Young Children's Activities

Nursery Schools
Activities for Children
Story Hour
Indoor and Outdoor Activities
Play Groups

Nursery Schools, Preschools & Daycare

There are many options open for child care while you are working. The Argonne Child Development Center is located in Building 952 adjacent to Argonne Park . The center, managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, is open to the children of employees of Argonne, the U.S. Department of Energy, University of Chicago , and laboratory contractors. It offers programs for infants (6 weeks), toddlers, preschoolers, and pre-kindergarteners. It also offers a full-day kindergarten program for children who are five years old by September first. Summer programs for older children are also available. Email or call 630-252-9601 for information about fees and availability of space.

Communities surrounding Argonne also offer a variety of programs and centers for children pre-school children. Consult the Yellow Pages in your telephone directory under Child Care or Schools – Pre-School and Kindergarten, or ask for information at the local library. All nursery schools and daycare centers are privately operated, and you will have to pay tuition. The National Association for the Education of Young Children has an accreditation program and you can search for preschools that have been accredited by the NAEYC at this website. Simply put in your zip code and a number for how many miles from your home you'd like to find a school.

Some people in the area offer daycare in their homes for very small children. They can be found through local newspaper advertisements, or, better, through personal recommendation. In Illinois these homes are inspected and must be licensed and meet standards for safety. They may accept only a limited number of children. However, it is always best to inspect a home carefully before making a decision to place a child.

You should be sure that you have a comfortable relationship with the person who will be providing the hands-on care for your child. You must feel that your child is not only safe in the care situation, but that they will also be happy. Feel free to ask any questions about the care, the home, discipline, other children in the home, the schedule, etc. to make sure that you and the care provider are going to enjoy working together to care for your child.

There are pros and cons to each type of child care available. If you have someone (a nanny) come into your home, the cost may be significantly higher however your child(ren) gets one-on-one attention and the comforts of home. Many nannies offer transportation to extracurricular activities as well. Child Care Centers are usually less expensive, the staff is trained and because it is a business you can be sure that they will be open on regular work days. Your children will have an opportunity to play with others and perhaps take field trips. Often the children are grouped in age specific groups giving your child the opportunity to play with children with similar interests. Other things to consider with child care centers is the staff turnover rate, staff-child ratio, how many children are in each room, and of course how much flexibility there is in the daily schedule and whether there is an opportunity for quiet time as well as active play. In-Home Licensed Family Child Care offers the welcoming sense of family. The family environment provides for a mix of ages, flexibility in activities, extended hours are often possible, and it is often the lowest cost option. It does however take more time to find the right care giver and there may be problems if there is no backup for vacation and sick time. Check out the website Kidica.com for more information.

If you only need care for your child on an occasional basis, i.e. to visit the doctor, do some shopping, go out for dinner or a concert, you may consider finding or forming a babysitting co-op. Babysitting services in the US can be very expensive, even if you're only paying the teenager next door. Many want as much as $5 per hour per child. Finding someone willing to babysit may be even more difficult. To avoid these costs, try a babysitting co-op where parents take turns watching the children and accumulate ‘points' for free babysitting services. You may find other parents needing similar services by joining the Newcomers Assistance Office Coffee Mornings or at other play activities you attend in the community. Make sure that you have the other family over to visit and visit their home with your child to make sure that everyone is comfortable before leaving your child(ren). The following websites might help you start a co-op of your own: http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/GreaterBC/Babysitting_coop_00254_02987.pdf,
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/000925a.cfm,
http://www.babycenter.com/0_babysitting-co-ops_51.bc

Remember Illinois law defines a neglected minor, in part, as "any minor under the age of 14 years whose parent or other person responsible for the minor's welfare leaves the minor without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or physical health, safety or welfare of that minor."
Juvenile Court Act , 705 ILCS 405/2-3(1)(d)

Activities for Children

There are many free and low cost activities available in the community for your child. Many of these activities are intended to be for the parent and child to attend together. Chicago Parent is a free magazine available throughout Chicagoland at libraries, park districts and businesses that gives a comprehensive list of events and activities available for you and your child.

Story Hour

Libraries usually have story hours for small children. This is a good opportunity for learning English and socialization skills since often the children also sing songs and interact with the storyteller. Call or consult the webpage of your local library for more information.

Indoor and Outdoor Activities

You may find some interesting recreation activities for your child through your local park district or YMCA. These might include art, drama, music, gymnastics, dance, tumbling and swimming, or other activities like nature walks and learning about plants and wildlife. Activities are usually open to residents and non-residents of the community, although non-residents will usually pay a slightly higher fee. Note that some activities will require that the child is potty-trained and understands Basic English. Many activities for the younger child are intended for the parent to stay and participate during the class. Find your park district by searching on Google, i.e. “Downers Grove Park District”. Often you will get mailings to your home from the park district with programs for the coming months. The YMCA or “Y” also has many programs for children and adults.

Play Groups

The concept of ‘play groups' has become very popular in the US in recent years. It not only gives the children an opportunity to play with other children at or near their same age, but gives the parents an opportunity to meet new adults in their neighborhood. Often you can join an existing play group. Consult churches in your community, check for flyers at local grocery stores or community centers to find existing play groups. Directly approach others in the park, at community children's activities, at coffee mornings or colleagues from work that have children of a similar age to set up play dates that can become play groups when others join. Just like you, many parents are looking for new and interesting play opportunities for their children and would welcome your interest. A set schedule is often the key to a successful play group. It is good to set a particular day and time, i.e. Wednesday from 9:30-11, and make everyone in the group familiar with the rules: whether snacks are allowed, who provides them, who organizes the next meeting, how many are in the group, etc.

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