Kids Get Down and Dirty With Nature at Family Adventure Day

4/26/2011

The Chicago Park District invites families to get down and dirty with nature at an outdoor nature event called Family Adventure Day from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at Northerly Island, 1400 S. Lynn White Dr., on the Museum Campus. The event is admission free. This event will officially kick off Chicago Wilderness’ June Leave No Child Inside Month.
Each year, thousands of children across the greater Chicago and northwest Indiana region participate in a variety of Leave No Child Inside activities that encourage them to get outside and experience nature, to benefit their health and foster a sense of stewardship of our natural resources.
Family Adventure Day will offer families the opportunity to explore the great outdoors on Northerly Island, focusing on nature activities such as fort building, kite flying, nature hikes, fishing, creating nature-inspired crafts, and much more. This day of outdoor fun is targeted towards early childhood aged children, but has activities available for kids of all ages. The following features and activities will be available at Family Adventure Day:

Discover Illinois Wildlife: Presented by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, kids will learn about the different wildlife that lives throughout this region.
Build a campfire: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will teach kids about fire safety, how to build a safe campfire, sing songs and enjoy marshmallows!
Discovery Hike: Kids and families can partake in a naturalist-led walk around Northerly Island starting every 15 minutes.
Mayor Daley’s Fish’n Kids Program:Free fishing instruction for kids 6 and up. Kids are guaranteed to catch a fish!
Fort Building: Kids willuse found materials from the natural surroundings to build their own forts.
Fairy Houses: Do fairies really exist? If you build it, they will come. Kids use their imagination and create a fairy house from nature.
Frogs and Toads, Oh My!: Feel the difference between a frog, toad and a turtle with crazy educator David Stokes. Everyone will learn something new!
Mud Painting: Create your masterpiece from mud! Imagine Art Studio will help kids create a masterpiece using natural elements such as mud.
Kite flying: Kids and families can enjoy flying kites for free! Check out a kite and let them take to the skies. Wind dependant!
Nature Journaling from the Swedish American Museum: The journal allows children to decorate the covers as they wish. The inside gives kids ideas of what to do on a nature hike.

For more information, call 312-742-PLAY. For more information about Leave No Child Inside Month, visit www.chicagowilderness.org
Directions by car to Northerly Island:
Take Lake Shore Drive (N or S) to the 18th Street/Museum Campus exit. Follow Museum Campus Drive toward Adler Planetarium. Turn right on Lynn White Drive. Go past the Charter One Pavilion (on left) and the Burnham Harbor Yacht Club (on right). The visitor center and free parking are on the left.
Northerly Island is also accessible by public transportation: Take the #146 bus, exit at Lynn White Drive and walk south to the Visitor Center.

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