Everyone at Play
Kohl Children’s Museum was specifically designed to be inclusive of all children and adults regardless of ability. The Museum’s 17 exhibits and 2 acres of outdoor explorations are designed for play with a purpose and encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor, and social skills for children ages birth through 8. Click here to read a letter from a guest describing the Museum’s accessibility. The Museum works collaboratively with community organizations to invite families with children with special needs to the Museum to explore the exhibits while closed to the general public. These FREE events, titled Everyone at Play, usually occur on specified afternoons. This provides opportunities for calm, creative, and collaborative play.
Upcoming Everyone At Play events:
Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy dogs and Mane in Heaven therapy ponies will be present on August 1.
Community Partners:
- Advocate Children’s Hospital
- Arlington Pediatric Therapy
- Aspire Chicago
- JCFS Chicago Integrated Pediatric Therapies
- Mane in Heaven
- National Lekotek Center
- North Shore Pediatric Therapy
- North Shore University Health Systems Pediatric Rehab Services
- Northern Suburban Special Education District
- Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization
- North Shore Special Recreation Association
- Pathways Center for Children
- Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy
- Variety the Children’s Charity of Illinois
If you are the parent or caregiver of a child with special needs and would like to receive e-mail notifications and invitations to Everyone at Play events, contact our program coordinator, Cori Paulsrud.
During the event you and your family members will have access to all exhibits. Museum staff and volunteers will be available for play support and guidance.
Everyone at Play is sponsored in part by the Edmond and Alice Opler Foundation, the Pajeau Children’s Foundation, and The Walter and Caroline Sueske Charitable Trust.
The Museum has developed a Parents Guide to Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago, in collaboration with North Shore Pediatric Therapy, to help parents and their children choose the exhibits they want to visit. The guide is available for checkout at the Admissions Desk or for download below.
>> Download Guide: English or Español (.pdf files, 2.2 MB)
For information on caring for children with Cerebral Palsy, visit the Cerebral Palsy Guide.