It’s that time of year when thoughts naturally turn to helping others. Sometimes, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by requests for donations. I think that teaching our kids the importance of giving back to the community and helping those who are less fortunate should be an ongoing process–not just reserved for November and December. I’m reminded of a small piece of paper taped to my refrigerator; and it says this: “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.”

That being said, we thought we’d offer some suggestions for kid-friendly volunteering opportunities. Remember–it doesn’t have to be about money–it’s giving your TIME and ENERGY that matters! These are life lessons that your children will never forget, and volunteering can become something the whole family looks forward to doing together–all through the year!

• The Salvation Army Bell-Ringing is underway! The best part about this is that the money collected in the kettles stays right HERE in the KC metro. My 6-year-old son and I have manned the kettle for several 2-hour shifts at our neighborhood Hy-Vee for the past 3 years–and kids have a way of turning EVERY passer-by into a donor! Bundle up the kiddos and enjoy a great time together.

• Check out the Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater KC. YVC organizes youth and family helpers at Harvesters, the city’s largest food bank. Your help is needed sorting and boxing donated food! It’s no news that food banks are running dangerously low now…some are even forced to close their doors. You might consider a small neighborhood or classroom food drive…and then deliver the food to Harvesters on the day you choose to volunteer. Location: 3801 Topping Ave., KCMO 816.929.3000

• Adopt a family through Don Bosco Centers’ Holiday Friends! This is such a great project for a family or neighborhood to take on. Holiday Friends is a fundraising program which benefits the clients of the Don Bosco Centers. You might be familiar with local radio station Star-102’s annual marathon event (December 5 this year) which places hundreds of clients with “adoptive families.” You can get specific names, ages and sizes for a family in need and can even personally deliver your gifts. This really shows us the true meaning of the holiday season! Your kids will never forget it. For more information, call the Holiday Friends Hotline at 816-691-2906 or visit www.donbosco.org.

• Check out www.VolunteerMatch.org. The site features loads of volunteer opportunities, and you can organize your results by Distance, Event Date and even Date Posted. While not all are kid-specific opportunities, you might find something suitable for the whole family or just for you!

• Operation Breakthrough. Operation Breakthrough- St. Vincent’s Family Service Center is located at 30th and Troost in KCMO. According to their website, volunteers range from ages 8-80 and do everything from “rocking babies to tutoring parents for the GED exam.” They have an adopt-a-family Christmas program, similar to Don Bosco Center’s. The children who receive Christmas aid all come from low-income families. Some are homeless, many reside in foster care and most attend Operation Breakthrough’s day care program or are alumni. Please help!

• Brighten someone’s day with a little artistic cheer… you can do something as simple as having your child(ren) draw some holiday-themed pictures; use the glue, markers, construction paper, glitter, etc. Take your creations to a nearby nursing home or to Children’s Mercy Hospital near Crown Center. You’ll be glad you did!

• City Union Mission– You can go in with family, friends or coworkers to adopt a family for the holidays through City Union Mission, too. Please remember that families need our help year-round…not just at the holidays. Click here for a list of inexpensive, everyday items which you could collect and deliver to the Mission any day of the year.

Please feel free to submit any additional kid and family-friendly volunteer opportunities. We would be happy to post them!

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

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

The NBA is coming to Sprint Center on Friday, October 10th - and guess who is going to be there?

Courtesy of KC Kids Fun, the following three lucky readers won our random drawing for family four-packs of tickets to the game:

• Amy R. of Overland Park, KS

• Tomiko W. of Kansas City, MO

• Bett F. of Lathrop, MO

Congratulations ladies! We hope you have a great time at the game with your families!

For those of you who weren’t so lucky, you still have time to score DISCOUNTED TICKETS to the game - now thru Friday, October 3rd, KC Kids Fun readers can take advantage of a special offer - just click HERE and enter “kckids” when prompted for a special code!

Readers–please indulge me as I break down and write a completely non-activity related post! I’m sure many of you spent a portion of your weekend at the same place I did–Walmart! I can’t even believe that it’s Back To School time. It’s actually my favorite time of year. I love the fresh start, the excitement of school friends and most of all…THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES!

I vividly remember going with my mother and sister to Pinkies dime store in South Kansas City’s Red Bridge Shopping Center. Usually, my best friend, Mary Jo, would be there, too! Pinkies was the best for the following things: candy, the Halloween costumes that came in the cardboard box with the face mask, and school supplies. We would spend what seemed like hours admiring the blue-jean notebooks, the Trapper Keepers and the decorated folders. We dreamed of the day that the supply list would include the oh-so-cool sharp metal compass! And then there were the lunch boxes. You know…the metal box ones with the matching thermos…Holly Hobby was my all-time favorite!

That being said, I was just certain that my son would be at least as excited as I was to get ready for school…let me just say that my friend and I won’t soon make the same mistake of shopping with 3 boys in tow. They weren’t event mildly interested. Until I came across “plastic ruler” on the supply list. For those of you who don’t have boys…”plastic ruler” translates into A WEAPON. In no time, the plastic rulers became light sabers and swords. Right in the middle of the school supply aisle. Right in the middle of what seemed like several hundred people. I guess the whole Back To School excitement is a girl thing!

All this talk about school supplies brings me to a very cool volunteer opportunity in our community. City Union Mission , located at 13th and Wabash in KCMO, provides hot meals and a place to stay to those in need, in addition to a multitude of other services. They are currently interviewing families in need of school supplies, and through donations, will help children go back to school with new backpacks, stuffed full of the necessities! You can donate pocket folders, binders, tissues, erasers…and of course, you can donate your time, too. Check it out.

I can’t even believe summer is coming to an end and it’s back to school time. But I love it! Soon, Friday night football games and pumpkin patches will follow. As we say goodbye to summer, Kate and I want to give a big thanks to our readers. Our readership has grown by leaps and bounds since we launched, and it’s because of you! Keep passing us along to your family and friends! Thanks also to those of you who have taken time to email comments. Each and every one helps us make the site even better. We appreciate your suggestions and event submissions, as well. Keep up the good work and keep having FUN with your KC Kids!

Late summer in the Kansas City metro brings a wide variety of fairs and festivals - awesome activities to share with your kids! And guess what?! Believe it or not, late summer is approaching…

So, where and when can your kids get their fill of Tilt-A-Whirls, funnel cakes, ferris wheels, crafts, cotton candy and live music? Where can you find the BEST people watching all year?

Here’s where:

Miami County Fair, Paola, KS - July 19 thru July 26

Platte County Fair, Platte City, MO - July 23 thru July 26

Douglas County Fair, Lawrence, KS - July 30 thru August 2

Wyandotte County Fair, Kansas City, KS - July 31 thru August 4 - check out Bongo Barry, pig races, magic shows and stunt dog shows in addition to the carnival rides and games!

Johnson County Fair, Gardner, KS - August 4 thru August 9 - don’t miss the rodeo, Family Fun Night or the parade!

Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO - August 7 thru August 17 - 12 & under FREE every day; lot of free kids’ entertainment

Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO - August 8 thru August 10 and August 15 thru August 17 - okay, so no ferris wheels or funnel cakes here…but really cool for you and the kids nonetheless!

Leavenworth County Fair, Tonganoxie, KS - August 12 thru August 16 - check out the parade on the 12!

Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Kansas City, MO - August 15 thru August 17

Lewis & Clark Trail Days, Buckner, MO - August 22nd and 23rd

Santa-Cali-Gon Days, Independence, MO - August 29 thru September 1 - TONS of fun for kids and adults alike. If you’ve never been, you should definitely try this one!

Kansas City Irish Fest, Kansas City, MO - August 29 thru August 31- awesome children’s area at this Crown Center event

Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, KS - August 30 thru October 13

The 47th Annual Annunciation Greek Food Festival, Kansas City, MO - September 5 thru September 7

Old Settlers Days, Olathe, KS - September 4 thru September 6

Valley Fair Daze, Grain Valley, MO - September 5th and 6th

Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS - September 5 thru September 14 - will you drive to Hutchinson to see Corbin Bleu (Chad from High School Musical) in concert?!

Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival, Blue Springs, MO - September 12 thru September 14

JUST ADDED:  FESTIVAL ON THE TRAILS, GARDNER, KS - September 12 thru September 14 (Wow!  Don’t miss Lee Ann Womack performing LIVE as well as pony rides, the Buckaroo Corral and kids’ entertainers!!)

Zona Rosa Art Festival, Kansas City north, MO - September 12 thru September 14 - check out Mr. Stinky Feet in concert on Saturday the 13th!

Jesse James Festival, Kearney, MO - September 12 thru September 21

Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO - September 19 thru September 21 - spend some time at the Kids’ Art Workshop!

WELCOME TO THE NEW AND IMPROVED KC KIDS FUN! We hope you’re enjoying our new look. We’re still working out a few kinks and bugs. So, we’ll ask you to bear with us for a few days while we finish up this transition process.

ONE TECHNICAL NOTE: The site currently looks best using the Firefox internet browser. We’re working out some issues with Internet Explorer 6 and 7. We’d recommend that you download Firefox - it’s quickly surpassing Explorer as the “go-to” browser. (Downloading Firefox will not affect your email at all, by the way. That will stay the same.)

For some of you, the kids will be out of school this week. For others, the last few days of the school year will happen next week sometime. Regardless of when your year ends, SUMMER IS HERE! Break out your white shoes and linen pants (does anyone actually follow that Memorial Day/Labor Day rule anymore?!). And get ready for an AWESOME weekend of fun kids’ and family activities in Kansas City!!

Friday, May 23

CoCo Key Water Resort Grand Opening, Friday, May 23, Kansas City MO near the stadiums, cocokeywaterresort.com - Check out this brand new indoor/outdoor water park at the stadium area Sheraton complex.

Kansas City T-Bones vs. Shaumburg Flyers, Community America Ballpark, KCK, Friday, May 23 - Cheap baseball! And so much fun!

Saturday, May 24

Wonderscope LIVE! at Sprint Family Fun Days, at the Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO, Saturday, May 24 from 10 am to 2 pm - Radio Disney + Wonderscope + Power & Light District = Family fun in Kansas City!

Jiggle Jam Music Festival, Crown Center, Saturday, May 24 from 10 am to 7 pm, www.kcjigglejam.com

Yay! - a music festival for families over Memorial Day Weekend! There will be all kinds of music - from classical to rock - specifically for kids, kids, kids! And moms and dads are bound to love it too.

Saturday’s Line-up:

Dino O’Dell and the Veloci-Rappers
Funky Mama
Justin Roberts
Trout Fishing in America
Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove and the Hiccups
They Might Be Giants
and more!

There will also be inflatables, shopping, food and a Wonderscope-sponsored tent for the kids. Parking will be FREE in the Crown Center garages. Tickets will be $10 per child on the day of the event, $8 per child in advance and $5 for adults. Children under 2 are free. Tickets are available online at the Jiggle Jam website and at all local HyVee locations NOW!

Sunday, May 25

Jiggle Jam Music Festival continues, Crown Center, Sunday, May 25 from 11 am to 6 pm, www.kcjigglejam.com

Sunday’s line-up:

Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove and the Hiccups
Funky Mama
Trout Fishing in America
Tom Chapin
John McCutcheon
and more!

Celebration at the Station at Union Station, Sunday, May 25. www.celebrationatthestation.com

The Union Station grounds will open at 3:00PM for this free community event. The PB&J Restaurant Group will operate Yahooz, Yia-Yia’s, Red Robin, and Grand Street Café food booths. Grab something to eat and check out the Station. Pre-Symphony entertainment begins at 6:00 pm.

The Symphony takes the stage at 7:30pm, This will be the most American of classical music -including the 1812 Overture, complete with live firing cannons! At 9:15PM, a huge fireworks display will begin over the Liberty Memorial. Families are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Monday, May 26

Wonderscope LIVE!, Monday, May 26, Legends at Village West, KCK, 12 pm to 3 pm - kids’ activities and games; live music for the whole family!

Tuesday, May 27

Junie B. Jones Stupid Smelly Bus Tour, hosted by Rainy Day Books at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, 6:30 PM - The “Junie B. Jones® Stupid Smelly Bus Tour” is a national tour, sponsored by Random House Children’s Books, that brings Junie B. live and in-person, across the country to meet her fans. Fans will enjoy Junie B.’s hilarious antics through live, theatrical performances based on the bestselling Junie B. Jones® series. Call (816)-701-3407 for additional information.

On-going Events and Activities

The Dangerous & Daring Exhibit for Kids, Toy and Miniature Museum, Kansas City, MO, May 21 thru August 31 - you MUST check this out! Lots of really, really cool things for kids throughout the summer!

Moneyville exhibit, Crown Center Shops, May 24 thru September 1, www.crowncenter.com - This interactive exhibit teaches kids about money! See how money is made in the “Money Factory” and put your face on a one million dollar bill. Compete with play money, cash registers and much more!

We’ve already discussed ‘going out-of-town, in town’ as well as road-tripping it to Omaha.  Both would be great options for you and your kid(s) this summer!  Today, I’m going to introduce you to several fun (and easy on the gas tank) trips in eastern Kansas.  You could plan several day-trips, or combine for a fun weekend away. 

First stop, Ft. Scott, KS.  It’s very easy to get to, located just over an hour south of KC on Highway 69.  The “Fort” in Ft. Scott refers to the military-constructed roadstop connecting Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma, to Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas.  Visitors to Ft. Scott’s National Historic Site can see how a frontier post from the 1800’s looked!  A little history lesson–the fort is located on a 17-acre parcel of land and saw many disagreements and fights between our country’s differing slavery factions:  free-Kansas and slave-Missouri.  (Missouri is only 5 minutes away from Ft. Scott.)

Aside from the terrific history lesson you can provide for your children, Ft. Scott boasts many quaint bed and breakfasts and old-fashioned shops, including great antique shops.  Families can be whisked around town in the neat trolley cars which are sure crowd-pleasers!  For more information on Ft. Scott, check out the town’s website, www.fortscott.com.

Two additional Kansas cities you’ll want to visit are Topeka, KS and Lawrence, KS.  Topeka is the state capitol of Kansas and is about an hour due west of KC on I-70.  You’ll want to check out www.topeka.org when planning your trip.  Some highlights:  The Topeka Zoological Park features a top-notch gorilla exhibit (”Discovering Apes”) and another highlight the kids will love is the Tropical Rainforest exhibit.  If libraries and museums are your thing, you won’t be disappointed.  Try the Combat Air Museum (www.combatairmuseum.org) which is located at Forbes Field and features one of the world’s best displays of operational combat aircraft.  Another fun option is Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site.  Old Prairie Town features a Victorian home, turn-of-the-century town, a log cabin, plus a botanical garden.  Get the kids away from their video games and rediscover the past! 

A mere 25 miles east on I-70 from Topeka lies Lawrence, KS–home of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion Jayhawks!  A good place to start is www.visitlawrence.com.  Lawrence boasts many world-class cultural, educational and entertainment options.  Downtown Lawrence (fondly known as “Mass Street”) is a distinctive, historical place brimming with unique shops, restaurants and music.  On select Fridays throughout the year, you can catch one of the popular Downtown Lawrence Gallery Walks from 7-9pm.  No visit to Lawrence would be complete without a tour of the KU campus.  The University of Kansas is situated high on a hill overlooking the city and the main artery running through it is Jayhawk Boulevard.  For a sports-related thrill, take the kids to Allen Fieldhouse–lots of basketball history there, from Phog Allen to Bill Self.  You’ll enjoy the onsite Sports Hall of Fame.  Eat lunch or dinner on Mass Street–a great option for the kids is Teller’s, which is located in an old bank building!  Kids will love seeing the original bank vault.  Community Mercantile on Iowa Street offers salads, sandwiches, fresh baked goods and coffee.  If you want to spend the night in Lawrence, there are several options for you and your family:  The Eldridge Hotel (www.eldridgehotel.com) is a beautiful hotel located in the middle of everything on Mass Street.  While on the pricey side, special packages can be purchased in advance.  Maybe you’d want to save the Eldridge for a special night away with your significant other!!  If you’re like my family, all you really want is a clean bed, a shower and an indoor pool–so you can check out the usual suspects–Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Holidome, etc.

Have fun without going too far away!!  Readers–feel free to post any suggestions or comments about the Weekend Getaway Series.  I’m sure there are many places I’ve neglected to mention, and many I’ve yet to visit!

Mother’s Day Weekend is coming up! What will you be doing with your kids? There are some really great activities to share with them this weekend all around Kansas City. Take a look!

Photo from the Nelson-Atkins Museum website

Thursday, May 8:

M&I Movie Night at Briarcliff Village in the Northland, starting at dusk, between Trezo Mare and Nell Hill’s, this week’s movie - The Incredibles. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate this week! Bring your chairs and blankets. You can even hit the Briarcliff Village Farmer’s Market beforehand - it runs from 3 pm to 7 pm on Thursdays. www.briarcliffvillagekc.com

Friday, May 9:

Friday Night Fun at the Nelson, Kansas City, MO, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Fun for you and your child at the art museum! Friday’s program is called The Shape of Things. It is geared for kids, ages 6-12 with an adult. Why do artists love shapes? Look at examples of artists who create with shapes in the special exhibition Sparks! and create a three-dimensional sculpture inspired by what you find. Cost is $30 for museum members and $40 for nonmembers per adult/child pair. You can register online at the Nelson-Atkins website.

Fiesta Kansas City at Crown Center Square all weekend long to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There will be music, food, dancing, activities, contests, exhibits and over 100 vendors. 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. It’s free. www.fiestakc.com

Saturday, May 10:

The new Children’s Library at the downtown Central Library (Kansas City, MO) is holding its grand opening on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. At 11 am, Paul Mesner Puppets presents a performance of Blue Bell. At 12:30 pm, Words Un-Raveled Artistic Ministries, a talented collection of spoken word artists, vocalists, and dancers, will perform original pieces of poetry as well as selected music. And at 2 pm, catch a performance of Shakespeare To Go! featuring scenes from such classics as Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Throughout the day, children and their parents can also enjoy reading games, scavenger hunts, and crafts. Admission is free. Free parking is available in the Library District Parking Garage at 10th and Baltimore. Check out the website for more details.

Fashion for Fishing at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Kansas City, MO, from 10 am - 3 pm. Walk in anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. No reservations required. All ages are welcome. The weather is warming and the fish are biting. Don’t miss one of the Discovery Center’s most popular art events. You’ll create wearable works of art using textile inks, latex fish and t-shirts. Recycle an old shirt or use one of theirs. For directions, go to the Discovery Center’s website.

Mr. Stinky Feet, Cherokee Christian Church, Prairie Village, KS at 11:00 am. This performance is open to the public! Cherokee Christian is located at 7457 Cherokee Drive, Prairie Village, KS - approximately 75th Street & Belinder Avenue, just west of State Line.

Kids’ Fun Fest at the Kansas City Zoo, from 10 am to 3 pm. Learn what you can see in the daytime sky. This month’s Fun Fest is Astronomy Day and The Zoo has partnered with the Astronomical Society of Kansas City. Enjoy booths and fun activities on topics such as the night sky network and light pollution, solar telescopes and sunspots, meteorites and astrophotography. Also, don’t miss Radio Disney from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. All activities are included with regular admission. www.kansascityzoo.org

Free Family Yoga Class at the Zen Zone in Lee’s Summit. Class is at 12 pm for ages 4 and up. Check out our post about Zen Zone from last week for more info!

Sunday, May 11:

Royals vs. Orioles at The K, 1:10 pm gametime. There is a pink t-shirt for MOM giveaway! Check out the eSaver page at the Royals website to get $7 to $10 off your tickets this Mother’s Day weekend!

Family Day at the Park, Kansas City Sculpture Park - south lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, from 1 pm - 4 pm. Take your entire family to an event filled with fun and activities that focus on art in nature! The fun includes art-related activities such as a watercolor painting demonstration by Paul Jackson, a watercolor sketching adventure for children led by Park Ranger and artist Jack McGill, puppet-making activities led by Stone-Lion puppeteers and 3D art activities for children ages 3 and up, led by Museum staff. www.nelson-atkins.org

On-going Events:

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, Theatre for Young America, now thru May 17, Union Station, City Stage

Worlds of Fun, open daily beginning May 10

Larry the Cat in Space–Kid-friendly cartoon planetarium show. 10:30a, 1:30p and 4:30p on Mondays and Saturdays, 1:30p and 4:30p on Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays. Union Station, Gottlieb Planetarium.

The Coterie Theatre at Crown Center presents Sideways Stories from Wayside School, runs through May 18

Beanstalk Blues, Martin City Jr. Children’s Theatre, closes May 11