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!

We  wrapped up the Halloween costume-creation process last night, just in time for today’s classroom parties. I was cutting an old t-shirt to make into a “kung fu headband” at about 10pm last night. But everyone got out the door with costumes in hand this morning. So, it’s all good.

What will you be doing this weekend? There’s a lot to choose from in Kansas City this Halloween!

Here are a few ideas:

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!
• Trick or Treat at the City Market (KCMO) – 10am to 2pm
• Big Brown Bats, Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center (KCMO) – 10am to 3pm – FREE! – learn about bats, make a bat hat, build a bat house!
• 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!

Have a safe and FUN Halloween everyone!!

The school supplies have been purchased, the class lists dissected and the first few days of school are under your belt. You might have even treated yourself to a long lunch with a friend. BUT WAIT!!! We are enjoying gorgeous weather, and it’s still light outside until 8:15 or so. And, there are still those precious weekends. So, what’s a Kansas City family to do?

There are still many great activities for kids around the Kansas City metro. If you missed it in June, Kate and I compiled a list of “30 Fun Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer,” that covered everything from a FREE outing to Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park to catching an outdoor movie at one of Kansas City’s parks or at Briarcliff Village in the Northland. Just because summer is winding down doesn’t mean that you can’t still do many of the things on the “30 Fun Things To Do Around Kansas City with Your Kids” list!

If you visited your local farmers market back in June, go again…the offerings will be totally different! The T-Bones are winding down their season this week with several fun “Fan Appreciation” events on tap. Did you get a chance to make “Kick The Can Ice Cream” for your family? If not, try making it this weekend. It might actually take less time since it’s not so hot outside.

If you had an especially fun or unusual outing…please share it with us. We’d love to know how you all had fun this summer with YOUR KC Kids. Have a great week! K & K