I’m sitting here listening to the torrential rains run through my gutters and onto my deck, hoping that the creek behind my house doesn’t burst its banks overnight! Soccer games have already been canceled for Saturday. So…what to do in soggy Kansas City with the kids in the rain?!

• Arcades, bowling or movies? Check out our list of Indoor Activities for more ideas.
• Hit the crafts stores and work on some projects at your dry kitchen table. Take a look at our list of cool Arts & Crafts stores to spark your imagination.
• How about some books? Head to your local library or check out the newest offerings at the Reading Reptile in Brookside.
• The Toy & Miniature Museum, Wonderscope Children’s Museum, Science City, College Basketball Experience, the National World War I Museum. Haven’t been yet? Then, this is the perfect day for these and any of Kansas City’s other museums. Choose from our Museum directory!
• Paradise Park, Zonkers and other indoor playzones are bound to be crowded in the rain - but guaranteed fun! We’ve got a good list of play places to check out!
• The circus is in town! The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is at Sprint Center all weekend!
• Moms - you can check out the HUGE consignment sale at the Overland Park International Trade Center on Saturday and Sunday -Just Between Friends
  
• Start working on Halloween costumes! Hit the thrift stores before anyone else does. Play around at U.S. Toy in Leawood - they’ve got great costume fixins! (You’ll find a link to their website in our right sidebar.) Our partner The WB Shop has great costumes of all sorts of characters. (Click here to check them out - Get Your Batman Costumes While They Still Last, Only At BatmanShop.com!). I got a great Harry Potter robe for my 6 year old last year from BuyCostumes.com. Good price, too. Another online costumer worth checking out is Costume SuperCenter. And one last costume tip! - Check out Nick’s Halloween Shop for your Favorite Characters’ Costumes at Shop.NickJr.com!

And if the rain lets up - there are a lot of fantastic events in the works! Check out our Events Calendar for more info!

Looking for something special to do with the kids over the kids over the next few months?  Here’s a list of special events and concerts that have tickets on sale now!

The Coterie Theatre at Crown Center (Kansas City, MO) presents Sideways Stories from Wayside School, based on the book series by Louis Sachar, from April 8 through May 18.

Kansas City Brigade  at the Sprint Center - multiple dates, now through June - check out Arena Football and check out the Sprint Center and check out everything new and exciting downtown!  Wow!

Walking with Dinosaurs (Sprint Center) - this “arena spectacle” is based upon the awesome BBC Television series.  It will be in town June 3 through 7.  Don’t miss it!  Tickets are on sale now.

I know it’s early but the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Kansas City from September 10 through 14.  It will be a Bello-bration at Sprint Center.

Kansas City Wizards soccer at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, KS - multiple dates, now through October - check out the Wizards in their temporary home at VillageWest/the Legends out by the Kansas Speedway.  Take a look at the Wizards website for a list of their kid-friendly promotions!  (David Beckham’s team will be here in September.  Moms, I’m looking at you…)

Kansas City T-Bones baseball also at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in KCK - multiple dates, May through September - there couldn’t be a better, kid-friendly place to be this summer.  Check out their website for promotions schedule! 

Kansas City Royals baseball at the K.  Get out there and check out the new scoreboard (largest reply display in major league baseball) and the rest of the major renovations underway!  Oh, and root root root for the home team too!

Saddle & Sirloin Hunter Jumper Show (Hale Arena - American Royal Complex next to Kemper Arena) - June 6-8 - get down to the West Bottoms and take a look at these beautiful horses and their talented riders.

Starlight Theatre’s schedule this summer looks pretty kid-friendly!  The Drowsy Chaperone runs from June 17-22 (I don’t know much about this one), High School Musical on Tour runs from July 15-20, The Music Man runs from July 28-August 3, Fiddler on the Roof runs from August 11-17 and Les Miserables closes the season with a run from September 10-16.

Broadway Across America comes to Kansas City’s Music Hall (downtown KCMO) next fall and winter(you can still see Wicked as a part of this series May 5-27 - not advised for children under about 8 years of age).  Next season’s line-up looks fantastic and VERY kid-friendly!  Lion King and Annie will be here in October, November, December and early January.  Late winter and early spring will see Cirque Dreams and Phantom of the Opera as well as the Color Purple.  Individual and season tickets will be going on sale soon.  Look for tickets to Lion King on June 7!