American Family, Marcus Theatres team up to send kids to the movies

Kids Rule … especially when it comes to summertime fun!

With this in mind, American Family and Marcus Theatres are continuing their popular Kids Rule summer film series for the fifth straight year.

To get in on the fun, pick up your free admission passes from a participating American Family agent. (See links below.) Without a pass, these shows cost $2.75 per person.

Then, for designated movies throughout summer, just sit back and enjoy the show. We’ll even throw in some complimentary popcorn.

What’s playing?

Kids Rule films show every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. from June 23 through Aug. 12 at participating Marcus Theatres.

There are a number of participating agents that will offer these free tickets to kids while supplies last. Check out all the details and locations of the agents at the American Family Insurance Kids Rule website. (scroll down on that page to find the nearest agent)

Free days at Adler Planetarium coming up next week. These are the free dates for the rest of the year:

Check out the Planetarium’s website for all the rest of the details and to plan your trip.

More free field trips! Info from Free things in Chicago . . .

Looking for things to do in Chicago with the kids? Here are some of the museums in Chicago that have free days this week.  Found another? — leave a comment for the community!

The Chicago History Museum is free to the public every Monday, 9:30am-4:30pm.

The Museum of Science and Industry has free general admission (basic entry) to the public on Monday May 3

The Adler Planetarium is free on May 4th with hours being 9:30am – 6pm during the summer; 10:00am – 4:00pm otherwise; Charter One Discount Days at the Adler are made possible by the generous support of the Charter One Foundation.

The National Museum of Mexican Art is free every day but closed on Mondays.

Museum of Contemporary Photography. Free every day and open Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm (Thurs. until 8pm), Sun. 12-5pm. 600 S. Michigan Ave. at Columbia College, Chicago.

The Notebaert Chicago Nature Museum has “Free Days” every Thursday.

The Oriental Institute. Free every day (suggested donation of $7 adults, $4 children). Open Tues.-Sat. 10am-6pm (Wed. until 8:30pm), Sun. 12-6pm, closed Mondays. 1155 East 58th Street at University of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago is free to the public every Thursday evening (May 6) from 5pm-8pm.

The Chicago Children’s Museum is free for everyone – every Thursday evening (may 6 this week) from 5-8pm

The Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open to the public 365 days per year. Generally open 10am-5pm.

The new Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will celebrate its one year anniversary on April 19th. For this one day you can enjoy free admission to the museum.

The schedule for the day includes:

11:00 – 11:45 Eyewitness to the Holocaust, Goodman Auditorium
Listen to the individual story of someone who experienced history firsthand. 
Q/A will follow.  Space is limited.

12:00 until closing Cake and refreshments, Pritzker Hall of Reflection
1:35 – 2:15 Eyewitness to the Holocaust, Goodman Auditorium
Listen to the individual story of someone who experienced history firsthand.
Q/A will follow.  Space is limited.

4:00 – 5:00 Symbolism in the Design of IHMEC – Stanley Tigerman, Architect
Seating is limited, RSVP required | email architect@ilhmec.org or call 847.967.4814

In the museum you can also enjoy an exhibit that shares the wartime escape of H.A. Rey and his wife from the Nazi invasion of Paris during WWII. Name ring a bell? He is the author of the well loved Curious George series, and as a Jew, had to flee to America in 1940.

Special events begin the day before, so feel free to check out the Illinois Holocaust Museum website for more details.

Also, if the holocaust is a topic of interest for you or your family you might want to check out the new season at the Provision Theater which will feature The Hiding Place, an amazing story of bravery and faith in the midst of persecution and hatred.

I came across some amazing information at the blog of a Sonlight Rep turned bloggy friend of mine.

This information is taken straight from the Museum of Science and Industry’s website:

Home School Group Reservations

Individuals:
Individual families with fewer than 20 students receive free general admission on Monday through Friday except during holiday periods. Parents receive free general admission as well. No advance reservations are required; you will be asked to fill out a Free Admission slip at the ticket counter. No documentation is needed. Omnimax movies, Learning Labs and special exhibits like Smart Home: Green + Wired have additional fees and are not offered at a discounted rate for individuals. Check out our free day schedule.

Groups:
Illinois home school groups of 20 or more students receive free general admission and regular school group discounts for Omnimax movies and special exhibits. Click here for school group pricing. Advance reservations and payment are required. One chaperone is needed for every 10 students. Reserve your visit online or by calling (773) 684-1414.

Learning Labs

Individual:
Individual home school students can sign up for special Learning Labs. Advance payment of $10 per student is required. Call (773) 684-1414 to reserve a spot. Labs are limited to 20 students on a first-come, first-served basis. The next sessions are:

May 10, 2010 at 2 pm
Museum Crime Lab (ages 8 – 12)
ER/OR Lab (ages 12 – 16)

Group:
Home school groups may register for one of our regular Learning Labs offered during the school year from September to June. Labs have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 30 students, and each lab is $100 for the entire group (or $120 for special labs). Reserve a group lab by making a field trip reservation online or by calling (773) 684-1414.

Lab Etiquette:
Meet at the Information Desk on Main Level 2 15 minutes before the start of the lab. Parents and siblings are encouraged to walk around the Museum during the program.

Arrival and Parking

Plan to arrive at the Museum at least 30 minutes before any scheduled program such as Learning Labs, Omnimax movies or ticketed exhibits. An individual or group who is registered for a Learning Lab must meet at the Information Desk on Main Level 2 15 minutes before the start of the lab. Convienient indoor parking is available in the Museum’s underground parking garage.

Home School Policies

Download a PDF of our Home School Policies.

Tips for Your Visit

Make a pre-visit: If possible, visit the Museum before bringing your group to familiarize yourself with the building and the exhibits.

Take part in our live science experiences: From dissecting an eyeball to taking part in a discussion about climate change, our daily live science experiences make students part of the action. These programs are offered at no additional cost.

Make lunch plans: Pre-registered home school groups (of 20 or more) may reserve a lunch time in the student cafeteria. Other groups are invited to eat in the Brain Food Court.

Set expectations: The Museum offers 14 acres of exhibit space to explore. Set realistic expectations for how much your group can accomplish and what you want your group to learn. Our exhibits are designed to spark interest and engage the visitor. Rushing to see the entire Museum in one trip can be a frustrating experience. Use our map or visit planning tool to decide what to see and do, and check out our field trip worksheets and exhibit guides to focus your visit.

Contact Us

For field trips, call (773) 684-1414.  For other education inquiries, email edinfo(at)msichicago.org.

Looking for a little Shakespeare in your summer? Geneva has just what you are looking for.

This from a recent press release:

The Midsummer Theatre Troupe will present a free production of “Taming of the Shrew” at 6 p.m. at the park. Before the play begins, the junior and senior performing company of State Street Dance Studio in Geneva will dance.
Seating will be Ravinia-style; audience members are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics. Food will be available for purchase from Mill Race Inn and Graham’s.
“Taming of the Shrew” is about love and marriage, and those wanting to attain that perfect union. Two sisters, one fair and one shrewish, are being courted by various suitors. How and why these men approach the task is brought out in this story.
“This is the third year the arts commission is presenting a Shakespeare play as a gift to the community,” said event chair Vic Portincaso. “Last year we had attendance of 600: this year we expect 1200 people to attend.”

Admission is free; a $5 donation is suggested. Free parking is available at the government center on First Street. It’s just a short walk across the covered bridge across the Fox River to Island Park.

The new Modern Wing of the Art Institute has opened its doors today, May 16th. For this coming week admission to the museum is completely free of charge to all visitors.  See the Art Institute’s website for more information.

The even better news for homeschoolers . . . Children under 14 are ALWAYS admitted free. And, Illinois teachers (which you qualify for as a homeschool teacher) are also welcome without charge at the museum on any day they are open. Be sure to bring some type of homeschool identification, and call for details ahead of your visit — (312) 443-3600.

Here’s what their site says about teachers, “Teacher Admission – All Illinois teachers receive free general admission to the Art Institute with proof of teacher certification. When educators visit the Teacher Resource Center, they will receive a free educator’s pass. This pass gives the bearer unlimited general admission to the Art Institute and admission to the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries until September 1, 2009.”

The Institute is also free on Thursday nights from 5-8 as well, whether a homeschooler, teacher, student, or not. Don’t miss out on this great resource to your homeschooling studies.

Check out their links:

- to other art sources online

- resources especially for teachers

- lesson plans

- Scheduling student tours