It’s that time of year when Kansas City lights up the night sky with millions of Christmas lights! Obviously, the granddaddy of them all is the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Sponsored by KCPL, this year marks the 79th year for the annual tradition. The switch will be “flipped” on at 6:30pm on Thanksgiving night (Thursday, Nov. 27) by none other than David Cook, American Idol winner and Blue Springs, MO native! The show, which runs from 6-7pm, features several local music acts and fireworks immediately following the flip of the switch.

Did you know that the Plaza lights started with a single string over a doorway in 1925? If you haven’t yet taken your kids to enjoy this Kansas City tradition…this might be a great year to start! For those who like to watch things from the comfort of their own homes…you can tune in to the lighting ceremony live on KCTV Channel 5.

Other lighting ceremonies around the Kansas City metro include:

• Mayor’s Tree Lighting in Downtown Overland Park - Thursday, November 20, 5pm to 8pm - Santa arrives at 5:30pm; tree lighting at 6:15pm; hayrack rides ($2) from 5pm to 7pm - carolers, bells and dancing!
• Downtown Lee’s Summit Lighting Ceremony - Friday, November 21, 6:30pm at Howard Station Park
• Zona Rosa Holiday Lighting Ceremony, Kansas City north, MO - Saturday, November 22 - and a Visit with the Kansas City Fairy Princess!
• The Legends Fourth Annual Lighting Ceremony, Kansas City, KS - Saturday, November 22
• Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting followed by the opening of the Hall of Trees at the Hall of Waters, Excelsior Springs, MO - Saturday, November 22 at 6pm
• Briarcliff Village Holiday Lighting Ceremony, KCMO - Sunday, November 23 at 7pm followed by fireworks
• Lawrence Christmas Tree Lighting - Lawrence, KS - Friday, November 28 at 5:30pm
• Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting at Crown Center - Friday, November 28 - performances by The School of Rock and more!
• Winterfest & Olathe’s Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting - Sunday, November 30 - 4:30pm to 6:30pm - Olathe City Hall - choirs, talent and SANTA!
• Christmas Around Town - downtown Shawnee, KS and Shawnee Town - Tuesday, December 2 from 4pm to 7pm - caroling, carriage rides, Christmas Tree lighting and Santa!
• Brookside Tree Lighting Ceremony (Kansas City, MO) - Thursday, December 4 at 6pm - 63rd & Brookside Blvd. - music, refreshments, prizes and more!
• Lighting Ceremony in Old Town Lenexa - lights, Santa, carols and hot chocolate! - Friday, December 5 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Other light displays not to miss:

• Christmas in the Park, Longview Park, Kansas City, MO - November 26 thru December 31 - over 300,00 lights and almost 200 animated figurines make this Christmas light display an event not to miss!
• “Christmas Place” in the Terrace Place subdivision, 131st Place and Antioch, Overland Park
• “Christmas Card Lane” in Olathe, KS, north of 151st St. and west of Ridgeview (Ridgeview and Frontier)
• Not sure if this one’s still going on…but I remember Mom and Dad driving us every year to a fantastically decorated, completely over-the-top house in Prairie Village, KS. It was located off of 75th Street and Falmouth, just east of Mission Road. You could peer into the attached garage-turned-Santa’s Workshop and also see hundreds of glass ornaments suspended from the ceilings of every room in the house. Readers, who remembers this? Is it still lit up?
• Another cool place to drive by is located off of 63rd Street, west of State Line Road. This is more of a modern light display–long lines of white lights, zig-zagging from treetop to ground and back up to rooftop.
• I recently drove by Vince & Associates, at 102nd and Metcalf in Overland Park. I can’t say that I’ve seen this display “turned on” yet, but it looks like it’s going to be bright. There’s not an inch of landscaping that hasn’t been covered by a light. Or lighted penguin, Santa or snowflake. Should be interesting!

If you know of another “don’t miss” neighborhood light display - please share it in the comments below!

Halloween is over. The pumpkin patches are closed. What now? What to do in Kansas City? Well, just in time, outdoor ice skating is back!

Everyone’s traditional favorite - the Crown Center Ice Terrace - opens on Friday, November 7, 2008. It will be open Sunday thru Thursday, 10am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday, 10am to 11pm - for the months of November, December and January. Hours for February and March are 10am to 9pm. Admission is $6 (free for those under five or over 60). Skate rental is $3. Tuesday nights are two-for-one admission after 5pm.

I am really excited for the November 7th opening of The Ice at Park Place in Leawood. This new mixed-use development just north of Town Center Plaza on Nall will host Johnson County’s only outdoor ice skating rink. Thru January 4, the hours are: Monday thru Thursday, 11am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 11am to 11pm; Sunday, 12pm to 8pm. Admission is $6 (kids under five are free Monday thru Thursday 11am to 3pm). Skate rental is $3. (There is a sneak preview event on Thursday, November 6th from 4pm to 9pm - a percentage of the proceeds from the ice rink, Ingredient, California Pizza Kitchen and The Learning Tree will benefit the Blue Valley Education Foundation.)

And if it’s just too cold for you to skate outside, you can always find a fun public skate at one of the Kansas City metro’s indoor ice rinks. Pepsi Ice Midwest at 135th and Quivira in Overland Park has public skates most Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoons. Admission is $7.50 (7 and under admitted for $5.50). Skate rental is $3.50. If you have an Entertainment coupon book, check for special coupons!

Ice Sports on Johnson Drive in Shawnee offers public skating Monday thru Saturday from 12pm to 2pm and on Sunday from 4pm to 6pm. Admission is $6 and skate rental is $2.

Line Creek Ice Arena in Kansas City north has Friday evening public skating from 8pm to 10pm and Saturday afternoon public skating from 2pm to 4pm. There are also public skate times on every other day (except Sunday) at various times of day. Check the website for details. Admission is $5 and skate rental is $2.

My husband and son recently spent what they claim was a “totally awesome” evening at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. Three little boys and two dads headed north on a Friday evening to enjoy the annual HALLOWEEN HAUNT, which turns Worlds of Fun into a celebration of all things Halloween.

What I didn’t realize was how kid-friendly this event was–at least during the daytime hours! On Saturdays and Sundays, the kids can enjoy Camp Spooky, a magic show, costume contest, and a run through Trick-Or-Treat Town (presented by Price Chopper). Of course, there are the rides, entertainment and attractions that Worlds of Fun is known for! After 7pm, HAUNT comes to life (or death?) and the park disappears in a haze of dry ice and strobe lights. All of your Halloween favorites are there: assorted ghosts and ghouls, mazes and scare zones. The park’s own website says that the scary ‘characters’ are not permitted to touch park patrons–but the experience isn’t recommended for those under age 14.

HAUNT runs now through Sunday, November 2. Click here (and then click on “Deadly Deals”) for an online coupon that is good on Sunday only–November 2–and gets you (4) All-Day Worlds of Fun Admissions for only $89 + tax! This represents a savings of over $17/ticket. On these days, Worlds of Fun is open 11am-7pm and Trick-Or-Treat Town is open noon-6pm.

HAUNT remains open Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 2. Click here for exact park hours. Have fun and remember to dress in your warmest layers!! brrrrrr

I thought I’d offer up a listing of some area Trunk-Or-Treat locations around town. For the uninitiated, Trunk-Or-Treat is basically a fun, safe way to celebrate Halloween; typically in a church, school or mall parking lot, and not necessarily on Halloween itself. It’s actually tons of fun, and seems to really be growing in favor judging by the increasing numbers of events being held. They will be starting tonight and can be enjoyed almost any evening between now and Halloween.

A few tips for a successful night:

• It’s way more fun when you decorate your car!! Many organizations will even award prizes for the “best decorated car” and who wouldn’t want to win that honor?!?

• Take tons of candy! Our church is anticipating over 500 kids at its event. For the biggest bang for your candy buck–head to Sam’s Club or Costco and pick up a few of the enormous bags. Always buy more than you think you’ll need. I made the unfortunate mistake of buying my candy a week ago, and now there are no more Twix bars for the kids. Shame on me.

• Get there on time! Most groups “close” the event a few minutes after the announced start time. This is for obvious safety reasons–you can’t have little ones running wildly through the parking lot if cars are backing in and out.

Here’s the list I came up with–please leave a comment if you have any additional locations to add! Parents–get ready for 9 straight days (at least) of sugar-induced mayhem! (more…)

It’s October in Kansas City. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous so far. Brisk mornings, sunny afternoons. Maybe a little bit of rain here and there. The leaves are just beginning to turn.

What better time to get the kids outside! The Kansas City area has several fabulous nature centers with walking trails. We love the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in south Overland Park. Stop in at the visitor’s center for a fun scavenger hunt list for the kids to take on your walk.

For an easy stroll, there is a paved path of decent length. I take the jogging stroller and throw the babies in, then walk and talk with my kindergartener and first grader. We look at spiders, try to spot turtles at the pond, talk about the sculptures scattered about. They invariably ask me all about the different plantings they see. The Arboretum also has non-paved, mulched walking trails through the woods. The walk is beautiful and full of things to see, especially for little eyes that like to spy critters and “perfect” leaves. And pushing the double stroller is a great cardio workout for me!

Other similar spots to check out around town include:

• Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center in Olathe - check their schedule for fun storytimes and exhibits at the Nature Center in addition to their gorgeous prairie walking trails

• Anita B. Gorman Discovery Conservation Center in Kansas City - just a hop, skip and a jump from the Plaza, Midtown and Brookside, can you believe it? The Discovery Center has FANTASTIC Saturday programming for kids and it’s all usually FREE! This weekend: archery and frogs. Next weekend: bats and spiders!

• Burr Oaks Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs - four great trails to walk and super programs for kids and babies all month long

• Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Liberty - several walking trails (several are handicapped accessible) and wonderful kids’ programs and events - check their website for details on the Fairy Tale Forest later this month!

• Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City - in Swope Park near the Zoo, check out Magic Woods this weekend or hike the trails with a naturalist

• Wilderness Science Center in south Overland Park - this nature preserve is owned by the Blue Valley School District. Located behind Blue River Elementary School and Blue Valley Middle School, its building is primarily intended for use by school groups but the trails are open to the public after school hours and on weekends. A lovely walk in the woods.

• Kemper Outdoor Education Center in Blue Springs - located in Fleming Park, you’ll find everything from fossils, reptile and wildlife displays, gardens, walking trails and more!

Many parks around town also have great walking trails if you’re not looking for the formal educational offerings of a nature center. Pack some water, some snacks and a kid or two or four and head to:

• Kill Creek Park, Olathe

• Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, Lenexa

• Longview Lake Park, Kansas City

• Weston Bend State Park, Weston, MO

• George Owens Nature Park, Independence, MO

For more ideas:

• Bike and Hiking Trails

• Map of Kansas City metro trails and the proposed regional link system

It’s HERE! Just a quick reminder - don’t miss the CROWN CENTER PUMPKIN PATCH this Saturday, October 11, 2008. This weather (crossing fingers and saying prayers over here) looks good. So, check it out!

It’s fantastic fun. Take a look at all of the fun activities in our Crown Center Pumpkin Patch feature from last week. And all of the fun benefits our community partner, Children’s TLC. They do fabulous work for fabulous children. We can’t think of a better beneficiary for this fun day!

And don’t miss our list of the other PUMPKIN PATCHES around KANSAS CITY!

FABULOUS FAMILY ACTIVITY!!!!! You won’t want to miss this–and, it’s for a good cause; all proceeds benefit Children’s TLC. What could be better? The activity is the 12th Annual Crown Center Pumpkin Patch, presented by KPMG. Saturday, October 11 is the date, with Sunday, October 12 being the rain date. The place–Crown Center Square, at 25th and Grand Blvd in KCMO. The time–10am until 4pm. (And don’t forget to wear your costume!!) Now, for the good stuff!!

The whole day will be packed with fun things to do, including a petting zoo, carnival booths, games, inflatables, concessions and live entertainment. And did I mention PUMPKINS? How about 30,000 pounds of them?!? There will be FREE admission and parking at Crown Center Square. At the event, tickets may be purchased for $0.50 each, and these can be used for pumpkins, games, etc.

Here’s the fantastic lineup of LOCAL talent:

• 10:00 am Miller-Marley Performers
• 12:00 pm Berkley Matthews
• 12:30 pm Costume Parade and Contest
• 1:00 pm The Doo Dads
• 2:00 pm Dino O’Dell
• 3:00 pm Oogles ‘n’ Googles

As previously mentioned, this day of family fun benefits one of KCKidsFun’s community partners, Children’s TLC. The mission of CTLC is to provide therapeutic and educational services for children with disabilities in an environment which fosters their independence and celebrates their successes. CTLC was established in Kansas City in 1947 and is located at 31st and Main Street. No child is denied services due to inablity to pay. That’s where WE come in–grab the family, head out to the Crown Center Pumpkin Patch, and support a great cause!!

If you are unable to make it down to Crown Center on the 11th, or, if you just can’t get your fill of pumpkins, check out our comprehensive listing of city-wide pumpkin patches. There’s lots to do in the next few weeks…don’t miss out!

It’s that wonderful time of year when thoughts turn from swimming pools and sunscreen to pumpkins and hardy mums! There are more than a few options around for you and your family to welcome fall, meander through a corn maze, sip some cider, and pick some PUMPKINS!! KCKidsFun has done all the legwork for you…all you need to do is load up the family and have some FUN! As always, if we’ve missed anything…feel free to leave a comment or shoot us an email. We’d be happy to add your favorites to our growing list of places to partake in pumpkins. Enjoy!

The Berry Patch (just south of Leawood & Martin City) Features fall blackberry picking. Train ride, Haybale mountain and maze also on site!

Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze (Liberty, MO) Has a mining camp, corn maze and railroad!

Faulkner’s Pumpkin Farm (Kansas City, MO - south of I-470) -check out the NEW LOCATION at 10600 Raytown Road with farm, ranch and train rides

Johnson Farms (Belton, MO) Pony rides, hay rides, and farm animal corral

KC Pumpkin Patch (Gardner, KS) Features petting zoo, haunted barn, and the ever-popular pumpkin launch!

Looper Farms (Holt, MO - just north of Clay County on I-35) - u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrides, trainrides

Louisburg Cider Mill (Louisburg, KS) -named one of the top 10 cider mills in America!

Louisburg Corn Maze (Louisburg, KS)

Pendleton’s Country Market (Lawrence, KS)

Powell Pumpkin Patch (Louisburg, KS) - FREE admission! Pack a lunch and enjoy the picnic area.

Pumpkins, Etc. (Platte City, MO)

Red Barn Farm (Weston, MO) -features pony rides, pumpkins and apples

Schaakes Pumpkin Patch (Lawrence, KS) - hayrides, hay maze and 35 varieties of PUMPKINS!  Free admission.

Sibley Orchards (Sibley, Jackson County, MO) -for apples, pumpkins, cider and homemade FRUIT PIES!

Vaughn Orchard, 816-386-2900 (Weston, MO)

Wagon Wheel Orchard (Gardner, KS)

Did you catch a glimpse of the oh-so-elusive sun that came out of hiding yesterday?! How nice was that? If you’ve been feeling like a prisoner in your water-logged home the past week or two, now’s your time to get back outside. We are supposed to have a fantastic week, with September-appropriate temperatures nearing 80 degrees each day. Warm sunny days followed by cool nights…what could be better?

With gas prices so expensive and the weather so nice, how about hitting the trails with your kids? Grab your bikes and helmets, and get pedaling! Biking and walking trails have been a hot topic lately in the local news. According to Jennifer Blattman of the Mid-America Regional Council, the Kansas City region boasts nationally recognized trails and parks systems, including MetroGreen, a partially completed 1144-mile interconnected system of public and private open spaces, greenways and trails designed to link seven counties in the metro. The plan covers Leavenworth County, Johnson County and Wyandotte County as well as Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri. There is also a new initiative in place for Kansas City, Mo–Trails! KC aims to add an additional 200 miles of connected trails to the system.

For some great ideas on where to bike, check out this site. Or if hiking is more your speed, take a look at the book Hiking Kansas City for some cool ideas. Get outside with your kids, get pedaling or hiking, and soak up that sun!

C’mon…you can do it! Step outside of the box - pack up the kids and check out something off the beaten path of your neighborhood! Spend a few hours at the Kansas City Community Gardens - your kids will have fun and learn something too! (Mom and Dad might pick up some tips as well - there are regular adult gardening workshops at KCCG.)

What is Kansas City Community Gardens? Located at 6917 Kensington, Kansas City, MO (in Swope Park, near the Zoo), KCCG is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide self-help and educational assistance to low-income families as well as to kids and community groups. They teach folks how to start and maintain backyard, schoolyard and community gardens.

So, why should I take my kids to KCCG? To see the BEANSTALK Children’s Garden, of course! In the Beanstalk Children’s Garden, the kids can learn about plants, food production, bugs, nutrition and science as they walk through the vegetable garden, the fruit garden, the herb garden, the seed and grain garden, the curiosity garden and the water garden.

We highly recommend that you mark your calendars and check out the Kansas City Community Gardens’ Fall Family Festival this Saturday, September 13th from 10:00am until 3:00pm. The cost is $2 per person. There will be face painting, gourd painting, peanut butter-making, seedling transplants, scavenger hunts, bug and worm station, cotton weaving and spinning and other demonstrations.

Kids of all ages will find something interesting at KCCG and the Beanstalk Children’s Garden. What a great idea for a field trip or scout group. I’m told that even 5th grade boys have declared the gardens “way more than cool”!