We recently went to Pump It Up, which is a big warehouse full of inflatable jumpy houses, similar to Jump Zone which I have previously blogged about. My older daughter has been dying to get back here ever since she went as part of a camp field trip. Pump It Up is located at 821 W. Eastman (plus locations in the suburbs) near the North and Clybourn red line train stop. At the website, pumpitupparties.com, there is a schedule that gives the hours each day and the age group that can jump during that time.
The Pump It Up building is quite large but divided into several different arenas and party areas so that the space your child is jumping in isn't super large. This limits your child's jumping options since there is only about 4 or 5 inflatables for them to bounce in, however I like that you don't really feel like you will ever loose your child even if they are not in your sight line. My daughter's great love of Pump It Up comes from the climbing wall located in one corner of the arena. Three kids can climb at one time and a worker puts each kid in a harness and makes sure they are safe as they climb up to the top. I can not even tell you how many times my 7 year old went up that wall. The 4 year old tried a couple of times and did alright but the foot and hand holds were spaced in ways that made it a little difficult for someone of her height. She had lots of fun bouncing and going down slides.
There are plenty of benches for parents to sit on. There is no food available for purchase. Reservations can be made online ahead of time for a specific time slot. Depending on when you are there, admission ranges from $10 to $12 per kid. Pump It Up has evening jumping in the dark called Glow Bounce, which sounds super fun, unfortunately most of the time slots are too late for my kids
There is free parking right in front of the building and parking across the street in front of the British School is available when school is not in session, such as one the weekends. Also there is a parking garage around the corner plus the North and Clybourn stop is only a couple block walk.
These type of places are really great as we approach winter and need some indoor options to blow off steam. It's good exercise and lots of fun!
.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Family Vacation in Western Michigan
This summer we decided to vacation on the other side of the lake in Michigan. This seems to be a vacation that most Chicago residents take in the summer and we are by no means experts of the area but we wanted to share some of the fun things that we did. The drive to the first town we went to, St. Joseph, was about 2 hours, just the right amount to feel far enough away from the City and not too far for everyone to go crazy in the car. We love the first rest stop once you cross the Michigan border because there is a great playground for everyone to stretch their legs.
As we drove up the western side of Michigan our first stop was the beach town of St. Joseph. It was around lunch time when we got there, so we stopped at the Neon Grill, which is a drive through only restaurant serving hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. The location of the restaurant, 2650 Niles Ave., is tipped off by the Chevy parked on top. I had seen an article in Travel + Leisure where someone had said the Neon Grill has the best burgers they have ever had. I'm not going to say they were that good but the restaurant is definitely worth the trip if you are in the area. There are a couple of parking spaces next to the restaurant and that is where we ate since there is nowhere to sit inside or out. Might have been fun to take to the beach or scenic lookout but the car worked too.
Next we went to the beach where I believe we paid $8 to park. The big draw for us was across the street from the beach at the Silver Beach Carousel (333 Broad St.). After taking several spins around (there was never a very long line so the girls were able to get off one ride and right back onto the next one) we went next door to the Whirlpool Compass Fountain, which was an unexpected highlight. The fountain level was constantly changing creating a fun area to splash around in. The girls got totally drenched and we had to drag them away to go to the beach. When we got to the beach the girls were blown away by the fact that there was a playground in the sand. The beach is large, family friendly, and clean with a good bathrooms with plenty of room to get changed. There is also a children's museum near the carousel, which I have heard is really good, but we were more interested in doing outdoor things the day we were there.
On the second day of our vacation we drove up to the town of Holland. While there, we went to Nelis' Dutch Village and Windmill Island. You can buy a combo admission pass that gets you into both attractions and saves you a few dollars. We were able to do both in one day without too much trouble. First we went to Nelis' Dutch Village, which the girls really enjoyed but I probably would have skipped if I didn't have children. As the name implies this is an old fashioned village with a farm house, wooden shoe carver, cheese maker, and Dutch dancing performances. In addition, there is a slide in the shape of a wooden shoe, a carousel, swing ride, zip line, and self propelled cars for the kids to ride on, all included in the admission price. Every 20 minutes there is a presentation in one of the village buildings and, because my daughter wanted to get answers to every question on the scavenger hunt provided at the entrance (she was promised a prize if it was completed), we went into most buildings and stayed quite a bit longer than we expected.
We went to Windmill Island next and since it was toward the end of the day we didn't stay super long but I would say it is worth the visit. There is a nice playground for the kids to play and a carousel. The big attraction, however, is the 250 year old DeZwaan Windmill. It is a working windmill but when we were there it was undergoing repairs that are supposed to be completed by the end of the year. A free (or at least included with admission) tour is provided at the windmill by costumed guides. It is an interesting tour and worthwhile but there is definitely a lot of stairs to climb which could be difficult for a small child or if you are carrying a 20 lb baby like we were. There is also a Dutch dancing presentation that is done in front of the windmill.
We stayed in Holland for dinner at New Holland Brewing. This restaurant is huge and totally kid friendly in addition to offering a large selection of their own beers on tap. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, and pizza. The kid's menu is decent with the usuals plus grilled chicken, steak, and a chef's plate with apples, cheese, pepperoni, celery, and carrots. My kids had cheese pizza of course. The food was pretty good and beer was very good.
On our last day we spent the morning at the beach in South Haven. We went to North Beach because South Beach was closed during the time we were there. Since we have had an unseasonably cool summer this year it was quite chilly and breezy during our visit so we didn't do too much swimming but we had a nice picnic and an enjoyable day.
That afternoon and evening we headed out to Fenville for some peach picking and dinner. Crane Orchards, www.craneorchards.com, had a great orchard of peach trees for us to pick from in addition to some summer apples. Across the street is Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant and Bakery. We were going elsewhere for dinner but we did take home a rhubarb-raspberry pie, one out of about 10 choices of pie flavors. It travelled home with us the next day and still tasted really good when we had the chance to eat it.
After the orchard and pie shop, we went to dinner at Salt of the Earth, a restaurant that sources almost all of its ingredients from farms within a 50 mile radius. The restaurant is located in downtown Fenville and street parking was quite easy. There were a quite a few families dining when we were there, however we did end up feeling a bit self conscious because, although it is family friendly, it is not really the kind of place where people don't care about a screaming baby and we happened to have a screaming baby. We got through it, however, and the food was excellent. My husband and I both had different types of wood fired pizza, which were really, really good but the menu also has entrees including chicken, steak, and pork. I can't remember everything that was on the kid's menu but one of my daughter's had, you guessed it, cheese pizza and the other had pasta with tomato sauce. The kid's dinners came with the most delicious bowl of Michigan blueberries. Since it was my husband's birthday we got a bunch of desserts that included a bowl of vanilla gelato, a gelato milkshake, and what they call a wood toasted s'more. The s'more was huge and consisted of a cake that mimicked a graham cracker, chocolate pudding and a giant toasted marshmallow on top. It was very good but my favorite dessert was the milkshake.
We had a really great family vacation. It was nice to go somewhere close by and still have lots of fun things to do. I'm sure we will be back sometime soon.
As we drove up the western side of Michigan our first stop was the beach town of St. Joseph. It was around lunch time when we got there, so we stopped at the Neon Grill, which is a drive through only restaurant serving hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. The location of the restaurant, 2650 Niles Ave., is tipped off by the Chevy parked on top. I had seen an article in Travel + Leisure where someone had said the Neon Grill has the best burgers they have ever had. I'm not going to say they were that good but the restaurant is definitely worth the trip if you are in the area. There are a couple of parking spaces next to the restaurant and that is where we ate since there is nowhere to sit inside or out. Might have been fun to take to the beach or scenic lookout but the car worked too.
Next we went to the beach where I believe we paid $8 to park. The big draw for us was across the street from the beach at the Silver Beach Carousel (333 Broad St.). After taking several spins around (there was never a very long line so the girls were able to get off one ride and right back onto the next one) we went next door to the Whirlpool Compass Fountain, which was an unexpected highlight. The fountain level was constantly changing creating a fun area to splash around in. The girls got totally drenched and we had to drag them away to go to the beach. When we got to the beach the girls were blown away by the fact that there was a playground in the sand. The beach is large, family friendly, and clean with a good bathrooms with plenty of room to get changed. There is also a children's museum near the carousel, which I have heard is really good, but we were more interested in doing outdoor things the day we were there.
On the second day of our vacation we drove up to the town of Holland. While there, we went to Nelis' Dutch Village and Windmill Island. You can buy a combo admission pass that gets you into both attractions and saves you a few dollars. We were able to do both in one day without too much trouble. First we went to Nelis' Dutch Village, which the girls really enjoyed but I probably would have skipped if I didn't have children. As the name implies this is an old fashioned village with a farm house, wooden shoe carver, cheese maker, and Dutch dancing performances. In addition, there is a slide in the shape of a wooden shoe, a carousel, swing ride, zip line, and self propelled cars for the kids to ride on, all included in the admission price. Every 20 minutes there is a presentation in one of the village buildings and, because my daughter wanted to get answers to every question on the scavenger hunt provided at the entrance (she was promised a prize if it was completed), we went into most buildings and stayed quite a bit longer than we expected.
We went to Windmill Island next and since it was toward the end of the day we didn't stay super long but I would say it is worth the visit. There is a nice playground for the kids to play and a carousel. The big attraction, however, is the 250 year old DeZwaan Windmill. It is a working windmill but when we were there it was undergoing repairs that are supposed to be completed by the end of the year. A free (or at least included with admission) tour is provided at the windmill by costumed guides. It is an interesting tour and worthwhile but there is definitely a lot of stairs to climb which could be difficult for a small child or if you are carrying a 20 lb baby like we were. There is also a Dutch dancing presentation that is done in front of the windmill.
We stayed in Holland for dinner at New Holland Brewing. This restaurant is huge and totally kid friendly in addition to offering a large selection of their own beers on tap. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, and pizza. The kid's menu is decent with the usuals plus grilled chicken, steak, and a chef's plate with apples, cheese, pepperoni, celery, and carrots. My kids had cheese pizza of course. The food was pretty good and beer was very good.
On our last day we spent the morning at the beach in South Haven. We went to North Beach because South Beach was closed during the time we were there. Since we have had an unseasonably cool summer this year it was quite chilly and breezy during our visit so we didn't do too much swimming but we had a nice picnic and an enjoyable day.
That afternoon and evening we headed out to Fenville for some peach picking and dinner. Crane Orchards, www.craneorchards.com, had a great orchard of peach trees for us to pick from in addition to some summer apples. Across the street is Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant and Bakery. We were going elsewhere for dinner but we did take home a rhubarb-raspberry pie, one out of about 10 choices of pie flavors. It travelled home with us the next day and still tasted really good when we had the chance to eat it.
After the orchard and pie shop, we went to dinner at Salt of the Earth, a restaurant that sources almost all of its ingredients from farms within a 50 mile radius. The restaurant is located in downtown Fenville and street parking was quite easy. There were a quite a few families dining when we were there, however we did end up feeling a bit self conscious because, although it is family friendly, it is not really the kind of place where people don't care about a screaming baby and we happened to have a screaming baby. We got through it, however, and the food was excellent. My husband and I both had different types of wood fired pizza, which were really, really good but the menu also has entrees including chicken, steak, and pork. I can't remember everything that was on the kid's menu but one of my daughter's had, you guessed it, cheese pizza and the other had pasta with tomato sauce. The kid's dinners came with the most delicious bowl of Michigan blueberries. Since it was my husband's birthday we got a bunch of desserts that included a bowl of vanilla gelato, a gelato milkshake, and what they call a wood toasted s'more. The s'more was huge and consisted of a cake that mimicked a graham cracker, chocolate pudding and a giant toasted marshmallow on top. It was very good but my favorite dessert was the milkshake.
We had a really great family vacation. It was nice to go somewhere close by and still have lots of fun things to do. I'm sure we will be back sometime soon.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Hema's Kitchen and a Trip Down Devon Ave.
We recently took our children up to the part of Devon Ave. approximately between Talman Ave. and Western Ave. to let them experience some of the culture of India. Our plan was to find some delicious Indian food for dinner and then do a little window shopping in the area.
Our first stop was Hema's Kitchen, located at 2439 W. Devon. The menu at this restaurant is enormous (really good vegetable section) and took us quite awhile to sort through since we are not super familiar with Indian food. For the girls we ordered a fried chicken dish that most closely resembled chicken fingers for them. Yes, I know, very adventurous. However when it did come, the dish had a lot of spice and yet the girls still ate it. I was a bit amazed. The naan was a big hit amongst everyone. The dishes we ordered for the adults were quite good - spicy but not too spicy and very flavorful. The service, on the other hand, was not so good but I think it had more to do with our specific waitress than service in general at the restaurant. Hema's Kitchen is quite large. We went on a Saturday evening without a reservation (there were six of us plus a baby) and we were seated right away.
After dinner we decided to walk along Devon and check out the shops. My youngest daughter was totally blown away by the beautiful beaded Indian clothing and jewelry. Walking along Devon can be a challenge, however. It's always crowded and there is lots of traffic, which can make parking and crossing the street difficult. Pushing a stroller would be hard. There is metered parking all along Devon but we had to park three blocks away on a side street. At least it was free!
We went into one store near Hema's and the girls fell in love with some elaborately beaded kids bracelets that were on sale for 25 cents each. After going through all of them to make sure they had found exactly what they wanted, each girl selected two bracelets. The staff at the store was so patient and nice to the girls, helping them look through everything. In the end when my husband tried to pay for their selections we were told we could have them for free. For sure the highlight of the evening for the girls! We found the trip down Devon a bit loud and congested but it was definitely a great cultural experience.
Our first stop was Hema's Kitchen, located at 2439 W. Devon. The menu at this restaurant is enormous (really good vegetable section) and took us quite awhile to sort through since we are not super familiar with Indian food. For the girls we ordered a fried chicken dish that most closely resembled chicken fingers for them. Yes, I know, very adventurous. However when it did come, the dish had a lot of spice and yet the girls still ate it. I was a bit amazed. The naan was a big hit amongst everyone. The dishes we ordered for the adults were quite good - spicy but not too spicy and very flavorful. The service, on the other hand, was not so good but I think it had more to do with our specific waitress than service in general at the restaurant. Hema's Kitchen is quite large. We went on a Saturday evening without a reservation (there were six of us plus a baby) and we were seated right away.
After dinner we decided to walk along Devon and check out the shops. My youngest daughter was totally blown away by the beautiful beaded Indian clothing and jewelry. Walking along Devon can be a challenge, however. It's always crowded and there is lots of traffic, which can make parking and crossing the street difficult. Pushing a stroller would be hard. There is metered parking all along Devon but we had to park three blocks away on a side street. At least it was free!
We went into one store near Hema's and the girls fell in love with some elaborately beaded kids bracelets that were on sale for 25 cents each. After going through all of them to make sure they had found exactly what they wanted, each girl selected two bracelets. The staff at the store was so patient and nice to the girls, helping them look through everything. In the end when my husband tried to pay for their selections we were told we could have them for free. For sure the highlight of the evening for the girls! We found the trip down Devon a bit loud and congested but it was definitely a great cultural experience.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Waveland Bowl
When the weather gets super hot, a great indoor activity for the summer is bowling. I kind of thought my kids were too young to bowl but on a recent rainy day we ended up at Waveland Bowl and I was proved totally wrong. The bowling alley, located at 3700 N. Western, is quite big, with 40 lanes. However, when we were there on a Tuesday at 10 AM most of the lanes were full due to the large number of summer camps that were there. If you call ahead (773-472-5900) they will let you know how booked they are for the day.
There were plenty of the smallest size bowling balls (8 lbs) available, which is saying something since everyone there was a kid using that size ball. The kids on our lane had to share balls but it didn't really matter since only one kid can bowl at a time anyway. There were five kids bowling on our lane and it took us over an hour to play one game. The ball rolls very slowly when thrown down by a four year old. Very slowly. They didn't seem to care, though. The bumpers were up so we had very few turns without any pins knocked down, which ups the enjoyment factor. My daughters were each able to get a spare after the ball knocked against the bumpers a few times. Still counts in their minds. The girls really enjoyed themselves. I think they were surprised how much fun it was to go bowling.
The cost to bowl is $1 per person on weekday mornings and then the price increases for the afternoons, evenings, and weekends. The maximum price at peak times is $5 per person. The cost to rent shoes is $3.50 per person. See their website www.wavelandbowl.com for a breakdown of their prices and the hours they are open. There is a snack bar with the usual snack bar things like soda, popcorn, pizza, and burgers. You are not allowed to bring in outside food. Behind the bowling alley is a huge parking lot.
Waveland Bowl also participates in free kids bowling over the summer. If you go to www.kidsbowlfree.com you can sign up to receive coupons for free bowling for every week during the summer. You still have to pay for shoe rental but it can save you a little money.
There were plenty of the smallest size bowling balls (8 lbs) available, which is saying something since everyone there was a kid using that size ball. The kids on our lane had to share balls but it didn't really matter since only one kid can bowl at a time anyway. There were five kids bowling on our lane and it took us over an hour to play one game. The ball rolls very slowly when thrown down by a four year old. Very slowly. They didn't seem to care, though. The bumpers were up so we had very few turns without any pins knocked down, which ups the enjoyment factor. My daughters were each able to get a spare after the ball knocked against the bumpers a few times. Still counts in their minds. The girls really enjoyed themselves. I think they were surprised how much fun it was to go bowling.
The cost to bowl is $1 per person on weekday mornings and then the price increases for the afternoons, evenings, and weekends. The maximum price at peak times is $5 per person. The cost to rent shoes is $3.50 per person. See their website www.wavelandbowl.com for a breakdown of their prices and the hours they are open. There is a snack bar with the usual snack bar things like soda, popcorn, pizza, and burgers. You are not allowed to bring in outside food. Behind the bowling alley is a huge parking lot.
Waveland Bowl also participates in free kids bowling over the summer. If you go to www.kidsbowlfree.com you can sign up to receive coupons for free bowling for every week during the summer. You still have to pay for shoe rental but it can save you a little money.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Build A Bear Workshop
My younger daughter turned 4 recently and as a special surprise her sister really wanted to take her to Build-A-Bear Workshop to celebrate. It seemed like a fun idea, however, we were surprised to find that there are only a few stores in the Chicago area - Navy Pier, Oakbrook Center, and Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumberg. Since it was a holiday weekend we opted to skip Navy Pier and went to the Woodfield Shopping Center. Since my kids live in the City, we don't normally get to malls so they were super impressed to see so many stores in one building!
If you are unfamiliar, as we were, the general gist of Build A Bear Workshop is that you pick the outer shell of a stuffed animal, help stuff it and then customize it. The stuffed animals range in price from $10 for a plain teddy bear up to $25 for slightly larger or more specialty type items. Once you have selected your creature it is time to have it stuffed. As extras (they range in price from about $3 to $8), scent or sound can be added into the stuffing of your animal and every friend gets a little heart included in the middle. The kids get to push down the peddle to have the stuffing fill up their bear and a store employee stitches the animal together. At the store we went to the employees who interacted with our children were very friendly and definitely enhanced the experience for them. In addition, the stitching was done well and we haven't had any problems with it coming apart.
After your stuffed creature is put together, it is time to accessorize. There is a wide multitude of outfits you can purchase as well as glasses, hats, sports gear, houses, cars ... really just about anything you can imagine. The last step, before you pay of course, is naming your bear and creating a birth certificate for him or her. There are a couple of computers in the store where you can enter the information and then print out the certificate. The bears are packaged in a great carrying box but my girls wanted to take them out immediately so we ended up carrying the bears and these big boxes throughout the mall.
We let our girls add a scent and pick out a dress and shoes for their animals to wear. I have to say I was a bit taken aback by the price of everything. It ended up being about $50 per bear. I guess you are also paying for the experience, and the girls really did enjoy picking out everything for themselves. We had a great time but given the price it will probably be a once or maybe twice in a childhood experience.
If you are unfamiliar, as we were, the general gist of Build A Bear Workshop is that you pick the outer shell of a stuffed animal, help stuff it and then customize it. The stuffed animals range in price from $10 for a plain teddy bear up to $25 for slightly larger or more specialty type items. Once you have selected your creature it is time to have it stuffed. As extras (they range in price from about $3 to $8), scent or sound can be added into the stuffing of your animal and every friend gets a little heart included in the middle. The kids get to push down the peddle to have the stuffing fill up their bear and a store employee stitches the animal together. At the store we went to the employees who interacted with our children were very friendly and definitely enhanced the experience for them. In addition, the stitching was done well and we haven't had any problems with it coming apart.
After your stuffed creature is put together, it is time to accessorize. There is a wide multitude of outfits you can purchase as well as glasses, hats, sports gear, houses, cars ... really just about anything you can imagine. The last step, before you pay of course, is naming your bear and creating a birth certificate for him or her. There are a couple of computers in the store where you can enter the information and then print out the certificate. The bears are packaged in a great carrying box but my girls wanted to take them out immediately so we ended up carrying the bears and these big boxes throughout the mall.
We let our girls add a scent and pick out a dress and shoes for their animals to wear. I have to say I was a bit taken aback by the price of everything. It ended up being about $50 per bear. I guess you are also paying for the experience, and the girls really did enjoy picking out everything for themselves. We had a great time but given the price it will probably be a once or maybe twice in a childhood experience.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Naper Settlement
The Naper Settlement, located at 523 S. Webster St. in Naperville, is a outdoor historic village that is easily walkable and enjoyable for kids of all ages. The village consists of about 15 to 20 buildings designed to represent life in Naperville in the mid to late 1800's. All of the buildings are connected by a concrete walkway that makes pushing a stroller very easy. The favorite stops for my family were the Blacksmith shop, chapel, schoolhouse, and Martin Mitchell mansion. At the blacksmith shop the girls were able to see how metal was melted down to make various tools needed during life in the 19th century. Tours are given of the Martin Mitchell Mansion, which is the carefully preserved original home built on this property, every hour. It is very similar to other period houses you may have seen but gives good background to the original property owners. The tour was maybe 20 minutes long but our baby had to duck out early because there was too much standing still but the girls really enjoyed it. Tours are also given every hour at the schoolhouse, which basically involves the "teacher" talking about what school was like in the 1800s. This was definitely the most interesting part for the girls. The chapel is very pretty and was probably my favorite building in the village. We were lucky that we went in there first because about midway through our time at the Settlement, the chapel was closed for a private wedding.
In the grassy areas and in front of many of the other buildings were costumed guides who demonstrated games and toys that were popular during this time period. The girls were able to play a ring toss game, jump rope, croquet, walk on stilts, have a tea party, and play a game that involved tossing a hoop with two sticks (which I believe is called grace). In addition, outside of the log cabin, we were shown how typical household tasks were completed such as getting water and making clothes.
There is an area on the property with picnic tables if you want to bring your lunch. Otherwise there are vending machines located in the main building for drinks or snacks. There are plenty of clean, well marked bathrooms throughout the village. Parking is free either in a lot behind the village along Porter Ave. or along Webster St., which is where we parked. In the summer, admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children, and free for kids 4 years old and younger. The village is open year round Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM and is open for the weekend only in the summer from 10:00 - 4:00 on Saturday and 1:00 - 4:00 on Sundays.
The Naper Settlement is definitely a fun place to go with your family. The village is just the right size for younger children, who can walk around the whole village and see everything before they get tired. It is a bit of a drive from the City but really a great way to introduce history to your children.
In the grassy areas and in front of many of the other buildings were costumed guides who demonstrated games and toys that were popular during this time period. The girls were able to play a ring toss game, jump rope, croquet, walk on stilts, have a tea party, and play a game that involved tossing a hoop with two sticks (which I believe is called grace). In addition, outside of the log cabin, we were shown how typical household tasks were completed such as getting water and making clothes.
There is an area on the property with picnic tables if you want to bring your lunch. Otherwise there are vending machines located in the main building for drinks or snacks. There are plenty of clean, well marked bathrooms throughout the village. Parking is free either in a lot behind the village along Porter Ave. or along Webster St., which is where we parked. In the summer, admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children, and free for kids 4 years old and younger. The village is open year round Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM and is open for the weekend only in the summer from 10:00 - 4:00 on Saturday and 1:00 - 4:00 on Sundays.
The Naper Settlement is definitely a fun place to go with your family. The village is just the right size for younger children, who can walk around the whole village and see everything before they get tired. It is a bit of a drive from the City but really a great way to introduce history to your children.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Swim Class - YMCA and Galter Life Center
My kids have taken a variety of swim classes at all different places since they have been babies and the classes they have taken at the YMCA and at Galter Life Center have been the best. Both can be hard to get into and expensive if you are not members but both have really quality instructors who want to be there and will get your child swimming the correct way.
YMCA
Our kids have taken swim classes at both the Lakeview (3333 N. Marshfield) and Irving Park (4251 W. Irving Park) YMCA from baby classes up through the more advanced classes. Both facilities are decent but they are Y's not country clubs so that is definitely what you should expect. The baby classes are great to take once or twice to get your baby used to the water but are basically the same each quarter. Your baby doesn't progress because they believe you can't really teach a kid to swim until they are three years old. There is an entry level class your child starts in at age three or older and then at the end of the quarter they are evaluated by the instructor to determine whether they are ready to pass into the next level. My older daughter took three quarters to pass the first level and then proceeded to pass the next levels each time she took the class. For her it was just a matter of getting past her first insecurities and then she really took off. As she got older, we were fortunate enough to take classes weekday mornings. There were usually not a lot of other kids in her class and it was almost like having a private lesson. She would swim up and down the full length of the pool and get to jump off the diving board without having to worry about running into any other swimmers. The instructors were all very friendly but firm in there teaching, meaning that they did push the kids to succeed. The instructors always knew my daughter's name, even when we saw them outside of the pool or months after her class had ended, and what she was capable of doing in the pool.
Galter Life Center
Galter Life Center (5157 N. Francisco) is a fitness center that is partnered with Swedish Covenant Hospital so in addition to having everything you would find at a regular gym they also have a focus on wellness and rehabilitation in addition to providing classes on nutrition and other health issues from doctors at the hospital. Galter offers aquababies classes for babies with parents in the pool and then classes for older kids as well. We have not taken any of the aquababies classes but from what I have heard they are a bit more instructive than at the Y where you mostly just play games with your baby in the water. The older kids classes are generally held in the evening, 4:00 or later even on weekends, which is one of the downsides. As with classes at the Y, there is generally 3 or 4 students per instructor and then multiple classes going on in the pool. The instructors are great. They are very knowledgeable and really good with kids. There are multiple levels that the kids progress through with an evaluation done at the end of each session letting you know what class to sign up for next. Locker rooms are definitely nicer at Galter since it is a regular fitness center, however they can be quite busy with regular gym members.
One of the common themes between these two places is that the progression through the levels has been carefully thought out and is standard. There is a big focus on technique and learning to do things the right way. In addition, both facilities always have at least one dedicated life guard on duty during the classes. Online or in person registration is available for both and Galter also permits registration over the phone. Our daughters have really become great swimmers who love being in the water thanks to both of these programs.
YMCA
Our kids have taken swim classes at both the Lakeview (3333 N. Marshfield) and Irving Park (4251 W. Irving Park) YMCA from baby classes up through the more advanced classes. Both facilities are decent but they are Y's not country clubs so that is definitely what you should expect. The baby classes are great to take once or twice to get your baby used to the water but are basically the same each quarter. Your baby doesn't progress because they believe you can't really teach a kid to swim until they are three years old. There is an entry level class your child starts in at age three or older and then at the end of the quarter they are evaluated by the instructor to determine whether they are ready to pass into the next level. My older daughter took three quarters to pass the first level and then proceeded to pass the next levels each time she took the class. For her it was just a matter of getting past her first insecurities and then she really took off. As she got older, we were fortunate enough to take classes weekday mornings. There were usually not a lot of other kids in her class and it was almost like having a private lesson. She would swim up and down the full length of the pool and get to jump off the diving board without having to worry about running into any other swimmers. The instructors were all very friendly but firm in there teaching, meaning that they did push the kids to succeed. The instructors always knew my daughter's name, even when we saw them outside of the pool or months after her class had ended, and what she was capable of doing in the pool.
Galter Life Center
Galter Life Center (5157 N. Francisco) is a fitness center that is partnered with Swedish Covenant Hospital so in addition to having everything you would find at a regular gym they also have a focus on wellness and rehabilitation in addition to providing classes on nutrition and other health issues from doctors at the hospital. Galter offers aquababies classes for babies with parents in the pool and then classes for older kids as well. We have not taken any of the aquababies classes but from what I have heard they are a bit more instructive than at the Y where you mostly just play games with your baby in the water. The older kids classes are generally held in the evening, 4:00 or later even on weekends, which is one of the downsides. As with classes at the Y, there is generally 3 or 4 students per instructor and then multiple classes going on in the pool. The instructors are great. They are very knowledgeable and really good with kids. There are multiple levels that the kids progress through with an evaluation done at the end of each session letting you know what class to sign up for next. Locker rooms are definitely nicer at Galter since it is a regular fitness center, however they can be quite busy with regular gym members.
One of the common themes between these two places is that the progression through the levels has been carefully thought out and is standard. There is a big focus on technique and learning to do things the right way. In addition, both facilities always have at least one dedicated life guard on duty during the classes. Online or in person registration is available for both and Galter also permits registration over the phone. Our daughters have really become great swimmers who love being in the water thanks to both of these programs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)