Where to Take Your Toddler

chldren's museum in Skokie and at Navy Pier, make a Messterpiece in Glenview or numerous Gymboree locations are all good options!

Wonderworks children's museum in Oak Park on North Ave, near Oak PArk Ave I think. It only costs maybe $5 or so to get in and kids have a blast. It is really geared toward the younger group so may be perfect for your little one. My kids went when they are 6 or 7 and they thought it was too young for them but did have fun.

Check out the Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd, the Field Museum, the Art Institute (the New Wing has a fantastic children's section), the Hyde Park Art Center, the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Brookfied Zoo. We're lucky to have so many wonderful museums in our city- take advantage of them. Many offer free days too. You could also try out one of the many outdoor Park District ice rinks this time of year as well.

Try the Tree House in Northbrook Court, on the lower level next to Corner Bakery. It is free and a fun (although a bit crowded!) place to run around and let off steam. Also, try the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum near Lincoln Park Zoo. A family membership is $60 for unlimited visits, and there is a ton of stuff to do, from a butterfly room, to a special kids' area with a slide and animal homes, a separate water play area, and more.

Try Little Monkey Bizness. It's in Western Springs on the corner of 47th and Willow Springs Road. The cost is $7 per child to get in the door. From there, it's fabulous. It's a very large room filled with Step 2 and Little Tikes Houses, boats, trees, some with slides. It's for running around and playing and getting a lot of energy out! It happens to be my 2 year old's favorite place to go and we were just there yesterday. You cannot bring in your own food, but they have a full coffee shop and lots of kid friendly food, yogurt, sandwiches, organic milk, fruit, etc. The coffee is great and it's a really nice place to go by yourself or to meet a friend with or without kids. There is also a bounce house and a jungle gym. The place also has an infant/crawler only area, but the rest of the area is geared towards ages 2-6. It's well worth it and you can stay for as long or short as you want. They close at 6 p.m.

Many gymnastics centers have a preschool hour. Oak Park has one on Fridays, I think, and TriStar in Forest Park has something too. There is a fee, but I think you can buy ahead and get a discount.

Also seconding the recommendation for Wonder Works. I wish they had more for older kids now that my kids are older, but it's a lovely place for toddlers and preschoolers. And it's a small non-profit, so your admission/membership dollars support a good cause.

I agree with a couple of suggestions below - the nature museum near the lincoln park zoo is fantastic for wintertime..the butterfly room is awesome (and warm!), there are some hands-on water features, and there is a small play area for kids also on the 1st level. Lots of other things to explore, but those are the highlights for the toddler age. Anyway, it will fill an hour or two for you. Plus there is lots of space with tables to have lunch, and the lunch area is in a room near the front that's all glass and looks out over the outdoor nature area - so a really nice change of scenery from eating in our kitchen at home. Thursdays used to be free..just check out the website for deals and other info before you go. http://www.chias.org/

We also LOVE the Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview. It's awesome for toddlers. Don't bother bringing your stroller though - it's small enough that your son can walk the whole thing, and you have to check strollers near the door anyway. Bring a change of clothes for him! The water feature is super fun but my son gets SOAKED! I just let him have at it then change when we're ready to move on to the next room. There is sort of an open locker room area for coats, bags, etc. near the front, and you can just go and access it whenever you need to. The setting is really intimate, it's great. http://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/

Have fun and don't worry, spring will come!

Join a mom's group. There are plenty of choices on meetup.com.

Try your local library, go to the museums - since you live in Chicago, you can get free passes at the library, Gymboree, My Gym, the Y.

Someone suggested Wonderworks in Oak Park. It's actually $5 a person, not just for the kids - rip off! They call it a museum, but it's a play place. Would love it if I didn't have to pay for myself.

The Chicago Park district has a playroom for toddlers at Chase Park. It costs $3 to stay as long as you want. It's not at all fancy (pretty bare bones,actually) but, it is a change of scenery... Good luck with the rest of winter.

My 2 year-old loves the Kohl's Children's Museum in The Glen. I've been home on maternity leave since November and we've gone probably an average of once a week and he has yet to get bored. It's all interactive and creative play. If you like it, it's worth it to become a member so that you can feel ok about just stopping in for an hour as opposed to staying longer to make it worth the entry fee (which I can't remember - maybe $10?).

Not sure where you live but Family Grounds Cafe on Lincoln near Addison is great! It is a little pricey but for a treat every once in a while - it isn't bad. My 2 1/2 year old son loves it. It gets crowded so you may have to make a reservation. http://www.familygroundscafe.com/ Thanks!

Check out Nibbles Play Cafe in Wheeling (a bit of a drive from the city, but it's fun). And the Garfield Park Conservatory is a great winter place with kids. We also have annual memberships to the Children's Museums (can use at any in the area) and the Museum of Science and Industry, which has a great play area for kids. We've learned to ask for memberships for birthdays, Christmas, etc as gifts from grandparents... goes so much further than another toy or outfit.

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Try the mall. It's free and many of them have play areas for the kids.