Holiday prep, family fun come together

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Updated: January 16, 2012 9:58AM

There is so much to do this time of year that it can be hard just to enjoy the season. If you are looking for a way to multi-task by combining holiday prep time with family fun, here are two possibilities.

† Santa’s Workshop from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, at The Craftsman Experience in Chicago will combine a visit with Santa, a live online broadcast of holiday craft projects, and time to visit work stations where take-home projects can be made — all for free.

The Craftsman Experience is a unique facility that opened a little more than a year ago. It offers hands-on stations where visitors can try various Craftsman tools, plus demonstrations in a studio with live online broadcasts.

The Santa’s Workshop event will be broadcast from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and will stream at www.livestream.com/craftsmanexperience.

The Craftsman Experience is at 233 W. Huron St. Regular hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, click on “Craftsman Experience” at www.craftsman.com.

† Downtown St. Joseph, Mich., is an outstanding family destination all year, thanks in part to its excellent Curious Kids’ Museum and a shopping district with blocks of unique shops, art galleries, museum and restaurants. Next week, the two can be combined with the “busy parents’ special,” two hours of supervised fun for kids at the museum, giving parents time for some serious shopping.

The “busy parents’ special” will run from 9 to 11 a.m. (CST) or noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, through Friday, Dec. 23. During this time, children will have supervised museum time, plus stories, crafts and a snack.

The cost is $20 for nonmembers. Advance registration is required by calling (269) 983-2543.

Be sure to leave time to enjoy St. Joe with your children. The Curious Kids’ Museum, 415 Lake Blvd., has three floors of hands-on exhibits focusing on history, culture, science and technology, and seems to be targeted for ages 1½ to about 9, plus many activities for older siblings.

This is a special place, where learning is disguised as imaginative and interactive fun.

Discovery Zone, just down the hill in the park, is a satellite facility of the museum and is a hands-on fun center. It has a special space exhibit, plus a climbing wall, play tower and water-play areas.

The beautiful Silver Beach carousel is a popular stop in the same building.

The Krasl Art Center, 707 Lake Blvd., is one block south of the children’s museum. This is a striking visual arts gallery with changing displays of fine art, folk arts and crafts, and works by local artists. The Krasl is open daily, and a donation is suggested for admission.

The shopping district in downtown St. Joseph is about three blocks long and just around the corner from the children’s museum. Gift, home, pet and clothing boutiques, book, bead and toy stores, gourmet and jewelry shops are interspersed with candy stores, coffee shops and restaurants.