Where to Wednesday: Chicago Fun With Little Ones

Recently I traveled back to one of my favorite cities: Chicago. I lived in Chicago for a while, and always love heading back. This was the first time I traveled to the Windy City with both Maggie and Alex. It was exciting to show them the city and experience it with kids. My girls are still a little young to really appreciate all of the museums and architecture Chicago has to offer, but there are a lot of great things for the smallest travelers to enjoy too.  After a week of exploring, this is list of our favorite things for little kids:

1. Where to Stay: Four Seasons Chicago

The Four Seasons Chicago was very family friendly & a great place to stay. I was able to relax & enjoy the stay while the kids felt welcomed & had a lot of fun. The pool at the Four Seasons Chicago was a vacation highlight for Maggie & Alex. They had fun splashing around & thought it was awesome that there was a giant “toy chest” filled with floaties for them to try.

As a parents of 2 young children, the Kid’s Clubroom at the Four Seasons Chicago was a lifesaver. One thing that’s always tough vacationing with little ones is not having toys & a play space. The Kid’s Clubroom solved that problem! It’s a room in the hotel dedicated to kids & playtime. It’s bright, colorful & full of toys for all ages. We spent hours in the Clubroom one rainy afternoon.

2. Where to Shop: Michigan Ave

Michigan Ave has wonderful shopping for all ages. It’s a beautiful street to walk, with a lot to see. Water Tower Place is home to American Girl Place. My girls were in doll heaven & couldn’t decide what to look at first. The staff was so friendly & helped the girls find fun things to play with for their age. This was definitely a memorable stop on our trip.

3. Where to Eat: Meals & Cupcakes

For a fun dinning experience, check out Foodlife in Water Tower Place. It’s a fun, cafeteria style restaurant, with options for everyone. Foodlife features 14 “kitchens” all with food made from scratch daily. Family members can walk around & “charge” different foods on a small card you’re given when seated. It looks like a plastic hotel room key & makes for an easy checkout when the meal is over.

For the best dessert in town, try Sweet Mandy B’s located in Lincoln Park. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, so this one of my favorite places back when I lived in Chicago. I couldn’t wait to bring Maggie & Alex. In addition to having the tastiest cupcakes around, the bakery is adorable & the bright colors of the cookies & cupcake icing makes it a fun & cheerful spot.

4. A Special Treat: A Visit From the Ice Cream Man

While staying at the Four Seasons Chicago, we had a special visit from the Ice Cream Man. Maggie & Alex are still talking about it. One night after dinner, there was a knock on our hotel room door. I let Maggie answer (I had scheduled the visit & knew who it was). She couldn’t believe there was a cart full of ice cream & toppings! The Ice Cream Man let them help create the sundae of their choice. He was so friendly & the girls had a blast. They also enjoyed eating the sundaes! Maggie always says “remember when we ate big ice creams in our hotel room?”. It was certainly a special treat!

5. Favorite Activity: Lincoln Park Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo is a lot of fun & very manageable for little ones. Another plus: it’s free! Maggie & Alex loved the zoo. We saw lots of monkeys, a lion, sea lions & more. Then we took a ride on the zoo’s beautiful carousel. It was tough for the girls to decide which animal to ride on! On the far south end of the zoo (it’s almost like you have to leave the zoo to get to it) is the Farm at the Zoo. This was a lot of fun, especially “Greet the Goats”.

6. Favorite Park: Oz Park

Chicago has many wonderful parks. I always think it’s important to take “park breaks” while on vacation. Kids need time to just run around & get their energy out. Our favorite park, was Oz Park. This adorable playground, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, is a great place to play. At the 4 corners of the park, a statue of one of the characters from the Wizard of Oz greets you.

We had a fabulous time in Chicago. In addition to a week of sight seeing & fun, we had a chance to see many great friends too. We miss them & the Windy City already & can’t wait to plan a trip back!

I was not compensated for this post. One night at the Four Seasons Chicago was complimentary for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.