Patch Passport: Kid-Friendly Fun

Summer’s here, school’s out, the kids are bored, and the sounds of video games and the television are driving you crazy. It’s time to turn off the gadgets and explore some of the best summertime activities in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

There are dozens of things to do in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, and here are two of the best.

Lake Forest - Elawa Farm

Lake Forest is known for its pristine beach and beautiful woodlands, which is why it was named Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. Take advantage of the abundant wildlife and outdoor scenery at one of the most entertaining, educational, and kid-friendly places in town: the Wildlife Discovery Center at .

You and the kids will be amazed by the incredible display of reptiles and birds of prey. You’ll be able to look at and touch endangered species and common animals from around the world, right here in your own back yard.

Go inside the reptile building to take a look at a of Africa, a crocodile monitor lizard from New Guinea, or live rattlesnakes from the United States in their “Grass Is Rattling” display. Then, take a tour of the beautiful birds of prey and the resident that are located in the outdoor display.  

After visiting the animals in the Wildlife Discovery Center, you can venture into the Middlefork Savanna and take in the breathtaking scenery and wildlife in their natural habitat.

Take a walk on the wooded paths and look for butterflies, blue-winged and green-winged teal and wood ducks, sandhill cranes, red-headed woodpeckers, great egrets, great blue herons, deer, fox, rabbits, and much more.

The Wildlife Discovery Center and Middlfork Savanna is located at 1401 Middlefork Drive in Lake Forest. The Discovery Center’s summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. There is no charge for admission.

Lake Bluff - Blair Park Pool

Summer and swimming, they go hand in hand, and the in Lake Bluff is the perfect spot to get your fill of water. For the first time in 37 years, the pool will be open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays during the dinner hour, and to celebrate the pool will host a barbecue from 5 to 7 p.m. every Friday.

After filling up on hot dogs and hamburgers, the pool staff invites you to relax and digest at the Friday Night Float Night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. There also will be a Sunday Family Float Day from 3 to 8 p.m.

As if that weren’t enough water fun for one summer, the pool staff has decided to host two Family Movie Nights and Pirates of the North Shore game days. The movie night will take place July 23 at dusk.

The game days are set for Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. on July 7, July 21, and Aug. 4. Each week there will be a different pirate-themed game, such as a treasure hunt in the sand box, walking the plank on the diving boards, and a searching for gold penny dive.