Parenting & Childcare Blog | Children's Land

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Infants

Lead Testing for Daycare in Illinois: Child and Water Rules

Illinois daycares must ask for a provider statement that children 6 months to 6 years were checked for lead, and since July 2026 all children are to be tested at 12 and 24 months. Here is what parents need.

Two oral medicine syringes on a wooden table

Pre-school

Medicine at Daycare in Illinois: What the Rules Say

Illinois daycares can give medicine only with written parent permission, in the original container and per the label or a doctor. Even sunscreen needs a signed form. Here is how the rules work for parents.

Children playing on a wooden playground in a fenced yard

Toddler

Illinois Daycare Rules on Screen Time and Outdoor Play

Illinois daycare centers may not show screens to children under 2, limit older children to 60 minutes a day and call for two outdoor play times daily. Here is what the licensing rules say and what to ask on a tour.

Toddler playing at a park splash fountain while a parent watches

Early Pre-school

Splash Pads for Toddlers in the North and Northwest Suburbs

Where toddlers can splash in Chicago's north and northwest suburbs: outdoor splash pads in Park Ridge, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield and Vernon Hills, indoor splash pads for winter, new 2027 projects and safety tips.

Dinosaur skeleton on display in a large museum hall

Kindergarten

Free Museum Days Chicago 2026-27: Family Guide

The Field Museum is free for Illinois residents on Wednesdays through March 2027, kids under 14 are always free at the Art Institute, and library museum passes can save even more. Here is a winter guide for families.