Spring Greening is back, district cost savings +

April 2, 2021 As the Skokie Park District operates in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the following are reminders and news updates for this week. 

'Skokie's Spring Greening' recycling is back! Electronics recycling & document shredding only in 2021 Join us for our annual community reuse and recycle drive-in and drop-off event! The event this year will include ONLY electronics recycling and document shredding. Click here for the list of acceptable items. Westfield Old Orchard — west parking lot off Lavergne Avenue. Sunday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Presented by: The Skokie Park District, School District 219, the Skokie Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Skokie Public Library, & the Village of Skokie 

Park Services Saves! Through cost reduction, recycling and humanitarian aid While the district’s park services division continues to renovate many of Skokie’s three-decade-old park playgrounds, they also are creating new methods for offsetting those costs and giving back to the community. Currently, nine playground and park renovations are ongoing throughout the Skokie Park district, with playground equipment, play surfacing, and various amenities being replaced. The following are creative money saving, recycling and humanitarian aid measures taken by the division during this process: During demolition of the nine sites, sand play surfacing is being given to nearby village and city water departments, which will be reused for fill when repairing water main breaks. To date, the district has given sand to the Village of Skokie, the City of Evanston and the Village of Morton Grove. The division recycles metal posts and rails found in playground equipment. Concrete from playground footings and bricks from brick pads are recycled by taking the materials to concrete plants Ordinarily handled by an outside concrete company, park services staff are now doing smaller concrete jobs by pouring pads for several of the new benches Typically done by the vendor, park services staff are installing new benches and garbage cans, as well as the replacement engineered wood fiber play surfacing at each of the sites. The district also continues to donate playgrounds to the Armenian Relief Mission. The mission disassembles a Skokie playground, then ships and reinstalls it in Armenia, thereby providing a play area for children who previously have had no access to play structures. This year the group will be repurposing the old playground equipment from Playtime Park, Peccia Park and Hamlin Park.

Golf Course set for April 5 opening! The beautiful par 3, 9-hole Weber Park Golf Course is scheduled to open Monday, April 5, weather and turf conditions permitting. Tee time reservations are required and will be accepted seven days in advanced. Contactless payment only. (No cash accepted.) Call the pro shop at (847) 674-1500, ext. 3600 to make your reservation or for more information. Walk-ups will be accepted based on availability. We’ll see you soon on the first tee!

Now open! The Exploritorium has been closed for a year, but on March 30, Skokie's imagination playground got back to the business of family fun with limited admissions! New Hours Beginning Tuesday, April 6, The Exploritorium will offer tickets for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 9-11 a.m. The facility will also be available for private parties and play dates. Named Chicagoland's "Top Rainy Day Destination” by the Chicago Tribune, the Exploritorium is a place where children and adults explore together through interactive play. Make-believe in our costumed dress-up area; run your fingers through water in the water-play area; climb a wall, play with trains, experience new heights in our two-and-a half-story tubes and tunnels, and much more! Purchase tickets here

Exploritorium information

April Happenings are here! The district's April special events calendar is here! From an egg hunt to celebrations of nature, to Skokie's recycling event, click this calendar to find something unique for your family!

Reservations no longer required! for workouts & the walking track Fitness First and the walking track no longer require reservations!* While we will still observe time blocks and close every 90 minutes for sanitizing, we no longer require that you have a reservation to come in for your workout. Masks are still required at all times. Weekday Time Blocks 6-7:30A / 8-9:30A / 10-11:30A / 12-1:30P / 2-3:30P / 4-5:30P / 6-7:30P Saturday/Sunday Time Blocks 7-8:30A / 9-10:30A / 11A-12:30P / 1-2:30P / 3-4:30P / 5-6:30P *In-person group fitness classes still require reservations.