Keeping your children active, learning, and having fun is important to their growth and development. When your child participates in activities outside of school, they get the opportunity to meet new friends, learn skills, and discover their own passions.
As you look for kids activities in Chicago, you might be overwhelmed by the number of options. Will you sign up for mommy and me classes, toddler activities, or topic-specific classes like art camps? You can try them all!
Kids activities in Chicago
Family activities in Chicago
Participating in activities with your baby is a great way to establish a strong bond, enhance social skills, and have fun together. Research shows that this type of experience helps infants learn social cues, communication skills, and emotional regulation. Mom and tot classes, infant music classes, baby yoga classes, and other interactive family activities provide these benefits and more. Here are some of our favorite family activities in Chicago so you can find the right one.
Mr. Dave Music
What is Mr. Dave Music?
Mr. Dave Music offers infant music classes in Chicago as well as outdoor concerts, baby raves, and family events. Their programming combines music, movement, and art and gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to explore with their little ones. Children practice creativity while having fun and discovering music. Learn more about the benefits of music classes in our article.
What age group can take Mr. Dave Music classes?
3 months to 6 years old
Where are Mr. Dave Music’s classes?
Mr. Dave Music offers classes in the Lincoln Park and Gold Coast neighborhoods of Chicago.
Book Mr. Dave Music classes
Bubbles Academy
What is Bubbles Academy?
Bubbles Academy is an early childhood arts enrichment center with interactive and developmentally-focused activities for babies and toddlers. They offer storytimes, baby yoga classes, art, music, and more classes and events for little ones. Learn more about the benefits of yoga classes for kids as well as the stages of play development in our guides.
What age group can take Bubbles Academy classes?
3 months to 6 years old
Where are Bubbles Academy’s classes?
Bubbles Academy offers indoor and outdoor classes in the Bucktown and Streeterville neighborhoods of Chicago.
Book Bubbles Academy classes
Tiny Tunes Studio
What is Tiny Tunes Studio?
Tiny Tunes Studio provides early childhood music education and mom and tot classes in Chicago. Little ones learn about rhythm through interactive classes focused on creative play, exploration, and having fun. They also offer sensory music classes where babies practice signing, listen to stories, and have tummy time.
What age group can take Tiny Tunes Studio classes?
3 months to 5 years old
Where are Tiny Tunes Studio’s classes?
Tiny Tunes Studio offers indoor and outdoor classes all around Chicago. Their studio is in the Near South Side neighborhood.
Book Tiny Tunes Studio classes
The Music Playhouse of Chicago
What is The Music Playhouse of Chicago?
The Music Playhouse of Chicago gives young children the opportunity to explore singing, keeping rhythm, and having fun with music. Their teaching methods are inspired by early child development research. Plus, their classes cover a wide variety of musical styles, eras, and rhythms to maximize musical potential and learning. Their sessions are high energy and interactive.
What age group can take The Music Playhouse of Chicago classes?
0 months to 6 years old
Where are The Music Playhouse of Chicago’s classes?
The Music Playhouse of Chicago offers classes indoor classes all around Chicago
Book The Music Playhouse of Chicago classes
Toddler activities in Chicago
There are so many exciting toddler activities in Chicago to help your child learn to share, explore, and discover what they love. Plus, classes help toddlers combat separation anxiety so they can start preschool, and then kindergarten, with ease.
- Open play, camps, and enrichment programming | Hyde Park Neighborhood Club (Indoor & outdoor classes in Hyde Park)
- Art classes | The Paintbrush (Their studio is located in Wrightwood Neighbors)
- Open play, STEM, gymnastics & sports, art, and more classes | NY Kids Club (Indoor classes in Lincoln Park)
- Spanish immersion classes and camps | Spanish Horizons (Indoor classes in Lakeview)
- Play groups and parent & me classes | Chicago Family Picnic (Indoor and outdoor classes in Lakeview and Lincoln Square)
- Reading & writing events, workshops, and tutoring | Bookish Literacy Center (Indoor classes in East Beverly)
- Cooking classes | Oui Chef (Indoor classes in Lincoln Park) One of our favorite kids cooking classes in Chicago!
Art camps in Chicago
Children who participate in art education from a young age increase their fine and gross motor skills, make decisions more easily, and have better self-esteem. When children grow older, arts education positively impacts their social, academic, and emotional outcomes, according to research done in 2019. Learn more about the benefits of art classes for children in our article, then, get ready to sign your child up for one of these exciting art camps in Chicago!
Unicoi Art Studio
What is Unicoi Art Studio?
Unicoi Art Studio classes and camps allow students to explore a variety of techniques and styles to create mixed media art and explore their own creativity. Children discover freestyle art, painting, drawing, and nontraditional art creation so that they can build self-confidence, express themselves better, and have fun with art.
What age group can take Unicoi Art Studio classes?
0 months to 18+ years old
Where are Unicoi Art Studio’s classes?
Unicoi Art Studio offers classes at their studio in Lakeview as well as in elementary schools around Chicago.
Book Unicoi Art Studio classes
Studio Nafisa
What is Studio Nafisa?
Studio Nafisa camps provide children with exposure to a variety of art, design, and technology projects to promote interdisciplinary learning and integrated thinking. All of the activities are hands-on and interactive, so children get the opportunity to learn by doing. Children practice drawing, painting, sketching, designing, LEGO robotics, jewelry making, and more.
What age group can take Studio Nafisa classes?
3 to 18+ years old
Where are Studio Nafisa’s classes?
Studio Nafisa offers classes at their studio in Aurora, Illinois.
Book Studio Nafisa classes
Small Gathering
What is Small Gathering?
Small Gathering camps are a great opportunity for children to explore different styles of art. In the sessions, children work with paint, air dry clay, loose parts, and collage to improve their fine motor skills, expand their creativity, and practice teamwork. They also provide time for children to explore music and socialize with one another.
What age group can take Small Gathering classes?
1.5 to 18+ years old
Where are Small Gathering’s classes?
Small Gathering offers classes at their studio in Lakeview.
Book Small Gathering classes
We hope this list of kids activities in Chicago has provided some great inspiration for your child’s next favorite class! If you are looking for even more in-person and online activities for children, the Sawyer marketplace has thousands of great options. We can’t wait to see what your family chooses!
