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

Weekend Roundup: Thrills and Chills edition

by Jenny Meade

July 30, 2009

This first weekend in August has plenty of things to do here in KC to get out and enjoy this fantastic, unseasonably cool summer weather with your family.

• Corn Festival at the City Market, Saturday
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! at Starlight Theater
• Soccerpalooza at Zona Rosa Shopping Center (player registration was due July 1, but you can still go and watch)
• THE WIGGLES AT SPRINT CENTER OMG! Saturday (There are still some tickets available, it appears)
• Clown Day at Crown Center, Saturday 11am-1pm. Y'all, I can not post this without telling you how much I, personally speaking, despise clowns. I know, I'm weird. But they scare me, I can't help it. You will not bump into me at this event, but have fun anyway. 

Kids and the Internet: It's okay! Really!

by Jenny Meade

July 07, 2009

So, kind of following up on yesterday's post about my kid getting his own email address, I thought it might be a good time to talk about the Internet. Namely, at what point do you let your kid get on it?

Well, that depends on you, really.  But at my house, I figured out a long time ago that the internet might just be more useful screen time than the television, because they can play games and actually be practicing their math skills without even realizing it, instead of just losing brain cells from listening to Spongebob laugh his horrible little laugh. And also, screen time is when the screaming stops, and Mama needs that.

Does your preschooler need an email address? Probably not. But if you're interested in some online interactions that are safe and offer educational games, there are several sites that we like.  It's also pretty easy to set your child up with their own log in to the computer if you're using Windows XP or Vista, and therefore you can set the internet safety zones higher than you would for your own log in, if it makes you feel better. And it's empowering to them, too.

Here's a few to start with (and be sure to be there and help them type, because browser typos can get interesting in a hurry if you haven't set the safety zones higher as mentioned above.):

• playhouse disney
• Webkinz
• Club Penguin ( a little more complicated, probably 6 and up)
• Poptropica
• Funbrain and Funschool (our school district uses these)
• This is Daniel Cook

Pen Pals in these modern times.

by Jenny Meade

July 06, 2009

When my oldest was four years old, we up and moved to San Diego for two years. It was a tumultuous, but a very fun and invigorating time. Thankfully, Drew always made friends quickly and never met a new experience he couldn't take head on.  He even developed some great friendships during his year of kindergarten there, with a boy he still talks about and whose family we try and stay in touch with.

Recently, that boy's mother let me know that he has his own email address, and that Drew could send him emails. I hesitated, at first, email seems like a slippery slope into web chat rooms and predators if I let my imagination get away with itself. But that's simply not true, or rational, and here I am a blogger telling the entire internet stories about my family without so much as a pseudonym, why couldn't he have his own email address.

So I signed him up for a gmail account. He got to pick his handle, but I picked the password, and he isn't yet savvy enough to know how to change it. I am, and if at some point he figures that out and tries to go around me, he will lose computer privileges fast than you can say "Global Thermonuclear War."

But for now, he's having fun sending stupid emails that say things like "HeYYYYYYYYYYY Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude How are youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?"and "I Like PIE."  (Don't ask. I don't have an answer. It's a boy thing, apparently.)

It's all good. 

Weekend Roundup: Word to your Father.

by Jenny Meade

June 18, 2009

Sunday is Father's Day! We moms get Spa Days and roses and chocolates, and all that is nice, don't get me wrong.  But dad doesn't need a new tie, and he doesn't need a gift card to Home Depot, either. (Well, maybe he does, but I am making a POINT. Stay with me.) So what do you get dad for Father's Day?

Two words: Lawn Service. 

Anyway. What dad needs is some good old fashioned hangin' with the family this weekend, and maybe a nice steak. Business casual clothes and Blackberry not required.  So where do you take dad to have some fun when you've got small kids?

Y'all - it's Family Day at Shatto Farms this weekend!  Load the car on Saturday and head north to Osborn, MO (about an hour from downtown Kansas City, 1.5 hours from the southern Johnson County suburbs) and help celebrate Dairy Month. You can tour the dairy, learn how to milk a cow, take a hayride and pet the baby calves.  The open house is from 11-3pm.

Okay, maybe cows and farm life are not dad's thing. Maybe he'd rather watch his little ones splash and play?

Wonderscope is having their Summer and Play Block Party. Saturday from 10-1pm, it's FREE to party down with Wonderscope friends. Or if you'd rather go Sunday, Dads get in FREE to the Wonderscope Children's Museum for Father's Day.

There's also special Father's Day activities at the Kansas City Zoo, Powell Gardens (with a performance by Dino O'Dell!), and World's of Fun(Vivo Los Padres!). 

Of course, Dad may just want to lay on the couch and watch baseball with a cold barley soda in hand. That's okay, too. I bet he'd make room for an extra little body or two.

It's First Friday in KC time!

by Jenny Meade

April 30, 2009

This Friday night marks the first "First Friday" in downtown Kansas City's Crossroads district this year since the weather has turned lovely again.  Lots of things to see and do, and if you go early and take a stroller, the kids can even come along for a while. 

But there are plenty of other things going on this weekend that are way more geared for kids and families.  Take a look!

• 28th annual kids fishing derby at Lake Jacomo
•  Marble Days at Moon Marble Company
• Did you know 2009 is the 100 year anniversary at the Kansas City Zoo? And the tropical exhibits open this weekend.
• Sheep shearing at Missouri Town!
• Pet Pals day at Deanna Rose Farmstead (leave the pets at home though, but you can adopt one there)

Around Town: KC Events and Happenings.

by Jenny Meade

January 28, 2009

Even though the weather reporters say it's going to be a balmy 50 degrees on Saturday, maybe you'd like to stay indoors with your little ones. A quick roundup of just a few of the events and happenings in KC this weekend and in the near future that will keep you and your kids warm. Don't forget Elmo's Green Thumb is in town at The Sprint Center for one more week only! Bob The Builder  Read more...

Now even more reasons to go out in the cold.

by Jenny Meade

December 18, 2008

A number of local holiday venues and programs around Kansas City are offering discounted prices and coupons, just in time to save you as you try and figure out just what on earth you're gonna do with the kids while they're out of school for winter break. Some great ideas below: The College Basketball Experience is offering $2 off the price of regular admission . If you haven't  Read more...

Christmas light shows to wow the kids (from the warmth of your car)

by Jenny Meade

December 10, 2008

Every year as a child my parents would stuff my brother and I into our jammies and put us in the car for a late night of driving around neighborhoods looking at Chrismas lights on houses. It's become a much more sophisticated deal these days, with the availability of landscape companies who, for a small portion of your paycheck, will come to your house and string lights all across your rooftops,  Read more...

Events and Activities around KC - December

by Jenny Meade

December 09, 2008

Winter can be tough in KC as the weather gets chilly, the kids get cooped up inside and you're all dying for something interesting to do. But, there's always a ton of fun things to do here in Kansas City as we head closer to the winter holidays. * Great Wolf Lodge is hosting Snowland! "What do you get when you combine a glittering, winter wonderland with a wet and wild waterpark? Snowland  Read more...

Arts and Events around KC - November 20-23rd

by Jenny Meade

November 19, 2008

As we head closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Kansas City literally lights up with wonderful winter things to see and do with your family. Here's a few favorites kicking off just this weekend. The Legends 4th annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony , Saturday Nov. 22nd Suessical the Musical at the Coterie Theatre , Crown Center Holiday Village miniature train display , Crown  Read more...

Leaf Collections: Not Just for Geeks and Crafters

by Rita Arens

October 22, 2008

You know that huge park we have? Swope? Over there by the zoo and Starlight Theater? It has a lot of different types of trees in it. And it's really, really, big. I bet they would not mind if you collected a few samples. Really. Fall leaves are so beautiful, and it's really the only time of year I notice how many different types of trees we have in Kansas City. Taking up a little fall collection  Read more...

Skunk Hunting

by Rita Arens

September 04, 2008

This post is inspired by my own neighborhood Pepe Le Pew, who seems to mistake black-and-white Bella the Cat weekly for his cherie while spraying my front yard. So really, you're just going for a walk. It's still light out until bedtime, and the weather will turn on us faster than we'd like, so take advantage, people. You'll miss this when it's gone. I don't care if you live in Hyde Park,  Read more...

Getting to Know Kansas City: 5 Ways to Introduce Your Preschooler to Landmarks

by Rita Arens

June 24, 2008

My daughter is really into knowing where things are. She predicts the arrival of the stadium complex on I-70. She can identify my office building in the downtown skyline. And she loooves that Christmas-tree-looking tower over by Martini Corner. So, landmarks. They are pretty! And useful so you know where you are! Here are my five favorite Kansas City landmarks. I think everyone would enjoy a  Read more...

Feed Those Hungry Children, Already.

by Rita Arens

June 18, 2008

Did you know you can feed your preschooler for $0 all over Kansas City? And it's real food, not the stuff they pulled out from the cracks in the car seats. Yee-haw. (I don't want to plagiarize, so here are all the lists. Yum. Slurp. Ahhhhhhh.  Read more...