The City Guide That Puts Kids in Charge
Rye's Field Guide to Chicago is a choose-your-own-mission adventure that puts your kid in charge of the map, with an urban pigeon named Rye as their co-pilot. He’ll guide your family from the top of the Willis Tower to the city's best-kept snack secrets, and he takes his mission very seriously! (Chicago rule number one: never put ketchup on a hot dog.)
Why You'll Love It
Kids lead the way → Your child picks the missions and sets the pace. No more dragging anyone anywhere.
Flexible by design → Build your day around three easy time blocks: Curiosity Kickoff, Midday Wonder, and Closing Quest. Pick one stop for each, and you’ve got a perfect day.
Four Curiosity Pathways → Stops are sorted by how your kid likes to explore: Color Collectors, Action Adventurers, Wild Wanderers, and Time Travelers. Follow one all day or mix them up.
Built for connection → Prompts, hands-on activities, and secret codes to crack turn a day out into shared memories instead of a checklist.
Permission to Slow Down → This guide rewards wandering, snack breaks, and following a tangent. There is no wrong way to do it.
What's Inside
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12 curated Chicago stops, from the Skydeck to a butterfly haven to a wonderfully weird museum of surgical science
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74 pages full of city intel and recommendations straight from Rye
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Connection-building prompts and hands-on activities at every stop
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Micro Missions: city-wide challenges to tackle as you explore
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Curious City Bingo and a Secret Snack Stop to track down
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An illustrated city map and secret codes to crack
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A full page comic and DIY comic zine
- A 5th Pathway Badge kids can earn right inside the guide
The Secret Vault
Because the best intel is classified, your digital guide includes access to a secret online vault: updated restaurant & snack recommendations, top-secret side quests that we couldn't fit on the main route, printable activity sheets, and a few surprises the squirrels can never know about.
Ready to let your kid lead the way? Pack your snacks. Rye is waiting.
This is a digital download. You'll receive an email with a downloadable PDF containing clickable links. All digital guide sales are final.