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Chicago Children's Museum Hotel Pop-Up

Plan Your Staycation Today!

By Sara Yaniga, Macaroni Kid Chicago (Midtown) March 17, 2021

I am tired of being at home and socially distant.  Most of us probably are feeling the same.  I love Chicago and all of the great places there are to explore ESPECIALLY as a parent to younger children.  One place that I have missed visiting is the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier.  CCM has held a special place in my heart - we took our oldest there on his first trip to Chicago, years before we moved here.  It was the first membership I purchased for our family (and used heavily) and in recent years we lived within an easy walk, or short bus ride, to the museum.  It was one of those places that was just consistent enough and fluid enough to make each visit a good time.

As we find ourselves emerging into a new sense of normal one year later, our beloved Chicago Children's Museum remains closed while the city dips its toe into the idea of being "open" again. How our local businesses will operate from this point forward is not a task to take lightly and those like our museums, which rely on donations and visitors to stay in business, are faced with a lot of big decisions on what happens next.

This past week Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago announced a partnership with Chicago Children’s Museum that will bring play and learning to their guests through family-friendly programming and a pop-up play space bookable at the hotel this spring. As many children’s social and mental well-being has been impacted by the pandemic, the partnership recognizes the power of play as a catalyst to relieve stress and support child development. It also allows Chicago staycationers and guests to enjoy the best of the beloved museum from the comfort of the hotel room, while the museum remains closed due to COVID-19.

Bookable through May 31, 2021, the Chicago Children’s Museum Experience at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago will inspire both parent and child from the moment of arrival. The offering includes an Instagrammable welcome in the hotel lobby, featuring signage and the signature bench from the museum to pose for family photos. Upon check-in, families will receive a Chicago Children’s Museum Play Anywhere Bag filled with everything little ones will need to play both in the guest room and back at home.

During the stay, families will also receive private access to the Business-of-Play Lounge. Recognizing the serious business of play, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago’s Business Lounge has been converted into a Business-of-Play Lounge featuring interactive family favorites from the museum including inventive games using the puff ball catapult from the museum’s Great Hall and mini-car racing track from its most acclaimed exhibit, the Zoom Room.


BUSINESS-OF-PLAY LOUNGE INCLUSIONS

  • Imagination Playground: A large scale playground allows for climbing, exploring, and all the components to build a fort or whole 'city,' encouraging early engineering and building motor skills
  • Puffball Catapults: A museum favorite, puff ball catapults can be used to invent new games or thrown to experiment with force and distance, building physical science skills and creativity
  • Kapla Blocks: From simple to intricate structures, wooden Kapla blocks can be stacked in different configurations to build a personal creation while growing imagination, creativity, and problem-solving skills
  • Zoom Room Test Track: Right out of Chicago Children’s Museum's most acclaimed exhibit, Zoom Room, a miniature car track features different textures and multiple cars for racing around while exploring patterns and testing hypotheses that build foundational learning skills

 


PLAY ANYWHERE BAG INCLUSIONS

  • Artful Architect, Creative Constructor: Chicago is home to magnificent skyscrapers and other built structures like bridges, Navy Pier, and elevated train tracks. Materials are provided to construct a mini-skyscraper.
  • Here’s Looking at YOU! Paper Collage Portraits: People from many different backgrounds, cultures, and places come to visit and live in Chicago. The included book, The Skin You Live In, by Michael Tyler, teaches how we are all unique and includes materials to make a self-portrait.
  • Bath Tub Muralist: All across Chicago, works of art adorn walls of buildings both inside and out. Little ones can make a mural on the shower walls to reveal their inner artist.
  • Wish You Were Here! DIY Postcards: Including postage stamps for mailing, create memorable postcards and mail them to loved ones from the hotel.
  • Hotel and Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt: Seek-and-find activities at the hotel and in the neighborhood.

“As a family-friendly hotel, we wanted to offer guests a safe and exciting way to play during their stay with us this spring,” said Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago General Manager Jim Marino. “The Chicago Children’s Museum is a beloved family institution in Chicago, and this partnership allows us to showcase our existing family offerings while supporting children’s mental health and development through these challenging times.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Chicago Children’s Museum Experience at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago will be donated to Chicago Children’s Museum.

“Playful exploration is a critical restorative activity for children, especially after a year of social-distancing,” said Chicago Children’s Museum CEO and President Jennifer Farrington. “We are thrilled for this timely partnership with Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, as it allows us to bring our signature experiences to life in a safe and fun environment while supporting the eventual reopening of the museum.”

Beyond the Chicago Children’s Museum Experience, families are invited to adventure through the hotel taking advantage of many family-friendly amenities including an indoor pool, third-floor terrace fire pit, on-site dining at FireLake, and close proximity to the six-acre Lakeshore East Park just behind the hotel.

 

For additional information, or to book the Children’s Museum at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, please visit www.radissonbluchicago.com