Kids' ears are sensitive -- to bacteria, loud noises, changes in pressure, and pennies/miniature action figures/pencils shoved in them. Here are the five things you should know about kids' ears, starting with something you don't want to hear.  Read more...

There we were, browsing the online craft site Etsy for a set of matching handmade hats for our web department, we came across this little local guy, Mason. Now, Mason is clearly the cutest baby model we’ve ever seen, but we knew there had to be more. So we set out to find the cutest kids on Etsy, all modeling products made by Chicago crafters.  Read more...

When the Old Town School of Folk Music launched its early childhood education program in 1986, there were two instructors and a handful of kids. Today, as the program turns 25, more than 2,000 kids are enrolled across the city, and the school is hosting a blowout concert Nov. 20 to celebrate.  Read more...

Ringling Bros. FUNundrum circus train rolled into Chicago this week, and we sat down with the Iversons -- Johnathan is the show’s ringmaster and Priscilla is a dancer -- about life under the big top. And you thought your family was a three-ring circus.  Read more...

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Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, riding your friendly neighborhood CTA line.  Read more...

The longest and most sweeping study of women's and children's health ever conducted kicked off Tuesday, with Chicago as one of its host locations.  Read more...

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It's baaa-aack. Four years after closing its doors, Santa's Village in East Dundee is back to doing what it does best: rocking the holiday season.  Read more...

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Chicago-focused, earth-friendly, and generally karmically awesome gifts.  Read more...

Families have cut a lot of things during the recession: dinners out, vacations, morning lattes. But diapers? Sad, but true - and one Chicago nonprofit is rolling up their sleeves for a little dirty work.  Read more...

If our thoroughly unscientific poll is any indication, you can't go wrong this year with a video gaming system, which topped the wish lists of more than 60 percent of our respondents.  Read more...

LEGOLAND Discovery Center is looking for a name for the two-story giraffe that looms over its front doors, and is offering a four-pack of annual passes to the winner. A tall order, indeed.  Read more...

It happens to every parent: the digitized numbers on the fancy thermometer screen flash into triple digits and you immediately dive for the phone to call the pediatrician, your mother, maybe the National Guard.  Read more...

If some of the bigger Chicago holiday shows aren't your family's style, head instead to Stage 773 for Porchlight Music Theatre's production of "The Miracle on 34th Street."  Read more...

Holiday shopping season is in full swing, and one annual toy safety report is going mobile this year, helping parents make informed decisions before they hit the checkout line.  Read more...