We’ve compiled a list of fun (and safe) events that are sure to be a hit! Check out our online calendar for even more family events and things to do with teens.
Tree-Mendous Trees! Secret Code Search
May 1-31, 2022
- Address: Emily Oaks Nature Center, 4650 Brummel St., Skokie
- Cost: Free
For the month of May, visitors of Emily Oaks Nature Center can come out to decode the secret message.
SHOUT! The Mod Musical
May 5-June 11, 2022 (Sundays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays)
- Address: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights
- Cost: $40
This musical transports viewers into the 1960s with an array of powerhouse songs, far out fashion and groovy dance moves.
DIY Origami Butterflies
May 9-13, 2022
- Address: Clearing Branch, 6423 W. 63rd Place, Chicago
- Cost: Free
Teens and tweens can drop-in on this event at Clearing Branch. Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by creating a colorful, origami butterfly. All supplies are provided. Registration not required.
A&A Presents Carnival of the Animals and Firebird
May 14, 2022
- Address: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
- Cost: $25-$55
The show features new choreography by Kremnev and sand art animation by Anastasia Antropova. Additional choreography for “The Firebird” will be done by Braeden Barnes.
Celebrating Seniors Scavenger Hunt
May 14, 2022
- Address: The Beer Shop, 1026 North Blvd., Oak Park
- Cost: $15-$50
All ages can come and hunt solo or in a group and on bicycle or on foot. Track down the answers to questions that correspond to 60-plus locations designated on a specially designed map. Participants will receive a keepsake item.
Switch on Summer 2022
May 14, 2022
- Address: Grant Park, 301 S. Columbus Dr., Chicago
- Cost: Free
Celebrate the start of summer in Grant Park at Buckingham Fountain for ComEd’s 8th annual Switch on Summer. This event will feature family-friendly activities, entertainment, local food vendors, fun giveaways and special guest appearances.
New Acquisitions to the Video Game History Collection
May 15, 2022
- Address: Chicago Gamespace, 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago
- Cost: $5/admission, free/kids 12 and under, veterans and service members
Come and play some of the most important, influential and enduring games from the 20th century. Some of the classics include Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Oregon Trail, Super Mario Brothers, more. Advanced registration required.
Creative Writing Class: My BIG Adventure
May 16-June 13, 2022
- Address: FAME Center Chicago, 1550 S. State St., Chicago
- Cost: $140 (scholarships available)
This class will help students explore poetry and prose. They will create two adventure stories, one as an individual and one with a group.
Long Grove Chocolate Festival
May 20-22, 2022
- Address: 308 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove
- Cost: $5/admission
The fest is known for its chocolate dipped treats like strawberries, donuts, cupcakes, cake pops, truffles, croissants, eclairs, funnel cakes and more. There will also be tons of live entertainment on multiple stages throughout the town.
Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories
Opens May 20, 2022
- Address: Field Museum, 400 S. Lake Shore, Chicago
- Cost: Free w/ museum admission
Hear from Native Americans and Indigenous people about their music, dance, art and stories at the Field Museum’s newest permanent exhibit.
Art in the Park
May 21, 2022
- Address: Northbrook Village Green Park, 1810 Walters Ave., Northbrook
- Cost: Free
See more than 85 artists showing paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics and more. The event features live music in the gazebo, youth art activities and festival food.
Hidden Treasures
May 21, 2022
- Address: Tuley (Murray) Park, 501 E. 90th Place, Chicago
- Cost: Free
Find some unique treasures at this pop-up shop with local vendors.
Lincoln Roscoe Spring Art & Craft Fair
May 21, 2022
- Address: Lincoln Ave. From Roscoe to School, Chicago
- Cost: Free
Come shop original art and handmade crafts from 60 artists. Also, live music, art activities for kids, festival food and more.
Barrington Art Festival
May 28, 2022
- Address: Downtown Barrington, S. Cook St. & E. Station St., Barrington
- Cost: Free
This fest features 130 artists in all media including paintings, sculpture, jewelry, wearables and more. Live music and youth art activities add to the weekend’s fun.
Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest
May 28-29, 2022
- Address: 3200 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago
- Cost: $5/suggested donation
This festival will have top local tribute bands on the main stage, a second community entertainment stage, food and drinks and other performers.
The Dreamer by The School of Ballet 5:8
May 28-29, 2022
- Address: Lincoln-Way West High School, 21701 Gougar Road, New Lenox
- Cost: $25/adults, $15/children 15 and under
The Dreamer is an original, full-length ballet with a cast of more than 300 dancers that will enchant audiences through breathtaking dancing and innovative story-telling.
Blue Man Group Chicago
Now playing
- Address: Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., Chicago
- Cost: $14+
A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy and technology, Blue Man Group encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner (and outer) child in order to see the world through a new perspective.
Frida: Immersive Dream
Through May 28, 2022
- Address: Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, 108 W. Germania Place, Chicago
- Cost: $20.99-$55.99
Check out 500,000 cubic feet of art at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago. There’s also 1,200,000 frames of video and 90,000,000 pixels at this experience.
Human+Nature
Now-May 30, 2022
- Address: The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle
- Cost: Free w/ admission
Foster your love of trees and plants, while enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, as you explore large-scale sculptures created by South African artist Daniel Popper.
Into the Woods
Now-May 15, 2022 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
- Address: Prairie Lakes Theater, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines
- Cost: $30/adults, $25/seniors (65+) and students, $16/children 12 and under
Ages 10 and up will enjoy a performance based on their favorite fairy tales. The show has dark themes present despite fairy tale material.
Lookingglass Alice
Through July 31, 2022
- Address: Lookingglass Theatre, 821 Michigan Ave., Chicago
- Cost: $50/ticket
Lookingglass Alice returns for a circus-infused spin on the classic hit. Adapted and directed by Ensemble Member David Catlin. It has toured the country and now it’s coming back home to Lookingglass Theatre.
Six
Through July 3, 2022
- Address: Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 17 E. Chestnut St., Chicago
- Cost: $50/ticket
The ex-wives of Henry VIII join forces for an electrifying pop-concert spectacle—shining a spotlight on these six women as never before. Recommended for ages 12 and older.
Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968
Through July 4, 2022
- Address: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago
- Cost: Free w/ museum admission
The exhibition invites visitors to walk through a winding gallery that features over 25 photographs depicting key moments in Dr. King’s work and the Civil Rights movement, with a special focus on his time in Chicago.
The Art of the Brick
Through Sept. 5, 2022
- Address: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
- Cost: $21.95/ages 12 and up, $12.95/ages 3-11, free/ages 2 and under
It will feature more than one million LEGO bricks transformed into more than 100 sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya at The Art of the Brick. The display includes Sawaya’s original sculptures as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces
Shanghai: Safe Haven During the Holocaust
Through Sept. 5, 2022
- Address: Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie
- Cost: Free w/ museum admission
The exhibition, which highlights Rothstein’s photographs and features artifacts from local Holocaust Survivors, is a tribute to human endurance, capturing both the enormous hardship and fierce perseverance of refugees and their families as they managed to not only survive but thrive while living in the Shanghai ghetto.
Nancy Rubins: Our Friend Fluid Metal
Through Sept. 30, 2022
- Address: Art Institute of Chicago, 111 Michigan Ave., Chicago
- Cost: Free w/ timed museum entry
Artist Nancy Rubins’ newest creation repurposes equipment from playgrounds, amusement parks, and coin-operated rides into sculptures of art of the former children’s play objects.
Millions of Moments: The Chicago Sun-Times Photo Collection
Through Dec. 31, 2023
- Address: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago
- Cost: Free w/ admission
Featuring 150 images from the Chicago History Museum’s Chicago Sun-Times collection, Millions of Moments is a first look at highlights from five million negatives spanning the 1940s to the early 2000s.
Vivian Maier: In Color
Through May 8, 2023
- Address: The Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago
- Cost: Free w/ admission
Vivian Maier: In Color is a multimedia exhibition featuring 65 color images made during her time as a suburban Chicago nanny from the 1950s to 1970s, most of which have never been on display, as well as film clips, quotations, and sound bites.
Wild Color
Through May 8, 2023
- Address: The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
- Cost: Included with Discovery or All-Access Pass
Rooms at the Field Museum will be dedicated to different colors of the light spectrum and visitors can see how color is displayed in the natural world: gems, minerals, animals that glow under UV light and more. The presentation includes sounds, vibrant visuals and media projections.
This post is updated monthly.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
