KCKidsFun

It’s time to start thinking about your holiday shopping (or at least your Thanksgiving meal plans!!) and we’ve got some ideas to help you. SHOP LOCAL!  The metro has so many neat, one-of-a-kind, locally-owned stores brimming with interesting gifts. Why not visit a few and put together a unique gift this year?

• Reading Reptile create a Books Basket or treat a lucky kid to a Story Time at Reading Reptile followed by “select any book you’d like…and it’s yours!”—what a neat gift!  And, you have to top off your visit with a unique fairytale-themed cupcake from Le Petit Rouge, the in-house cupcakery.

• A Train-Themed gift: The Learning Tree (Leawood, KS and Prairie Village, KS) has some wonderful trains and train gifts. Thomas the Tank Engine is there of course, but so are lots of other choices. Include a certificate for a special meal at Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant at the Crown Center Shops, or head across the state line to Shawnee, KS (just west of I-435 on Shawnee Mission Parkway) . What kid wouldn’t love to have her meal delivered tableside by a train?

• Unleash your child’s inner mad scientist! HMS Beagle is a wonderful store in Parkville, MO–”The Ultimate Science Store” according to their website.  You can introduce your child to science through a number of neat gifts from the basic chemistry set to a fantastic telescope.  They even have a science club with meetings for K-8th graders!  For the little ones–an easy introduction to science can be found by taking a trip to Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City in Shawnee, KS, featuring arts and sciences exhibits for kids ages 10 and under.

• GO RETRO! Moon Marble gift shop, located in Bonner Springs’ Moon Marble Company, has some great toys and games that have withstood the test of time…remember Pick-Up Sticks, Chinese Jumpropes and the wooden paddle with the red rubber ball attached?  Find all of these and more!

• Enrollment in a class at one of the metro’s parks and recreation offices or community centers is a gift that will last weeks and even months! Your little one can try something new like a beginner’s martial arts class, a dance or ballet class or even try something exotic like fencing! What a great way to spend the winter months. Try Blue Valley Recreation or any of the parks and rec departments listed in our Classes directory!

• Don’t Forget the Music – How about guitar (or other musical instrument) lessons at the School of Rock (North Kansas City), the Toon Shop (Prairie Village, Lee’s Summit or Overland Park) or the Music House (Overland Park)?

• Stop by Laura Little’s Candies in Prairie Village or Topsy’s Popcorn(multiple locations) for sweet treats for stockings

• Shop Etsy Local for unique, handmade items created by talented Kansas Citians like Kate Williams (crayon holders and tulle totebags), three red trees (terribly cute sock dogs, with a portion of sales benefiting Humane Society of Greater KC) and Becky Kelly (very sweet original paintings and prints for a nursery or little one’s room).

• Consider gifts that support local causes and organizations – like the Zoo! A  Zoo Membership purchased now is good for unlimited FREE admission through March 2012!  And, a portion of the membership is tax deductible.

There’s another place you might want to check out– because uniquely Kansas City traditions are being resurrected with each year!  Zona Rosa is a shopping district in North Kansas City at I-29 and Barry Road.  KC’s holiday past comes to life as the 2000-lb crowns are hoisted into place–near-exact replicas of the crowns that decked the streets of downtown KC for over 20 years!  You’ll also find the “Fairy Princess”.  She first appeared in the Kline’s toy department in 1936!  You can also catch the “Ice Igloo”. Modeled from the original Kansas City Museum igloo, a new, more spacious one has been constructed so the younger generation can make holiday memories of their own.

One of the most charming and unusual gift shops you’ll ever stumble into is located at the Puppetry Arts Institute, 11025 E. Winner in Independence. From simple finger puppets to puppet and marionette kits, books and finished products, there is a huge range of unusual products for kids of all ages.

Check out the Just Taffy Shop on the historic Independence Square. They have a fantastic selection of many flavors of homemade fudge, taffy and cotton candy and make it right there behind the counter. Owner Michael usually makes taffy Sunday afternoons about 12:30 or 1 p.m. and will use the big taffy pulling machine – he actually does free demonstrations for scouts, home schoolers, preschool groups (by appt.)  You might also visit Chip’s Chocolate Factory on Level 2 of Crown Center Shops.  Over 200 delicious
chocolate confections are made by hand using premium imported Swiss Chocolate and traditional confectioner’s techniques.

Let us know if you discover something fun and different to do with your family–we’d love to spread the word!  Believe me, this site will be buzzing over Christmas vacation with parents looking for things to do with their kiddos!!!

Last Tuesday, my son was out of school for the day (I know, Kate already vented about the lack of 5-day school weeks!) so we dropped little sister off at Kids Day Out and headed to one of our favorite places– Crown Center.

I wrote a post about Fairy Tale Village, but wanted to check it out for myself.  We ended up having a great time and experiencing something really cool along the way!

We entered the Crown Center Shops on Level 2, right by Crayola Cafe.  We headed down the hallway toward the escalators, and my son, a card-carrying chocoholic, says, “Mom!  I smell brownies!”  In fact, what he smelled was Chip’s Chocolate Factory.  We couldn’t have timed it any better– Cliff, the resident master chocolatier, was just beginning a demonstration.  Of course, we had to stay and watch– along with 5 or 6 other kids.  It was so cool!

Cliff couldn’t have been a nicer guy and he was so good with the kids.  We were lucky last Tuesday; apparently he typically isn’t in on Tuesdays.  He was making a batch of pecan fudge and talking the kids through every step.  They were totally fascinated.  He was full of information and chocolate history– but the best part, by far, was when he took a cookie sheet and filled it with all sorts of goodies.  You name it, it went on the cookie sheet.  Pretzel rods, Oreos, cotton candy pieces, even marshmallows on sticks.  Cliff then covered everything in melted chocolate.  And M&Ms.  And nuts.  And sprinkles.  Whatever the kids wanted, he went along with.  They had a blast!  Our half-hour diversion to Chip’s Chocolate Factory turned out to be the highlight of the day.

Next stop:  Fairy Tale Village– one floor down in the Crown Center Showplace.  It was very well done and we spent probably 30 minutes there, too.  Fairy Tale scenes were brought to life in kid-sized houses.  We went inside a house belonging to one of the Three Little Pigs.  In another house, we saw a stocking-cap clad wolf in a bed…(“Grandmother, what big teeth you have!”)  At the end of the exhibit, there was a large table filled with books where kids could hang out and read.  Fun!

We capped off our day at…you guessed it…Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant.  We probably eat at Fritz’s once a year and my son still thinks it’s a thrill to see an overhead electric train deliver a cheeseburger and fries directly to our table!  And that’s only after he places our order on the telephone, of course.

A day at Crown Center never disappoints, and we even made it out of there having spent only $16.  $9 on lunch and $7 on chocolate.