Being Savvy: Activities, things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Kansas City, KS

Shop Your Friends' Kids' Closets

by Rita Arens

Got no one in line behind your kid? Know someone else in a similar situation? Who's maybe got a bigger kid? It's time to start closet-hopping. I know my child is very hard on her clothes, but there are always a few things that seem to escape our notice as the seasons fly by. For example, this year she refused to hop on the cargo pants bandwagon, despite my cajoling, and she outgrew some ... Read more >

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End of Summer Destruction of the Swimwear

by Rita Arens

Summer's pretty much over. Your kid will never, ever fit into that swimsuit again. And face it: After diapers, nobody wants your kids' old swimming suits -- not even your other kids. It's time for a little good, old-fashioned destruction. Nothing delights kids and adults more than trashing something. There are so few opportunities in life to really destroy our possessions that I like to take ... Read more >

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Ways to Cool Off

by Rita Arens

Oy, these lists are killing me. I feel like I've been talking about ways to cool off all summer long. And really, are you still hot? Oh, you are. Dang. Have you made homemade ice cream yet? Here's a source for recipes. Have you build things out of ice cubes? Look here for ideas. Looked at photos of Antarctica? Here you go. Dudes. No more ways to cool off. You're killing me ... Read more >

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The Seven Seas

by Rita Arens

One of my favorite subjects! Oh, no! We don't live anywhere near an ocean! What to do, what to do. Immerse yourself in Pippi Longstocking, the daughter of Captain Longstocking, oh yes, she was. Remember her? I'll bet your kids have no idea who she is, and she is awesome. Here's a book. Here are the shows we remember. And here's the updated version. ... Read more >

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The Kansas City Zoo

by Rita Arens

As of August 18, the zoo hours have changed! Now they're open 9:30 to 4 Monday through Friday and 9:30 to 5 on Saturday and Sunday. (Not that we care, because that's when we go anyway, right?) Just in case you've forgotten, the zoo is located at:6800 Zoo Drive (Swope Park)Kansas City, MO 64132 If you bought a Friends of the Zoo pass earlier this season (and if you didn't, why the heck not? ... Read more >

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Bathtime Fun

by Rita Arens

When my four-year-old was younger, she went through a period in which she hated water. Hated baths. HATED. Now, I can't get her out. She begs for a long bath every night. I credit this change both to age and to the fact that there is no toy in our house made of plastic and not sporting stickers or batteries that is not allowed in the bath. Think only squirty animals or those weird chimes work ... Read more >

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Introducing: Constellations!

by Rita Arens

I can't even believe that we haven't yet been to the Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station. Now that my daughter is four, I think she definitely has the attention span to get something out of it. I think we'll have to hit it when the temperatures rise above 100 degrees, as they inevitably will toward the end of this month or the beginning of september. We haven't really immersed ourselves in ... Read more >

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A Whole New Exercise Video Experience

by Rita Arens

If you're like me, you have a hard time fitting in workouts, especially when your children are conscious. Lately, I've been getting frustrated and doing workout DVDs with my daughter in the room. Surprise! She does them with me! At least part of them. My favorite part is when she attempts to do Pilates floor exercises with me, particularly the Pilates seal. To do the seal, you put your ... Read more >

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Who Lives Under the Sea?

by Rita Arens

I love oceans and sailing, despite the fact that our own 12-foot AMF Puffer sailboat could never be taken out on the open sea. My husband and I got married on a beach in Florida, and so books about ocean life always remind me of lovely times. Here are some of my favorite ocean books: The Ocean Alphabet Book, by Jerry Pallota Somewhere in the Ocean, by Jennifer Ward Children's Guide to Sea ... Read more >

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Record the Highlights of Your Summer

by Rita Arens

My grandmother was always big on memorializing things, even little things. When she died, she left behind a huge jewelry box full of individually wrapped and labeled jewelry. The little typed label listed the name of the jewelry, when she'd gotten it, and where she'd been when she bought or received it. At the time, I thought her fastidiousness a bit over-the-top, but now, as a mother, I live ... Read more >

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