KCKidsFun

It’s that time of year…when Thomas & Friends/Day Out With Thomas gets ready to roll into Baldwin City, KS.  If you’re not familiar with the program…The Midway Railway in Baldwin City is where it all goes down.  There are six dates for 2010’s Thomas appearance…June 4,5,6,11,12 and 13.

“The Celebration Tour 2010″ includes a 25-minute ride with a full-size Thomas the Tank Engine, a meeting with Sir Topham Hatt, Storytelling, Live Music and more.  Tickets are $18 for ages 2+ and advance purchase is strongly recommended.  Thomas is rain or shine!

The Midland Railway operates excursion trains on a line originally constructed in 1867. Train rides feature an over-20-mile round trip from Baldwin City via “Norwood, Kansas” to Ottawa Junction, Kansas, traveling through Eastern Kansas farmland and woods via vintage railway equipment. It is a completely volunteer-staffed, non-profit, common carrier railroad operated to preserve and display transportation history as an educational demonstration railroad.

You can click here for regular Railway Schedule and Fares.  Baldwin City is on U.S. 56 Hwy, 4 miles east of U.S. 59 Hwy; 10 miles north of 1-35 (Ottawa) and 17 miles south of 1-70 (Lawrence). From U.S. 56, turn south onto 8th or 11th Streets, then right (west) onto High Street. Follow the signs to the Midland Railway Depot.

We  wrapped up the Halloween costume-creation process last night, just in time for today’s classroom parties. I was cutting an old t-shirt to make into a “kung fu headband” at about 10pm last night. But everyone got out the door with costumes in hand this morning. So, it’s all good.

What will you be doing this weekend? There’s a lot to choose from in Kansas City this Halloween!

Here are a few ideas:

Friday, October 30, 2009

• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scaryhayrides, candy and much more!
• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• The Doo-Dads LIVE! at the Record Bar, 1020 Westport Rd., KCMO – 6pm to 8pm
• Friday Night Ghost Tours on the Square – Independence (MO) Square – covered wagon ride with ghost tours and historical stops – 7, 8, 9 and 10pm

Saturday, October 31, 2009

• Spooktacular Halloween Party at Culinary Center of Kansas City (Overland Park) – 10am – $65/parent-child team
• Mildale Farm Fall Fest, Edgerton, KS – 10am to 3pm – hayrides, nature walks, pumpkins, cider, fishing and more!
• Kids Club Halloween Event, Whole Foods, 91st & Metcalf, OPKS – 10am to 12pm – costume parade, goodie bags, decorate a cookie, face painting, balloon artistry – FREE!
• Trick or Treat at the City Market (KCMO) – 10am to 2pm
• Big Brown Bats, Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center (KCMO) – 10am to 3pm – FREE! – learn about bats, make a bat hat, build a bat house!
• Spooktacular Halloween at Zona Rosa (Northland) – 10am to 12pm – join KidZone and Radio Disney for this not-so-scary Halloween party!
• Spook-ZOO-tacular Fun at the Kansas City Zoo! – 10am to 3pm – costumes, snacks, magicians, ghost stories and Radio Disney!
• Halloween at the Legends, KCKS – 12:30pm to 3:30pm – costumes, trick or treating, DJ, bounce house, games, activities and more!
• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scary hayrides, candy and much more!
• The Great Pumpkin in downtown Overland Park – pumpkin patch, seasonal products, live music, games, crafts -  3pm to 6pm
• Trick or Treat Trail, Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty, Overland Park, KS – 3pm to 6pm – FREE – pumpkin patch, “apple orchard”, candy, crafts, games and more!!
• Culinary Center of Kansas City’s Haunted Kitchen – walk-in event (no reservations) – hands-on treat-making and more – 3pm to 6pm
• Trick or Treating on the Square and Halloween Parade – Independence Square, Independence, MO – 1:30 to 3pm, trick or treating; 3pm, parade
• Justin Roberts LIVE at the Record Bar, Westport Rd., KCMO – 12pm – with special appearance by Mr. Stinky Feet!
• Valley View United Methodist trunk or treat, 8412 W. 95th St. OPKS. 4pm to 5:30pm
• Winnwood Baptist Church trunk or treat, Kansas City North – 6pm to 8pm
• Lee’s Summit United Methodist Church trunk or treat, 114 SE Douglas, Lee’s Summit. 6:30-8:30pm
• Belvidere Heights Baptist Church trunk or treat, 15109 White Avenue, Grandview, MO. 6 to 8pm
• Kansas City Baptist Temple trunk or treat, Raytown, MO – 3pm to 5pm
• Red Bridge Christian Church trunk or treat, south KCMO – 6pm to 8pm
• New Hope Church trunk or treat, Kansas City North – 6pm to 8pm – with games, bounce house and more!

Have a safe and FUN Halloween everyone!!

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