Toys are great tools to facilitate fine motor, gross motor, and speech development, but experiences spent as a family create memories of a lifetime! Instead of buying a toy from our 2017 toy list, give the gift of time by participating in a family-friendly holiday activities!
Outdoor Activities:
1. Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum
Nov.17- Jan. 1
- The Morton Arboretum decorates 50 acres of trees with colorful light displays.
- The lights create a majestic light show to the tunes of familiar Christmas songs!
2. ZooLights
Nov. 24- Jan. 7
- Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo is free event for all ages!
- Watch the musical light shows, sip on some hot chocolate, and participate in holiday-season activities including carousel rides, live ice-sculpture carving, and free crafts!
3. Holiday Magic
Dec. 26-31
- Bring the whole family to Brookfield Zoo for the annual Holiday Magic light festival!
- Enjoy nightly music and entertainment, Twinkling LED lights, train displays caroling with the animals, and so much more!
Indoor Activities:
1, Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light
Nov. 16- Jan. 7
- Explore rich holiday traditions from around the world at the Museum of Science and Industry.
- Admire the four-story grand Christmas tree, and enjoy live holiday performances on the weekends.
November 22- January 7
- “Buddy the Elf, What’s your favorite color?”. Both kids and parents will be laughing along to the Christmas comedy, Elf the Musical, at Paramount Theater.
3. Twas the Night Before Christmas
November 12- December 31st
- Enjoy the classic Christmas play, Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Broadway Playhouse in Water Tower Place.
Holiday Home Activities:
1. Cookie Baking. Each member of the family can pick their favorite recipe for a family bake-off!
2. Christmas Movie Night: Enjoy a cozy night on the couch with popcorn in hand. Watch some of the Christmas classics, including The Polar Express, Elf, and Home Alone. The list goes on and on.
3. Gingerbread House: A house made of frosting and candy? Sounds like a child’s dream! This kit provides everything you need to make your own gingerbread house.
4. Ornament painting: Decorate your Christmas tree this year with your children’s beautiful creations!
5. Snow painting: Add food dye to water bottles to make beautiful, colorful artwork in the snow!
Make time this busy holiday season to spend with your loved ones. Your children will remember the days spent together more than the toys they received. Happy Holidays!
References:
“Chicago Tree Lighting and Light Fests.” Chicago Kids, 9 Nov. 2017, www.chicagokids.com/Blog/Detail/78/chicago-tree-lightings-an
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Vasilikitsa “Kitsa” Antonopoulos, MA, CCC-SLP/L is a licensed speech-language pathologist with over two decades of experience supporting children and families. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Louis University, she gained deep clinical expertise working across pediatric hospitals, early intervention programs, and autism therapy settings.
In 2010, Kitsa founded Lumiere Children’s Therapy to create a holistic, collaborative space where children could receive personalized, multidisciplinary care. Her vision continues to guide Lumiere’s dedicated team of therapists, offering speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy and more, to help every child reach their fullest potential.


