KCKidsFun

Recently, we BRIEFLY glimpsed the sun…and if you’re anything like me, you’re craving a taste of the outdoors.  How much longer til spring arrives?!?  Did you know that two Kansas City favorites remain open through the winter?

Johnson County’s Ernie Miller Nature Center and Kansas City’s Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center are both welcoming visitors–children and adults alike– even in the bitter cold and snow we’ve grown accustomed to!

Ernie Miller Nature Center contains displays and live animals, among other things.  During the winter, the Center is open Monday through Saturday, 9am-430pm, and on Sundays from 1230pm – 430pm.  They have interesting programming, even geared toward the preschool set.  For example, this Saturday, Jan. 30, your preschooler can have some fun with fossils and practice being a paleontologist!  Preregistration is required.  $14, from 930-11am.  For a less expensive outing, try one of their preschool “Animal Tales” storytimes.  $2 will get you stories, songs and a visit by a surprise animal friend.  Ernie Miller Nature Center is located in Olathe, KS, at 909 N. Hwy 7.

If you’d like to spend a day near the Plaza, you must plan a visit to Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center.  Located just east of the Country Club Plaza at 4750 Troost Avenue, the campus is open Monday through Saturday, 8am- 5pm.  The programming here fosters an appreciation for the bounty and beauty of nature.  You can even purchase your hunting and fishing permits, books and educational materials highlighting Missouri’s natural resources.  Upcoming events include “Regal Eagles” on Jan. 30, “Winter Patterns” on Feb. 6, and “Love is for the Birds” on Feb. 13.

And, no trip to the Plaza would be complete without a stop into Winstead’s on 47th Street for a steakburger, fries and chocolate malt!  It may be cold and windy outside, but get out of the house with the kids and check out nature…indoors!!!

If you are the parent or grandparent of a little girl, you probably know who Fancy Nancy is. She is glamorous, tremendous, posh, stupendous and….well, fancy. And she is perpetually bored by her plain-Jane family. My 6-year-old adores her.

The wonderful Rainy Day Books is hosting a very special Fancy Nancy event at the Unity Temple on the Plaza in Kansas City this Sunday, November 8, 2009. Author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser will be on hand to autograph books, including the newest Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas.

The event begins at 2:30pm and includes Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas Dress Ball, a fashion show put on by Mady and Me children’s boutique.

Admission to the event is $17.99 and includes a stamped ticket, a copy of the new book and a guest ticket. All guests may enjoy complimentary Andre’s chocolates and enter to win prizes. Each child with receive a Fancy Nancy Activity Kit.

If you’ve been looking for something a little different to share with your little girl, this may be just the thing!

RED Development’s Duck Derby benefitting Children’s TLC will take place this SUNDAY–June 28, 2009 on the Country Club Plaza.  You can catch the festivities starting at 11am; the fun lasts until 4pm!

What is Duck Derby, you might ask?  Imagine 20,000 rubber ducks floating down Brush Creek on the Plaza–all for a good cause!  The ducks are individually numbered and “adopted” with lots of cool prizes up for grabs.  The “duck drop” is a sight your family won’t soon forget–they are dropped from a net suspended from a crane!

A duck adoption will cost you only $5, with online adoptions closing at midnight Saturday!  Walk-up adoptions will be accepted until 1pm Sunday.  There will be lots of entertainment and family-friendly things to do–a great afternoon on the Plaza for a great cause–the kids at our city’s own Children’s TLC preschool. Kate and I love this organization and wish everyone the best on Sunday!  Good luck.

We also wanted to remind you about another organization we are thrilled to support–the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Greater Kansas City Chapter (AAFA-KC).  Melissa Ford is the Executive Director of our local chapter and she is a dynamite lady.  She runs a world-class chapter here in KC and part of that is the annual Superkids Asthma Camp; a one week program for asthmatic children who have finished grades 2-6. The children benefit from close contact with other children who are similarly afflicted with asthma. Each child learns about asthma management through games, crafts, outdoor activities including swimming, an Asthma Olympics, and other fun activities from experienced health care professionals. The camp is a safe, medically supervised environment that fosters understanding and self-management of the disease without negative peer pressure. Also on staff are teen counselors who also suffer from asthma. These teens help reinforce that asthma does not have to limit children’s lives.

Depending on your camper’s age, camp will either be the week of July 13-17 or July 27-31.  Open this brochure for all the specifics and how to register.  Don’t forget–scholarships are available, too.