The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn is taking a new approach to fundraising with an event geared toward families: a mini golf outing on Aug. 2 at PGN Fun Village in Palos Hills.

“One of the things we’ve heard from our visitors and members regarding our fundraising events is that it would be nice to have fundraisers that can include the whole family,” said Robert Castillo, the museum’s development associate. “Families are looking for experiences, and this event is a chance to create lasting memories, share laughter, and enjoy one final, joyful moment of summer before the busy school year begins.”

The event will be held rain or shine, but Castillo had a bold prediction: “There will be no rain! We must think positively!”

The outing features “a fun-filled day of making new friends and connecting with other families,” he said, adding that it includes a round of mini golf, raffles, pizza lunch and gaming tokens. The raffles will include “child-inclusive” baskets. “Think toys and experiences like the zoo and other children-focused items,” Castillo said.

The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so participants can start with lunch, golf or games. “It’s not a shotgun start. It’s on your own time,” said Adam Woodworth, who’s been executive director of the museum for almost 20 years. “A lot of times when you get to the last hole, your ball goes away, and that’s by design, so you can’t really start somebody on the last hole. That is why we’re doing it this way.”

This is not the first time the museum’s done a mini golf outing, although it’s been quite a while.

“The first one was probably 21 or 22 years ago, before I started, so we are resurrecting this from way back when,” Woodworth said. “Mini golf outings are not something we’ve seen a lot of.”

Ticket sales are slow thus far, likely because people want to wait to see what the weather will be like, but he and Castillo hope the event can raise $5,000. “This is money that’s going to help us with new exhibits and programs and helps with our access initiative, helps with our birth to 3 admission,” Woodworth said.

The access initiative allows low-income families to receive discounted admission rates. About one in five of the museum’s 84,000 visits last year was connected to the initiative, a monthly rate of between 15% and 20%.

“You don’t want a child not able to participate in something that’s educational because of the financial barrier that might exist,” Woodworth shared.

The museum has about 1,250 members. Of its 24 staff members, most are part time, so it relies on a lot of volunteers, including its 17 board members.

Although the outing focuses on fun, the money raised will be used for important programs. “It plays a vital role in early childhood development, education and community building,” Castillo shared, for not only children but the whole family.

“With hands-on learning, our museum provides children with critical thinking skills, social skills, motor skills, creativity and many more. Early education access outside and before classroom time begins for every child helps every child, especially those in underserved communities that lack the proper resources for development,” he said. “The museum helps inspire and foster creativity and curiosity within children that help children learn important skills they will use for the rest of their lives.”

Woodworth echoed that sentiment. “A lot of people think of children’s museums as places to play, and we are so much more than that,” he said. “They don’t know how deep our commitment to childhood education is.”

He said the museum caters especially to children who have a tough time in a classroom learning by watching a teacher write information on a board or by filling out a worksheet.

“Some learn better visually, some learn better hands-on, some learn hearing it, so that’s what the children’s museum provides: those other unique ways of learning things where a child might come in here and say ‘I get that now. That is what Mrs. Jones was talking about when we did that science unit.’ Conversely, they might be in the classroom and realize this was something we learned at the children’s museum.”

Woodworth said all of the museum’s exhibits “align with learning standards, so there is a lot of crossover. We do that voluntarily to align with what children are learning in preschool, and we see children up to 8, 9 and 10.”

Another important museum program is Wee Ones Wednesday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays, designed for children birth to 3 years old. “We have a developmental therapist and an occupational therapist who are here, and if a parent has a question about their child’s development, they can come in and talk to someone without having to get a referral,” he said. “Basically, what this program does is it breaks down the barriers of access to that.”

Tickets for the mini golf outing cost $25 each, and sales are final. They can be bought the day of the event, but Castillo suggested buying them ahead of time in case all spots become filled. They are available at www.cmoaklawn.org/.

The bulk of money raised from the mini golf oouting will be from sponsorships. To donate items for the raffle or to sponsor one of the holes or the lunch, call Castillo at 708-423-6709, Ext. 208.

Those interested in a more traditional fundraiser can register online for 18 holes of golf at noon July 24 at Hickory Hills Country Club. Golfers can sign up until the week before, with tickets for one golfer for $125, a foursome with dinner for $450 and just the dinner for $50. The event includes lunch, raffles, dinner and prizes.

Woodworth said planning is already beginning for events in 2026. “If there would be any type of event people would like to see, they can reach out to us,” he said. To learn more, visit www.cmoaklawn.org or call 708-423-6709.

Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.