Upcoming Early Childhood Events
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
A Gentle Guide: Talking to Kids About Death and Dying
A workshop to help guide you in having conversations around death and dying with your kids.
From Chaos to Connection: Holding Boundaries Without Yelling
When kids push limits, it’s easy to lose your cool. Whether it’s sibling battles, power struggles, or explosive meltdowns, parenting can leave even the calmest adult feeling frayed.
Family Peer Grief Support Group
Free Family Peer Grief Support Group for children 3-28 years old who have had a death loss of a parent/caregiver or sibling.
Boo Bash
Join us from for some Halloween fun! Bring your trick or treat bag and wear your costumes!
Closing Day- Winnetka Farmers' Market
The Winnetka Farmers' Market brings you fresh produce, supports local farmers, offers unique artisanal products, promotes sustainable choices, and provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with the community while enjoying a seasonal variety of goods.
Let's Play! Geological Exploration
Bring your beach shovels and curiosity! Join Alliance partners—the Winnetka Park District, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and local geologists—for a hands-on exploration of Tower Beach’s geological wonders.
Letters to Santa
This holiday season your child can write to Santa and receive a personalized reply from him!
Series - Unlocking the Power of Play: Nurturing Independent Play
Modern parenting often means juggling a lot—and that can lead to kids spending more time on screens or in adult-directed activities. But independent play is not only possible—it’s powerful.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Family Peer Grief Support Group
Free Family Peer Grief Support Group for children 3-28 years old who have had a death loss of a parent/caregiver or sibling.
Holiday Fest
Join us for a park lighting, Santa, holiday music performed by local school choirs, and crafts!
Prospective Family Open House
Come in to visit our classrooms, meet our staff and Board members, & learn about our registration details!
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents
Animal Encounter with the Natural Naturalist
Come meet animals from all over the world right here in your city!
Series - Unlocking the Power of Play: Becoming a Play Partner
In the past, children naturally played in diverse age groups, learning by watching, doing, and leading. But today’s family structures are often smaller and more isolated. Parents can help fill that gap by becoming thoughtful play partners.
Martin Luther King Day of Service
This event honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by encouraging community members to engage in service projects that benefit local nonprofits and individuals in need.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Let's Play! Cardboard Design Experience
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, Joseph Sears School, Kenilworth District 38, and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library for a morning of hands-on creativity and open-ended fun! Children are invited to bring their big ideas — we’ll provide the cardboard and tools to help their creations come to life.
Series - Unlocking the Power of Play: Supporting Social Play
Play is one of the richest ways children develop social skills. Yet with fewer unstructured peer interactions, many kids are missing out. This session focuses on how to create meaningful play opportunities with other children and how to coach your child through social play challenges without micromanaging their fun.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Let's Play! Winter Forest Exploration
Bundle up and head outside for a morning of winter play with The Alliance for Early Childhood, Heller Nature Center, and the Park District of Highland Park.
Let's Play! At Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Park West Cooperative Nursery School for a special morning designed just for young children. Families are invited to explore the museum and enjoy interactive pop-up experiences throughout the exhibits. Like all Let’s Play! events, this experience is free and open to families. Registration is required.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Conservation Celebration
Did you know that the Nature Museum isn't just an awesome place to explore and learn? We're also involved in protecting nature!
Writer's Theatre Education Drop-In Spring Break Camp
Looking for a fun and flexible way to stay active over spring break? Drop in to WT for a customizable camp experience!
Let's Play! At the Farm
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood and Historic Wagner Farm for a morning of springtime exploration on the farm. Families are invited to step inside the 1920s farmhouse, barter for goods at the Farm Stand, get creative in the Maker area, play in the Farm Adventure Area, and explore the Heritage Center’s farmhouse kitchen and garden.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Let's Play! Sandcastles and Seagulls
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, the Wilmette Park District, and BackYard Nature Center for a morning of sandcastles and nature play! Bring your favorite sandcastle-building tools and a sense of adventure as we explore, build, and play together at the beach.
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Let's Play! Summer Forest Exploration
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, BackYard Nature Center, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County for an afternoon of outdoor, child-directed play in the beautiful Erikson Woods.
NINPA Family Play Event
Join us for an afternoon of scavenger hunts, hiking, fort building, and campfires!
Cardboard Challenge
At Baker we don’t just think outside the box, we cut the box, design the box and play inside the box!
Little Craft Hub
Explore and play with STEAM concepts in this craft program for the whole family!
Let's Play! Fall Forest Exploration at Heller Nature Center
Discover the magic of fall at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park! Wander through golden prairies ablaze with color, collect acorns and native seeds to help plant next spring’s prairie, and make beautiful leaf prints to take home.
Series - Unlocking the Power of Play: Why Play Matters and What You Can Do Right Now
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, in partnership with TrueNorth Parent University, for a powerful four-part series designed to help you bring more play into your child’s life.
Pajama Storytime
Wear your jammies, bring your favorite stuffed animal, and join us for special bedtime stories for the whole family.
Family Fall Festival 2025
Come enjoy autumn in the Gillson Park bird habitat with Go Green Wilmette at this family friendly event!
German Bilingual Storytime
Join teachers from Wochenendschule der Donauschwaben, a German Saturday School, for an interactive German storytime filled with crafts and fun!
Let's Play! Fort Building
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, the Winnetka Park District, and the Chicago Botanic Garden Nature Preschool for a day of building, imagining, and playing together.
Emotion Explorers Storytime
Explore the world of emotions in this interactive storytime designed to build early childhood emotional intelligence skills.
Let's Play! Fort Building
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood, the Winnetka Park District, and the Chicago Botanic Garden Nature Preschool for a day of building, imagining, and playing together.
Magnificent Minds: A Let's Learn Together Program
Celebrate neurodiversity with stories and songs at this inclusive storytime for the whole family.
HP Community Fall Fest
Join us for HP Community's Fall Fest! This is a fundraising event for the whole family that will feature food trucks, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, a bounce house, DJ, and more!
Mindful Beginnings
Mindful Beginnings is a monthly outdoor meet-up for new and expecting parents to connect and share in community with fellow parents.
Screening for Dyslexia
Are you concerned that your child has dyslexia? Did you know that screening can identify students with a dyslexic profile as early as 3 or 4 years old (even before they are expected to begin reading)?
Flutter Into Fall
Join us for our annual celebration of our beloved butterflies as the monarchs begin their migration! It will be a day full of activities for the whole family to honor our fluttering friends and their annual migration to the Oyamel fir forest in Mexico.
Honey Harvest Demo
Our honey bees have been working all summer making our famous Heller Honey. Come and experience how to harvest our honey with one of our naturalists and take home a small jar you harvested from the hives
Bugapalooza
Calling all bug enthusiasts – Bugapalooza is back! Stop by the bug zoo to get up close and personal with native insects and spiders – don’t forget to visit the petting zoo while you're there! Nerd out with our entomologist, watch insect pinning demonstrations, and learn to dance like a bee. Then grab a net and head outside to discover the insects and spiders that call our prairie home. Ticket price includes museum admission. tickets and information at naturemuseum.org/events
Tots N tunes: Scribble Monster
Join us for a musical playdate with Scribble Monster! Jim Dague, AKA Scribble Jim, brings his high-energy show to Glencoe to wrap up our Tots N Tunes summer concert series.
Screening for Dyslexia
Are you concerned that your child has dyslexia? Did you know that screening can identify students with a dyslexic profile as early as 3 or 4 years old (even before they are expected to begin reading)?
Early warning signs include things such as a family history of dyslexia, difficulty rhyming and delayed speech development.
Being informed about your child’s profile will allow you to advocate for your child and if appropriate get some early support. Early intervention can make an enormous difference in your child’s reading and school trajectory - your child doesn’t have to struggle or wait to fail.
The screening takes approximately 30 minutes and costs $75 per child. It includes a normed phonemic awareness assessment and early reading battery. Results will be shared with parents via email following the screening. Please contact info@threeforthrive.com to secure a time slot.
Winnetka-Northfield Sidewalk Sales
Get ready for a fun-filled shopping adventure at the Winnetka-Northfield Sidewalk Sales! Local businesses will move a selection of their products onto the sidewalks and outdoor spaces, offering exciting promotional deals and discounts on a wide range of goods and services. From unique finds to must-have items, there’s something for everyone.
Tots N Tunes: Miss Jamie's Farm
Join us for Miss Jamie's Musical Storytime Adventure, involving interactive singing and dancing, funny farm puppets, and imaginative play. Children and grownups alike will love singing and dancing with their friends down on Miss Jamie's farm!
Glencoe Sidewalk Sale
Get ready for a fun-filled shopping adventure at the Glencoe Sidewalk Sales! Local businesses will move a selection of their products onto the sidewalks and outdoor spaces, offering exciting promotional deals and discounts on a wide range of goods and services. From unique finds to must-have items, there’s something for everyone.
Winnetka Music Festival
To purchase tickets: www.winnetkamusicfestival.com 2-day 4 stage festival integrated in downtown Winnetka, with nationally recognized headliners with top emerging artists. Food options included food trucks and local restaurants. VIP area for superior festival experience, family stage on Saturday morning.
Chris Fascione: Juggling Funny Stories!
Chris Fascione brings children's stories to life with high-spirited performances which are full of energy, humor, and imagination. Chris creates colorful characters through his unique combination of acting, storytelling, comedy, and juggling. • All attendees, 2-years-old and older, must purchase a ticket. • Refunds will not be given. Register Here
Let's Play! Summer Nature Exploration
Join with The Alliance for Early Childhood and Community Partners, BackYard Nature Center and Cook County Forest Preserves, to engage in creative, imaginative, and child-directed, outdoor free-play as a family in beautiful Erikson Woods.
First Day: Summer Reading Club
Even babies and toddlers can participate in Summer Reading Club at the library! Pre-readers can earn a free picture book for completing a reading log with their grownups. Pick up a reading log at the library or print one from wilmettelibrary.info to get started.
Opening Day- Winnetka Farmers' Market
The Winnetka Farmers' Market brings you fresh produce, supports local farmers, offers unique artisanal products, promotes sustainable choices, and provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with the community while enjoying a seasonal variety of goods. 22 Saturdays, Rain or Shine