Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at the Museum of Science and Industry is one of my very favorite Chicago holiday events and is a must-see for my family each year – we’ve been going for more than a decade now.
If you go
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light runs through Jan. 3, 2016.
Checking out the more than 50 Christmas trees with my daughter is different now that she’s a teenager than it was when she was a toddler. And while she (and you) may think there’s nothing new, there’s so much detail on every single tree that it’s nearly impossible to take it all in at once.
A scavenger hunt can be a fun way to get older kids involved in Christmas Around the World and help them learn about the dozens of countries represented. You may get them even more interested if you give them a phone or camera and make it a photo scavenger hunt.
You can do just one of these based on your kid’s interests or you can combine them into one big scavenger hunt:
If your kid likes sports, hunt for:
a golf ball ornament
soccer ball garland
hockey sticks (hint: they’re near the top of a tree)
If your child likes music, have them find:
the treble clef ornament
a harp ornament (there are a few different trees with harps)
a guitar ornament
If you have a young foodie on your hands, look for these items adorning the trees:
pomegranates
waffles
chocolate
bags of coffee beans
pizza ornament
If your little one is a fashionista, keep eyes out for:
shoes (you can find them on several trees)
a knit sweater
a tree full of hats and crowns
If you have an aspiring architect, seek out these buildings:
a pyramid ornament
the Eiffel Tower
a house
If you have a transportation enthusiast, look for these ornaments:
a taxi
a bus
a canoe
If your kid loves creating crafts, they may appreciate these ornaments made of paper:
a parol (a star-shaped lantern)
paper lanterns
paper umbrellas
If you little (or big) one loves animals, see if you can find these animal ornaments:
turtles
sheep
polar bear
camel
spider
Gather your geography buffs and see which continents are represented. (We counted five)
We’d love to see photos of your scavenger hunt finds! Share them with us on Instagram @ChicagoParent and use the hashtag #CPxMSIHoliday!
Read more about the exhibit on the Moms in the Mix blog here.
