KCKidsFun

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!

It’s springtime in Kansas City…and that means that one of the metro’s jewels will be opening!  Overland Park’s Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead will open on Wednesday, April 1.

Located in south Overland Park at 138th and Switzer, the Farmstead has nearly 200 farm animals within its 12 acres.  There are also beautiful gardens, carefully tended to by the Master Gardeners/Johnson County Extension.  In addition, there is a dairy barn, chicken coops, pony rides, wagon rides, a mining exhibit and much more!

Amazingly, admission to this wonderful attraction is FREE! You can easily make a day of it.  There is a concession stand where you can buy brown bag lunches or snacks; and many picnic tables and swings to stop, rest your legs and eat!  When we go, I always take a handful of quarters for the goat and fish feed.  The Farmstead has done a great job of placing handwashing stations around the property but I always have a stash of wet wipes with me, too!  There’s a playground there, as well.  This place is the best!

For those of you with summertime kids’ birthdays…you might even consider hosting your party at Deanna Rose.  Although I haven’t done a party there (kind of hard with a New Year’s Eve baby!), I checked online and they have a reasonable party package for $90.  The Farmstead operates April 1 through October 1, 9am-5pm, with some holidays and special event hours.

Another upcoming springtime tradition is Opening Day at the K–The Kansas City Royals Home Opener! Friday, April 10 is the big day, and the New York Yankees are in town!  If you don’t already have your tickets, or a good connection, you’re probably out of luck for this big game, but single-game tickets are available for the remainder of the season.

Or, you can take advantage of this FREE event–the Royals Open House.  Fans can have a sneak preview of the “new” stadium on Sunday, April 5, from 11am-3pm, and enjoy discounted concessions while there.  The stadium has undergone extensive renovations and received quite a facelift–might be worth checking out!

From what I’ve read, the Royals have really made the K much more family-friendly and truly an entertainment venue!   They’ve raised the bar on everything from food choices to bathrooms!  The kids will probably love the addition of the new “Outfield Experience Area” which includes a batting challenge, mini golf, a carousel and playground!  It’s spring…get out and have some fun!

It’s springtime in Kansas City…and that means that one of the metro’s jewels will be opening!  Overland Park’s Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead will open on Wednesday, April 1.

Located in south Overland Park at 138th and Switzer, the Farmstead has nearly 200 farm animals within its 12 acres.  There are also beautiful gardens, carefully tended to by the Master Gardeners/Johnson County Extension.  In addition, there is a dairy barn, chicken coops, pony rides, wagon rides, a mining exhibit and much more!

Amazingly, admission to this wonderful attraction is FREE! You can easily make a day of it.  There is a concession stand where you can buy brown bag lunches or snacks; and many picnic tables and swings to stop, rest your legs and eat!  When we go, I always take a handful of quarters for the goat and fish feed.  The Farmstead has done a great job of placing handwashing stations around the property but I always have a stash of wet wipes with me, too!  There’s a playground there, as well.  This place is the best!

For those of you with summertime kids’ birthdays…you might even consider hosting your party at Deanna Rose.  Although I haven’t done a party there (kind of hard with a New Year’s Eve baby!), I checked online and they have a reasonable party package for $90.  The Farmstead operates April 1 through October 1, 9am-5pm, with some holidays and special event hours.

Another upcoming springtime tradition is Opening Day at the K–The Kansas City Royals Home Opener! Friday, April 10 is the big day, and the New York Yankees are in town!  If you don’t already have your tickets, or a good connection, you’re probably out of luck for this big game, but single-game tickets are available for the remainder of the season.

Or, you can take advantage of this FREE event–the Royals Open House.  Fans can have a sneak preview of the “new” stadium on Sunday, April 5, from 11am-3pm, and enjoy discounted concessions while there.  The stadium has undergone extensive renovations and received quite a facelift–might be worth checking out!

From what I’ve read, the Royals have really made the K much more family-friendly and truly an entertainment venue!   They’ve raised the bar on everything from food choices to bathrooms!  The kids will probably love the addition of the new “Outfield Experience Area” which includes a batting challenge, mini golf, a carousel and playground!  It’s spring…get out and have some fun!