The Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview is AWESOME. There is an indoor and an outdoor component to the facility, and there is something for every kid. Henry's favorite room is the car room with tall and curving car tracks. There is a baby nursery complete with dolls, cribs, bottles, rockers, and a lullaby player. The museum also allows for pretend grocery shopping, pretend Potbelly sandwich making, a water room, a music room, and seasonal exhibits including camping and coming soon Curious George. Although, it's best for kids over 1 year old, they have set side areas just for crawlers.
I love the outdoor habitat, which has a tall grass maze, jungle gyms, and tunnels (see above). The museum employees are extremely helpful, and thankfully have little tolerance for delinquent caregivers.
The downsides: it can get extremely crowded on days when schools and camps visit. Things calm down when the older kids are in school; and caregivers think once they enter they can let the children run wild. If you can tolerate a few selfish parents who spoil their kids (e.g. don't teach sharing) and a few delinquent caregivers who fail to watch the children, it is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon.
NOTE: Beware of the spinning chairs in the outdoor habitat. Genius that I am jumped in a chair with Henry in my lap, and I couldn't figure out how to stop it! The centripetal force trapped us in a constant spinning up and down motion. To avoid barfing, I had to take a deep breath and jump out mid turn with Henry still in my lap! He loved it of course.
