Chicago with children in June?

Travel Info
We are traveling to NW (Schaumbug area) for my husband to attend schooling in mid-June. My two sons (ages 7 and 5) will be with us. During the day while my husband is in class, I need things to do with the boys. There is a pool at the hotel so we will swim but I was hoping for some other things to do as well. I do want to take them to the Field Museum to see the T-Rex skeleton. What else can we do within less than an hour drive of Schaumburg?

Travel Tips

Navy Pier is awesome in the summer. It has a kids museum inside.Also the aquarium is really fun for kids. They are both on the lake downtown Chicago, but kind of far from each other. Meaning you couldn't walk from one place to the other. As for getting there, I would probably take the train, and then grab a cab from there. The train will probably take a little more than a half hour, the cab maybe 15 minutes. You could get a mapquest and drive if you have a vehicle. But if you aren't used to driving in a big city, I wouldn't do it. I always take the train or have someone else drive when I go. It can get hairy.

Others
Schaumburg is a great area with plenty to do. Woodfield Mall (rather large mall) and the area surrounding it have things kids can do. Near Woodfield they have a Gameworks, an IMAX theater, etc. In Woodfield they have a Rainforst Cafe.
If you are making the commute downtown I can also suggest the Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and even the Art Institute of Chicago has a children's learning area.

Have Fun!
www.gameworks.com
www.artic.org
www.shedd.org
lincol park zoo! It's free, by the lake and really child friendly. Brookfield is far from everything and it costs an arm and a leg.

Also to eat you should to Portillo's on Ontario and Clark. Super good food.

Introduce them to the fine art at the Art Institute right on Michigan Ave. Navy Pier and Grant Park. Take lots of pictures and have lots of fun.
The IKEA in Schaumburg is a flagship version with an open, three story layout. It's better than most others around the country, has fun kids food, kid-friendly displays, and boys that age will probably enjoy the special escalators for shopping carts that ride along next to you. I'd say you could safely kill a couple hours there and eat lunch on the third floor cafeteria, not the one by the check-out area. Let them pick out something from the kids section, they have fun toys and furniture. It's near Woodfield mall. The Rainforest cafe in the mall is fun, but expensive. You can always just walk around in the giftshop. If you feel up to the drive, my favorite museum for kids is Science and Industry. It's south of the loop area off of Lake shore drive.