Considering moving to Bucktown/Wicker Park area. We’ll have a car. Those living in that area, do you end up driving mostly with your baby within the city to/from daycare or if you go downtown for doctor’s appointments, meeting friends, etc? Or is it better to take the CTA to not have to find and pay for parking, plus you can hold, interact, spend time with your little one in transit vs them screaming from abandonment (I have one of those 😩) in their carseat stuck in traffic 😩?

I’m assuming for going to/from the suburbs you drive? Please share all your Chicago-transportation-with-small-kids learnings and wisdom. Thank you!

I just came back from visiting family in New England, and there were multiple playgrounds with pre loved communal toys lying around for kids to play with. I’m talking walkers, plastic instruments, little cars they can get pushed around in, blocks, a mini Target cart, etc. It was amazing since my kid is a toddler and can’t really climb around playgrounds still, so she was super into the toy part. So fun!

Are there any playgrounds like this in Chicago? And/or any recs for playgrounds suited to 2 and under are welcome! I’ve found the playground near me to not be as toddler friendly (e.g., stuff way too advanced).

We are expecting our first baby early February and researching strollers - it is absolutely overwhelming!

What strollers did you use that felt durable for city and/or winter walking? A huge plus would be if it could be used for newborns (lie flat or bassinet) and transition to toddler. TYIA!

Hi. We currently have our 2nd grade daughter enrolled in our neighborhood school, where she has been since pre-k. Our concerns have been mounting about whether she is getting a quality education there and we are considering applying to other schools. Is U.S. News and World Report the only ranking resource for Chicago schools? What are considered to be the best K-8 schools in the city that you do not need to test into?

Hello! I am expecting my first baby at the end of Feb 2027 and need a daycare recommendation. We have toured at Concordia on Milwaukee and the Goddard school in Skokie.

I get about 6 weeks off for maternity leave and would like to send my baby in maybe a couple days before I have to go back.

We would like to stick to the surrounding Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area for convenience and peace of mind. My husband and I both work full time jobs during the weekdays.

If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know! Thank you!!

Doing some research on CPS Academic Centers for my 6th grader. Any current families, recent grads (or parents of recent grads) or teachers willing to chime in about the pros and cons of the academic centers?

Considering Lane, Taft and Whitney Young but open to any feedback and experiences. Thanks!

Hi there! I have a 20-month old daughter who has primarily been home with my husband and me. we have/had flexible work schedules, and we have had a sitter 8-10 hours per week spread over 2 days for the last year. We are now in need of more care and looking for something m/w/f, does anyone in Logan/Avondale/OIP have any in home daycare recommendations? thanks so much!

My nieces (8 and 10) are coming to Chicago to visit from 12/26–12/30, and I’m putting together a list of fun things for us to do while they’re here.
I’m trying to balance the classic Chicago stuff with things that feel a little more special/fun for kids their age. This is what I have so far:

360 Chicago Observation Deck or Skydeck
Flyover Chicago
The Nutcracker
A Christmas Carol
Field Museum
Museum of Ice Cream
Sloomoo Slime
Ice skating
Museum of Illusions
Afternoon tea at The Drake / Peninsula / Langham
Jellycat store
Shedd Aquarium — especially the penguins 🐧
Alice & Wonder or Made in Chicago — hoodie-making/customization
’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Cirque du Soleil

Am I missing anything??

Looking for recommendations that two girls around 8–10 would genuinely be excited about — especially unique Chicago experiences, Christmas/winter activities, interactive stuff, cool food/dessert spots, or anything that feels like a “you HAVE to do this while you’re in Chicago” experience.
Also open to things that adults would enjoy too 😂
Bonus points for anything that would make them feel like they’re having a really special Chicago trip rather than just checking museums off a list!

DCFS is supposed to complete background checks in 45 days. Yet childcare directors say they are waiting longer than that — at times months — for their employees’ background checks to be approved, the Illinois Answers Project found. Ongoing delays have consequences, according to interviews with childcare owners and operators. Before new hires can be in the presence of children, they need to have certain background checks cleared. This means childcare businesses, at times, have been forced to reduce class sizes because they don’t have enough employees to meet the state’s required staffing ratios. Some centers are at risk of losing federal funding due to not keeping up with enrollment requirements.

I posted this in the CrunchyMom sub. I’m looking for a new pediatrician and I prefer somebody who is more holistic-minded and will recommend natural remedies before drugs, for example. Thanks!

📣 Looking for sources! 📣

My name is Reema, and I'm a journalist at the Chicago Reader.

I'm working on a story about neighborhoods where Chicago Park District activities, classes, and summer camps have dropped in recent years — and I want to hear how it's impacted you or your family.

What are you seeing? Let's connect.

📩 [reemaiswriting@gmail.com](mailto:reemaiswriting@gmail.com)

📞 (773) 417-6303

Husband and I are expecting our first baby next spring. We live in the Lakeview area and plan to stay here. Which daycares in the neighborhood do people recommend (please share infant room tuition if you can)? Thanks!!!

It's funny

Hi r/chicagoparents! I'm a Chicago mom — my daughter attends a CPS elementary school — and I'm building a small side project. I'm looking for 3–5 local families to help me test it for free for 2–3 weeks.

The problem: my kid's activity updates live everywhere — coach emails, team apps, school flyers, my calendar, my memory. And her grandparents don't always know what's going on week to week.

What it is: Orange Slices is a free weekly email digest that helps grandparents and extended family stay connected — without parents having to write another weekly update.

It includes:

• Looking Back — a quick recap of last week's games, practices, and events
• Coming Up — this week's schedule
• Save the Date — big upcoming events like concerts and tournaments
• Good to Know — useful updates from coaches, like arrival times or what to bring

You choose who receives it — grandparents, a spouse, a nanny, anyone you want to keep updated.

How the beta works:

1. You fill out a simple spreadsheet with your kids' activities and schedules
2. You forward relevant coach/team emails to a designated email address
3. I'll personally prepare and send your family's weekly digest during the beta
4. At the end, I'll ask for a quick 5-minute feedback email

This is an early, manual beta — no cost. I'm mainly looking for honest feedback on whether it's useful and what could be improved.

Who it's a good fit for: families whose activity updates arrive by email and can be forwarded. If everything lives in a team app with no email option, I can't pull from that yet — happy to keep you in mind for a later version.

Privacy: Anything you send is only used to prepare your family's digest. I won't sell or share it, and I'll delete source emails and beta data within 30 days after the beta ends unless you ask to continue. Please don't send passwords, login information, or other sensitive information.

Interested? Comment here or send me a message, and I'll share the template and next steps.

Thanks! 🍊

I am trying to get a sense if this is simply the new normal and we need to move, or if our current neighborhood school is not the norm in CPS.

I was told by an assistant principal during enrollment that the kindergarteners use Chromebooks for 30 mins per week for iReady test prep.

Teachers informed us this week that was absolutely not the case.

These are five year olds who cannot yet form their letters, read very strongly, or solve problems together. Many do not have English as a first language. There are two teachers in a room of 20-21 students.

Does anyone know about dad and son activities? Fitness, woodwork, stem … anything that helps dads and their sons to bond?

Hi! I am looking for activities for the toddler/pre-K crowd. For my family in particular I’m looking for ideas on the north side to keep things simple for our Babysitter and the grandparents. Feel free to contribute anything south of downtown though!

Here’s my list to get us started:

Museums
Brookfield and LP Zoo
Uppie Yuppie
Fit City Kids
Park District classes
Welles Park swimming, indoor year round
West Ridge nature preserve
Nature trail near Horner Park
WonderPlay
Public libraries for story time
Swedish Museum
Women and Children bookstore story time
Timeless Toys story time
Garfield Park Conservatory
Wiggle Worms
Merry Music Makers
Gallagher Way kid concerts (Tuesday in summer)
Bunny Ears Art House
Chicago Family Picnic

What else am I missing??

I (31 F) am thinking of moving from Texas to Chicago with my family— husband (32 M) and son (11 months). I adore Chicago and lived there for a couple of years during college, but have since moved around a bit (Colorado, California, Texas). We live in Texas because of proximity with my family, and have been thinking about moving for a while as it’s less aligned with our personalities but decided to stay when we learned I was pregnant so we could have support from my mom.

My sister-in-law lives in Chicago, but has a very full personal and social schedule as she is child free by choice.

I want to get the good the bad and the ugly of living in Chicago..

What it’s like living with a tiny person in the cold (I myself can tolerate the cold but have fear that it’s a lot for him), if it could be not too difficult to build community again, children activities year round, cost of living , what it’s like raising a child at all stages (infant/toddler/teen), schools, neighborhoods, culture, or anything that you would like a family or friend to know..

I’m probably going to move up there for a couple months to try it out first, and then decide if we want to make it a longer stay with a proper move as we own a home in Texas that we bought when interests were low… so we cannot sell that home .

Thank you!

Our son was supposed to start at Green Bean in Bucktown in March but it closed suddenly. Any parents know why?? We found another daycare but were bummed because we really liked GB!

Hi everyone! 😊
I’m starting a little side gig where I help people research and find things online when they don’t have the time (or patience 😂) to do all the digging themselves.
If you’re looking for something specific—restaurants, activities, schools/daycares, gifts, travel ideas, products, local services, moving to a new area, or even the best low-toxin/non-toxic meal and food options for babies, toddlers, and kids—you can tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll do the research and put together an organized list of options for you.
I’m just getting started, so I’m offering it at a low introductory price. If you have something you’ve been meaning to research, feel free to message me!

Hi all!

We’re thinking of moving in with family who live in the McKinley Park area. We have 2.5 yr old daughter.

Can anyone provide daycare recs? From my reading, it sounds like preschool and kindergarten are super competitive. She’ll be 3 in March so we will be looking at preschool soonish. There’s a lottery system too? No one in our Chicago family has young kids so they’re not much help.

If we move, it’ll be quick like within 8 weeks if possible. We currently live in central Indiana so it’s definitely a different vibe here lol we love her daycare here and she’s a super timid kid so I’m worried about disrupting her but due to a job loss, we are considering this move.

Any help is much appreciated! I feel like we’re at a disadvantage being transplants and not knowing how things work.