Worldwide Day of Play Events Around City and Suburbs Begin Saturday

Worldwide Day of Play events will take place at the end of September and early October around Chicago and the suburbs.

The celebration, a creation of Nickelodeon kids networks, has run annually since 2003 and is part of Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" program to fight childhood obesity.

For 3 hours on Saturday, Nickelodeon, Nick.com, Nick Toons and Nick GAS will go dark with no programming to promote active play and healthy living.

Around Chicago, partners in the Worldwide Day of Play event include The Morton Arboretum, The Conservation Foundation, the Chicago Bears, the Plainfield Park District and Village of Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department.

In addition to regularly scheduled hours for play and exploration of the grounds, The Morton Arboretum will debut their Fall Color Festival Saturday. The annual festival includes a drop-in program called "Pumpkin Play" in the children's garden where kids can decorate a pumpkin (available for purchase) and learn about pumpkin seeds. There will also be a scarecrow trail, taffy apples, bratwurst, chicken and roasted corn for sale Theatre-Hike presentation of "Dracula".

The Naperville-based Conservation Foundation will hold their event Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m at McDonald Farm and Dickson-Murst Farms with family games and nature exploration. The cost is $15 per family for members, $18 per family for non-members. 

In the city, Chicago Bears safety Kevin Payne will appear Saturday at the Cotter Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and lead children through five station-based activities, one of which is a flag football station.

The Plainfield Park District and Village of Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department will host their joint event on Oct. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Four Seasons Park located on Lockport St. just west of I-55 in Plainfield. The morning will include outdoor activities, including playground games, sports, races, an inflatable play area, a nature scavenger hunt, crafts, Fun Olympics, Play Zone activities sponsored by Edward Hospital and Health Services and giveaways. All activities are free and registration is not required.