Hey everyone! You’re probably gearing up for the big holiday weekend already. I just wanted to check in and remind you to check out our listing of great Kansas City-area Fourth of July activities and fireworks displays. I think we got most of them – let us know if we missed anything!

And I also wanted to share our latest article on visitkc.com – Kids Guide: Cheaper by the Dozen is a list of ideas for free or awfully cheap family fun around the Kansas City metro. Our thanks to the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association for allowing us to regularly contribute their fantastic site!

One last thing -

HAVE A FABULOUS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!

We’ll check in with you next week!

You don’t need a boat or a camper or a lake house to go fishing. Heck, you don’t even have to leave town! (And if you hit one of our suggested fishing holes, you won’t even need your own fishing pole.) My husband and my six- and seven-year-olds have made fishing their number one daddy-activity this summer. They love it. He loves it. Everybody wins!

The first place my kids ever fished was at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in south Overland Park. Admission to the park is free but some of the activities, including fishing, will set you back a few bucks. Here you can rent a bamboo fishing pole and a bucket of worms (my daughter and her “BFF” fished last week with chunks of hot dog as their bait – worked like a charm). The pond is stocked veeeerrrrry thick with small fish. You can easily catch 10 fish if you hang around long enough.

Another place that my little fishermen go is to Heritage Park in Olathe. Dad sets them up with bait and fishing rods from Walmart. Then they stand on the bank and practice casting and reeling. Fewer fish caught here – but the ones they do catch are a bit bigger than those at Deanna Rose. The picture above is my daughter at Heritage Park last month.

Many parks around the Kansas City metro have fishing ponds including:

• Kill Creek Park, Olathe, KS
• Shawnee Mission Park, Lenexa, KS
• Antioch Park, Merriam, KS
• South Lake, Overland Park, KS
• Lake Lenexa at Black Hoof Park, Lenexa, KS
• Lake Olathe, Olathe, KS
• Englewood Lake, Kansas City North, MO
• Klapmeyer Lake, south Kansas City, MO
• Lake of the Woods in Swope Park, Kansas City, MO
• Blue Springs Lake, Lee’s Summit, MO
• Lake Jacomo, Blue Springs, MO
• Longview Lake, Kansas City, MO

Catch and release fishing makes for a fun and tiring day for both kids and Dad. You’ll want to makes sure that you comply with all state, county and municipal fishing permit requirements before you head out to the lake. I know that state permits can be obtained online – check with your county and/or city for their specific requirements.

Even if you as the parent don’t fish, give this a try. The kids’ fishing rods are pretty fool-proof – you don’t have to fish yourself. Believe me, you’ll likely be occupied helping the kids out anyway. So, stop by Walmart and pick up a little rod and reel, buy some worms (also available at Walmart, as if you even had a doubt…). And head out to the local lake for some family fun in the sun!

Independence Day 2009 is upon us! How did this happen?! I think it snuck up on Kansas City while we were distracted by camps, baseball, swim lessons and gobs of other things on our plates as parents.

As usual, there are TONS of things to do on July 3rd and 4th around the Kansas City metro this year. The Royals play the White Sox on Friday, July 3rd at 7:10pm and the game will be followed by Kauffman Stadium’s traditional Independence Weekend Fireworks Spectacular. The Royals usually put on a really great fireworks display – so I’m sure this is one you shouldn’t miss! (And it’s also Buck Night!)

In addition to the Kauffman Stadium fireworks show, you might want to check out one of these:

Saturday, June 27, 2009

• Greenwood MO’s Junefest – Hitt Park in Greenwood – live music, carnival rides and a great fireworks show after dark!

Friday, July 3, 2009

• Booms & Blooms – Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – 9am to dark – children’s activities, ice cream, music at 4:30pm, Lee’s Summit Symphony at 7:30pm and fireworks to follow
• Fireworks Celebration in the Park (Kearney, MO) – concert at 7:30pm; fireworks display to follow
• KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – gates open at 3pm – water sports, festival food, live music, children’s area and FIREWORKS! (runs July 3rd and 4th)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

On the Missouri Side –

• Fourth of July Celebration, Parkville, MO – parade at 10am; carnival from 11am to 11pm; fireworks at 9:45pm
• KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – gates open at 1pm – water sports, festival food, live music, children’s area and FIREWORKS!
• Independence Day Celebration – Mormon Visitors Center, Independence, MO – concert at 8:30pm; fireworks begin at dusk
• Gladstone MO Fireworks – Oak Grove Park, 76th & N. Troost – at dusk
• Excelsior Springs MO Fireworks – The Elms Resort and Spa – at dusk
• Liberty4thFest, Liberty, MO – Fountain Bluff Sports Complex on Old 210 Hwy – live music and children’s activities begin at 6pm; fireworks at 9:45pm
• Smithville Lake (MO) Fireworks – north end of the Smithville Lake Dam, beginning at about 9pm
• Weston Jaycees Fireworks – West Platte High School, Weston MO – at dusk
• Legacy Blast, Legacy Park, Lee’s Summit, MO – food, inflatables, entertainment and FIREWORKS! – gates open at 6pm
• Platte City Family Fun and Fireworks – breakfast, 5k, bike rodeo, TONS of activities during the day; music and fireworks at night – Platte County R-3 High School, Platte City, MO
• Sugar Creek MO Fireworks – Heritage Philharmonic at 8pm in Mike Onka Memorial Building; fireworks at 9:45pm
• Raymore MO Fireworks – Recreation Park, Raymore, MO – live music and food beginning at 7pm; fireworks at 9:30pm
• Harrisonville MO Fireworks – Harrisonville City Park – Pale Horse Riders Country Music Festival beginning at 11am; FIREWORKS at 9:30pm
• Oak Grove MO Fireworks - Webb Park – kids’ activites and other stuff begins at 5pm; fireworks at 10pm

On the Kansas Side –

• Fireworks and Salute to the Union – Fort Leavenworth, KS – Games, music, concessions begin at 4pm, Salute to the Nation at 8pm, fireworks, Merritt Lake, Fort Leavenworth.  Picture ID required upon entering Fort Leavenworth.  For more information contact Fort Leavenworth Public Affairs office, 913 684-1724
• Party on the Hill – First Family Church, south Overland Park – carnival, games, music, food and FIREWORKS – 4pm to 10pm
• Wizards’ 4th of July Spectacular, CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Kansas City, KS – see the Wizards play at 8pm followed by a huge fireworks display!
• Fourth of July Celebration – Leawood City Park – 5pm to 10pm – activities and music for kids
• Basehor KS Fireworks – Basehor-Linwood High School Football Field – 6:30pm parade and LOTS of family fun; 9:15pm fireworks
• Lansing KS Fireworks – Lansing City Park, 4H Road west of Main – approximately 9:30pm
• Star Spangled Spectacular, Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS -  events from 4pm to 11pm – live music, inflatables and fireworks!
• Olathe KS Fireworks – Great Mall of the Great Plains, 151st St. – 9:30pm
• Prairie Village KS Fireworks – 91st & Nall, Meadowbrook Country Club – park across the street at Christ Church for a block party complete with Wonderscope Live beginning at 7pm
• Gardner KS Fireworks – Gardner-Edgerton High School – 9:30pm
• Fairway KS Fireworks – Bishop Miege High School – 9:30pm
• DeSoto KS July 4th Celebration – Riverfest Park – starts at 6pm with music and activities; fireworks at 9:45pm

And the Fourth of July in Kansas City isn’t ALL about fireworks! There are some other great things to do on the 4th before the sun sets. Don’t miss one of these great events:

• Fourth of July Celebration Carnival, Parkville, MO – July 1st thru July 4th at English Landing Park – from 6pm to 10pm, Wed thru Fri; 11am to 11pm on Sat – parade on the 4th at 10am
• Platte City Family Fun and Fireworks – July 4th – breakfast, 5k, bike rodeo, TONS of activities during the day; music and fireworks at night – Platte County R-3 High School, Platte City, MO
• Missouri Town 1855 Independence Day – July 4th, 9am to 4:30pm – food, music, speeches and noon parade
• Fort Osage – Sibley, MO – July 4th, 9am to 4:30pm – 1812-style Independence Day celebration with cannon and musket fire
• Community Days Parade, Lenexa, KS – July 4th, beginning at 10am
• Independence Day, 19th Century Style – Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm (Olathe, KS) –  July 4th, 10am to 4pm
• Sugar Creek MO July 4th Parade – July 4th, 11am – on Sterling from Lexington to Putnam
• Village Fest, Harmon Park/Municipal Campus, Prairie Village, KS – performances by Funky Mama and Mr. Stinky Feet, inflatables, police demos, face painting, clowns, magicians, bike rodeo, children’s parade, petting zoo, pony rides, climbing wall and MORE!- July 4th, 7:30am to 2pm
• KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – water sports, festival food, live music, children’s area and FIREWORKS! – July 3rd and 4th

NOTE: The Lenexa/Shawnee fireworks display at Shawnee Mission Park has been canceled this year. Also called off for 2009 is the City of Blue Springs fireworks show.

*photo by Patrick/ adwriter

RED Development’s Duck Derby benefitting Children’s TLC will take place this SUNDAY–June 28, 2009 on the Country Club Plaza.  You can catch the festivities starting at 11am; the fun lasts until 4pm!

What is Duck Derby, you might ask?  Imagine 20,000 rubber ducks floating down Brush Creek on the Plaza–all for a good cause!  The ducks are individually numbered and “adopted” with lots of cool prizes up for grabs.  The “duck drop” is a sight your family won’t soon forget–they are dropped from a net suspended from a crane!

A duck adoption will cost you only $5, with online adoptions closing at midnight Saturday!  Walk-up adoptions will be accepted until 1pm Sunday.  There will be lots of entertainment and family-friendly things to do–a great afternoon on the Plaza for a great cause–the kids at our city’s own Children’s TLC preschool. Kate and I love this organization and wish everyone the best on Sunday!  Good luck.

We also wanted to remind you about another organization we are thrilled to support–the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Greater Kansas City Chapter (AAFA-KC).  Melissa Ford is the Executive Director of our local chapter and she is a dynamite lady.  She runs a world-class chapter here in KC and part of that is the annual Superkids Asthma Camp; a one week program for asthmatic children who have finished grades 2-6. The children benefit from close contact with other children who are similarly afflicted with asthma. Each child learns about asthma management through games, crafts, outdoor activities including swimming, an Asthma Olympics, and other fun activities from experienced health care professionals. The camp is a safe, medically supervised environment that fosters understanding and self-management of the disease without negative peer pressure. Also on staff are teen counselors who also suffer from asthma. These teens help reinforce that asthma does not have to limit children’s lives.

Depending on your camper’s age, camp will either be the week of July 13-17 or July 27-31.  Open this brochure for all the specifics and how to register.  Don’t forget–scholarships are available, too.

Things are heating up in KC with the heat indices hovering near 110 degrees.  Why not head to the beach?  A day of fun at the beach in landlocked KC can be had for a few bucks at most…and a vivid imagination would be helpful, too!

Blue Springs Lake at Fleming Park (which is in Lee’s Summit, not in Blue Springs - go figure…) has a one-acre beach and a marina. This lake is Lake Jacomo’s little sister (also in Fleming Park) but Jacomo doesn’t have a beach. You can rent a variety of styles of boats at each marina.

Longview Lake is in Kansas City, between Raytown and Lee’s Summit and just a stone’s throw from Grandview. Longview has a one-acre swimming beach and a full-service marina. Boat rental is available at the marina.

These two Jackson County MO beaches have lifeguards on duty and shower/restroom facilities. They are open from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm on weekdays; 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekends and holidays. Admission is $3/child or senior; $5/adult. Season passes are available.

Shawnee Mission Park Beach is in western Johnson County at 79th and Renner Road. The beach is open most days from 12 pm to 6 pm. Open Water Swim from 6pm until 7:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Daily rates are: $3/day for kids 12 and under and seniors; $5/day for the over 12 set, with  $.50 surcharge for non-residents.  Shawnee Mission Park also has a marina where you can rent canoes, fishing boats, two person sailboats and pedal boats!

Kill Creek Park Beach is located in Olathe, KS in the newest park in the Johnson County Parks & Rec system. The swimming beach and marine are open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm. Prices are the same as at Shawnee Mission Park Beach and the marina offers similar boat rentals.

Smithville Lake, just north of the metro area, offers boating, swimming beaches, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, hiking trails and more. Pack a cooler and go! The Army Corps of Engineers is in charge and they require a $1/swimmer fee. You can’t really beat that price!

Also up north is the Watkins Woolen Mill State Park with a swimming beach at Williams Creek Lake. The Park is outside of Lawson, Missouri – just north of Excelsior Springs and east of Kearney. Camping, biking and fishing are also available here.

Head the opposite direction (south for those of you not paying attention…) and you’ll find Hillsdale Lake in Miami County, Kansas. That’s the county just south of Johnson County.  Two beaches with bathroom facilities are open from sunrise to sunset. The lake is surrounded by a beautiful Kansas State Park. Fishing, camping and boating are some of the other popular activities at Hillsdale.

Clinton Lake just outside of Lawrence, Kansas also has a popular swimming beach. Consider making this trip a whole weekend – camping, fishing (even a small children’s fishing pond), boating, trails, archery, disc golf courses, four playgrounds and sand volleyball courts!

We had a weird spring here in the Kansas City metro area and, while it affected all of us, it reeeeeealllllly affected our local growers. We had a lot of rain (usually good) and a late freeze (overwhelmingly bad). Some crops were damaged, others just delayed. But here we are – mid-June. And the berries are upon us!

Have you ever taken the kids berry picking? Did you go as a child? I can remember strawberry picking as a child and then watching my mother make and can preserves. Mason jars, lots of boiling water, paraffin wax and probably a lot of whining by me. I didn’t like strawberries. Have I mentioned that I was kind of a weird kid?!

I’m not sure about my 7-year-old but I KNOW that my 6-year-old is dying to get out to pick some beautiful, plump blueberries this summer. I think she’ll eat them just as fast as she can pick them though!

The blueberries are ripening now and will be generally available through mid-August in our area. Several farms also grow blackberries, which ripen up a bit later. Look for blackberries starting about July 1st through September/October.

I know of one local grower that has strawberries in season. Unfortunately, that season is over. The same grower though has red raspberries available to pick. Yum!

Here are the Kansas City-area berry picking spots to check out:

• The Berry Patch (just south of Leawood & Martin City) – HUGE crop of blueberries and blackberries, great activities for kids!

• Cy & Dee’s Blackberry Farm (Louisburg, KS) – 28615 Rockville Rd., 913-837-2254

• Duncan’s Berry Farm (Smithville, MO) – might not have you-pick berries this year, probably should call first

• Lawson Brothers’ Farm (Baldwin City, KS) – raspberries and blackberries here! (And strawberries in season.)

• Schreiman Orchards (Waverly, MO) – 660-493-2477 – berries and peaches, an hour east of KC

• Sibley Orchards (Sibley, Jackson County, MO) – blackberries (and peaches and apples in season)

• Wagon Wheel Orchard (Gardner, KS) – no berries here (and the cherries were freeze-damaged this year) but look for peaches and apples beginning in August

For a few more in the outlying areas, check out the Pick-Your-Own Farms and Orchards site for state-by-state lists:

• Pick-Your-Own Farms and Orchards (Kansas sites)

• Pick-Your-Own Farms and Orchards (Missouri sites)

*photo via barcoder96

Wow! You guys REALLY like Dippin’ Dots!! We had 70 entrants for the giveaway of a gallon of Dippin’ Dots and we randomly chose comment #51 as our winner!

Jacque in Lee’s Summit! (We’ll be sending you an email with more information…)

Congratulations to Jacque and a big THANK YOU to Mary Ann Deming, owner of our local Dippin’ Dots franchise, for providing the ice cream!

For those of you who didn’t win, you can find Dippin’ Dots at several local attractions this summer as well as at Oak Park Mall, Great Mall of the Great Plains and Independence Center. AND…Mary Ann has graciously agreed to give us another gallon of Dippin’ Dots next month for a giveaway!!! So check back with us next month for another chance to win.

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? And July 19th will be National Ice Cream Day? It’s true. I checked.

Do you have a craving for ice cream now? Check out numbers 10, 19 and 28 on our 30 Things to Do With Your Kids This Summer in Kansas City list (Ice Cream Train in Belton, recipe for Kick-the-Can Ice Cream and how to set up an ice cream sandwich station).

June in Kansas City can only mean one thing.  The summer 2009 baseball season is well underway and my son loves to hit!  When he’s not playing with his team, the Eagles, he can often be found with my husband at one of the metro’s batting cages. We’ve written about them before, and we always seem to get comments that people love the list.

Even if your son or daughter doesn’t play organized ball–the batting cages are a unique and inexpensive way to have a great time as a family.  Kids think it’s great fun to see Mom hit (or miss) the ball!  And if other men are anything like my husband…well…let’s just say it’s a great opportunity for him to relive his “glory days” –the days when he could hit a baseball a country mile.  I’m thinking that baseballs must travel farther when the batter still has a full head of hair  :-)

Here’s our list–enjoy–and please leave me a comment if I’ve forgotten anything.  GO EAGLES!!!!

• Blue Valley Recreation Complex (Overland Park, KS)  *batting cage hours vary and are linked to game times at the complex.  Call 913-685-6030 for details.
• Cool Crest (Independence, MO)
• Golf Club of Kansas – Kansas Sports Center (Lenexa, KS)
• 68 Inside Sports (Overland Park, KS)
• Mac N Seitz (south Kansas City, MO)
• Mid-America Sports Complex (Shawnee, KS)
• Paradise Park (Lee’s Summit, MO)
• Pop’s Pitch and Putt (Olathe, KS) 14570 W. 151st Street
• Power Alley (West Shawnee, KS)
• Regal Athletic (Northland KC)
• Retro Bowl (Liberty, MO)
• Shoal Creek Driving Range and Batting Cages (Northland)
• Sports City (Blue Springs, MO)
• Tom Urquhart’s School of Baseball (Overland Park, KS) on 7875 Mastin
• Triple Play Baseball/Softball Academy (Blue Springs, MO)  on 40 Hwy.
• Wyandotte County 3&2 Metro Needs League (Kansas City, KS)

Do your kids beg you for Dippin’ Dots every time you go to the zoo, a Royals game, Worlds of Fun or the mall? If they’re anything like mine, you don’t hear the end of it until you buy that little cup full of rainbow-hued beads of cryogenically frozen ice cream.

Just to keep it real, I’m gonna go ahead and admit that, despite the huge number of Dippin’ Dots cups I’ve purchased over the years for my children, I’ve never actually tasted Dippin’ Dots. Is that weird? Maybe. Just don’t tell Mary Ann Deming, the owner of several local Dippin’ Dots franchise locations.

Mary Ann’s stores can be found at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe, at Independence Center and at Oak Park Mall. And since Mary Ann is hip to social media, you can also find Kansas City Dippin’ Dots on Twitter at @kcdippindots.

Did you know that you can get Dippin’ Dots for a party or fundraiser too? You can order Dippin’ Dots single serving Prepacks for birthday parties, block parties, or other events. For really big parties, they’ll even bring a serving freezer right to you with 8 to 10 different flavors.

Anyway, the bottom line: we’re giving away a one gallon bag of Dippin’ Dots! Winner can choose a bag of one of the following flavors:

• Cookies and Cream
• Banana Split
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Rainbow Ice
• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Birthday Cake

A one gallon bag serves 35 of the 3.5 ounce cups or 25 of the 5 ounce cup. It’s an $80 value. The winner can pick it up at the Great Mall, Independence Center or Oak Park Mall locations.

So, here’s what you need to do to enter the random drawing to win – (1) tell us why you (or your kids) LOVE Dippin’ Dots by submitting a comment (click the Comments link at the end of this post); (2) the form will require a valid email address which will NOT be made public with your comment; (3) just tell us why you (or your kids) LOVE Dippin’ Dots along with your first name and the city/town in which you live and you’re entered!

*********************************

RULES: Comments/entries must be submitted before 11:59pm CST on Thursday, June 18, 2009. One winning entry will be chosen at random and the winners will be notified by KC Kids Fun via email.
Must be 21 years of age to enter and win. Only one entry per household will be considered. No substitutions or transfers. Giveaway prize is not redeemable for cash. By entering, winner consents to allow the use of his/her name for promotional purposes without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prize. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

June 28, 2009 is the date when the community pulls together in support of one of our city’s finest preschools–Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center (CTLC).  Located at 31st and Main in Kansas City, CTLC is a fully accredited preschool and has been providing outstanding early education to children with special needs, as well as for those who are typically developing.

Did you know that CTLC was founded in 1947?!?  The preschool serves children from the entire metro, across a broad range of physical and developmental disabilities.  Kate and I are honored to call CTLC one of our community partners.  We are so impressed with what this preschool has to offer–and we feel like it’s a feather in our city’s cap.   SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH DUCKS?????

RED Development, along with CTLC, joins forces again this year to bring 20,000 rubber ducks to the Country Club Plaza’s Brush Creek.  Families can enjoy live entertainment and family fun on the Plaza as they eagerly await the “DUCK DROP” into Brush Creek.  It is a sight to behold!

Here’s where you come in.  You can adopt a duck(s) for only $5, and there are some fabulous prizes to be had.  Grand Prize is a 2009 Harley Davidson VRSCF V-Rod Muscle bike donated by Central Harley Davidson South.  Other prizes include concert tickets, dining packages, Tiffany jewelry and retail gift cards just to name a few!!  Best of all, you will be directly helping fellow KANSAS CITIANS.  Not bad for $5!

The fun starts on Sunday, June 28 at 11am on the Plaza.  2pm will be the Duck Derby and the entertainment and fun ends at 4pm.  Head down to Brush Creek for a great day of fun!  If June 28 won’t work for you…don’t despair; you can still help those wonderful children at CTLC.  Check out the school’s Amazon Wish List for some much-needed items.   With a few simple clicks, you will be well on your way to making someone’s day!  It’s that easy to donate–all from the comfort of your home!  THANKS, READERS!