Welcome to the Southern Illinois Kids Website

I am a working mother in Southern Illinois on a constant mission to find fun and educational activities for my two young children. I decided to start this blog to provide a resource for parents like me to find out what is going on for kids in Southern Illinois.

In addition to special events, there are details about area playgrounds, libraries and special offers for families. The posts below will be updated as often as possible, so check back frequently. If you hear about activities or offers that should be posted on this blog, please submit them to SouthernIllinoisMom1@yahoo.com.

Hey! Check us out as one of Isis Magazine's "Blogs We Love"!

Upcoming Events & Activities

Lego Club: Sept. 15, Oct. 6 and 20, 6 p.m., Marion Library.

Carterville Fair: Sept. 3-6. Parade downtown on Saturday at 10 a.m. Carnival rides, food and music at Cannon Park.

Murphysboro Apple Festival Car Show: Sunday, Sept. 7, Riverside Park. Judging starts at 1:30 p.m. Spectators welcome.

Cedarhurst Craft Fair: Sept. 6-7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road, Mt. Vernon. More than 100 artist booths, food, activities for kids, music. Admission is $5 but kids 10 and under are free. Park at Times Square Mall and take the shuttle.

Fall Farm Crawl: Sept. 6-7, 1 to 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Carbondale Neighborhood Co-op. Admission is $15 but kids 12 and under are free. When you register at http://neighborhood.coop, you'll get a program guide and map. Then, you can take a self-guided tour of more than 15 local farms.

Astronomy Observation Events: Sept. 27, Oct. 18 and Nov. 29 at Evergreen Park in Carbondale. Sept. 27, Oct. 17 and Nov. 14 at Giant City State Park Visitor Center. Observation begins half hour after sunset.

Veterans Parade: Saturday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m., Main Street in Marion.

Irish Festival: Sept. 20-21, Walker's Bluff Winery. Go to www.silirishfest.org for details.

John A. Logan Hunting & Fishing Days: Sept. 27-28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., John A. Logan College Parking Lot, Carterville. Demonstrations, dog shows.

Craft Fair: Oct. 3-5, Fish Tales Pet Shop, 408 S. Pershing Road, Energy.

The Jungle Book: Oct. 16-18, Marion Cultural and Civic Center. Presenteded by Paradise Alley Players. Go to www.marionccc.com for details and tickets.

Vulture Program: Saturday, Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Crab Orchard Nature Center.

Owl Program: Saturday, Dec. 13, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Crab Orchard Nature Center.

American Veterans Traveling Vietnam Wall Tribute: Sept. 11-14 at the SIU football practice football field south of Saluki Stadium. You can see an 80% replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Carterville Farmer's Market: Wednesdays May 7 through Oct. 22, 3 to 6 p.m., behind Cannon Park Community Center.

Carbondale Farmer's Market: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, through November. Behind westside McDonald's in Carbondale.

Market Days Flea Market: First Saturday of the month through October, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 205 S. Seventh Street, Mt. Vernon.

Some Stuff We Tried

This is the spot where I'll put details of what we tried from the activities listed on this blog

Castle Park (Boo Memorial Park): This is a one-of-a-kind place! My kids love exploring the castle and the other sculptures in the park. To find it, from Carbondale, head south on Giant City Road. Go about 2.5 miles. You'll pass Drury Road and Phillips Road on your left. After that, take the next left on No Name Road (that's really the name!). It is open from dawn to dusk. You can bring lawn chairs or a blanket and a picnic to sit under the trees. On weekends, there is sometimes also an ice cream vendor on site. Be sure to make a donation in the memorial box before you leave! While we were in the neighborhood, we also continued south on Giant City Road to the Giant City State Park Visitor Center, where my kids enjoyed looking at the large map of the park, seeing the animal displays and watching the movie about the park. We also tried out the 1/4-mile, easy trail right next to the center and took a climb up the water tower located at the lodge parking lot. On the way back to Carbondale, we stopped at Cool Spoons.

Harrison-Bruce Historical Village: We've always wondered what those historical-looking buildings were for on the east side of the John A. Logan campus. When we read in the newspaper they would be open for free tours recently, we decided to check it out. There are four buildings to tour - a log cabin, one-room schoolhouse, general store and a family home. Even my six-year-old enjoyed the 45-minute guided tour and seeing who people lived many years ago. Each building has interesting pieces from the appropriate time period and the tour guides were great at telling stories about how they were used in the past. Right now, they are only open on certain weekdays for tours, but they have plans to open on some Saturdays, too - so watch the paper or this site for details. While at John A. Logan, we also got snacks at the cafeteria and took a look at the giant horse statue in the lobby of the main building.

Kids Bowl Free all Summer: The local bowling alleys have a great deal for the summer - kids bowl free! No other purchase is necessary. Just sign up at www.kidsbowlfree.com and pick your favorite bowling alley. They will then send you coupons every week for two free games per day. We signed up for SI Bowl in Carterville. We showed the cashier our coupons and also got 10 free prize tickets each and a drink coupon. We just paid for bowling shoes, which was $2 per kid. While in Carterville, we also tried out the Pizza & Pasta Express lunch buffet (available Monday through Thursday) and fed the fish at the Cannon Park lake. Because it was a Wednesday, we also stopped by the Cannon Park Farmers Market, where the fabulous Professor Play was making free balloon characters for kids.

Rend Lake Bike Trail: We recently tried out the bike trail that goes around Rend Lake. It is a really nice, paved, well-maintained path that is great for biking, running and walking. You can see the lake in several spots, but most of it goes through the forest. Beautiful, quiet scenery. We started at the North Sandusky Day Use Recreation Area off of North Rend City Road. If you go from there to the dam it is about 5.7 miles (plus the 5.7 miles to bike back!). If you keep going past the dam, there are about seven more miles of the trail. While we were in the area, we also visited the Rend Lake Visitor Center and the picnic area and layground across the street from it. And, we stopped at The Custard Stand in Sesser on the way back.

Side Trip to Paducah: We took a road trip to Paducah to visit the River Discovery Center. It is a small museum downtown right by the river. My kids enjoyed the displays of riverboat models, the locks, calliope and the dam. And, they loved the boat captain simulator that really made them feel like they were on a ship. Some of the displays had a lot of reading that was too much for my early elementary kids, but it was still worth the visit - especially for the boat simulator. While in Paducah, we took a walk on the riverfront and tried Kirchoff's Deli - they don't have a kids menu, but they made a special order plain salami sandwich for my picky-eating son. And, we stopped at the Noble Park Playground - drive all the way to the back of the park for the largest playground. Some other stops we made: Antique stores on Broadway in downtown and Books-a-Million and Sweet CeCe's Frozen Yogurt by the interstate.

Friday Night Swim: Too cold to play outside and suffering from cabin fever, we went to the Family Swim Night at the Carbondale Life Center Pool. It is open every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., and your whole family can swim for just $5! It is a large heated pool with a shallow end (3 feet) and several pool toys for the kids. There are lockerrooms and a lifeguard on duty. I wish it started a little earlier in the evening to accommodate early kid bedtimes - we could only stay until 8 p.m., but this is now one of our favorite winter activities.

Extreme Bounce: My pre-Ker tried out the open bounce session at Extreme Kids in Marion. There is an open gym time Saturday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. for $5 per kid. He was intimidated by the large play gym (too hard for him to climb through it alone), but he loved the trampolines and bounce houses. There is an open bounce for older kids from 7 to 9 p.m. for $7 per kid, but it gets much rowdier.

Side Trip to Cape Girardeau: We took a road trip to Cape Girardeau to visit the Conservation Nature Center (2289 County Park Drive). This is a wonderful, free, kid-friendly, educational activity in a beautiful facility. Very hands-on exhibits teach kids about animals and conservation. We enjoyed the bird-watching, beaver dam replica, live bee hive and turkey calls. Other displays include a two-headed snake(!), frogs, turtles and fish. We plan to return during warmer weather to try out the nature trail, too. While in Cape, we also visited My Daddy's Cheesecake (265 S. Broadview), the Cape Library (711 N. Clark Street) and the History/Art Museum (518 S. Fountain Street), which was free and had several hands-on historical exhibits for kids.

Ft. Massac: We go to the Fort Massac Encampment every year. They have great food - we tried the kettle corn, homemade root beer, ribeye sandwich, corn on the cob, apple crisp and fry bread. There are a lot of people dressed in period dress to re-enact what life was like in late 1700s. The event was free but food cost us about $25.

Attucks Spray Park: We went to the Attucks Spray Park and we loved it! My kids spent almost two hours running through the sprinklers. There are some benches in the shade right next to the spray area so I could watch them without getting wet and hot. They also enjoyed the "obstacle course" that goes around the park. And, there is a great playground with lots of equipment. We saw a nature preserve with a trail at the back of the park, but we didn't have time to try it.

Cheap Thrills

Here are a few of my kids' favorite simple, low-cost activities in the area:

• Mt. Vernon Aquatic Zoo Water Park
• Milkshakes at Nessler's Polar Whip in Energy.
• John A. Logan tennis courts
• Pirate Pete's ($10 in tokens is good for about an hour of entertainment!)
• Open bounce session at Extreme Bounce in Marion. Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. for $7 per kid. Pre-K bounce on Saturdays from 6 to 7  p.m. for $5 per kid. Also open on many school holidays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
• Family swim night at Life Center indoor pool in Carbondale. Fridays, 7-9 p.m., $5 per family.
• Snacks at Walker's Bluff General Store
• Castle Park on Giant City Road
• The 1.3-mile walking path at the new Herrin Sports Complex off of Bandyville road.
• The Custard Stand in Sesser (corner of 148 and 154)
• Rend Lake Visitor Center and the bike trail and playground across the street
• The spray park and playground at Attucks Park
• Marberry Arboretum trail
• The walk-up Dairy Queen in Carbondale
• SIU Student Center food court
• Free popcorn at the Carbondale Rural King
• Free cookie from the Kroger Bakery
• Bowling at the SIU Student Center (ask for gutter guards and a kid's ramp)
• Popcorn from the food stand at Target, Marion
• Bagels and cream cheese at Panera, Carbondale
• Eating at the counter at Mary Lou's, Carbondale
• SIU Campus Lake walking path and "obstacle" course
• Marion Library Children's Department (the friendliest librarians!)
• Herrin City Park Playground
• Crab Orchard Visitor's Center and the short paved trail next to the parking lot
• Food samples at the Neighborhood Co-op in Carbondale (best day for samples is Saturday) and the International Grocery store next door
• The walking path around the pond at John A. Logan College
• The train table at Barnes & Noble. Sign up for the Kid's Club and get a coupon for a free birthday treat.
• Pizza and Pasta Express in Carterville (pizza buffet on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
• Walk-in craft activities at the SIU Student Center Craft Shop
• Free samples at Sam's Club in Marion

On Our List To Try:
Perry County Jail Museum (Pickneyville)
Rural Heritage Museum (Picneyville)
Pickneyville City Park and Pool


What do your kids like?

Special Offers

Submit an offer

Applebee's: Kids eat free on Tuesdays, 5 to 9 p.m. Up to two free kids meals with each adult entree purchased. Dine-in only.

Burger King: At participating locations, Monday is Kids Day with $1.99 kids meals from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Children's Place: Click here to join the birthday club.

Chili's: Sign up for email alerts at www.chilis.com to find out when Kids Eat Free days are scheduled.

Hardees: Kids meals are $1.99.

Quiznos: Kids eat free on Sundays with an adult entree purchase.

Backyard Burgers: Kids eat free on Tuesday nights.

McCallister's Deli: Kids activities and special offers on Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m.

McDonalds: Tuesday night (3-8 p.m.) is Family Night. Happy Meals are just $1.99!

MotoMart: Ask for a "Milk Card" and have it punched every time you buy a gallon of milk. Then, get the 12th gallon free! (Their milk is usually about 50 cents less than at the grocery store, too!)

Sergios Mexican Grill: Sunday through Thursday kids meals are 99 cents with purchase of adult meal.

Denny's: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 4 to 10 p.m. Two children's meals from the kids' menu are free with the purchase of one adult meal. Click here to join the Birthday Club.

Fazoli's: Tuesdays, 5 to 8 p.m. Kids meals are 99 cents. Kids eat free on weekends.

Garfield's at University Mall: Kids eat free on Sundays.

Golden Corral: Every day. Children 3 and under eat free, children 4-8 eat for $3.99 with a drink and children 9-12 eat for $4.99 with a drink. Tuesday is Kids Night.

Lone Star Steakhouse: Kids eat free from kids menu on Tuesdays.

Moe's Southwestern Grill: Wednesdays. Children eat free with each adult purchase.

Sonic: Click here to join the Kid's Birthday Club. Kids meals are $1.99 on Wednesdays.

Steak 'n Shake: Saturdays and Sundays. For every $8 spent by an adult, one child eats free.

Toys R Us: Click here to join the birthday club.

Bob Evans: Offers 12 kids meals under $2.99. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights. Join the kid's Birthday Club at www.BobEvans.com and get a free meal.

Hobby Lobby: Offers a coupon (usually 40% off) in the Sunday paper or at Hobby Lobby Web site. Great for kids craft projects!

Tequilas Mexican Restaurant: Kids eat free on Sunday from the kid's menu (ages 2-11). One child per adult entree purchased.

Wendy's (Marion): Kid meals are $1.99 from 4 p.m. to close. 

Ongoing Activities

Submit an activity

Barnes and Nobles: Carbondale, Storytime, Every Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Sign up for the free kid's club at www.bn.com/kidsclub and you'll get special discounts and a free birthday treat.

Bike Trail: George Rogers Clark Discovery Trail, Ft. Massac State Park, Metropolis.

Carterville Library: Story time every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Call ahead to register: 985-3298.

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts: Monthly story times on certain Fridays at 10 a.m. and monthly craft activities on certain Saturdays at 3 p.m. Check www.cedarhurst.org for details.

Chocolate Factory: Between Vienna and Golconda, 11 miles east of I-24 on Route 146, 618-949-3829

Chuck's Depot: 1913 West Rendleman Street, Marion. Hobby shop with a fabulous train display. Monday-Friday 2-8 p.m., Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1-5.

Craft Shop at SIU: SIU Student Center, 453-3636, http://studentcenter.siu.edu/things-to-do/craft-shop/. Offers classes, workshops and private lessons in music, ceramics, painting and more. M-F 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Extreme Bounce

1109 North Railroad Street, Marion, 993-BALL

Open bounce sessions are Monday-Friday, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7-9 p.m., Special bounce time for preschoolers: Wednesdays 12:30 to 2:30 and Saturdays 6-7 p.m.

Fire Department Tours: Call your town's fire department to see if they are willing to give a tour to your kids.

Home Depot Kids Workshop: First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m. to noon, for ages 5-12. Go to http://www.homedepot.com/ and enter "kids workshop" in the search box for details.

Horseback Riding: Giant City Stables, 722 Giant City Road, Makanda. Go to www.giantcitystables.com for details and pricing.

Lowes Kid's Build and Grow Activities: 1170 East Rendleman in Carbondale (behind Hobby Lobby), 529-8400. Learn more at www.lowes.com/buildandgrow. You can register online or you can just show up. At the Carbondale store, the session is held in the back of the store near the lumber aisle.

Marion Library: Games Group on Tuesdays from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Games include chess, checkers and more. Open to all ages and skill levels. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Marion Library: Pre-school storytime, Wednesdays at 10 a.m.

Railroad Museum: Located in the depot building on Illinois Avenue in Carbondale. Open Monday through Friday during business hours.

Roller Skating: The Hot Wheels Skatium is located on Illinois 13 just east of Carbondale near the old Ike Auto Park location. Open skating sessions are usually Saturdays 10-noon (beginners - $4) and noon to 4 ($6).

Root Beer Saloon: Located in the center of Alto Pass. Includes sandwich menu and draft root beer. Lots of interesting things to look at, too.

Science Center: University Mall, Carbondale. Silly Saturdays, every Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m., Free with paid admission.

Trinity Luthern Church Children's Service: 1000 North Park Avenue, Herrin, 942-4750. Children's Matins service Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Catechesis Service on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Wiggles N Tunes: A pre-school music program for children ages 8-48 months. Call 457-6300 for information. Free trial class available!

Parks and Playgrounds

Cannon Park
Greenbrier Road, Carterville
Two playgroud structure - one for little kids and one for older kids. Lots of swings and slides. Sand volleyball pit, picnic gazebo, 1/2-mile track around lake, fishing pier.

Jeremy "Boo" Rochman Memorial Park (Castle Park)
Giant City Road, Between Carbondale and Giant City State Park
Large wooden structure for climbing, crawling, exploring.

Energy Park

Playground equipment (very sandy!), basketball court, picnic tables and a walking path.

Herrin Park
1010 N 5th Street, HerrinLake, bridges, fountain, ducks/geese, several really great play areas for all ages, ball fields, picnic areas, walking path

James Street Park
405 James Street, Carterville
Playground equipment, picnic tables, ball fields

Ray Fosse Park
500 E. DeYoung Street, Marion
Several play areas for all ages, picnic areas, swimming pool, ball fields

Turley Park
Glenview Drive, Carbondale, next to Murdale Shopping Center
Large playground structure, swings, mini-car, fountain, picnic areas, large grass play area. Beware - the playground floods after a big rain.

Libraries and Book Stores

Libraries:

Marion Carnegie Library

206 South Market Street, Marion, 618-993-5935

Beautiful, well-stocked children's area with a friendly and knowledgable staff.Click here for current kid's programs. You can also sign up in the library's children's department to have upcoming activities e-mailed to you.

Carbondale Public Library

405 West Main Street, Carbondale, 618-457-0354

Carterville Public Library

117 S. Division Street, Carterville, 618-985-3298

Herrin City Library

120 North 13th Street, Herrin, 618-942-6109

Bookstores:

Barnes and Noble

1300 E. Main Street, Carbondale, 618-351-0404

Children's story time every Saturday at 10:30

The Book Worm

618 E. Walnut Street, Carbondale, 618-457-2665

Lifeway Christian Store

110 E. Plaza Drive, Carterville, 618-985-3702

710 Bookstore

710 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, 618-549-7304

SIU apparel and decorations