Things to Do in Naperville

In 1987, Louise Beem and Dorothy Carpenter were early-childhood-education specialists. Based on their combined experience—gained from teaching preschool, founding the College of DuPage's early-childhood-education program, and being grandmothers—the two friends felt that traditional methods of teaching youngsters were less than optimal at the time. Their brainchild, the DuPage Children's Museum, began that same year. The pair designed the museum's colorful exhibits to incorporate interactive and open-ended elements, which they believed more closely matched the way kids learn and naturally process information, a discovery they say has now been corroborated by findings in neuroscience research.

In that vein, the three-story museum engages young neurons with interactive art, math, and science-themed attractions. Giving little hands the chance to explore, the AWESome Electricity exhibit bridges the gap between the electric-powered gadgets and lights families use every day to where all that nonbreakfast-based energy comes from. Kids learn how electricity gets from one place to another and what its basic units are while at play in the museum's signature hands-on spaces. Elsewhere, the Young Explorers exhibit is designed for children aged 2 and under, who develop math skills by learning concepts such as sorting and patterning and express their creativity by experimenting with color and light.

For more than fifteen years, Universal Spirit Yoga’s experienced instructors have taught yoga, curvy yoga, hot yoga, and meditation classes at their Naperville studio. Classic hatha yoga offers an introduction to alignment and basic technique. Several specialty classes target all age groups—there are Baby and Me, kid, and pre-teen classes as well as yoga sessions designed for those age 50 and above. During the Yoga Scents class, an instructor uses music and aromatherapy for a multisensory lesson that’s far more effective than yoga with periodic foghorn blasts.

Seven rope tows hoist skiers and snowboarders to the top of the trails at Four Lakes Snowsports, helping them take a panoramic glance before the pristine powder and carving their way back to the bottom. Five zones make up the skiable expanse, increasing in difficulty from a pair of bunny hills to a terrain park, where a gauntlet of boxes and rails slake appetites for jumps, grinds, and extreme cold-weather picnicking. As a proud member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, Four Lakes’ ski school helps aspiring skiers and snowboarders stay safe and in control while zipping and darting about the slopes.

Inside Yoga By Degrees' spacious, spa-like studio, a team of certified yoga instructors helps students of all abilities refine strength, flexibility, and endurance during one-hour classes. The seven-day-a-week schedule features an assortment of yoga styles, including beginner-friendly fundamental classes, aerobic Vinyasa flows, and Yoga Sculpt sessions that incorporate hand weights to chisel muscles into marble-statue perfection. Each session is heated to temperatures between 80 and 105 degrees to help rid bodies of toxins and melt muscles with deep, restorative stretches. During workouts, the dedicated teachers play a collection of both mellow and mood-boosting music to motivate minds, and after class students can change back into superhero spandex inside the facility's immaculate locker rooms.

Mid-America Raceway's slot-car facility stocks everything from parts and paints to motors and controllers. These items include JayGee controllers, Falcon motors, Open-12 chasses, and Sonic gears that enable miniaturized drivers to shift quickly through sharp turns. Elsewhere, the shop's winding racetracks buzz with activity during races, as new and experienced racers test their skills while precise electronics track their lap times. Staff members—including the shop's track dog, Marshall—also host special events for racers of all ages.

Candy-coated shades of pink, lime, and turquoise coax mini mavens into Glamour Girlz, a kids' makeover mecca perched on the upper level of Northbrook Court. Under the supervision of friendly staff, glittery accessories gild little pigtails, earlobes, wrists, and fingers, and mini makeup kits gloss cheeks and lips with color without the need to melt crayons in an Easy-Bake oven. Divas can opt for one-on-one pampering during an individual makeover package, or invite friends for a full-blown party with photo shoots, dress-up sessions, and mock paparazzi interviews about revelers' favorite limo colors.