Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago in Glenview kicks off its milestone 25th anniversary year with free admission for all guests on Sunday, July 25 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The celebration continues with a packed week of fun, interactive programming and musical entertainment that focuses on a different theme each day. The celebration culminates with a grand ice cream and cake party for all Museum guests, sponsored by Bobtail Ice Cream, Dominick’s and Tetra Pak, on Friday, July 30.
“During this landmark anniversary year, the Museum is both honoring its past and looking forward to the future,” says Sheridan Turner, President & CEO. “The Museum is perfectly positioned now to really promote and provide opportunities for complex play as a critical component in early childhood education. By doing so, we can continue to nurture a love of learning in young children for many years to come.”
The Museum’s founder, Dolores Kohl, created the institution to show teachers, parents, and caregivers the critical role of hands-on complex play in early childhood education. Originally housed in a former bowling alley in Wilmette, the Museum quickly outgrew its facility, and in 2005 moved to a much larger home in Glenview. The new $18.1 million site offers 17 engaging, on-hands exhibits, all exclusively designed for children ages birth to eight. The building itself is among the area’s most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, having earned Silver-level LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Activities for the Anniversary Kick-Off Week include:
Sunday, July 25 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. -- “Free Admission Day”
Kohl Children’s Museum kicks off 25th anniversary celebration with free admission to all during Museum hours on Sunday, July 25.
12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Block Play
Explore the world of construction with oversized soft building blocks, perfect for children ages 1 to 4.
12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. “Readers are Leaders” performance by Miss Lori
Sponsored by WTTW, this performance will include original songs, engaging activities, story readings, and a free children's book for the first 200 children in attendance!
12 p.m. Chicago Parent Goody Bags The first 200 guests will receive complimentary Goody Bags stuffed with prizes, coupons, and free magazine issues courtesy of Chicago Parent Magazine.
Monday, July 26 – “Science Day”
10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Very Hungry Caterpillar Appearance
The Hungry Caterpillar, from children’s author Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” meets and greets with museum attendees.
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Chicago Botanic Gardens Wiggly WormsJoin experts from the Chicago Botanic Garden to explore a worm compost bin and discover where worms like to live and what they like to eat. Find out about worms’ jobs as decomposers. Plant a seed and use worm compost tea to give your future plant a healthy start.
3 p.m. & 4 p.m. Bubble Juggler Geoff Akins Performances
International Bubble Artist, Geoffrey “Merlin” Akins, creates moments of wonder and awe during his captivating and hilarious “Bubbleology” performance. Akins does the most amazing things with ordinary soap bubbles, such as intricate sculptures like Bubble Caterpillars, Ice Cream Cones, Snowman, smoke-filled Volcano Bubbles, the impossible Square Bubble and a fully functional Bubble Merry-Go-Round.
Tuesday, July 27 – “Health and Safety Day”
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Smokey Bear Meet and GreetSmokey Bear, the United States Forest Service’s most well-known mascot, will visit the Museum to take pictures with kids and participate in the recently opened Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home exhibit, which encourages families to spend time together outdoors, and inspire children to discover and care for the natural resources that sustain our world. The exhibit runs through Sept. 26.
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Little Legends Soccer ClinicLittle Legends Soccer Academy (LLSA) visits the Museum to teach kids the fundamentals of soccer by their trainer professions. The LLSA teaches kids ages 3 to 11 the fundamentals of soccer with a special focus on having fun, being active, and making friends.
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Gymboree
It’s time to get active! Representatives from Gymboree will lead children in physical activity with the help of music, balls, and a full-size colorful parachute!
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver’s trained and certified volunteer speakers visit the Museum to provide multiple free safety presentations geared towards kids and families about public safety around railroad tracks.
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Firezone Fire Engine Exploration
Climb aboard and safely explore a life-size fire engine on the tent pad at the Museum’s free parking lot.
Wednesday, July 28 - “Arts and Literacy Day”
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free Family Photos by “Cute as a Button” Photography
Museum attendees get the special opportunity to receive a free family portrait taken by “Cute as a Button Photography,” a boutique children photography studio.
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Blick Art Materials Activity
Join Blick Art Materials as they create works of art for children of all ages. Blick artists will be on hand to help with fun art projects, such as, paper flowers, crazy-faced buttons and decorative wood shapes. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to spin the famous Blick Prize Wheel and win an array of excellent prizes.
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Writers’ Theatre Children’s Acting WorkshopJoin Writers' Theatre's teaching artists to explore the well-known children’s story Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Using their bodies and voices, participants will bring the roles of the cap peddler, the silly meddling monkeys and other characters in the book to life.
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Clifford the Big Red Dog AppearanceThe beloved children’s character makes an appearance at the Museum to meet and greet with it young fans.
Thursday, July 29 - “Music Day”
10 a.m. & 11 a.m. Karen Banks-Lubicz Concerts
Karen Banks-Lubicz, a Ravinia teaching artist and Old Town School of Folk Music teacher, will lead young children on a musical journey of song and dance. Karen has been featured on two recordings from Old Town School of Folk Music, “Wiggleworms Love You” and “Songs for Wiggleworms.” She has played folk/rock in the band The Caulfields, and sung blues in The Undertakers, alternative/country with Urban Twang and pop-rock with The Davenports. She recently released a children’s CD, “Karen for Kids.”
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat
The curious little monkey and his owner the Man in the Yellow Hat visit the Museum for a special story hour. Curious George has captured the imagination and hearts of millions of children and adults for 65 years, and will come to life at Kohl Children's Museum from Oct. 19 to February 5 with the exhibit, Curious George: Let's Get Curious! The exhibit will introduce young children to Curious George’s world and lead visitors on a fun, meaningful interactive math, science and engineering-based adventure.
1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m. Mindy Hester & the Time Outs Concerts
Popular singer/songwriter Mindy Hester plays recognizable adult songs with kid-friendly lyrics. She will perform three family-friendly concerts at the Museum at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. that will have kids dancing and parents clapping. The band frequently plunders the melodies of famous songs to create clever parodies.
Friday, July 30 - “Grand Celebration”
10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Very Hungry Caterpillar appearance
The Hungry Caterpillar, from children’s author Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” will meet and greet guests.
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cake and Ice Cream Party
Sponsored by Bobtail Ice Cream, Dominick’s, and Tetra Pak, all Museum guests will enjoy cake, ice cream, and refreshments in celebration of Kohl Children’s Museum’s 25th anniversary.
1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Curious George Appearance
Curious George stops by the museum to take pictures with attendees.
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Clifford the Big Red Dog AppearanceThe beloved children’s character returns to meet more of his young fans.
History of Kohl Children’s Museum
Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago was founded in 1985 as an extension of the Kohl Teaching Center in Wilmette, one of four such centers in Illinois and Israel conceived by Dolores Kohl in 1972 and supported by the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation. Offering creative methods of enhancing traditional approaches to teaching, Kohl Teaching Centers provided training and educational resources to teachers and helped them incorporate hands-on experiences into their classrooms. Kohl Children’s Museum was founded to continue reaching educators and extend its service to meet the growing needs of families and the community at large through interactive exhibits and hands-on programs.
In 1998, Sheridan Turner became the Museum’s president and CEO and Dolores Kohl stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the Museum, expressing a strong desire for the Museum to be funded by the community that had come to rely on its services. With new leadership in place, the Museum’s Board of Trustees, led by Board Chairman Frederick H. Waddell of Northern Trust, conceived and realized plans for a new facility in Glenview, just five miles from the original Wilmette location, which opened to the public in 2005. The total square footage of the Museum is a 46,700 square feet, with 23,000 square feet of public space. An additional 2-acre outdoor exhibit space, Habitat Park, allows for Museum attendance to be less weather-dependent.
Accessibility
The Museum believes in the importance of being equally available to guests with any level of physical, visual, auditory or cognitive challenge. All public areas are 100%
ADA-compliant. The facility and all exhibits have been designed using the principles of universal design, which go beyond accessibility with an approach that uses multi-sensory experiences as educational tools. These experiences allow all guests with any level of physical, visual, auditory, and cognitive ability to experience the Museum and its offerings.
Universal Design
Universal design simplifies life for everyone by making products, communications, and elements of the Museum's spatial environment easier to use for every child, including those with movement differences, reduced vision or hearing, or cognitive impairments. Special attention has been paid to such aspects as labels and signage, accessible routes, and positioning of interactive elements that will enhance the Museum experience for everyone.
A Green Building
Kohl Children’s Museum believes in being good stewards of the environment in order to maintain a world that our children can enjoy for many years to come. Kohl Children’s Museum has created an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient facility that has earned Silver-level certification as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Directions and Hours
Kohl Children’s Museum is located at 2100 Patriot Blvd., in Glenview, Ill. at the corner of Patriot Blvd. and West Lake Ave. in the newly redeveloped area known as The Glen. The
Museum can be easily reached by public transportation, including Pace bus and Metra trains. For more information, visit www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org or call (847) 832-6600. The Museum is open on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Special members-only hours are from Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Admission prices are $8.50 for children and adults and $7.50 for senior citizens. Children under 1-year-old and members are free.
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