KCKidsFun

Contest Winners Announced!!!!

***Congratulations to our 2 Globetrotters Ticket winners!  PAUL HIMMELSTEIN and KELLY MULVIHILL (Eudora, KS) will receive 4 tickets each to the Jan 2 show!***

For over 30 years, the popular Deanna RoseChildren’s Farmstead in south Overland Park has been a free attraction for all visitors. The facility was open to the public and funded entirely by private donations, a nonprofit supporter group and Overland Park tax money.

The Overland Park City Council voted 10 to 2 on Monday to approve a $2 admission fee, to be charged Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning when the Farmstead opens for the season in April. The facility is open from April 1 to November 1 each year. Admission will still be free for children under 2. And families can buy season passes – $35 for Overland Park residents; $50 for non-residents.

Attendance at the Farmstead is close to 500,000 people each year – only a quarter of those visitors are Overland Park residents/taxpayers. The Kansas City Star article about the new fee indicated that the admission fee is largely an attempt to reign in attendance which was hitting 5,000 to 6,000 on Saturdays and was only slightly less on Sundays. (For comparison, the Star recently reported that the 200-acre Kansas City Zoo logged 540,000 visitors in 2009.)

The Farmstead began in 1978 as a small petting zoo/farm. It has grown amazingly over the years and is now a 12-acre park with farm animals, a fishing pond, hay rides, a dairy barn and many interactive activities for kids.

So, moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers, educators – what do you think about the new admission fee at Deanna Rose? Tell us in the comments below!

Confession time. Halloween is NOT my favorite holiday.

I know, I know! Everyone else LOVES Halloween. And I do a decent job of faking it for my kiddos. We decorate. We work hard on costumes. We buy too much candy.

It does seem like the entire city is excited about Halloween though. TONS of stuff going on for the whole family around Kansas City over the next few weeks – all related to the spooky All Hallow’s Eve…(including a bunch of Trunk or Treat options for you!)

So, mark your calendars and get some good use out of those costumes!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

• Pumpkins in the Park – Roberts Park, Independence, MO – 4:30pm to 6pm – pumpkin decorating and storytelling – FREE!

Friday, October 23, 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-scary hayrides, candy and much more!
• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• Friday Night Ghost Tours on the Square – Independence (MO) Square – covered wagon ride with ghost tours and historical stops – 7, 8, 9 and 10pm
• Church of the Ascension trunk or treat, 127th and Grant, Overland Park, KS 6:30 pm
• Leawood Freaky Fall Fest, Leawood City Park – 5pm to 9pm
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Enchanted Forest, George Owens Nature Park, Independence – 7pm to 9pm – designed for families with kids 3 to 9
• Spirits of the Past, Missouri Town 1855, Lee’s Summit, MO – ghost stories, hayrides and trick-or-treating through 19th century buildings – 6pm to 9pm – ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ONLY!

Saturday, October 24, 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
• Trail of Treats, Woods Chapel Church, Lee’s Summit, MO – 5 to 6pm
• Trick or Treat OFF the Street, Mahaffie Farmstead, Olathe, KS – 5:30pm to 8:30pm
• Enchanted Forest, George Owens Nature Park, Independence – 7pm to 9pm – designed for families with kids 3 to 9
• Mystic Pumpkin Festival, Englewood Station Business District, Independence (Winner & Sterling Rds.) – begins at 4:30pm – pumpkins, the Doo-Dads, haunted fire truck rides and more!
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Spirits of the Past, Missouri Town 1855, Lee’s Summit, MO – ghost stories, hayrides and trick-or-treating through 19th century buildings – 6pm to 9pm – ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ONLY!
• Boo at the Zoo! Kansas City Zoo – all day – trick or treating and Halloween-themed activities!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

• Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church trunk or treat, 11100 College Blvd, OPKS, 3:30pm to 5pm
• Platte Woods UMC trunk or treat, Platte Woods, MO – 4pm to 6pm
• Visitation School trunk or treat, KCMO – 5pm to 6:30pm
• Boo at the Zoo! Kansas City Zoo – all day – trick or treating and Halloween-themed activities!
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Pre-Halloween Bash hosted by Robichaud Photography and Jonni’s Dance Academy, Eastbrook Plaza, 1839 NW Vivion Rd (Northland) – 1pm to 4pm – FREE trick or treating, games, crafts – professional portraits in Halloween setting for $10

Monday, October 26, 2009

• Ray-Pec Trunk or Treat, Ray-Pec High School, Peculiar, MO – 6pm to 8pm

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

• Pumpkins in the Park – Cler-Mont Park, Independence, MO – 4:30pm to 6pm – pumpkin decorating and storytelling – FREE!
• City of Riverside Trunk or Treat, Riverside (MO) Community Center – 7pm to 8pm

Thursday, October 29, 2009

• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• Trunk or Treat, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 9555 N. Oak, KCMO – 6:30 to 8pm

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!
• 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!

And don’t forget to check out our Pumpkin Patch Directory!!

You don’t need a boat or a camper or a lake house to go fishing. Heck, you don’t even have to leave town! (And if you hit one of our suggested fishing holes, you won’t even need your own fishing pole.) My husband and my six- and seven-year-olds have made fishing their number one daddy-activity this summer. They love it. He loves it. Everybody wins!

The first place my kids ever fished was at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in south Overland Park. Admission to the park is free but some of the activities, including fishing, will set you back a few bucks. Here you can rent a bamboo fishing pole and a bucket of worms (my daughter and her “BFF” fished last week with chunks of hot dog as their bait – worked like a charm). The pond is stocked veeeerrrrry thick with small fish. You can easily catch 10 fish if you hang around long enough.

Another place that my little fishermen go is to Heritage Park in Olathe. Dad sets them up with bait and fishing rods from Walmart. Then they stand on the bank and practice casting and reeling. Fewer fish caught here – but the ones they do catch are a bit bigger than those at Deanna Rose. The picture above is my daughter at Heritage Park last month.

Many parks around the Kansas City metro have fishing ponds including:

• Kill Creek Park, Olathe, KS
• Shawnee Mission Park, Lenexa, KS
• Antioch Park, Merriam, KS
• South Lake, Overland Park, KS
• Lake Lenexa at Black Hoof Park, Lenexa, KS
• Lake Olathe, Olathe, KS
• Englewood Lake, Kansas City North, MO
• Klapmeyer Lake, south Kansas City, MO
• Lake of the Woods in Swope Park, Kansas City, MO
• Blue Springs Lake, Lee’s Summit, MO
• Lake Jacomo, Blue Springs, MO
• Longview Lake, Kansas City, MO

Catch and release fishing makes for a fun and tiring day for both kids and Dad. You’ll want to makes sure that you comply with all state, county and municipal fishing permit requirements before you head out to the lake. I know that state permits can be obtained online – check with your county and/or city for their specific requirements.

Even if you as the parent don’t fish, give this a try. The kids’ fishing rods are pretty fool-proof – you don’t have to fish yourself. Believe me, you’ll likely be occupied helping the kids out anyway. So, stop by Walmart and pick up a little rod and reel, buy some worms (also available at Walmart, as if you even had a doubt…). And head out to the local lake for some family fun in the sun!