Parks & Recreation

• 57th Street Beach is easily reachable via car or by foot.
• Law School Reflecting Pool is a popular place to sit and relax.
• Chicago Parks District Harris Park Fieldhouse: 6200 S. Drexel Ave.
• Midway Plaisance Park

Activities for Children

Arts

• Logan Center for the Arts Family Saturdays are free thematic art workshops led by local artists, art organizations, and UChicago students. Families can sample a range of activities for children ages two to 12 through hour-long sessions led by local artists. 
• The Hyde Park Art Center offers a wide variety of art classes and camps for children of all ages.
• Arts Incubator offers arts education and community-based arts projects, as well as exhibitions, performances, and talks, many of which are open to children.
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Play Areas

• The University’s Family Resource Center has an indoor play area featuring a jungle gym, an outdoor playground, a variety of toys, an arts and crafts area, and a large play area to hold music, dance, and other classes for young children during the academic year.
• Idea Factory at the Museum of Science and Industry is an indoor play space frequented by many Hyde Park families.
  

Reading and Story Time

• The Blackstone Public Library has a large children section and holds story time sessions for toddlers several times a week.
• 57th Street Books has a children’s book/reading area.
• The Harold Washington Children’s Library in the South Loop offers a weekly story time.
  

Sports and Fitness

• Kids Jamm Yoga is a family yoga course held at the Arts Incubator.
• L’il Kickers Soccer for Kids offers summer classes in the Midway Plaisance for children ages 18 months and up.
• Hyde Park-Kenwood Legends is a little league baseball club for children ages ages four and up.

Swimming

• The British Swim School at LA Fitness on 53rd Street offers a variety of swim lessons for children.
• The Chicago Parks District offers many affordable classes for toddlers and children. Many Hyde Park families take their children to swimming lessons at the nearby Ellis Park indoor pool and Harris Park indoor pool. During the summer months, the Washington Park outdoor pool has a family swim time on weekday mornings and weekend afternoons. This pool has a zero entry that gives toddlers a large area where they can run, splash, and learn to be comfortable in the water. It also has an area for swimming laps and a water slide.
• The University’s Community Swim & Diving School at Ratner offers classes for children (ages three and up) and adults during the academic year.
• The Southside YMCA offers swimming classes for children (ages six months and up) and adults in their indoor swimming pool.

Miscellaneous

• The Baby Ph.D. Childcare Network collaborates with the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club to sponsor a weekday Play-N-Learn program. The program consists of several daily play-based educational activities for children up to age four to attend together with their caregivers. Activities include creative art, musical storytime, sign language, Tot Lot, dramatic play, infant playgroup, and more. Nannies and Baby Ph.D. childcare providers located within walking distance of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club often utilize the Club’s Play-N-Learn program as part of their daily curriculum.