor Family Storytime

  Wed, Jul 29 · 10:30 AM · Oak Park Public Library - Main Library

  • Free
  • Ages 2–6
• Field Museum Junior Paleontologist Workshop

  Wed, Jul 29 · 10:30 AM · Field Museum of Natural History

  • $$
  • Ages 6–12
• Chicago Children's Museum Waterways & Boats Studio

  Wed, Jul 29 · 11:00 AM · Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier

  • $$
  • Ages 2–9
• Little Red Schoolhouse Insect Netting & Magnifiers

  Wed, Jul 29 · 11:00 AM · Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

  • Free
  • Ages 4–12
• Evanston Art Center Youth Printmaking Studio

  Wed, Jul 29 · 1:30 PM · Evanston Art Center

  • $$
  • Ages 8–15
• Oak Park Youth Summer Chess Club

  Wed, Jul 29 · 4:00 PM · Oak Park Public Library - Main Library

  • Free
  • Ages 6–14
• Sunset Serenity Hike

  Wed, Jul 29 · 8:00 PM · Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

• Stories in the Forest

  Thu, Jul 30 · 10:00 AM · Trailside Museum of Natural History

  • Ages 0–5
• Kohl Children's Museum Habitat Park Art & Clay Studio

  Thu, Jul 30 · 10:00 AM · Kohl Children's Museum

  • $
  • Ages 2–7
• Fullersburg Woods Salt Creek Beaver Lodge Walk

  Thu, Jul 30 · 10:00 AM · Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center

  • Free
  • Ages 4–14
• Nature’s Art Box

  Thu, Jul 30 · 10:30 AM · Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

  • Ages 3–6
• Fridays in the Field

  Fri, Jul 31 · 10:00 AM · Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

• Nichols Library Friday LEGO Build & Display

  Fri, Jul 31 · 2:00 PM · Naperville Public Library - Nichols Library

  • Free
  • Ages 5–12
• Tale Spin Youth Storytelling Workshop

  Fri, Jul 31 · 2:00 PM · Evanston Public Library Main Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 7–12
• Smart Museum of Art Family Gallery Walk & Sketch

  Fri, Jul 31 · 2:00 PM · Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago

  • Free
  • Ages 5–14
• Chinatown Library Chinese Calligraphy for Kids

  Fri, Jul 31 · 3:00 PM · Chicago Public Library - Chinatown Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 7–14
• Summer Reading Bash & Book Giveaway

  Fri, Jul 31 · 4:00 PM · Evanston Public Library Main Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 0–12
• Little Lights Up! Summer Camp – Animal Adventures

  Sat, Aug 1 · Metropolis Performing Arts Centre

  • $
• Class #406: Basic Oil Painting with Andrew Conklin

  Sat, Aug 1 · 9:30 AM · Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts

  • $$$
• Trailside Resonance: Listening to Nature

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:00 AM · Trailside Museum of Natural History

• Bronzeville Children's Museum Youth & Family Program 1

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:00 AM · Bronzeville Children's Museum

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Touch-A-Truck Summer Interactive Experience 2026

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:00 AM · Kohl Children's Museum

  • $
  • Ages 1–8
• Water Works Splash & Experiment Saturday

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:00 AM · Kohl Children's Museum

  • $$
  • Ages 1–8
• McFetridge Sports Center Youth & Family Program 1

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:00 AM · McFetridge Sports Center

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Rogers Park Library Saturday Morning Story & Craft

  Sat, Aug 1 · 10:30 AM · Chicago Public Library - Rogers Park Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 2–6
• Logan Square Library Weekend LEGO Builders

  Sat, Aug 1 · 11:00 AM · Logan Square Branch Library

  • Free
  • Ages 4–12
• Edgewater Library Saturday STEAM Marble Run Challenge

  Sat, Aug 1 · 11:00 AM · Chicago Public Library - Edgewater Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 6–12
• McFetridge Sports Center Late Summer Family Festival 1

  Sat, Aug 1 · 11:00 AM · McFetridge Sports Center

  • Free
  • Ages 2–14
• Elgin History Pioneers: Hands-on Cobblestone Craft

  Sat, Aug 1 · 11:00 AM · Elgin History Museum

  • $
  • Ages 5–11
• The Art Center Highland Park Youth Charcoal & Pastel

  Sat, Aug 1 · 11:00 AM · The Art Center Highland Park

  • $$
  • Ages 7–14
• Splash Bash Saturdays at Sunset Pool

  Sat, Aug 1 · 1:00 PM · Island Park & Fox River Trailhead

  • Ages 1–3
• Ping Tom Memorial Park Fieldhouse Youth Open Gym

  Sat, Aug 1 · 1:00 PM · Ping Tom Memorial Park Fieldhouse

  • Free
  • Ages 8–15
• Evanston Library Saturday Lego Robotics League

  Sat, Aug 1 · 1:00 PM · Evanston Public Library Main Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 9–15
• Class #336: Basic Course in Drawing with Andrew Conklin

  Sat, Aug 1 · 1:30 PM · Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts

  • $$$
• FACETS Children's Film Center & Cinema Youth & Family Program 2

  Sat, Aug 1 · 2:00 PM · FACETS Children's Film Center & Cinema

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• What’s On The Menu?

  Sat, Aug 1 · 3:00 PM · River Trail Nature Center

• Music Box Theatre Youth & Family Program 1

  Sun, Aug 2 · 10:00 AM · Music Box Theatre

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Dinos Alive Family Walk

  Sun, Aug 2 · 10:00 AM · Brookfield Zoo

  • $$
• Pond Dip Discovery

  Sun, Aug 2 · 10:30 AM · Trailside Museum of Natural History

  • Ages 5–12
• Farm-in-the-Zoo Family Feeding & Storytime

  Sun, Aug 2 · 10:30 AM · Lincoln Park Zoo

  • Free
  • Ages 1–8
• Danada Equestrian Center Barn & Horse Grooming Tour

  Sun, Aug 2 · 11:00 AM · Danada House & Equestrian Center

  • $
  • Ages 4–14
• McFetridge Sports Center Late Summer Family Festival 2

  Sun, Aug 2 · 11:00 AM · McFetridge Sports Center

  • Free
  • Ages 2–14
• Field Museum Inside Ancient Egypt Explorer Tour

  Sun, Aug 2 · 11:00 AM · Field Museum of Natural History

  • $$
  • Ages 5–14
• Beverly Library Sunday Family Chess & Checkers

  Sun, Aug 2 · 1:30 PM · Chicago Public Library - Beverly Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 6–14
• Little Italy Library Comic Book Drawing & Storyboarding

  Sun, Aug 2 · 1:30 PM · Chicago Public Library - Little Italy Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 8–15
• First Touch Butterfly Release & Storytime

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

  • Free
  • Ages 1–7
• Bronzeville Children's Museum Youth & Family Program 1

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Bronzeville Children's Museum

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Haas Park Fieldhouse Youth Dodgeball & Tag

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Haas Park Fieldhouse

  • Free
  • Ages 6–12
• West Town Library Sunday Slime & Polymer Lab

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Chicago Public Library - West Town Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 6–12
• McFetridge Sports Center Youth & Family Program 2

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · McFetridge Sports Center

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Skatium Ice Arena Sunday Family Open Skate

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Skatium Ice Arena

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Rogers Park Library Sunday LEGO Robot Building

  Sun, Aug 2 · 2:00 PM · Chicago Public Library - Rogers Park Branch

  • Free
  • Ages 8–14
• What’s On The Menu?

  Sun, Aug 2 · 3:00 PM · River Trail Nature Center

• Paws in the Park Day

  Mon, Aug 3 · 9:00 AM · Cantigny Park

  • $
  • Age 2
• Children's Museum in Oak Lawn Youth & Family Program 1

  Mon, Aug 3 · 10:00 AM · Children's Museum in Oak Lawn

  • $
  • Ages 3–14
• Habitat Park Outdoor Discovery Crawl

  Mon, Aug 3 · 10:00 AM · Kohl Children's Museum

  • $$
  • Ages 1–8
• Farm Animal Storytime & Barn Visit

  Mon, Aug 3 · 10:00 AM · Cosley Zoo

  • $
  • Ages 1–6
• Symphony Center Youth Brass & Percussion Concert

  Mon, Aug 3 · 11:00 AM · Symphony Center

  • $$
  • Ages 5–14