A guided glimpse into the world of outdoor play will depend on the day. Possibilities include snowman and snow fort building with natural materials or garden scavenger hunt for natural objects

Search for gnomes in the Children's Garden using your best "I Spy" skills. Checklist provided.

Interactive story time and fun crafts indoors before heading out on the grounds for a winter walk. Themes change each week. Wednesdays and Fridays.

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.

If you're looking for an alternative to skating at Millennium Park this winter, look up. Way up-94 stories, to be exact. Touted as the World's Highest Ice Skating Rink, the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center gives ice skaters a bird's-eye view of the city and the lake.

At 20 feet by 45 feet, the rink is probably too small to be your solo destination of the day, but paired with a trip to see the view from the Hancock, it's a nice way for kids to burn off energy while parents enjoy the great view. And because it's synthetic ice, skaters stay warm and don't get wet.

The rink is scheduled to be open for skating from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. through April 18. A 25-minute skate session costs $6 (in addition to the cost to get into the Hancock Observatory). You can bring your own skates or rent some there for a dollar.

See a toy so amazing, so unbelievable, it has the power to transform into anything you want it to be. Enter a world where imagination rules, and ordinary becomes extraordinary.

The exhibit features the illustrations of W. W. Denslow, a Chicago resident whose famous illustrations helped to inspire the design of the classic 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland. The bright and colorful exhibit provides a variety of learning opportunities and hands-on activities within a three-dimensional representation of Denslow's distinctive illustrations.

Discover how sounds make music, and how music makes you feel, with activities like making melodies on bolt- and wrench-a-phones, using soft sculpture pegs to make a music box, blowing air over a reed, moving musical notes on a staff, beating percussion instruments, and creating an artistic masterpiece that reflects how music makes you feel

Celebrate National Potato and Sweet Potato Month!

Hundreds of objects and documents from the exclusive private collection, together with a rare collection of first editions of his most famous works, tell the story of how Charles Dickens and his characters became enduring cultural icons. Interactive and multi-media displays and personal effects take visitors through a chronological tour of the life, literature and legacy of Dickens. View his personal traveling inkwell, take a ride in an early century carriage, and learn about the memorable characters, stories and themes of his famous tales through games, time period puzzles and Dickens' own personal Facebook page.

Visitors become space adventurers and set off on a journey to discover the Universe in a way never done before. Travel a billion light-years and back, fly through space, orbit the Moon, zoom into a canyon on Mars, and soar through the cosmic web where a million galaxies shower down. The experience was created utilizing real telescopic data and the best scientific imagery.

The longest-running exhibition of African-American art in the U.S. features more than 100 dynamic works of art from amateur and professional African-American artists from around the nation.

Exhibit explores Schulz's personal history and his role as the sole inspiration and artistic talent behind Peanuts and its unique cast of characters. Through original cartoons, reproductions and related Peanuts ephemera, guests see how characters were developed and evolved. Schulz's Santa Rosa, Calif. studio, recreated for the first time, allows for a deeper look into his work and life. Kids and families have a chance to exercise their own Schultz-like creativity with activities like making a zoetrope.

Museum is free Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27.

Spend a morning at the Museum. Kids discover nature through games, crafts, stories, and songs, plus a live animal visits each month.

Chicago Kids Company performs the classic tale from Feb. 6-April 12.

In a new twist on fairytale fun, favorite Disney characters compete to be the next superstar in comical segments leading up to the tales of show stopping princesses. Opening Jan. 23-27, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, then moving to Chicago's United Center, Jan. 30-Feb. 10. For additional information, visit disneyonice.com.

Professor McBumble's group of traveling actor's teach the lesson's of Anti-Bullying by using fairtales as their backdrop. Performances run from Jan. 23-May 3 at various locations. Check website for dates and location schedule.

Watch men painted blue do unusual performance art and original slapstick comedy. It's fun to sit in the front, but remember to wear a plastic poncho to avoid the flying food and liquids. Buy tickets at the box office, online, via Ticketmaster or by calling (773) 348-4000.

Cathy Rigby takes flight in an all new production that runs from Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2013.

Bud, Not Buddy  follows the journey of a young African-American orphan as he searches for his father. Clues kept in a suitcase lead him to adventures in Depression-era Michigan, where he finds community among a group of jazz musicians and, ultimately, an unexpected sense of home. Performances are Jan. 12-Feb. 24, 2013.

The Cat in the Hat is the perfect friend for a boring rainy afternoon. From games and mischief to Thing One and Thing Two, The Cat brings all sorts of trouble to this gray day--but will Sally and her brother be able to explain the mess to Mother? Performances run Jan. 26-June 9, 2013.

When happily ever after isn't what he expected, the Frog Prince heads out for a new adventure. While searching for his true amphibian self, he meets witches from Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Performances run Jan. 26-June 9, 2013.

This third installment continues the marriage of classic literature to music. Students will be introduced to Blues concepts along with other contemporary music. Playwright J. e Franklin reconstructs timeless fables about morals and values that stimulate critical thinking in a setting filled with music, fun, and laughter. Showtimes are 10 a.m. and noon Monday-Friday from Oct. 29-June 14. Summer performances are June 24-Aug. 2.