Children’s Museum plans rubber duck-themed activities
DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville is celebrating International Rubber Ducky Day on Tuesday, Jan. 13, with a series of duck-themed activities designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., children can decorate a rubber duck in the museum’s studio, play “Rubber Duck Tac Toe,” search for ducks hiding throughout the museum or experiment with water flow. They will learn about concepts such as buoyancy, physics, cause-and-effect and imaginative storytelling through play, the museum said in a news release.
The event is part of the DuPage Children’s Museum’s monthly mini celebrations of different days recognized around the world, such as National STEM Day or Sweetest Day. The museum’s “International Something Days” series are designed to spotlight a fun or quirky day with themed activities and hands-on exploration, the release said.
The museum is located at 301 N. Washington St. For more information, go to www.dupagechildrens.org.
Settlement to offer programs for U.S. 250th anniversary
Naper Settlement will offer special programming throughout 2026 to celebrate the the 250th anniversary of the United States, including special exhibits, events and educational experiences that show how local history is tied in with national events.
Kicking off the yearlong celebration will be the debut of its “We the People: Naperville and the American Story” exhibit on President’s Day on Feb. 16, 2026. It will weave together U.S. history with local Naperville history through a mix of interactive sections, artifacts and local stories.
The “Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian” series will present programs on different areas of American history, including the time at which the Declaration of Independence was signed, westward expansion, and the Civil War and reconstruction, among others.
On Feb. 5 and 19, a “Family STEM Night: Young Makers & 250 Years of Invention” event will be held. Families and young children can “explore 250 years of American innovation through hands-on activities inspired by the thinkers and tinkers” who helped shape the country, the release said.
July 3 will see the return of Naper Settlement’s annual Gettysburg Day to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, during which visitors will experience life in Naperville during the summer of 1863, the same year the infamous battle took place. Naper Settlement’s annual hometown picnic will be held on Aug. 8, celebrating America’s 250 years with various food and activities.
DuPage County clerk’s office to hold a vote-by-mail forum
The DuPage County clerk’s office will host a vote-by-mail forum from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the county’s auditorium, 421 County Farm Road, Wheaton.
Staff from the clerk’s office will explain how voting by mail works and answer questions voters may have, Clerk Jean Kaczmarek said in a news release.
One point they will emphasize is the need to return ballots promptly. The U.S. Postal Service has said it cannot guarantee postmarking by the Election Day deadline, and a late postmark would disenfranchise a mail voter, the release said.
DuPage County has nearly 100,000 voters who have requested permanent mail ballots, according to the clerk’s office.
DuPage Urban Stream Research Center tours offered
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is offering behind-the-scenes tours of its Urban Stream Research Center from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Blackwell Forest Preserve on Butterfield Road, near Winfield Road, in Warrenville.
Visitors will be given a rare chance to see how ecologists are restoring the region’s aquatic ecosystems, according to a district news release.
The center is Illinois’ first facility dedicated to raising freshwater mussels and the federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly. It is normally closed to the public.
During the tours, environmental interpreters will discuss the district’s efforts to restore aquatic habitats and talk about the mussels’ role in filtering water and maintaining stream health. In the last decade the district and its partner organizations have propagated and released more than 38,000 mussels throughout northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana, the release said.
Tours run every half hour and are open to all ages. Tickets are $5 per person.
Advanced registration is required at www.dupageforest.org or by calling 630-933-7248.
