Gym & Juice (and More) Your Way to a Healthy 2020

Where to juice

Ditch the over-sugared juices you find in the supermarket and intro your kids to Chicago's fresh-squeezed juice scene. (Psst. . . it’s a pretty sweet way to sneak in veggies!) You'll find juice bars and cafes that focus on all-natural goodness and have family-friendly atmospheres in our story Sip, Sip, Hurray! The Best Local Juice Bars for Kids.

Get kids in on the gym life

From a wildly cool fitness-focused studio created just for kids to a typically adult-centric facility that gets kids in on the crossfit craze, you can find a gym that caters to your family's interests in our story Our Favorite Fitness Spots for Kids.

Host a fit-inspired birthday

We're definitely not encouraging you to skip the birthday cake, but how about planning a birthday party that keeps kids moving or that's sports-focused? You can find ideas for where to host in our story: Hide from the Chill: Best Indoor Birthday Party Destinations.

Dine and dash . . . or bowl

You gotta eat, so why not plan a family date night that gets you up and moving at the same time? Right across the street from Wrigley Field, you'll find Lucky Strike Social offering bowling, pool, air hockey and over 100 games and Punch Bowl Social in the West Loop has bowling, shuffleboard, classic gaming and VR gaming. Find these and more in our story Chicago’s Themed Restaurants You HAVE to Try at Least Once (some are most definitely cheat-day approved).

Teach your kids to swim

Knowing how to swim, even if it's just the basics, is one of those life skills everyone should have. Even babies who are still in the weeble-wobble stage can get in on the fun. In our story 7 Swimming Schools That Will Float Your Boat, we found schools that focus on everything from playful instruction to I-wanna-be-Michael-Phelps-some-day competitive training. 

Indoors, outdoors . . find your favorite swim spot

Summertime we're all about our spraygrounds, community pools, hidden gems to swim that are off the beaten path and finding the most thrilling water slides, but our story Local Indoor Water Parks For Year-Round Water Play, tells your where to water-play until the sun cranks up the heat. 

To make things EXTRA exciting, Raging Waves is adding a new waterslide this summer. The Aussie Mat Race is a six-lane mat racing waterslide where six riders race side-by-side in tunnels to the bottom. With only two such slides installed in the world, the Aussie Mat Dash will be a welcome addition to your summertime fun.

Attend a fest that's all about staying active

Outside, America’s preeminent active lifestyle brand, is hosting Outside Experience, presented by Go RVing, May 16 and May 17 at Northerly Island. This festival will showcase new products and interactive demos from leading active lifestyle brands and travel destinations. Attendees will test gear, enjoy films and live music and sip craft whiskey and beer—all in a festive, family-friendly, indoor/outdoor environment.

Explore and dance with Chicago Botanic Garden (and go granola!)

Lucky us, Chicago Botanic Garden offers programming all year long that keeps us outside and in awe of nature's beauty. While Butterflies and Blooms (May 23-Sept. 2), their Model Railroad Garden (May 9-Sept. 2) and Summer Evenings (Weekdays, Jun.-Labor Day) programming are kid-favorites, they are also hosting a family class on how to make your own granola (Mar. 28) — which most definitely helps work toward your stay-healthy goals. 

Take a walk

It's not hard to be inspired to walk when you have places like Morton Arboretum in your 'hood. Just as they say goodbye to their uber-cool Troll Hunt exhibit in June, which features 15- to 20-foot-tall trolls hiding in the woods, they welcome Humans+Nature, which includes 5 massive sculptures that bring attention to the deep connections between humans and nature.

For other inspiring ideas on where to hike with kids, read our story Hit the Trails! Best Hikes with Kids No Matter the Season.

Figure 8 all year long

Lace up and feel the cool wind in your face after reading Take a Spin! Awesome Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks or skip the chill and opt for Old-School Cool: Local Roller Skating Rinks You’ll Love. Either way, you'll have a chance to impress the kids with your sick moves on skates.