July Events with Park Moms

Join us in July for some great events for moms and kids...

The Loop - God of Our City:

The Loop is Park Community Church's original week-long summer camp program for kids ages 3 through 5th grade. This year we're going to discover that God is our Friend, Protector, Helper, Provider and Savior as we loop through the city of Chicago and see God working and revealing Himself right here!

When: Mon-Fri, July 13-17, 8:30am - 12:00pm
Where: Park Community Church, 1001 N. Crosby Chicago, IL
Contact: Email children@parkcommunitychurch.org with any questions
Register: Sign up online at parkcommunitychurch.org

Moms Group Beach Day:

Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Foster Avenue Beach

Hey, moms! Bring the kids, your friends, and the fun for a Moms’ Group Beach Day! Meet us at 10 AM at the end of the sidewalk, in between the two lifeguard towers. Street parking is available but at a distance. There is a concession stand nearby for snacks. Bagged lunch is recommended. Raindate is July 28. Contact Deanna for details at deannalwilson@yahoo.com or 773.227.1901.

Upcoming Free Admission Days

Mark the calendar now for free days in June at some of Chicago's best museums:

Museum of Science and Industry: 1-5

Field Museum: June 8

Shedd Aquarium: June 14-19

*Be sure to double check these dates with the museum website and be aware that certain / special exhibits may not be included.

Event Calendar - New on the ParkMoms.com website!

We've added an events calendar to the ParkMoms.com website. You can check it out here. The calendar has events specific to ParkMoms, family related events at Park Community Church and sometimes we'll even list special events in Chicago that moms might enjoy.

Have You Been to the Arboretum Lately?

I'm a little slow to catch on to some of the best "secrets" of parenting in Chicagoland - like how to get into the good park district programs - so when I finally figure something out, I'm excited to share it with the world. If you are already wise to the Arboretum then just bear with me.

During our dating/childless years of marriage, my husband and I visited the Morton Arboretum many times for photography outings, drives through nature and beginner level hiking. I even hiked some trails at the Arboretum on my due date hoping it would help me go into labor (no luck)! We really didn't have a clue that there was a children's section until this past fall when we took our daughter to the Arboretum for a photoshoot. We were amazed at what we found and I've been waiting for the weather to warm up so we could take a return trip.

Long story short, they have a 4 acre children's garden that is state-of-the-art and features super fun stuff to climb on and splash in and discover. In my opinion, if your child is a confident walker, they will get plenty out of the experience. They even have a toddler sized maze! The place is stroller friendly and has a large bathroom with changing tables. There are picnic tables a plenty and some grassy spots for picnics. You can spend hours without even leaving the children's garden.

The Morton Arboretum is located in Lisle, IL. The admission is a bit pricey, but here's a few tips:
Wednesday has reduced admission prices.
Here's what we did...pay regular admission on your first visit and if you decide you'd probably come back a few more times you can take your admission receipt to the membership desk and turn it in toward a paid membership. They have several family packages to pick from.

If you are interested in the Morton Arboretum in general check out their website at www.mortonarb.org.

Here at some more specific family related links:
Children's Garden
Children's Programs and Events

There is also a new exhibit that looks like it will be amazing:
May 22–November 15
See, touch, and explore 11 whimsically-imaginative Animal Houses. This new outdoor exhibition lets you explore every nook and cranny of our enormous animal houses, all built to human-scale.

Jill Savage Event a Success

Earlier this month, Jill Savage introduced the real Jesus to us real moms. Pictured above is Jill with the event team. Jill brought lessons that examined key behaviors and decisions Jesus made during His life on earth. What a great reminder that Jesus is not an unattainable deity but a Friend who understands.

Did you attend? Let us know what you thought about the event by leaving a comment here

Now Jill is conducting an online discussion of her book Real Moms...Real Jesus on her blog.

Click these links to catch up with the discussions:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Free Admission Days This Week

This week there are a couple really great free admission opportunities:

Wednesday, April 22 the Museum of Science and Industry is free.
Friday, April 24 the Morten Arboretum (Lisle, IL) is free in honor of Arbor Day.

For a list of free admissions to other Chicago museums check out this list on ParkMoms.com:
Chicago Museum Free Admission Days

Chicago Park District Summer Programs

I have heard some interesting stories about registering for the Chicago Park District Summer Programs. Most involve sitting at a computer info pre-entered cursor poised over the submit button waiting for the first second of open online registration. I've even heard of up before the crack of dawn, marathon standing in line sessions for in park registration. If you have tips or stories please share by leaving a comment.

Here's some info from the Chicago Park District website:

SUMMER 2009 PROGRAM SESSION DATES
Program information available for viewing online: Monday, April 6
Online registration begins: Monday, April 20 at 9am
In-person registration at most parks* begins: Saturday, April 25
Online registration ends: Sunday, June 14
General program session runs the weeks of: Monday, June 15 - Sunday, August 23
Camp session (for most camps) runs June 22 - July 31