'Tis the season of the Summer Bucket List! We've got the BIGGEST list of hyper-local options to fill your summer bucket lists with tons of amazing things so you'll never have to hear "I'm bored" or "what are we doing today?"
Need an easy printable version of a bucket list to fill out with your family? Print one here
Outdoor Fun |
Whose afraid of cicadas? Not you. Don't let those silly little harmless bugs ruin your summer plans!
- Even if you aren't a member at your local pool, all the pools in the surrounding towns offer day passes to the public so you can explore a new pool and place to splash around!
- Lots of local park districts have free movies in the park - just pack the chairs, snacks and blankets (and bug spray!) and you're good to go! Luckily, the cicadas are pretty chill at night 😉
🎸 Enjoy a live concert under the stars
- Need another reason to enjoy the outdoors during cicada summer? You won't be able to hear the cicadas over the loud sounds of the many outdoor live music concerts around Wheaton and the surrounding towns!
🤸♀️ Jump in the World's Biggest Bounce House
- Only in town until June 30th!
🦒 Visit the animals at the zoo
- Cosley Zoo is open rain or shine 9A-4P daily, free for Wheaton residents, $10 for non-resident adults, kids are always free!
- Brookfield Zoo is open 365 days a year!
- Lincoln Marsh has a bunch of different scavenger hunts you can download and print off for your nature hikes (pro tip: laminate the sheet so you can use a dry erase marker, prevent it from getting destroyed, and use it again and again!
- Didn't sign up for swim lessons this winter? Don't worry - you can still cool off in the heat without submerging. Check out our list of great local (and all FREE!) splash pads around Wheaton, IL
⛳️ Play some mini golf
- Clocktower Mini Golf, Wheaton
- Holes & Knolls Mini Golf, Glen Ellyn
- Coyote Crossing Mini Golf, Carol Stream
🎥 Go to a drive-in movie theater
- While I'm still mourning the loss of Cascade Drive-in 😭 there actually still a couple Illinois drive-in movie theaters within 1.5 hours of here!
Indoor Activities |
Avoiding the cicadas? Afraid of rain? We've got you covered 😉
🎳 Go Bowling
- Fox Bowl in Wheaton is part of the Kids Bowl Free program so your kids can bowl for free all summer long! And it has newly updated computers that include fun interactive games to keep the kids engaged between turns, or check out the attached arcade!
- Bowlero in Glendale Heights offers weekly specials that include unlimited bowling at certain times, summer passes or half-price arcade game days
📚 Sign up for a Summer Reading Program
- Many libraries around here offer summer reading challenges where you can track your reading and earn awesome prizes!
🍿 Head to the Movie Theater for a Cheap Movie Screening!
- Many local theaters have summer movie series that show classic kids movies on the big screen for only $1-$6 per person!
🤸♀️ Visit an Indoor Playground or Trampoline Park
- There are tons of local options, for all age ranges; we've rounded up a full list to find the perfect fit for your family, from open gyms, bounce places, indoor playrooms, trampoline parks, indoor playground, and more!
Go to the circus!!
- Circus Vazquez - Yorktown Center, June 28-July 7
- Circus Vazquez - Woodfield Mall, June 7-24
- Garden Bros Nuclear Circus - Gurnee Mills, August 8-11
- Garden Bros Nuclear Circus - Kane County Fairgrounds, August 15-18
🐛 Explore a nature center
- Find a nature center filled with exhibits, live animals, and lots of educational but fun toys to play with that incorporate nature into play
- Unfortunately Willowbrook Wildlife Center is still closed for renovations, but here are some of our other nearby favorites:
- Fullerburg Woods in Oak Brook
- Little Red Schoolhouse in Willow Springs
- Vera Meineke Nature Center at Bison’s Bluff in Schaumburg
- Knoch Knolls Nature Center in Naperville
- Wildwood Nature Center in Park Ridge
- Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia
- Hidden Oaks in Bolingbrook
📚 Explore a new Library Children's Area
- No library card needed! You can visit any local library and explore their toys, interactive features, read new books, and play with new friends!
⛳️ Play some indoor golf
- Indoor mini golf options at Enchanted Castle in Lombard and Puttshack in Oak Brook
- Hit the driving range at Top Golf in Naperville, Links & Tees indoor dome at Addison Park District, or X-Golf in Downers Grove
🏊♀️ Splash Around in an Indoor Pool
- Leave the sunblock at home. We have a complete list of the best indoor pools, splash pads, and water parks so you can enjoy a day at the pool without going outside!
🎮 Play Arcade Games
- Dave & Busters in Addison has half price games every Wednesday!
- Get a few friends together and book an unlimited gaming session at The Game Show in Yorktown Center mall, a vintage style arcade offering foosball, arcade games, air hockey, skee-ball and more!
- Do you have a serious video game aficionado? Make the drive to visit Galloping Ghost in Brookfield, the largest video arcade in the USA and enjoy free play all day for $25 at the door
🪐 Experience a Laser Light Show!
- Cernan Earth and Space Center show tickets available for purchase in-person the day of the show, prices range from $3-$10
- They have Big Bird themed shows for Pre-K - 1st grade, dinosaur shows, a Lady Gaga laser light show, and everything in between!
🌳 Spend an Hour in Småland at Bolingbrook IKEA
- A magical forest full of play and fun! A special play area for the world's most precious children. Småland is a free play area for the convenience of customers who come to IKEA with their children.
- Open Monday-Sunday, 10-6 PM (just recently reopened due to COVID, not currently open at Schaumburg location)
🔥 Have Dinner & a Show at Benihana
- If you haven't been to a hibachi restaurant before with your kids, now is the time! They will love watching the food cooked right in front of them, but more importantly, the dragon juice or milkshakes to go along with their Kabuki Kids meals
❤️ Visit the Little Orphan Annie exhibit in Lombard
- Can't promise you won't be singing songs from the Annie musical all day long after you visit 😉 😂 But this free exhibit at the Lombard Historical Society won't be here forever, so make sure you stop by and see it before it's gone! Also, have you seen the adorable customized and local gifts and treasures in the gift shop?
Day Trip Adventures |
Want to venture out a little farther for some extra cool excursions? Let's hit the road!
Epic Headquarters- Verona, Wisconsin
- This company's campus transformed their boring office buildings into the most magical wonderland-- carousel, wizard's academy, incredible hallways, exciting elevators, detailed murals, emerald city, hidden walkways, treehouses, and so much more. You won't even believe you're at someone's place of work!
🐾 Great Wolf Lodge- Gurnee, IL
- Not ready to spend the night? You can purchase day passes to enjoy the amenities of the lodge and water park without needing to pack your suitcases!
See a Monster Truck Show
| Need more ideas!? |
📅 Find a free activity from the Macaroni Kid Event Calendar
- We list free or low-cost local events, library storytimes, free concerts, toddler times, and more, so you can easily find ALL the organized activities happening in one easy to navigate resource!
- Play with your senses when it is hot outside by freezing up some fun!
- No, I don't mean recreating that Daniel Tiger episode in your house! 😂 If your kids aren't ready for a beach adventure, head to Kiddy Club indoor playground in Aurora and let them play in the sand!
This should get you started, but we'll keep adding to the list daily! Got some great ideas we should add to the list?? Send it to mackidwheaton@macaronikid.com and we'll give you credit!
**I may earn a small commission on some purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. This allows us to keep Macaroni Kid a free resource for parents!
Macaroni Kid Wheaton is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the Wheaton area and Western Suburbs in and around Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lisle, Lombard, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton, and Winfield. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, event and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more.
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