Everyone deserves spaces where they feel welcomed, understood, and included—and the Near West suburbs are home to some truly incredible places designed to ensure that all kids, including neurodivergent children, can have a great time. These businesses have prioritized creating thoughtful spaces where every child can feel comfortable and have fun. Check out these calm, sensory-friendly environments, inclusive playgrounds, and interactive experiences that welcome the unique needs of all children. 

Sensory-Friendly Experiences

Enjoying any local experience with their family should be memorable for every child. Many places now recognize the sensory needs of children and offer sensory-friendly accommodations, ensuring guests can fully enjoy activities in a safe, accepting environment. Whether it’s a movie, a class, or a community event, these adjustments create a more inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone involved.

Classic Cinemas Wednesday Morning Movie Series | Various Locations

For the Classic Cinemas Wednesday Morning Movie Series, three cinemas across Chicago’s suburbs each dedicate one auditorium to moviegoers who sometimes need more freedom than a traditional cinema setting allows. With the lights turned up, the sound turned down, and no previews or advertisements, Classic Cinemas invites children with sensory processing disorders or developmental disabilities to use their electronic devices, bring safe snacks, get up to walk around, dance, and even sing their hearts out with family and friends.

These Classic Cinemas locations in Oak Park and the western suburbs offer special showings on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am.

La Grange XQ (80 South La Grange Road, La Grange)

Lake Theatre XQ (1022 Lake Street, Oak Park)

North Riverside XQ (7501 West Cermak Road, North Riverside) 

Check ClassicCinemas.com to find your nearest Classic Cinema theatre.

Lil Chefs Cooking Class at Schoolhouse Kitchen & Studio | 1011 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302

At Schoolhouse Kitchen and Studio, the Lil Chefs class stands out as one of the most sensory-friendly experiences. Held on Thursday mornings, this preschool caregiver-child class offers a gentle, supportive environment where little ones can explore the joys of cooking. The class focuses on simple, hands-on activities that engage the senses—like kneading dough, stirring ingredients, and decorating treats—making it a grounding experience for young chefs.

Additionally, Schoolhouse Kitchen and Studio welcomes children with ADHD in their afterschool cooking classes, where the focus on specific sensory tasks provides a calming outlet for busy minds. These thoughtfully crafted sessions foster creativity and connection, giving every child the opportunity to learn new skills while having fun in a welcoming environment.

Click here to see the full schedule. 

Sensory Friendly Experiences at Brookfield Zoo | 8400 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513

Brookfield Zoo is committed to creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where all guests can enjoy meaningful experiences. They offer several sensory-friendly accommodations designed to provide comfort and support for children with sensory needs, ensuring every family can have a fun and stress-free visit.

Sensory-Friendly Family Room & Inclusion Resource Center

Located within the Hamill Family Play Zoo, the Sensory-Friendly Family Room offers a quiet, low-sensory space where guests can relax in a calming environment. Complete with fidgets, sensory-support materials, comfortable seating, and dimmable lights, it’s the perfect retreat for anyone needing a sensory break.

The Inclusion Resource Center, also in the Play Zoo, provides visitors with tools and materials to enhance their time at the zoo. Guests can borrow resources like visual schedules, social stories, and noise-reducing headphones, as well as access educational articles, magazines, and more.

BZ Care Kits

For those seeking extra support during their visit, BZ Care Kits are available at the North and South Gate Guest Relations locations. Free to borrow, these kits include noise-reducing headphones (in both child and adult sizes), personal amplifiers, visual schedule books, crayons and coloring books, “Child with Special Needs” stickers, and yellow “If I’m Lost” bracelets. They also contain quiet space maps, large print maps, and service animal guides to help families navigate the zoo comfortably and confidently.

Zoo Camp

Certified by the National Inclusion Project and accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), Brookfield Zoo’s Zoo Camp offers an inclusive camp experience, welcoming children of all abilities to explore animals and the natural world. With activities such as nature hikes, animal observations, games, and crafts, the camp is designed to be fun and engaging for children from preschool through middle school. Themes like Zoo Jobs, Five Senses, and Habitats guide the sessions, making learning enjoyable and interactive.

Click here to learn more. 

Sensory Friendly Events at the Park District of Oak Park  

The Park District of Oak Park is dedicated to creating inclusive, sensory-friendly events that welcome all families. In partnership with the West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA), the Park District ensures that families who need extra support can access inclusion aids provided by WSSRA. This commitment to accessibility makes every event a positive and comfortable experience for all attendees.

Throughout the year, the Park District offers a variety of Sensory Sensitive Events tailored to meet the needs of neurodivergent children. During the holiday season, families can enjoy Sensory Sensitive Cookies with Santa on December 18, with multiple time slots at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7 pm. In the spring, the fun continues with Sensory Sensitive Treats with the Bunny, providing a welcoming environment for children to celebrate the season.

With thoughtfully curated activities and support from WSSRA, these sensory-sensitive events ensure every child can participate in the magic of the season, creating memories that are joyful, inclusive, and stress-free. For families looking to connect with additional programs, WSSRA partners with many communities across the region and offers a range of recreational opportunities.

Click here to learn more. 

Interactive Museums and Play Spaces

Ninja Squad Gym North Riverside | 7918 W 26th St, North Riverside, IL 60546

At Ninja Squad Gym in North Riverside, kids are encouraged to explore, move, and play with their whole bodies! This unique gym blends fitness and fun, offering action-packed classes inspired by ninja characters and stories that help kids grow physically and mentally. One of the standout features is their patented Achieve Sleeve rewards system—a part of the uniform that kids love to wear, motivating them to track progress and celebrate their achievements along the way.

For families seeking sensory-friendly options, Ninja Squad Gym offers specially designed classes to ensure every child can participate comfortably. The best option for kids with sensory needs is their personalized 1:1 sessions in the afternoon, where coaches tailor activities to suit each child’s pace and preferences. These individualized sessions create a supportive environment for kids to build confidence while having fun. Whether in group classes or private sessions, Ninja Squad Gym ensures that every child has the opportunity to play, grow, and thrive.

Click here to learn more. 

Urban Air North Riverside | 7401 W 25th St, North Riverside, IL 60546

Urban Air Adventure Park in North Riverside is the ultimate indoor playground, packed with excitement for adventurers of all ages. Whether your kids love to climb, jump, or explore, there’s something for everyone—from giant trampolines and obstacle courses to thrilling attractions like wall climbing and indoor zip lines. Urban Air offers a fun, safe environment where kids can let loose and burn off energy while you sit back and enjoy the ride. Just slip on a pair of Urban Air socks, and they’re ready to bounce their way through hours of nonstop fun!

For families seeking a more relaxed experience, Urban Air also hosts Sensory-Friendly Play every second Saturday of the month. During these special sessions, the park creates a calm, supportive environment with modified lighting and sound, ensuring children with sensory sensitivities can enjoy all the fun at their own pace. It’s an inclusive space designed to make sure everyone, no matter their sensory needs, can experience the joy of exploration and play. Whether you're planning a family outing, birthday party, or just a fun day out, Urban Air has something for every adventurer.

Click here to learn more. 

Wonder Works Children’s Museum | 6445 West North Avenue, Oak Park

All nine permanent exhibits at Oak Park’s innovative Wonder Works Children’s Museum spark your child’s curiosity and creativity through (mostly) self-directed play-based learning experiences while providing many opportunities for kids to play with their adults. 

Great for families with young children, including infants and toddlers, the museum feels like a giant playground with all exhibits on one level. The Wall of Wonder greets visitors with a large foam wall covered with movable blocks in various colors, shapes, and sizes, helping to teach colors, shapes, and basic geometry. The Children’s Garden and Farm to Market provide a hands-on experience where children can engage the entire farm-to-market cycle. Kids can even learn about composting in the super-cool Becky Boyce Nature Play Space and discover native pollinators, how to plant vegetables and flowers, and the relationship between humans and food.

The Sensory Zone is a safe place for kids to experiment and learn new skills, observe the world around them, boost their language and motor skills, and develop memories about the items they interact with using their five senses. Sensory play helps children with developmental disabilities or sensory processing disorders navigate their experiences in a safe environment. It allows them to gradually acclimate to different textures that help them explore the world around them.

Most notably, Wonder Works hosts regularly scheduled sensory-friendly play sessions, opening an hour early for a limited number of families. Wonder Works for Everyone sessions offer an inclusive and accessible environment across the museum. During these sessions—requiring pre-registration!—the museum is less crowded, and additional staff members are available to support. Visit Wonder-Works.org for dates and to register. Contact the museum by email at info@wonder-works.org if you have any questions.

Click here to learn more.

We Rock The Spectrum | 10123 Grand Avenue, Franklin Park

We Rock The Spectrum provides a safe, nurturing, and sensory-friendly environment that fosters learning, exploration, and safe sensory experiences. It is a place where all children can have fun in a motivational environment that helps them with strength, movement, sensory processing, communication, positive behavior modification, social interactions, and self-care skills. The gym’s unique equipment and arts & crafts sections, available during open play, not only build neurological growth and development in all children but also instill a sense of empowerment and growth.

Franklin Park’s We Rock the Spectrum kid’s gym offers specialized sensory equipment, including suspended equipment with swings for balance and vestibular treatment; crash mats and crash pillows for fun, motor planning, and strength; a zip line for stress release and joint and body relaxation; a trampoline for building leg and core strength; and indoor play structure for climbing and increasing playground skills; sensory-based toys for improved auditory processing and fine motor skills; and a fine motor and arts & crafts area for improved hand-eye coordination.

Understanding how difficult it is to balance the needs of siblings, spouses, or yourself, We Rock Care services were created to help out families with children with special needs. We Rock The Spectrum Respite & Break Time Care and One-to-One Attendant Care programs provide more intense support for children who require constant care and who have behavioral or safety concerns. 

Find out more about the facilities at WeRocktheSpectrumFranklinPark.com and contact them by email at info@werockthespectrumfranklinpark.com for more information about Open Play Membership and We Rock Care programs.

Unique Services: Therapeutic Role-Playing Games for Neurodivergent Kids

Roll for Pragmatics | Oak Park  

Through play, every kid can be a hero. Role-playing games have been proven to increase social skills, build confidence in decision-making, and expand the spirit of adventure in neurodivergent tweens and teens. Roll for Pragmatics is a neurodiversity-positive role-play gaming environment for kids to find joy and connect with others. While gaming is a great pastime, it is not inherently therapeutic on its own. 

The game master at Roll for Pragmatics is a qualified and licensed speech-language pathologist who adjusts the gaming environment to address goals set specifically for your child. Each collaborative storytelling game is arranged and adjusted to place your child in an environment that caters to their individual strengths and interests while addressing their particular need areas, including social language skills, expressive/receptive language, stuttering, and speech sound treatment in a safe, online environment. 

Roll for Pragmatics follows a strength-based neurodiversity-affirming treatment model that is client-led and inclusive. The computer is an effective tool to engage reluctant and limited communicators with characters that allow them to start at their personal comfort level and grow in expression as they play over time. Success in the game is more likely when the peer group, or cohorts, actively work together—the key to therapeutic success.

The 90-minute gaming sessions with small group cohorts are led by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who attends to your child’s personal treatment needs. The SLP also provides an informal, one-page assessment following the first session, a set of short-term goals that align with any existing treatments or IEPs, weekly treatment notes, and a short summary of progress toward goals and recommendations for continued growth at the end of the six-week session. The SLP is also always available via email and telephone to address your questions and concerns.

Visit RollforPragmatics.com to find out how your child can grow through gaming.

Plan Your Next Family Outing with These Inclusive Spaces

These family-friendly spots offer a mix of adventure, relaxation, and social interaction, ensuring that kids of all abilities feel involved and connected. Whether you’re visiting from out of town or live nearby and want to explore new places, these neurodivergent-friendly spaces promise memorable experiences for everyone. 

Check out these fantastic spots where inclusion, fun, and community combine!