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[title]Friday, March 29
Juicebox
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St (312--6630, cityofchicago.org). 10am; free.
The city's getting Chicago babies hooked on culture early with its new music and performance series. Geared toward the "stroller set," the outings let parents and pre-kindergarten kids take in free family-friendly performances in music, dance and theater. In case you thought this was your typical assortment of handclapping, patty-cake feel-goodery, think again: The brainy but engaging artists' roster includes Spektral Quartet's humorous, interactive antics; accessible classical act Chicago Q Ensemble; theatrical and sculptural dance group RE | Dance Group; improvised jazz artist Jeff Parker; and more.
Othello: The Remix
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E Grand Ave (312-595-5600, chicagoshakes.com). 7:30pm; $20–$35.
The popular Q Brothers are back with another rendition on a classic. Through the lens of modern music and rhyme, they bring their urban take on Shakespeare's classic Othello to Chicago Shakes. Though the duo's raps and grooves make Shakespeare an easy sell, the mature themes of the story are likely meant for the high-school crowd, though we'll leave that up to parents. Tickets tend to go fast, so buy in advance.
YoYo University
Cat and Mouse Game Store, 2212 W Armitage Ave (773-384-4454, cat-n-mouse.com). 4pm–6pm; free.
Learn to walk the dog—in the yo-yo sense—with Team YoYoJam member Ben Conde. The yo-yo hotdogger's offering lessons every Friday.
Saturday, March 30
Prairie District Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt
Chicago Women's Park & Gardens, 1801 S Indiana Ave (312-328-0823, explorechicago.org). Noon–2pm; $4, kids 10 and under $10, 1 and under free.
Bring your tykes and their Easter baskets to hunt for eggs in the historic Prairie District's Women's Garden. More than 8,000 candy- and prize-filled eggs await, plus an animal petting zoo, piñatas, visits with the Easter Bunny and more. Recommended for kids 10 and under. Reservations required.
Storytown
Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave (773-327-5252, stage773.com). 10:30am; $5.
This tall tale, filled with princesses, dinosaurs and underwater escapes, gives kids an introduction to improv comedy by literally getting them in on the act with plot, character and costume design and planning, live music playing all the while.
Breakfast with the Bunny and EGGstravaganza
Emily Oaks Nature Center, 4650 Brummel St, Skokie (847-677-7001, skokieparkdistrict.org). 9:30am.
Kids, set your clocks for an early rise and beat the crowds for a terrain scouting report. Grab a bite with the Easter Bunny in the morning for some much-needed energy, before the egg hunt at 11am. Perhaps your furry friend will divulge a secret or two, so you can find that perfect holiday treat.
Wicker Park Holiday Egg Hunt
Wicker Park, 1425 N Damen Ave (312-742-7553, chicagoparkdistrict.com). 10am–1pm; free.
Don't forget your Easter baskets; you'll need them for this neighborhood egg hunt, with a showing of the movie Hop to follow.
Sunday, March 31
"Creatures of Light"
The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr (312-922-9410, fieldmuseum.org). 9am–5pm.
It's hard to believe the neon green, pink, yellow, orange and blue colors that dominate this exhibition occur naturally in nature—but they do. The kid-friendly displays feature oversized models of cool light-emitting organisms, from mushrooms to the flashlight fish, all set within a series of re-created environments. Along the way, kids can learn how the organisms' glowing qualities help them attract mates, lure prey or fend off predators. A few live creatures will be on display, as well, including dinoflagellates from Puerto Rico's Mosquito Bay, live glowing scorpions and a live flashlight fish, which harbors bioluminescent bacteria under its eyes to communicate, catch food and fend off foes.
"Animal Inside Out: A Body Worlds Production."
Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S Lake Shore Dr (773-684-1414, msichicago.org). 9:30am–4pm; General admission, plus $12, kids 3–11 $8, seniors $12.
Dr. Gunther von Hagens of "Body Worlds" fame is at it again, this time with plasticized animal bodies instead of human ones. The scientist's patented process, which removes the fluids from the body and replaces them with plastics that harden, lets viewers get an inside look at the specimens. This exhibition showcases the biology and physiology of a diverse assortment of creatures—100 in all, from giraffes to octopuses. Separate timed tickets are required for this exhibition.
AWEsome Electricity
DuPage Children's Museum, 301 N Washington St (630-637-8000, dupagechildrensmuseum.org). 9am–5pm; Free with general admission ($9.50, seniors $8.50).
Flipping a light switch brings light—easy, peasy right? But most people have no idea how currents, loads and power sources really work. This new exhibition gives kids a hands on way to understand electricity's basics. Kids will get lessons on how power is generated and how it moves by playing with and assembling circuits to turn on kinetic sculptures, plus they can climb a tower to experiment with building, storing and releasing electric power.