Maureen Wilkey

Latest posts by Maureen

Chicago's Best Indoor Places for Tweens and Teens To Hang Out

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Fri, 02/03/2023 - 8:48am

An offbeat Chicago museum makes a fun outing for teenagers. Photo courtesy of the WNDR Museum

Looking for indoor things to do for teens in Chicago? Here are out favorite safe, indoor tween and teen hangouts in the Chicago area.

How is it that teens and tweens seem to get bored so quickly? And is it worse when the weather gets dicey? No worries—we've got plenty of solutions for parents of tweens and teens who NEED to get out of the house, even if it's freezing and wintry mix-ing all over the place.

We also have some great lists for teen and tween birthday party ideas that will include some fun venues for non-birthday events too, and a list of 100 things for kids to do when they're bored. So get them out there and enjoy a few hours without the eye-rolling.

10 Best Winter Hikes In Chicago To Do With Kids

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Fri, 01/20/2023 - 1:16pm

Northerly Island Snow Trek hike near Chicago. Photo courtesy of Chicago Parks and Recreation

Looking for kid-friendly hikes in Chicago? Here are our favorite winter hikes near Chicago to do with kids.

Chicago's 2023 winter season has been mild enough to get kids outside to burn off energy. Our favorite winter hikes in Chicago are fun even in freezing temperatures, plus they're free entertainment. And the great thing about living in the City in a Garden is that you don't have to drive several hours to get to a natural area.

We've rounded up 10 great places to take your kids for a winter hike near Chicago, no matter what the weather. With easy hikes of a mile or less, your kids can find animals (or their tracks), view amazing natural landscapes, see works of art, or learn more about the natural environment in the Midwest. We recommend wearing boots with good traction (or renting snowshoes if your kids are big enough and the snow is over three inches) and overestimating the time it will take to walk each path. Hiking with kids is more fun if you take it slow and easy. Bring your camera so you can remember your amazing journey.

Check out our Winter Fun Guide for more seasonal fun for Chicago kids. And if you lost a mitten and need to head indoors instead, check out our 21 Free Things To Do in Chicago On Cold and Rainy Days.

How To Get Free Stuff, Save Money, and Reduce Waste

Submitted by Maureen Wilkey on Thu, 01/19/2023 - 12:00pm

There are so many fun ways to reuse your Imperfect Foods boxes. Photo courtesy of Imperfect Foods

January is free month here at Mommy Poppins, which means we are all thinking about how to get free stuff and save money. But a new year also means new resolutions, and one of them is to be good to the planet. Luckily, saving money and being Earth-friendly go hand-in-hand. Sure, we may have to spend some extra cash upfront on stuff like compost bins, reusable water bottles, and new light bulbs. But over the long term, these things will help you save money and be less wasteful. And that's a win for both you and the planet! And some of this stuff is free right away...

Here are 12 ideas on how to get free stuff, save money, and cut down on waste. For more ways to have fun with your family without dipping into your wallet, check out your city's Guide to Free Things To Do with Kids. And visit our Earth Kids Guide—and sign up for our Earth Kids newsletter—for more ideas on living more sustainably every day.

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.

Maureen Wilkey

Latest posts by Maureen

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