Parenting & Childcare Blog | Children's Land

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Playground with slides and climbing structures

Toddler

Things to Do With Toddlers on Chicago’s Northwest Side

Chicago's Northwest Side has big parks, water playgrounds and busy library branches close together. Here are good picks for toddlers and preschoolers around Portage Park, Belmont Cragin and Dunning, with tips for every season.

Colorful children's playground on a sunny day

Toddler

Things to Do With Kids in Grayslake, IL

Grayslake packs a lot of family fun into its village center. Here are the best spots for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, from the fenced splash pad in Central Park to storytimes, the three-season farmers market and quiet forest preserve walks.

Early Pre-school

NAEYC Accreditation: Standards and What It Means

NAEYC accreditation is a national seal for early learning programs, and NAEYC redesigned the system in 2025. Here is what it means, how a program earns it, how to look one up, and what to ask any program you tour.

Group of young children on a nature walk by a pond with a guide

Toddler

Things to Do With Kids in Lincolnshire, IL

Lincolnshire is small, but it has plenty for families with babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Here are parks, storytimes, a children's theatre series, forest trails with free nature backpacks and indoor ideas for winter days.

Preschool children meeting firefighters next to a fire truck

Early Kindergarten

Pre-K Curriculum in Illinois: What Pre-K Kids Learn

Illinois pre-K programs follow the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. Here is what four-year-olds work on in language, math, science, social skills and more, what it looks like in a classroom, and how to help at home.