Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in kansas city, KS

Books about Kansas City (and Kansas)

by Jenny Meade

August 18, 2009

There's a number of fun childrens books out about the state of Kansas, and our city of Kansas City, Mo.  Here's a few favorites.

• Singing The ABC's Through K.C. by Elizabeth Beal Kissick (Author)  (may be out of print)
• This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt (Author), R.G. Roth (Illustrator)
• Amelia Earhart and the Haunted Winds of Kansas by T.D. Carter (Author), et al.
• Twister Twyla: The Kansas Cowgirl by Jerri Garretson (Author), Diane A. Dollar (Illustrator)

There's also an alphabet book for both Missouri and Kansas. 

S Is For Show Me: A Missouri Alphabet Edition 1. (Discover America State By State. Alphabet Series) by Judy and Ross B. Young (Author)

Sometimes you have to be The Force, Luke.

by Jenny Meade

August 03, 2009

Drew, My oldest son, starting reading Harry Potter a few weeks ago. It took me six months to talk him into it, as all he knew about Harry Potter was from movie previews, and man, it looks creepy in the movie previews. Scary, he said. No way, no how, he said.

So one night I met him in his bed for a little storytime reading, with the first Harry Potter book in hand. And I started reading aloud from chapter one, even though I knew he could do it just fine on his own. If I get to the end of chapter one and he didn't want me to continue, I said, we could stop. I read chapter one and two that evening.

The following night he told me he'd let me read a little more. I read chapters three and four, and then my voice cracked from the dryness and he said it was okay, he could take it from there.

This was just under three weeks ago (and he spent several nights at sleep-away scout camp where he did not take his book.) He's now on book three. We literally have to make him put the book down and turn his light out to go to sleep each night.

See, I knew it would be much like getting my youngest to try certain new foods when he was a toddler. If I could just get it in his mouth, I knew he'd love the taste and want more. My kids were (and still are) very stubborn, it was not about not liking the food, it was about doing what they wanted, even at that age. So occasionally, when I felt really confident that my little guy would love it, I would shove a spoonful of something from a baby jar into his little mouth and then hold it closed while he unwillingly chewed.

Every single time, he'd swallow and then grab the spoon from me trying to get more, as fast as possible. 

Of course, much later, when shoving a spoon down the throat was no longer viable, I tried bribery. I told Drew that if he'd just try a bit of hard boiled egg, he'd get an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert. He bit into it, and then gagged and puked allover the kitchen table. So, he doesn't like eggs, now we know. But it's not because he never tried it!

I guess my point here is don't be afraid to push your kids to the limits of their comfort zone.  And don't be afraid to make mistakes. They clean up with paper towels.

Jokes for little ones to tell.

by Jenny Meade

July 28, 2009

Sometimes as adults we barely even notice if a joke is slightly "iffy" in appropriateness, we're so used to casual use of colorful words we don't even catch on. But as preschoolers get more comfortable with language and start discovering that they can amuse people with their words and jokes, they become little stalking parrots searching for something funny to say that will elicit just the right response from that audience they've found. And we find as parents we start noticing A LOT more about the joke itself, real fast.

Here's a list of good joke books for kids. You can teach them yourself, (and thus expanding their repertoire so you can tolerate the joke telling) or get a copy for your early reader and let them go to town.

• Awesome Knock Knock Jokes for kids
•  Knock, Knock, Who's There? My First Book of Knock Knock Jokes
• Kids Kookiest Riddles

Aside from books like these, take some time to introduce your little ones to riddles and silly poems, too. One of our favorites is children's poet and writer, Calef Brown, who has several books of poetry, rhymes, and silly drawings that are a hit every time. Enjoy!

Calef Brown at Amazon

When books become movies.

by Jenny Meade

May 18, 2009

I usually think it is great when a favorite book becomes a movie. In some ways, it's more kudos to the author, that someone believes that story is good enough to sell movie tickets, and cross over into another medium.  And there have been some fantastic books turned into movies, the Harry Potter series being my favorite.

But it doesn't always work.  Sometimes, so much has to be done to change the story for the format of viewing instead of reading, it ends up significantly changing the story line.  And a lot of people don't like that. "It's different!", they scream. "They ruined it!" they yell.

I'm really excited about the upcoming Where the Wild Things Are, personally. It has always been one of my favorite stories, and my boys love it, too. But I realize going into it on this one, it's going to be way different from the story. First of all, there's not really any conversation in the story, and that can't manifest on screen in a kid's movie. Second, the book is really only 2 scenes long, and again, not enough for a movie. So there's going to be a lot filled in that didn't exist before.  There's a lot that has to be created, where I have only filled in with my own imagination.

I'm okay with that. I'm not someone who believes that an original work of art or literature can't be improved upon. It's entertainment, after all. And just because it becomes a movie doesn't mean I will stop loving the simplicity of the original story, about a little boy who gets into trouble and imagines a world of monsters he can boss around to work through his frustrations at being punished for his behavior.  

Just watching the trailer makes my breathe catch in my chest and my eyes well up. And that, my friends, is a sign of a great story - on the screen, or on the page. 

Weather stories, part 2

by Jenny Meade

January 22, 2009

To continue with yesterday's theme of great books related to weather, another of our favorites was One Dark Night . A little boy sees a stray cat out his grandparent's window while staying over one night, and as the thunderstorm approaches, realizes she is trying to move her kittens to safety. He overcomes his fear of the thunder and goes out to help her get the last kitten inside before the  Read more...

Your beginning reader. Feed the Hunger.

by Jenny Meade

January 05, 2009

Children sometimes have a hard time with change, new environments, new things, new places. Of my two boys, my oldest has never met a new situation he didn't like. He walked into his first day of kindergarten and never even looked back to see if I was still standing there. But my youngest would always wrap around my legs walking into a new classroom, store, or play area. (Classic first and second  Read more...

Favorite Christmas stories.

by Jenny Meade

December 11, 2008

Over the years, we've received numerous books about Christmas and the holidays as gifts. Everything from Disney characters like Bear in the Big Blue House to really smart, sophisticated stories that become heirloom books. One of my favorites is Auntie Claus and The Key to Christmas. Auntie Claus is a story about Santa Claus' older sister, who lives in a Penthouse of a fancy hotel in New York  Read more...

Magic Tree House comes to Kansas City!

by Jenny Meade

December 01, 2008

This Friday, December 5th, Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series comes to the live stage, with music! Magic Tree House, The Musical is playing Friday evening at 7pm at Johnson County Community College's Yardley Hall. Tickets are $8 for kids and youth, and $12 for adults. There are also showings at 9:45 am and 12noon for school groups, but you may be able to call the ticket window and ask  Read more...

A great book is one you can borrow - and listen to.

by Jenny Meade

November 24, 2008

Ever been driving down the road running from one activity to another, listening to your children scream and fuss and poke each other and take toys from one another, and making you feel like you're going to lose your mind right that minute? No, it's just me? Yeah right. Anyway, I have discovered a cure for it. But since it never happens to you maybe you don't want to hear it... Uh huh.  Read more...

Holiday shopping ideas - right here at Savvy Source.

by Jenny Meade

November 24, 2008

The closer we get to the holidays, the more I start to panic about getting my holiday shopping done. While I am aware that my children's have listed a Nintendo DS Lite on their Christmas lists for Santa, unfortunately they are going to be disappointed on that one. Anyway, what I do know about getting my shopping done is books are the best gifts to give, especially classics that speak to  Read more...

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

by Jenny Meade

November 21, 2008

Will Rogers had a lot of great quotes. That one happens to be my current favorite, mostly because it was the line my oldest son uttered recently in his third grade musical program. All dressed up in his plaid shirt and jeans, cowboy hat and boots with a read hankerchef around his neck, he looked the part of the great cowboy and orator Will Rogers. Other favorite Will Roger's quotes: "We are all  Read more...

A book is a good way to talk through tough subjects.

by Jenny Meade

November 20, 2008

One of the things that happens soon after your little one heads off to preschool is the coming home of the dreaded incident note. The "your child bit someone today" or "Your child hit someone today" or "Your child pulled out his junk and peed down the slide in front of all his friends today". It hurts, as a parent, to know that your baby is acting inappropriately, probably out of an inability  Read more...

Kansas City Octopus is looking good tonight!

by Jenny Meade

November 18, 2008

On one of his many business trips to New York City several years ago, my husband came across a book called Polka Bats and Octopus Slacks by Calef Brown. It is a book of silly poems and drawings, and my kids were fascinated with it instantly. Who am I kidding - we all were. It's genius. The very first poem of the book, which we still giggle at, is called "Kansas City Octopus": "Kansas City  Read more...

Bedtime Stories

by Jenny Meade

November 17, 2008

When my oldest son was born, someone gave us a copy of a book called Love You Forever . It's supposed to be a sweet story about a mom who loves her little boy so much and she sings this special lullaby to him every night when putting him to bed. She sings this song to him even as he becomes too old for rocking and lullabies, sneaking into his bedroom after he's sleeping and whispering it  Read more...

"Mom? What does p-a-r-k spell?"

by Jenny Meade

November 14, 2008

My kindergartner has been dying to read by himself for some time now, especially since his older brother can. Every night after we read together, I leave him in his bed with a book or 12 spread all around him, and he always ends up calling to me from his bed with a word he can't get past. He also tends to fall asleep on top of his pile of books, more beloved than his stuffed animals, and I go  Read more...

Reading is where it all begins.

by Jenny Meade

November 12, 2008

I started reading to my kids at night before bedtime when they were barely able to sit up long enough to listen. I did this less out of an attempt to get them to love books, but more just to set up a bedtime ritual that would make it easier to get quieted down and ready to go night-night. It worked, with the added bonus of both children loving books, of  Read more...

Story Time Around Kansas City

by Jenny Meade

November 11, 2008

Reading with your kids when snuggled up in clean jammies and a warm bed is indeed a magical experience. Sometimes, it's even more fun to seek out a local reading time at your favorite library or bookstore. Here in Kansas City, we have several to choose from, probably one right in your neighborhood. The Kansas City, MO Library system has story times on Friday mornings. Various  Read more...

Aaand...We're back.

by Jenny Meade

November 10, 2008

Hi folks! I'm Jenny, and Rita has graciously handed over the Kansas City Savvy Source blog to me. Since this is my first post, let me tell you a little about myself. Ahhhhemmmm. I was born in Southern California. My early days were spent wandering around the beaches of Coronado, chasing the seagulls until they turned and began divebombing me, at which point I ran for my dad, whom pictures  Read more...

Book Forts

by Rita Arens

September 25, 2008

I often beg my daughter to go read her books for a while so I can grab a minute to apply make-up or iron clothes or conduct some other essential beauty routine without her reorganizing my shoe collection. Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn't, but recently I've discovered if she's in her magic book-reading fort, she will stay in there WAY LONGER. The little angel's book-reading fort is  Read more...

You Can Read! Yay!

by Rita Arens

September 08, 2008

Today is International Literacy Day, and September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. I know since you're reading this that you can, in fact, read, so here are some ways to make sure our kids and our neighbors can, too. Reach Out and Read is a program that partners with pediatricians to make sure kids have books to read at their visits. Literacy Kansas City provides help to adults and  Read more...

The Seven Seas

by Rita Arens

August 25, 2008

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...

Books that Take You Far, Far Away

by Rita Arens

July 17, 2008

I LOVE children's books, and I've been reviewing a ton of them this year for Surrender, Dorothy: Reviews and Cool Mom Picks . Here are some of my favorite far-away books that I've read in the past year: Stories from the Silk Road -- Seven folk tales for older kids (though my four-year-old can pay attention, thanks to the lovely illustrations) from Asia Catch that Goat -- Fun pictures and an  Read more...

Great Summer Read Alouds

by Rita Arens

July 15, 2008

This one is hard for me, because I think ANY book is best read aloud. My husband has a way of pretending to be in the book and making the pictures talk. I'm really no good at that, because I'm always too fascinated with the words and the rhythm they make. Really rhyming books sound so nice read aloud, and I like: Wynken, Blynken and Nod Mother Goose Other books aren't rhyming, but have  Read more...

Local Children's Book Authors

by Rita Arens

June 23, 2008

I love going to Reading Reptile in Brookside when national authors come in to do readings and signings, but I didn't realize how many children's authors and illustrators live right here in the Kansas City metro. Check it out! I bet they would sign your book if you asked nicely... Claudia Chandler from Olathe Barbara Higgins-Dover from Lawrence Richard Jennings from Overland Park Daniel  Read more...

Mommy? I'm Bored. Already.

by Rita Arens

June 17, 2008

The words we all dread. "I'm bored." Funny how early they master that, eh? Never fear. Get someone else to do what you've been doing all winter. For some reason, a new adult reading a book is so much more interesting than a parent reading a book. Maybe it's in the way they hold it up for everyone to see? For story times, check out Tales for Tiny Tykes at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City  Read more...

Best Birthday Party Venues

by Rita Arens

June 03, 2008

My daughter and her posse all have birthdays around the same time, since they were in the same class at daycare for a long time. As a result, starting in January of each year, we get to see the sights of kid-birthday venues around town. My favorites thus far are as follows: Reading Reptile -- They will do a birthday party, plan an activity, read stories to the kids, serve cupcakes and make  Read more...