If you have ever driven on Illinois 94 North, you have probably passed Lambs Farm a few times. Every time we would drive by my daughter would say "RED BARN!" and finally, after living in Lake County for a few months (and taking IL-94 multiple times a week because we didn't know any better) we decided to check it out.
Lambs Farm is a cute little place. The farmyard holds many animals, including cows, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, bunnies, chickens, and ducks. Some are permanently behind fences, such as this BIG cow.
Other areas allow you to get up close and personal with the animals. Brushes are included in the goat area for children to brush goats fur. These goats are NOT shy.
Lambs farm is not exclusively animals. There is a miniature train ride, a carousel, miniature golf, and a cow bounce house.
There is also a restaurant, country store and bakery, thrift store, and pet store. You do not need to purchase admission to the farmyard to visit these extras.
I am glad we finally gave in and checked out Lambs Farm. My daughter had a blast there. The only downside was tickets seemed a bit expensive for the amount of time we spent there. We got there around 3:30, and the farm closed at 5. I knew she would want to ride the train and carousel multiple times, so the full day admission paid for itself. Next time we go, we will arrive earlier to get more out of our money.
Okay, I bet you were wondering what the model trains have to do with a farm. This weekend only, May 21st and 22nd, there will be a special model train exhibit going on at the farm. Valley Model Railroads will have trains set up for the kids to watch and help operate traffic controls. There will also be crafts and activities for all ages. You do not need to purchase tickets for Lambs Farm to participate in the train activities, the crafts
and activities for Train Days will take place in a specific building, which there will be signs to guide you to the correct place.
Day Pass includes one day unlimited entrance to the Farmyard, Petting Area and Discovery Center as well as unlimited rides on the Miniature Train, Carousel, Bounce House and unlimited games of Miniature Golf.
Model Train Information:
http://www.lambsfarm.org/events/
847.990.3714 or e-mail snorum@lambsfarm.org
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free to the public At the Train Days location you can:
enjoy a train photography display (free)
operate model trains (free)
piece together a large Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle (free)
get a temporary tattoo (free)
create train artwork (free)
paint your own train whistle ($3)
complete Train sand art ($4)
You will also obtain a Train Days Business Item Packet, which has
tickets to present at each of the businesses. In return, you will
receive a Train Days item FREE!
Written By Kate Yeager contributor at Little Lake County. Where parents go to be in the know on what to do and where to go in Lake County.
Round Lake Children's Museum: It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!
Picture a pint-sized neighborhood featuring its own fire station, gas station, veterinarian office, grocery store, and more and you've got the Round Lake Children's Museum!
To call it a "Museum" may seem a bit of a misnomer if one tends to think of museums as huge places with plexiglass and dinosaur bones. At the Round Lake Children's Museum, everything is hands-on and meant for exploration! The museum is more of a small play-land where your tykes ages 1-6 can pretend they are adults in a little town made just for them. The replicas and props are so adorable, you won't be able to resist joining in the make-believe adventures. While it may appear to be all just fun and games, the museum actually meets a variety of "Illinois State Learning Standards" that have been developed for Early Childhood Developmental Education.
Cuteness abounds so don't forget your camera! You'll be busy snapping photos of your preschooler as he/she fills their car with gas, goes shopping for groceries, then heads home to prepare lunch. I was treated to a particularly well-prepared plate of steamed dumplings and a taco (yes, they have international play food.) The taco then became a hat. Kids!
Have you got a little performer? He/she will love putting on a show at the Imagination Station. A full dress-up wardrobe is at their disposal. Help them get primped backstage using the vanity and hair dryers. Then sit back and watch the on-stage performance while you play paparazzi with the toy cameras or your own grown-up version.
My little guy especially enjoyed the neighborhood's "backyard" which features a rock climbing wall and miniature gym equipment. My son loved using the bench press and counting his reps just like Daddy. A construction workshop, train table, and music station are also popular.
Your crawlers or early walkers don't have to miss out. A specially designated "Crawler Zone" sets aside a safe place for them to explore as well.
There's so much to entertain your youngsters in what seems like such a small space. You will be sure to come back again and again. At $5 per child, it's an easy and affordable fix for cabin fever.Memberships are also available and can be very cost-effective for families. The museum also makes a great location for birthday parties.
Here's a few things to keep in mind on your first visit...
Fast Facts and Tips
The museum is located in the lower level of the Robert W. Rolek Community Center which is the home of the Round Lake Park District. While driving, be sure to look for signs for the Community Center NOT the museum or you won't find it.
Pay your admission at the Front Desk of the Community Center and then take your ticket downstairs to deposit in a drop box before entering.
Admission is $5 per child ages 1-6. Children under 1 are free. You can print a $1 off coupon here.
Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:30 pm are FREE
Arrive early for maximum enjoyment as hours are limited and capacity is capped at 30 children. Although signs ask that you keep props in their appropriate stations, if you come later your child may discover a fire truck full of plastic vegetables or stuffed animals in the construction workshop.
The museum features many signs in Spanish. Great for bilingual families or kids who wish to learn.
On our most recent visit, I detected an intermittent smell of exhaust. When I reported this to the Front Desk, I was disappointed to learn that the smell was caused by their heaters and was a normal occurrence. I hadn't noticed this before in previous visits so please keep aware.
Location:Round Lake Area Park District, Robert W. Rolek Community Center, 814 Hart Road, Round Lake Phone: (847) 546-8558 Admission: $5 per child ages 1-6 (under 1 year FREE) Maximum capacity is 30 children.
All children must be accompanied by an adult. Morning Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed & Sat 9:30 - 11:30 am Afternoon Hours: Mon, Tues & Wed 1:30 - 3:00 pm Evening Hours: Mon 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Wed 5:00-6:30 pm FREE Admittance
We are a family that doesn't spend too much time at home. It's not that we don't like to be. I think it's because I was raised by entrepreneur parents, like myself, who were always on the go. My parents' philosophy was to expose their children to as many experiences and places as possible, and I seem to have adopted that practice because when I find out about a new place to visit, I make it a point to go there.
When a close friend of mine posted her plans to visit the Wonderland Express, a 10,000-square-foot exhibit featuring miniature trains and more than 80 mini-replicas of Chicago's favorite landmarks now at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I was determined to visit and soon. I was delighted to find out that now through December 21st, admission to the exhibit is free on Tuesdays. After a visit to my local library to pick up a free Museum Adventure Pass, granting me free admission to the Gardens which includes free parking, my Tuesday morning excursion would be free. (for participating libraries and museums, click here) How can you pass up free, right?
I called up another girlfriend and insisted she meet me there with her kids. I forgot to ask her what she thought of it, but I think it's safe to say that we all had a lovely morning. We met at the Garden Cafe, shared a delicious croissant sandwich, and embarked on our journey to the Regenstein Center, just a short walk from the main entrance where the friendly Garden employees directed us past the green houses to the exhibit entrance. We were greeted by a delicious-looking Gingerbread town, complete with circling train, which made me anxious to see more.
Through a short corridor, blanketed with potted poinsettias, we enter the Wonderland. True to its name, I was amazed by the festive atmosphere accomplished by the talented artists who spent hundreds of labor-intensive hours creating this masterpiece, designed by Paul Busse, designer of the Model Railroad Garden. It reminded me of an ethereal land that I had imagined as a child when reading books featuring fairies and their woodland homes. In fact, it smelled like the forest with its beautiful backdrop of bark-lined walls, mini evergreen trees and hundreds of species of plants peppering the scenery. It was thrilling to identify all the different Chicago Landmarks nestled among the gorgeous greenery, waterfalls, and trains, of course. I am not a train enthusiast, but even my two year-old daughter and four year-old son appreciated the circling trains, and when the faux snow began to sprinkle and twinkle in the spot lights, it was magical.At the end of the exhibit, we had the option to view a movie explaining the making of the exhibit and to make a drop-in craft. We opted to create the craft with our restless little ones, tree "jewelry" which was really a mini bird-feeder with dried cranberries and bird seed, but I'm sure the movie would have been interesting.
I was very pleased to see that Wonderland Express at Chicago Botanic Gardens exceeded my expectations. My girlfriend even commented, "You think of the best places to take the kids to." I think that says it all.
Lake County Discovery Museum, History and Art in your backyard
Like most 5 year old boys my son loves dinosaurs. However we don't always have the time in our busy schedule to drive into the city to visit the Field Museum. The good news is, you don't have to! There is a gem of a museum right in our back yard, the Lake County Discovery Museum at Lakewood.
This unassuming old farm building has been developed into a top notch family friendly destination and a must see in lake county. The museum has four main galleries; Mall of History, Children's Learning Gallery, Vortex Roller Coaster theater, and Bring the World Home. They currently have two special Exhibits ruining Charles Warner Cathedrals (1/16-8/15) and Golden Legacy (3/20-8/22).
I was really looking forward to seeing the Golden Legacy exhibit. I of course grew up on Golden Books and my children read them I thought it would be great. However anyone that has children knows that the best laid plans are, well , plans. Tuesday's are half price admission day, so there was a large school group there. That made spending time looking at all the beautiful artwork and talking about it with my kids near impossible. While looking at the art we stumbled on to the cathedrals exhibit. I hadn't read about this prior and had no idea what to expect from the signs and we were blown away.
Five meticulously designed and constructed folk art cathedrals, recalling the artist’s childhood memories of Europe. Each spire is illuminated and elaborately painted. The cathedrals are complemented by historic postcards of Old World and New World cathedrals.
The Golden Legacy Exhibit has original artwork from 65 years of Golden Books.
The exhibit however, is so much more than artwork. After you pass through the gallery there is a interactive kids gallery set up all themed to different books. You can:
Draw on walls like The Color Kittens.
Crawl through a plush version of Farmer McPhee's lemon orchard to find The Red Lemon and play a "Toss the Red Lemon" game.
Slide down the Happy Man's dump truck.
Make a snake slither and a cricket hop away from The Poky Little Puppy.
Recreate scenes from Tootle and Scuffy the Tugboat on a large play table.
Play I Can Fly inspired mad libs or sit down to enjoy a story in a themedreading area.
Create your own Golden Book on our storyboard wall.
There is enough to do to entertain children of all ages, readers and non-readers alike. My children are 3 and 5 and were just as entertained as the 9 and 10 year olds that were visiting with their school.
We had a little time left and my son really wanted to see the dinosaur bones. While we were exploring Prehistoric Lake County one of the museum volunteers (who did not know I was writing this) came up and offered to set up a station and pull out some skulls and animals things to talk about with the kids.
We were so caught up in the activity and there was so much more to see it was hard to leave!
While not exclusive a children's museum it really is a great place for kids. Outside of the kid specific exhibits there are little signs:
that indicate interactive games and toys for the kids. It's also located in the Lakewood forest preserve so there are picnic areas, grass to run in and a mammoth outside that my kids love to run around.
HOURS: Regular gallery hours are Monday - Saturday, 10a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
COST:
Admission is $6 for adults and $2.50 for youth ages four to 17, and free for children three years and under. Admission is $2.50 for seniors after 2 p.m.
Discount Tuesdays: adults $3, ages 4-17 (up to five children per adult) FREE, $1.25 per child for groups with 5-10 children per adult.
Lambs farm is not exclusively animals. There is a miniature train ride, a carousel, miniature 
Lambs farm is not exclusively animals. There is a miniature train ride, a carousel, miniature 
