Playing in the Snow at Navy Pier!

Navy Pier's Winter Wonderfest is one of the attractions that my family looks forward to every year.  Since my daughter has been old enough to walk on her own we have attended the fest. Last year was the one year we did not go, but this year was my son's first year to go.

Winter Wonderfest is always a great way to get away from the bad weather in Chicago, however, winter has been pretty mild lately in the city and not as cold as it usually is. So in a sense, going to the fest gave us the winter snowy feel many of us were yearning for. It works both ways for many of us! Wonderfest is a great way to enjoy a lot of activities all in one centralized location. It is a fun family adventure to have in the city, and who doesn't like having fun?

The main reason we love attending Wonderfest is all the rides and activities that you can take part of. 

Here are some of our favorite things to do and see:

1. The Trees 

We had to take a picture with the Star Wars tree. 

Looking at all the different Christmas trees on display is a fun way to be greeted when entering the main area.  Of course, I loved the Star Wars tree, but there was a Cinderella tree there that my daughter loved, too. 

2. The Slides

Having fun on the slides. 

Ah, the slides! My son had a blast in the Jingle Jym Jr.  I don't remember how many times he went on the slide, but he had so much fun there that I thought it would be a problem when it was time to go.  When I told him "Time's up!" he ran up to me and was ready to move on to the next attraction. 

3. Ice Skating

My daughter's first time on ice skates.

The few times that we have attended we never went out on the ice skating rink.  We would stand there and watch some of the people gracefully skate on the floor and we would watch those not-as-graceful people wipe out on the ice.

This year, my daughter and wife took the ice and my little girl loved it. I stood on the side with my son and cheered them on as they passed us by.  I could tell that she was so excited about being on the rink and just seeing her smile made me feel so warm inside...which is a good thing because it was pretty chilly there.

4. Making memories

Relaxing after a busy day.

As I mentioned before, this was my son's first time there and he had a ball. My daughter loved her time there too, especially skating for the first time on the ice skating rink. I love eating some of the food that is available at the stands, especially the funnel cakes and shaved ice. I do think they are a little bit on the pricey side, but it's always fun sharing with my children these delicious treats.

One thing that I love doing, that we didn't do this year was decorating cookies.  I think one reason we did not do this was for fear of our son wanting to eat all of the cookies, but we will definitely make that a priority next year.

I think my family had a great time again this year, like always and we can not wait to come back again next year.


Winter Wonderfest runs through January 10th and tickets can be purchased here.

(Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with free Activity Admission tickets for Winter Wonderfest, but all pictures, opinions, and fun is our own.)