Docents help children and others learn through interactive displays and games in the showrooms. New topics every month. September: "Traveling Seeds"; October: "Cone Bearing Plants"; November: "Fruits, The Seasonal Food Harvest"; December: "Eggs and the Conservatory Critters"; January: "Urban Wildlife"; February: "Chocolate"; March topic: "Survival in the Jungle"; April: "Carnivorous Plants"; May: "Water Works."

Learn the history of maple sugaring and evolution of the sap collection process, then taste Coral Woods maple syrup.  Tours start every 15 minutes, last an hour, and involve a half-mile hike. Dress for the weather. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-March 6. On Sunday, you can stop for breakfast before or after the Festival, at the Marengo United Methodist Church, 119 E. Washington, Marengo (March 3) or Donley's, 8512 South Union Rd., Union (March 10). Breakfast is $6 adults and $3 kids, and is served from 7 a.m.-noon.

With small solar lights to guide their way, hikers, skiers and snowshoers can traverse the 1.3-mile fitness trail at Old School Forest Preserve in Libertyville or the 1.65-mile hilly section of the Millennium Trail adjacent to the winter Sports Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. Starting Sunday, Nov. 4, the trails and adjacent parking lots will remain open until 9 .m. daily until March 9.

Feature the black bear and its adaptations for survival in the forest. Crawl into the bear's den, compare your senses to that of the black bear, feel his fur, come face to face with a black bear mount and more.

Learn more about polar bears - and what can be done to help them. The zoo offers twice-daily Arctic activities at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Resident polar bear Anana will be in for some extra treats, and staff and volunteers will be giving away free passes to see To The Arctic 3Dat Navy Pier IMAX Theater.

Artist Ann Toebbe leads a class in which young artists use paint, paper, glue and other materials to construct their house from memory.

Learn about Chicago's two World's Fairs though the experiences of three Elmhurst residents during the 1893 and 1933-34 fairs and explore rare artifacts.

Explore all 3 levels, 24 classrooms, an artisan gift shop, and gallery. Experiment in all departments with our free workshops and demonstrations for any age, including special kids' activities from noon-4 p.m.

Includes activities, door prizes, giveaways and vendors available, all designed to promote a healthy lifestyle to children.

March is "Sing With Your Child Month" so Marsha's Music is hosting an Open House Week of Free Classes culminating in a Drum Circle Fam Jam. Classes are appropriate for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and are at Greenhouse Theater Center; Joan's Studio, 1438 E. 57th St., Chicago; and Nazareth Family Center, 1127 N. Oakley, Chicago. Free classes run from March 1-7. Call (773) 288-3815 or marshasmusic.com to register.