23 Things to Do With Chicago Kids Before School Starts

If seeing school supply lists is sending you and your kids into a panic over the impending end of summer, stay calm, and summer on! We've done the research (not a bad gig, honestly), and rounded up the ultimate Chicago summer bucket List, complete with all the outdoor movies, festivals, and FREE summer activities for families in Chicago that you'll want to fit in before school starts up again.

1. Green City Market in Lincoln Park

 Chicago hosts amazing farmers' markets, where the whole family can snack, shop, and enjoy cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. Check out our calendar for at least one market featured almost every day of the week. 

2. Chicago Children's Theater 

The summer theater season offers some great family-friendly shows. Check out the Chicago Children's Theater for their end-of-2024 lineup. 

3. Chicago Architecture Tour

If you haven't experienced Chicago by boat yet, prepare to fall in love with this city all over again, as you take in its stunningly beautiful skyline from the water. Head to Navy Pier and check out one of the family-friendly cruises, or take the water taxi to the museum campus. 

4. Navy Pier Fireworks

Navy Pier hosts a FREE spectacular fireworks display every Wednesday and Saturday evening through the end of August. You can see the fireworks from the pier or any nearby establishments, parks, or beaches. Or, cross off two items on your Chicago summer bucket list in one fell swoop by watching the fireworks from a boat on a fireworks cruise!  

RELATED: 100 Things to Do With Chicago Kids Before They Grow Up

Head to Navy Pier to soar on the Centennial Wheel, then hit the other thrilling rides. Photo courtesy of Navy Pier

5. Centennial Wheel

Have you ridden the Centennial Wheel? Or the other rides on the pier? While checking off these things on your Chicago summer bucket list, check out the events calendar or stop by the Chicago Children's Museum. 

6. 31st Street Beach 

Chicago has a ton of beaches along its Lake Michigan shoreline. A personal favorite is 31st Street Beach, with its snacks, new playground, splash pad, and beautiful harbor. 

7. Holstein Pool in Bucktown

The Chicago Park District maintains fifty FREE outdoor pools, most of which are accessible. Many also have water playgrounds, and a few even have twisty-turny water slides! Holstein Pool is located in Bucktown and there are a fun of free attractions to visit before or after your swim including the 606 Trail. 

8. Visit a Splash Pad

If you can't commit to a swim, but still want to cool off, check out some of Chicago's best splash pads and water playgrounds. 

 
Having fun dancing at Grant Park Music Festival. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Park District

9. Grant Park Music Festival

Check out the Grant Park Music Festival for world-class concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Or, for a more intimate (and free) experience, see a concert on a neighborhood porch, courtesy of Chicago's Front Porch Concert series. 

10. The Field Museum 

Experience the wonder of the Field Museum of Natural History. If you have a dinosaur lover in your family, visiting this museum to hang with Sue is a must when checking off the things on your Chicago summer bucket list.  

RELATED: 50+ Free Things to Do With Chicago Kids This Summer

11. The Shedd Aquarium 

Did you know that the Shedd Aquarium has an actual baby Beluga whale? It also has an outdoor stingray petting station during the summer and several live shows throughout the day. The kids will especially love the animal spotlights, where they can learn about sea lions, dolphins, and that adorable Beluga!

12. Broadway in Chicago

From Back to the Future to Harry Potter there are a few kid-friendly Broadway in Chicago performances to treat yourself and your kiddo to before school starts. 

13. Adler Planetarium

Stay up past your bedtime and gaze at the moon. Get a glimpse of the moon through the Adler Planetarium's powerful telescope at Doane at Dusk for FREE, something that should be on everyone's Chicago summer bucket list. 

14. Morton Arboretum

Stroll through miles of beautiful trees and gardens. Families can hike through the Morton Arboretum, kids will love the Children's Garden, and right now, you can still enjoy the Wonder Woods, a new tree-themed mini golf exhibit open until Sept. 2, 2024. 

15. Art on the Mart

See art and architecture at night. Need more excuses to stay up past your bedtime? Go see Art on the Mart after dark, a massive public art installation, featuring images from Chicago artists projected onto the 2.5-acre river facade of the Merchandise Mart. 

16. Millennium Park

Play at an iconic Chicago park. Millennium and Maggie Daley parks are must-see summer destinations. Play tourist as you splash in Crown Fountain, take a selfie with Cloud Gate (affectionately known as "The Bean"), or climb a wall (or a whale) at Maggie Daley Park.  

 
Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field. Photo by Ryan Dickey via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

17. Cubs or White Sox Game 

Now, the tough question: Cubs or Sox? Why not both? The Chicago White Sox hosts Family Sundays, and the Cubs host Kids Sundays, each featuring family-friendly themes, activities, and ticket packages. 

18. Fish 'N' Kids Program

Northerly Island hosts Family Fishing, a two-and-a-half-hour class, with instruction by Chicago's Fish 'N' Kids Program Fishing Instructors, and on-the-water fishing. 

19. Movie in the Park

Watch a movie under the stars. There's something about watching movies outside that feels quintessentially summer. The Chicago Park District hosts free movies throughout Chicago, and our calendar is chock full of even more.

20. South Shore Summer Festival

Chicago loves its neighborhood festivals, and it's not too late to enjoy one of the biggest of the season. South Shore Summer Festival celebrates the south side with live musical entertainment, local vendors, and family-friendly activities. 

21. Lincoln Park Zoo 

Lincoln Park has a FREE zoo and farm in the zoo, both with calendars full of exciting, family-friendly fun.  

22. Brookfield Zoo

The Brookfield Zoo is the largest in Chicagoland. And, they're in the beginning stages of a renovation that'll allow children to be delighted for decades to come. Check out everything they have planned here. 

22. Griffen Museum of Science and Industry

For your science lovers, there are endless things to see and explore at the Museum of Science and Industry. Budding spies will love the James Bond exhibit running through Oct., seafaring little folk will want to learn about the German submarine from World War II, and everyone will love the coal mine and train exhibits.