FAMILY, KIDS & PETS (July7 – 13) 🧸

🎸 Kids Concert: Little Miss Ann (Arlington Heights) | 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM | Free | Bring your little ones for an award-winning, interactive morning concert filled with catchy folk melodies and family fun. | North School Park (Link)

🎸Ben Tatar  (Palatine) | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Free | Bring a lunch to this family picnic performance | Fred P. Hall Amphitheater, 256 E. Palatine Rd. (Link)

💃 Bollywood Dance Class (Des Plaines) | 5:30 PM - 6:15 PM | Free | Introduce your children to the rhythmic world of high-energy Indian choreography during this lively session led by professional instructors. | Des Plaines Public Library (Link)

🌴 Tropical Trek Summer Kids Camp (Barrington) | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | Explore island themes through music, crafts, storytime, games, and snacks during this engaging summer kids camp. | St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Link)

🎨 Craft Party @ Willow Trails Park (Prospect Heights) | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Free | A fun outdoor community crafting event where kids and families can let their creativity take center stage. | Willow Trails Park (Link)

🌳 Pack the Park (Rolling Meadows) | 6:00 PM | Free | Bring the family out to celebrate community recreation, enjoy the park's modern amenities, and spend an active evening playing outdoors. | Community Center Park (Link)

🎨 Art @ the Park (Elk Grove Village) | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Free | Bring the kids to the park to build a creative, miniature windmill project completely from scratch. | Roosevelt Park (Link)

🐶 Dog Days of Summer: Paws-itive Hangout (Rolling Meadows) | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Free | Beat the mid-summer heat by relaxing alongside calm, gentle, and attentive certified therapy dogs perfect for all ages. | Rolling Meadows Library (Link)

🏰 Sand Castle Day (Vernon Hills) | 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM | Free (with Waterpark Admission) | Bring the little ones for a day of sculpting in the sand, with complimentary tool sets available for the first fifty groups. | Turtle Creek Waterpark (Link)

🎬 Park Party: Music & Movie (Vernon Hills) | 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Free | Gather for a massive community celebration featuring live DJ sets and local food trucks before a sunset cinema screening. | Century Park (Link)

📚 Hooray for Halfway (Barrington) | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Free | Celebrate passing the midpoint of the summer reading challenge with engaging outdoor lawn games and special treats. | Barrington Area Library Lawn (Link)

📖 Wild Times: Storytime at the Park (Des Plaines) | 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Free | Head outdoors with your toddlers for an energetic morning of stories and movement designed specifically for younger children and their caregivers. | Central Park (Link)

🍔 Kids Eat Free Thursdays (Hoffman Estates) | 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM | Free | Treat the entire family to a stress-free dinner where children receive a complimentary meal with an adult purchase. | Rookies All-American Pub (Link)

🌳 Outdoor Storytime at NICO Park (Niles) | 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Free | Soak up some fresh air and sunshine with your toddlers at this high-energy community park event full of engaging books and outdoor physical movement. | NICO Park (Link)

🎶 KPop Demon Hunters Party (Palatine) | 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM | Free | A themed social event for kids and teens celebrating pop music trends and pop culture gaming activities. | Palatine Library Main Branch (Link)

🌙 Evening Storytime at Maple Park (Palatine) | 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM | Free | Relax under the evening sun while library staff share stories during this casual, open-air park meetup. | Maple Park (Link)

🐸 Pond Dippers (Park Ridge) | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | $24 per family | Bring the whole family out to dip and scoop with hand nets to catch hidden critters and tadpoles living beneath the pond's surface. | Wildwood Nature Center (Link)

🧸 The Stuffed Animal of Your Dreams (Rolling Meadows) | 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM | Free | Young creators in grades 2–4 will bring their unique imaginations to life by designing and crafting a two-dimensional felt animal creation. | Rolling Meadows Library (Link)

🍦 Ice Cream Bar at Meineke Pool (Schaumburg) | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Entry fee applies | Beat the mid-summer heat with a poolside sweet treat featuring an array of premium toppings. | Meineke Pool (Link)

🎬 Movie in the Park: Elemental (Schaumburg) | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Free | Unwind under the stars with a relaxing outdoor cinematic experience featuring a colorful and vibrant family hit film. | Meineke Park (Link)

🎬 Movies Under the Stars: SpongeBob Movie (Buffalo Grove) | 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM | Free | Settle in with lawn chairs for a whimsical cinematic adventure featuring everyone's favorite undersea characters in the park. | Willow Stream Park (Link)

🎬 Movies in the Park: The Bad Guys 2 (Des Plaines) | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Free | Set up your lawn chairs for an outdoor cinema experience featuring an animated family favorite under the stars. | Lake Park (Link)

🎬 Movies in the Park - Monsters, Inc. (Elgin) | 7:00 PM | Free | Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to Century Oaks Park for a family outdoor movie screening of the animated favorite. | Century Oaks Park (Link)

🦖 Dinosaur Discoveries (Elgin) | 1:30 PM | Free | An open educational session sponsored by Elgin Parks & Rec featuring authentic dinosaur fossils and paleontologist stories. | Saint Francis Park (Link)

🎬 Movies in the Park – Lilo & Stitch (Elk Grove Village) | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Free | Gather your blankets and lawn chairs for a magical community movie night under the stars. | Pavilion Field (Link)

🎶 Fun Day in the Park – Istvan and His Imaginary Band (Hoffman Estates) | 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM | Free | Kick off the morning with a high-energy, interactive children's music concert at the park. | Vogelei Park (Link)

🍦 Freezy Friday at Fabbrini Park (Hoffman Estates) | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Free | Beat the heat and hang out with the local police department while enjoying complimentary frozen treats. | Joseph L. Fabbrini Park (Link)

💃 Traditional Hula Dance Performance (Lake Zurich) | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Registration Required | Immerse yourself in a vibrant educational showcase of Hawaiian heritage through rhythmic movement, authentic music, and historical storytelling. | Ela Area Public Library (Link)

📚 Storytime in the Park (Mount Prospect) | 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Free | Families can gather outdoors on a picnic blanket to enjoy stories and songs presented in both English and Spanish. | Sycamore Trails Park (Link)

🍭 Teen Taste Test: Snacks from Thailand (Park Ridge) | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Free | Teens can explore global cultures together by sampling and scoring a curated box of sweet, savory, and unique treats from Thailand. | Park Ridge Public Library (Link)

🍎 Farmers Market Story Time & Craft (Arlington Heights) | 8:30 AM | Free | Bring the little ones out for a morning story hour and a fun, themed crafting activity directly inside the market. | Arlington Heights Historical Museum (Link)

🎭 Summer Camp: Seuss-a-palooza (Ages 4-5) (Arlington Heights) | 10:00 AM | $9 | Bring the little ones out for a whimsical showcase of stories and characters brought to life by young theater camp students. | Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (Link)

🎨 Decorate the Deck (Bartlett) | 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Free | Showcase your community artistic flair by helping aquatics staff transform the pool deck with your very best custom chalk illustrations. | Barracuda Bay Water Park (Link)

🚶‍♂️ jBaby & PJ Library: Shabbat Stroll & Play (Buffalo Grove) | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Free | Gather with other young families for a refreshing morning walk and collaborative play in a beautiful outdoor setting. | Willow Stream Park (Link)

🦁 Summer Social: Wild About Learning (Elgin) | 10:00 AM | Free | Bring the whole family for an energetic block party featuring a mobile petting zoo, foam machines, and interactive educational games. | The Learning Tree - Elgin West (Link)

🌳 Park Play Day (Unplug Illinois) (Mount Prospect) | 10:00 AM | Free | Celebrate Unplug Illinois Day with outdoor family activities and fresh air. | Owen Park (Link)

🐞 Summer Insect Extravaganza (Schaumburg) | 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM | $3 | Discover local wildlife through hands-on bug hunting, nature crafts, and an enchanting dusk wagon ride. | Nature Center at Spring Valley (Link)

🍕 Kids' Night Out (Vernon Hills) | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | $33 – $41 | Treat your children to a fun-filled evening of pizza, creative crafts, and interactive games in a supervised setting. | Sullivan Community Center (Link)

🏃‍♂️ Cardio Kidz Summer Running Series (Ages 2-14) (Arlington Heights) | 4:00 PM | $35 | Help kids build social-emotional skills and goal-setting confidence through a non-competitive youth track program. | Frontier Park (Link)

🎲 RPG & Board Game Club (Park Ridge) | 1:00 PM - 4:45 PM | Free | Teen gamers can unite to dive into an immersive tabletop role-playing adventure or test out quick strategic board games with new friends. | Park Ridge Public Library (Link)

🥞 Pancake Breakfast in the Woods (Skokie) | 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM | $9 | Dig into fresh, maple-syrup-drenched flapjacks surrounded by the serene forest trails of the local nature center. | Emily Oaks Nature Center (Link)

🎸 Rock 101 Camp (Ages 7-12) (Arlington Heights) | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM | $500 | Young beginners can pick up a new instrument, explore musical games, and build confidence playing in a group setting. | School of Rock Arlington Heights (Link)

📿 Bejeweled by the Pool (Bartlett) | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM | $12-$16 | Make a splash at the outdoor pool while jamming out to Taylor Swift's iconic discography and designing your own custom personalized friendship bracelets during this festive evening swim. | Barracuda Bay Water Park (Link)

🎶 Musical Mondays: Wendy & DB (Des Plaines) | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | Bring the little ones for a spirited, award-winning performance designed to inspire movement and joy through song. | Des Plaines Public Library (Link)

🐾 Pajama Party with the Animals (Park Ridge) | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | $23/$27 | Put on your favorite comfortable PJs and explore the nature center's live animal exhibits after hours to see how the critters prepare for bedtime. | Wildwood Nature Center (Link)