Saturday, March 3, 2012

My Kind of Town! Happy Birthday Chicago!

Once a sleepy, muddy frontier town, Chicago, has become a booming, bustling metropolis known for its award-winning restaurants, breathtaking views, world-class museums and tourist attractions, and Midwestern hospitality.

Tomorrow will mark Chicago's 175th Birthday! This great city was incorporated on March 4th 1837. I have found some remarkable websites, things to do, and activities which will help everyone celebrate the city we call home.

This calendar showcases all the wonderful things we can do to celebrate the "Windy City" for 175 days (March 4 - August 26) in Chicago.
http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/events___special_events/special_events/tourism/175_Days_to_Love_Chicago.html

Bring the kids to the Chicago History Museum on March 4th for a very special birthday party!
http://www.chicagoparent.com/magazines/chicago-parent/2012-march/calendar/chicago's-bday

Chicago Tribune: Timeline of Important Chicago Events
http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/newspaper/news/ct-per-flash-chicago175th-0304-20120304,0,6832736,full.story

Read this Chicago Sun-Times article to learn about all the fabulous items and events which happened right here in Chicago! Some of these events include the "first radio soap opera" and the creation of such yummy treats as brownies that came to us via the innovative Palmer House Hotel!
http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/11008357-452/happy-175th-birthday-chicago-city-of-firsts.html

How Kid's Can Celebrate Chicago's Birthday

Hold a birthday party with Chicago favorites including deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, Eli's Cheesecake, Twinkies etc.

Create the Willis Tower using Legos

Make a lion in honor of the "Chicago Art Institute Lions". Use mint green paper if you would like to make your lions the true verdigris color of the "Art Institute Lions". Place a triangle-shaped piece of paper on their heads to represent a party hat! Click on link below for lion crafts.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/jungle-lions.html

Design a majestic crayon resist cityscape using crayons and black paint.
http://www.kinderart.com/drawing/cresist.shtml

Read the juvenile fantasy novel, The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone. The novel surrounds a mysterious key and the ubiquitous Throne Rooms. The Throne Rooms are the lovely and historically accurate miniature rooms found in the Chicago Art institute.

Sing the following song:
"Chicago's Birthday" 
(Tune: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") 

March Fourth is Chicago's birthday
Let's sing "Happy Birthday" and cheer
Eat lots of cake and ice cream too
Because our city is just so cool!

So let's sing "Happy Birthday" to Chicago
Make lots of noise so everybody can hear
And blow out 175 big, bright candles
To celebrate this year!

Song by Jennifer Hatcher

Make your own Picasso-style sculpture of the famous Picasso Sculpture in Daley Center Plaza using paper shapes and toilet paper rolls. See the following site for pictures of this unusual, yet captivating statue.
http://www.cirrusimage.com/chicago_picasso_sculpture.htm

Use aluminum foil to sculpt a replica of "The Bean" found in Millennium Park. Click on link to view pictures of "The Bean".
http://www.cirrusimage.com/chicago_the_bean.htm