Trip with Toddler and water-paranoid mother
 

I'm trying to play a family trip with a 2yo and 6yo.

I'm looking for suggestions of local destinations.

Both are in swim lessons but not swimmers yet. I'd prefer some place where swimming isn't the main activity.

Would love to go somewhere that was young kid friendly.

We're in Illinois and am open to any suggestions or ideas around the Midwest.

I have a 2 yr granddaughter and 4 yr old grandson. We all live a few miles from the ocean and bay. Their mother (my daughter) doesn't like swimming. But I can't imagine not living, in our case, in a coastal town like San Diego or vacationing in Florida, Hawaii or the Caribbean because my grandkids and grown children don't like to be on the water or swim.

I'm not sure how much safer being in the Midwest would be. I might recommend St. Louis, MO.

Surely there are some theme parks or amusement parks not too far away. And possibly a family friendly hotel that has a kiddie pool for your little ones to splash around in (not deep enough to swim).

The more they are exposed to the possibility of fun in the water the more they will want to learn. You never leave them alone at water at that age anyway, even good swimmers. How about a lake or ocean beach where you can play games on the sand or build sand castles, etc.
Go to the Smokeys.

Indianapolis has one of the best children's museums in the country. Add in a side trip to Bloomington (in Monroe County), Brown County State Park, possibly visit Nashville, IN (for your water paranoid mother).

Turkey Run State Park has hiking trails for all levels. Parke County, IN (county seat is Rockville) has a concentration of 30 covered bridges.

Further to the north, the Indiana Dunes are actually two parks: The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Indiana Dunes State Park. Every first Saturday of the spring and summer months, except March and July, you can see the stars with the Chicago Astronomical Society. They have their Park Ranger series every weekend for children. The annual sand castle competition is held in mid-July. Here's the calendar for the area: www.indianadunes.com/events

I agree that you don't want the kids swimming, with such very limited skills, in Lake Michigan.

Our grandchildren all had life jackets to wear when near pools, ocean or lakes. They liked them as they were Disney themed.

Go tent camping? Rent an RV? Find a cabin somewhere (doesn't have to be near water)?

St. Louis might work. The City Museum is great for kids as is the Magic House, great zoo, Gateway Arch, Grants Farm. Lots to do and see.

Holy cow, how did I (and my brother, and my cousins) survive past age 21 without drowning?

The folks would be up at the cottage in Miller Beach, IN while we kids would run down 1/4 mile to Lake Michigan to play in the lake.
Without swimming lessons. Without life preservers. Without water wings. Nice calm lake, no waves higher than 1". Sheer bliss.

We certainly couldn't hear rotors overhead.

Swim lessons are very false security, as they give kids the sense that they are safe and competent in the water when they actually are not - they are little kids. You would be watching them anywhere. I am impressed that you identify yourself as water-paranoid, but try to think beyond that. How about someplace without cars that could run them over, without rocks they could fall on.

Pick a nice place that you would all enjoy - with kids that age a nice cottage near a lake (I live on the East coast, so for us it was often near the ocean instead). Run, play, splash, build sand castles. Play mini-golf. Pick wild flowers.

The place is so much less important than that they get special time with their parent(s).

Follow exiled princess's advice. As the parent of a young son, we've traveled a lot of places, he's just as happy with a playground as the beach.

And if you don't want to go to the beach or a lake, don't do it! If your stressed and worried no one will have a fun vacation.

In fact. I think I want to do exiled princesses plan!,