Maureen Wilkey

Latest posts by Maureen

Bluey's Big Play: A Preschooler's Rock Concert

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Tue, 01/10/2023 - 3:23pm

If you have preschoolers and you don't live under a rock, you might have heard of Bluey. The Australian cartoon about a family of heelers (a breed of dog) has swept the nation with its seven-minute episodes full of catchy music and jokes that are as much for grown-ups as they are for kids. Our kids are around the same age as the title character and her little sister, Bingo, and like the family in the show, our older child looks like Dad and our younger child looks like Mom, so we were early adopters of the Bluey craze. When we found out that Bluey's Big Play: The Stage Show would be coming to the Chicago Theatre for real life, we jumped in our car with the "Nice Parking Spot, Rita" bumper sticker and drove as fast as we could to get tickets.

Igloos, Carhops, and Greenhouses: Fun Chicago Outdoor Restaurants for Winter Family Dining

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Fri, 01/06/2023 - 10:30am

Try outdoor winter dining in an igloo. Photo courtesy of the Lakefront Restaurant's Facebook page

One idea that became extremely popular during the pandemic is outdoor dining and private dining experiences. From igloos to greenhouses, and heated outdoor patios, we've rounded up some of our favorite outdoor dining experiences. When you're in need of a fun outdoor gathering without freezing in the cold, these restaurants have you covered.

For more family-friendly restaurants check out our picks for the best family-friendly restaurants in Chicago. Any of these spots pair nicely with one of our kid-friendly winter activities.

Best of January: 18 Top Things To Do In Chicago With Kids

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Fri, 12/30/2022 - 8:44am

Photo courtesy of the Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival

2022 brought the coldest Chistmas in recent memory, but that means kids can look forward to a variety of frozen winter things to do in Chicago in January 2023 as days get longer. Start off with one of the handful of light shows still hanging around after the holidays, like Illumination at the Morton Arboretum (it's been extended to January 7), or Winter Lights at Central Park in Oak Brook. Move on to some cold weather nature activities, including Polar Adventure Days on Northerly Island or Snow Trekking in the nature sancturary at Burnham Park. Puppets are also taking over Chicago at the Chopin Theater's Icicle Picnic and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.

The end of winter break and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day provide long weekend opportunities for families to take one of our favorite winter day trips from Chicago. We also have lists for the best places to skate, snow tube, and sled. Check out our Winter Fun Guide for even more ideas of what to do if it gets cold or snowy,

Here are our best ideas for things to do in January in Chicago with kids.

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas Kids Can Do: Holiday and Christmas Gift Wrap with Less Waste

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Thu, 12/08/2022 - 12:00pm

The Furoshiki method is a practical way to wrap gifts using pieces of cloth. Photo courtesy of Invaluable

Every year, Americans use about 4.6 million pounds of birthday, holiday, and Christmas gift wrap... and only about half of that wrapping paper gets recycled. That's 2.3 million pounds of glittery, inky, foiled paper going into landfills around the country. But there are loads of gift wrapping ideas that cut back on waste. These eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas involve using cloth, reused paper, metal, wood, or cardboard to wrap gifts; in addition to that, they add a personal touch from your kids.

Here are 13 eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas that will help put less holiday and Christmas gift wrap into landfills this holiday season. For more ways to help save the planet, check out our Earth Kids Guide, and sign up for our Earth Kids newsletter.

Live Christmas Tree vs. Artificial Christmas Tree: Which One is Better for the Earth?

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Tue, 11/15/2022 - 12:00pm

Is it better to chop down a living tree, or reuse a hunk of plastic? We investigated. Photo by Any Lane via Pexels

Every Black Friday, I shoo my kids into the basement, climb the ladder to the attic, and extract our 45-pound artificial Christmas tree. Come January 6, I cram the branches back into the straining box while the kids cry about Christmas being over, then push the box back up the ladder. And every year I wonder if I'm actually helping the environment as I thought by reusing my artificial Christmas tree—or if chopping down a living, breathing Christmas tree would actually be more earth-friendly.

I decided to investigate, and the answer may surprise you... Read on to find out which option is better for our planet, plus get tips on picking the perfect Christmas tree for your family.

For more ways to help save the planet this holiday season and all year long, check out our Earth Kids Guide, and sign up for our Earth Kids newsletter.

How to Compost: A Guide for Kids and Families

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Tue, 10/18/2022 - 10:45am

Did you know that compost actually shouldn't be smelly? Photo by Eva Bronzini

Everything about how to compost sounds like a recipe for disaster: it takes up loads of space, it's super smelly, and everyone knows it attracts mice. Throw kids into the mix, and what parent wants to start that project? Unless ... none of that conventional wisdom is actually true. Composting is clean, stink-and-critter-free, reduces landfill, is great for the earth, and is a task that kids are eager to take on. Ok, mostly critter-free. If you have a backyard, you might want to get some worms—but for your kids, that will be part of the appeal!

Many cities, including New York and Los Angeles, offer composting programs where residents have a separate bin for organic waste. Other cities have private organizations with receptacles in designated locations for compost. But you can also compost in your own yard or kitchen, and with these easy steps to get started, your kids can be a part of the process.

For 26 Tips for Living More Sustainably Every Day and more ideas for creating more earth-friendly habits for your family, check out our Earth Kids Guide and sign up for our Earth Kids newsletter for more ideas and activities every month.

How To Make a Piñata at Home: Easy Paper Bag Piñatas

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Thu, 09/29/2022 - 11:45am

It's easier than you'd think to turn a simple paper lunch bag into a festive piñata!

Piñatas are undeniably fun, no matter what you're celebrating. But buying one at a store can get expensive, and making one out of papier-mâché can be time-consuming (plus it's a recipe for a Pinterest fail). But we can tell you how to make a piñata out of materials you may already have at home—paper bag and tissue paper.

Whether you're planning a birthday party (these make great party activities for kids to take home as a non-traditional goody bag), a Halloween bash, or just a random weekend activity, paper bag piñatas are a great bang for your buck. We made ours in about an hour, and filled them with our favorite candy. My kids added googly eyes and sequins; your decorations are limited only by your imagination!

For more crafty fun, check out our list of 100 awesome art projects for kids and more crafting fun on our Guide to Boredom Busters for Kids.

How to Pack a Zero-Waste School Lunch

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Tue, 09/20/2022 - 11:57am

What kid wouldn't want to eat a lunch this adorable?

Packing a zero-waste school lunch sounds like lots of extra work, but it doesn't have to be hard, and it's worth the effort to create a better planet and Earth-friendly habits for our kids. Wrappers, chip bags, applesauce pouches, milk cartons, juice boxes—there's a lot of waste associated with school lunches. By making school lunches as zero-waste as possible, you can help keep extra packaging and food scraps out of landfills. Luckily, there are lots of ways to easily reduce or eliminate waste in your kids' lunchboxes, and many of them will actually save you money.

Here are our top 12 tips for packing a zero-waste school lunch. For more ways to save the planet, including water conservation tricks and ways to live more sustainably every day, check out our Earth Kids Guide.