10 ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in Chicago with the whole family

Turn the city into a giant board game with this smartphone-driven scavenger hunt. Just download the app and follow the clues to outdoor artworks, historic buildings and other Chicago landmarks. Finish the clues fast enough and you might even wind up on the city leaderboard!

Aspiring naturalists will enjoy this guided bird-watching walk through the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Bird expert Alan Anderson will point out lingering winter residents and some of the first spring migrants to arrive. Better bring your binoculars: You might need them to spot nests perched high in the tree branches.

Though you could easily spend the day checking out the exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry, Mother’s Day offers the perfect opportunity to put the interactive Fab Lab to the test. Here, budding engineers can watch their ideas become reality. Use a 3-D printer to create an imaginary creature, learn the principles of electricity to make a rainbow light circuit or design and print a laser-cut greeting card for Mom.

If Mom has a sweet tooth, she’ll go gaga over this food tour that includes tastings of four of Chicago’s tastiest donuts. You’ll sample several pastries at shops like Do-Rite Donuts and Beavers Donuts, so you’re sure to get your sugar fix. And once you complete the two-hour tasting, you can buy some of Mom’s favorite treats to take home. What could be sweeter?

Visitors of all ages will be mesmerized by the swirling skies and twinkling stars of our universe on display in the 70-foot Grainger Sky Theater. Older kids will have their minds blown by the futuristic look at space in “Destination Solar System,” while little ones will happily sing along with their friends from Sesame Street in “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.”

Pass the cheese, please! Little chefs will get the chance to shape, top and bake their own personal pizzas in this hands-on cooking class at Le Pain Quotidien. Once they come out of the oven, you’ll get to share your pies with other families. The admission fee even includes wine and beer for the parents.

If Mom’s a regular at her local spin studio, she’ll love the opportunity to show off her cycling skills to her kids. This 4.5-mile bike tour was designed for kids under 10, so even little ones will be able to keep up. Listen carefully to the tidbits of city history you’ll learn along the way: There may be prizes up for grabs.

There’s no shortage of tasty brunch spots in Chicago, but the special Mother’s Day brunch at Cafe Brauer might be the best fit for families. The enormous breakfast spread includes fresh pastries, double-smoked bacon, goat cheese scalloped potatoes, an omelette station, five kinds of cake and a complimentary mimosa for Mom. Once you’ve gotten your fill, you can spend the rest of the afternoon checking out the zoo’s wildest creatures.

Since moms don’t have to pay admission on Mother’s Day, visiting LEGOLAND is a bona fide bargain. The whole family can marvel over the tiny city built with 1.5 million bricks, construct their own LEGO racers and peek inside the workshop where the expert builders create masterpieces.

If you’re hoping to raise pint-sized Picassos, sign up for this freeform art class at Open Studio Project to nurture their creativity. You’ll have the freedom to create whatever you like from the materials provided, so the sky’s the limit. Parents might even be surprised by just how relaxing it is to finger paint again!