Stories of Chicago: Activities for Kids

Reading

Muhammad Ali: Living on the South Side of Chicago, it was a treat to take touring relatives and friends by the home of Muhammad Ali, an incredible fighter and champion in the Heavyweight ring, for religious and racial freedoms and so much more. Since I'm a big fan of Walter Dean Myers and the illustrations paired with his poetry in this great book are stunning, I wanted to recommend it knowing, full well, that Ali would have probably taunted, "I am the greatest [in any book]." 

Bronzeville Boys and Girls: Gwendolyn Brooks of Chicago became a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. This lovely collection of poems celebrates her childhood neighborhood not very far from mine. The poetry includes friends, family, church and illustrations by Faith Ringgold, whose bright and colorful art always fills me with happiness. 

Chasing Vermeer: I was delighted to see Blue Balliet, a former Hyde Park neighbor and teacher, become an almost "overnight success" with her awesome series of books about Chicago kids visiting various famous Chicago spots. Every one of her books has puzzles to solve, which makes them unique and engaging. It's especially fun to see places like Powell's Used Books, the Robie House or the Art Institute be significant settings.

Brain-Building Activities 

• Journaling is a very flexible activity, but if you're stuck on just what to write about, you can start with these prompts. If you’re really feeling crafty, you can make your own books! 
• Play Exquisite Corpse (or Cadavre Exquis), a collaborative drawing game where players create a creature or person by taking turns drawing sections—head, torso, legs and feet—on a sheet of paper folded to hide previous contributions. Save the best to last: Make up a story about the creature once completed. 
• From the 1930s through the 195’s, the South Side blossomed as a central hub of writers, musicians, and artists. While maybe not as widely well-known as the Harlem Renaissance, the Chicago Black Renaissance was no less influential, and arguably much more socially and community focused. Chicago Public Library has many materials from this period in the Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection.   
• Create a story as a family, with each person saying only four words at a time to add on to the story. There’s also an easier version where everyone just says one word each time. To add a writing element, pass around a piece of paper and have everyone write down the words they add to the story.