Easy Outing: Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn

If you have a wannabe veterinarian in your house, you'll definitely want to check out the latest in the Go West "Easy Outings" series.

Tonka, the Great Horned Owl, at the Willowbrook Wildlife Center. Photo courtesy of the Willowbrook Wildlife Center.Name: Willowbrook Wildlife Center, an education center and a wildlife rehabilitation center operated by the DuPage County Forest Preserve. The animals cared for there are native to DuPage County, or migrate to or through DuPage County. Once the animals recover, the center releases them back into the wild, if possible.

Location: It occupies a 50-acre preserve at 525 S. Park Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, across the street from the College of DuPage.

Hours: Open to the public daily, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed holidays.

Admission: Free, but donations are accepted.

Amenities: The Visitor Center, which is near the parking lot, contains a number of unreleasable animals designated as "educational ambassadors" for their species. It features an area where kids can play with nature-themed games, puppets and puzzles, as well as climb inside a faux "tree trunk" to read books. The Visitor Center also has restrooms. Nearly 40 acres are occupied by a nature trail with forest, prairie, savannah and wetland eco-systems.

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Welcome to a New Sponsor: McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage

I’m excited to welcome another sponsor to Go West Young Mom, and it’s a place that could help you create a great date night with your husband – or make for a memorable outing with your children.

The McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage is a state-of-the-art facility in Glen Ellyn that hosts a wide range of events: Classical musical, dance, jazz, theater, visual arts and more. In the past few months, everyone from Rosanne Cash to Garrison Keilor to Thodos Dance has performed at the “MAC,” as the center is known.

It also offers a number of concerts and events each year that are aimed at families. The Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet performed “The Nutcracker” there in December, and Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players played there in October.

"Each season at the MAC provides a wealth of programming for kids and their parents, from our popular Kidjazz! to nationally-touring acts," said MAC Director Stephen Cummins. "The MAC Kids Club provides additional opportunities for children to be involved in the arts through activities, contests and Optionsmore."

Up next in the “MAC Kids” series is Kidjazz! on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m. Kidjazz! is an annual interactive musical concert that seeks to introduce the world of jazz and other American musical styles to children. It will feature the Arts Center Jazz Ensemble, with a special focus on the work of trumpeter, composer and bandleader “Dizzy” Gillespie. The show is recommended for children ages 5 through 11; tickets are $12 each for adults and for children.

On Saturday, March 10, at 10 a.m., the MAC will host the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia performing “Treasured Stories of Eric Carle.” The show features adaptations of such stories as “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?” “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” and “Papa Please Get the Moon for Me.” The production uses original music, puppetry and black lights, so the puppets almost appear to "glow" and sometimes even float in the air -- it's as if the books have come to life. The show is recommended for children ages 4 and up. Tickets are $12 each for adults and for children.

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Great Parks! Lake Ellyn Park in Glen Ellyn

Has this steamy summer prompted you to search for a park with a shaded playground? Well, we have a great park to suggest!

Looking out at the small lake in Lake Ellyn. Photo by Tara Burghart.Park Name: Lake Ellyn Park

Location: 645 Lenox Road (at Linden Avenue) in northeast Glen Ellyn. The park is located just to the north of Glenbard West High School. There is no parking lot by the playground, you just park on the street.

Amenities: This 25-acre park features a 10-acre lake, fishing deck, boathouse, picnic area, walking paths, playground, see-saw and swings, including two swings for babies. The public restrooms, located inside the boathouse, are open from April through October. In the winter, Lake Ellyn offers outdoor ice skating and a warming house.

Good for: All ages, but especially preschoolers since the playground equipment is less challenging than some newer playgrounds I've seen.

Our Experience: A friend and I were looking to shake up our playdate routine a bit, so she planned a wonderful July outing to Lake Ellyn Park, followed by lunch at 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill in downtown Glen Ellyn.

My daughter and I met my friend and her two children (ages 3 and 1) at Lake Ellyn Park on a morning that was hot but not yet unbearable. My first impression was that the park is surrounded by some seriously beautiful old homes. My next impression? Shade! Shade! Shade! This lovely park has wonderful old trees, and much of the playground is covered in shade. 

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