Kansas City’s first snowfall is here! Get out to the garage and clean up your sleds - then check out one of Kansas City’s best sledding hills. We’ve compiled a partial list but feel free to add your favorites in the Comments section below.

• “Suicide Hill” (KCMO) –56th and Brookside, Brookside Park
• Gillham Park (Kansas City, MO)
• Avila University (KCMO) - 119th and Wornall
• Water Works Park (Northland) - North Oak, just north of Burlington in North Kansas City - multiple hills here!
• William Jewell College (Liberty, MO)
• William Landahl Park Reserve (north side of park) (Blue Springs, MO)
• Ward Park (Blue Springs, MO) - SW 22nd St. off of 40 Highway
• High Grove Elementary School (Grandview, MO)
• Belvidere Park (Grandview, MO) - 6509 E. 147th
• Meadowmere Park (Grandview, MO) - 13610 Byars
• Glendale Elementary School, Lee’s Summit Road (Independence) - a good slope for smaller kids
• McCoy Park (Independence) - 24 Highway
• Hill across from Lea McKeighan Park (Lee’s Summit, MO) - 120 NE Chipman
• 119th & Kansas City Road (Olathe, KS)
• 137th and BlackBob (Olathe, KS) - just south of Lowe’s
• I-435 between Antioch and Metcalf (Overland Park, KS) by Cleveland Chiropractic College (formerly the Farmer’s Insurance building) - get there via College Blvd.
• Grace Church (Overland Park, KS) - 159th & Antioch
• Wyandotte County Lake Park (Kansas City, KS)
• Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa/Shawnee, KS)
• Stump Park (Shawnee, KS) - 47th & Woodland

NOTE: Not all of these locations - though popular - are public property. It is always a good idea to seek permission before sledding on private property. Be careful and watch out for your kids! Sledding is super fun but can certainly be a bit dangerous.

Where are YOUR favorite sledding hills, KC Kids Fun readers?

12/16/08 UPDATE: Blue Valley Parents as Teachers presents a Preschool/Parents Day Out/Early Childhood Fair - 6:15-8:00pm, Blue Valley Middle School Commons, 5100 W. 163rd Terrace, Overland Park, Ks. Meet area preschool, parents day, and early childhood directors and learn about their programs available for children birth-age 5 in Johnson County, KS

Bucyrus

Holy Rosary - Wea 22705 Metcalf (Bucyrus)

DeSoto

DeSoto Unified School District #232 Countryside Learning Center 10120 Lexington (DeSoto)

Fairway

Old Mission United Methodist Church Child Center 5519 State Park Rd. (Fairway)

Gardner

The Lake Farm School for Waldorf Education 19545 Gardner Rd. (Gardner)

Little People’s Place Child Development Center 125 N. Moonlight (Gardner, KS)

Open Arms Lutheran Child Development Center 306 E. Madison (Gardner, KS)

Leawood

Awesome Kids Preschool 14200 Kenneth Rd. (Leawood)

Blue Valley Unified School District Early Childhood Services (Special Education and Peer Model Programs)

Church of the Resurrection 13720 Roe (Leawood)

(more…)

Did you catch a glimpse of the oh-so-elusive sun that came out of hiding yesterday?! How nice was that? If you’ve been feeling like a prisoner in your water-logged home the past week or two, now’s your time to get back outside. We are supposed to have a fantastic week, with September-appropriate temperatures nearing 80 degrees each day. Warm sunny days followed by cool nights…what could be better?

With gas prices so expensive and the weather so nice, how about hitting the trails with your kids? Grab your bikes and helmets, and get pedaling! Biking and walking trails have been a hot topic lately in the local news. According to Jennifer Blattman of the Mid-America Regional Council, the Kansas City region boasts nationally recognized trails and parks systems, including MetroGreen, a partially completed 1144-mile interconnected system of public and private open spaces, greenways and trails designed to link seven counties in the metro. The plan covers Leavenworth County, Johnson County and Wyandotte County as well as Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri. There is also a new initiative in place for Kansas City, Mo–Trails! KC aims to add an additional 200 miles of connected trails to the system.

For some great ideas on where to bike, check out this site. Or if hiking is more your speed, take a look at the book Hiking Kansas City for some cool ideas. Get outside with your kids, get pedaling or hiking, and soak up that sun!

Only a few more weekends until SCHOOL STARTS! There’s still lots to do with the kids around the Kansas City metro. A few things to check out this weekend - August 9 and 10, 2008:

• Worlds of Fun is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mamba roller coaster. To commemorate the birthday, admission to the park is rolled back to 1998 prices for August 9 and 10. Only $26.99 instead of $39.99 (regular gate admission).
• Johnson County (KS) Fair Parade on Saturday morning, August 9th, at 10:30am - Gardner Fairgrounds, 136 East Washington, Gardner, KS
• Kids Aviation Adventure Day - FREE - Saturday, August 9th from 9am to 3pm - Wheeler Downtown Airport
• Also on Saturday, OPEN HOUSE at the Ford Learning Center at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - 1 to 4pm - learn about all of the great educational offerings at the Nelson!
• StoneLion Puppets presents Bubba & Trixie at the Kansas City Public Library, Central Library - 2pm on Saturday - click the link to RSVP!
• Saturday is also the LAST DAY AT KANSAS CITY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IN KCKS! Jim Cosgrove will perform and MORE!
• Straw Hat Saturday at Shawnee Town - Saturday from 10am to 2pm - $1/adult and 50 cents for kids
• Sprint Family Fun Day in the Power & Light District, downtown KC - Saturday, August 9th - check out Wonderscope LIVE! and Funky Mama
• KidFest at Zona Rosa, Kansas City north, 12pm to 4pm on Saturday - Back to School with High School Musical 3!
• Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO (east of Lee’s Summit) - Saturday AND Sunday
• Funky Mama & Mr. Stinky Feet, Music in the Park, Santa Fe Commons Park, 81st & Santa Fe, downtown Overland Park, 7:00-8:30pm, Sunday August 10th
• A Celebration Honoring the Gant Sisters, Hallbrook Country Club, 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, August 10th

So…LOTS to do this weekend! Get out and enjoy the city with your kids before they head back to school!



 

Late summer in the Kansas City metro brings a wide variety of fairs and festivals - awesome activities to share with your kids! And guess what?! Believe it or not, late summer is approaching…

So, where and when can your kids get their fill of Tilt-A-Whirls, funnel cakes, ferris wheels, crafts, cotton candy and live music? Where can you find the BEST people watching all year?

Here’s where:

Miami County Fair, Paola, KS - July 19 thru July 26

Platte County Fair, Platte City, MO - July 23 thru July 26

Douglas County Fair, Lawrence, KS - July 30 thru August 2

Wyandotte County Fair, Kansas City, KS - July 31 thru August 4 - check out Bongo Barry, pig races, magic shows and stunt dog shows in addition to the carnival rides and games!

Johnson County Fair, Gardner, KS - August 4 thru August 9 - don’t miss the rodeo, Family Fun Night or the parade!

Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO - August 7 thru August 17 - 12 & under FREE every day; lot of free kids’ entertainment

Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO - August 8 thru August 10 and August 15 thru August 17 - okay, so no ferris wheels or funnel cakes here…but really cool for you and the kids nonetheless!

Leavenworth County Fair, Tonganoxie, KS - August 12 thru August 16 - check out the parade on the 12!

Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Kansas City, MO - August 15 thru August 17

Lewis & Clark Trail Days, Buckner, MO - August 22nd and 23rd

Santa-Cali-Gon Days, Independence, MO - August 29 thru September 1 - TONS of fun for kids and adults alike. If you’ve never been, you should definitely try this one!

Kansas City Irish Fest, Kansas City, MO - August 29 thru August 31- awesome children’s area at this Crown Center event

Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, KS - August 30 thru October 13

The 47th Annual Annunciation Greek Food Festival, Kansas City, MO - September 5 thru September 7

Old Settlers Days, Olathe, KS - September 4 thru September 6

Valley Fair Daze, Grain Valley, MO - September 5th and 6th

Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS - September 5 thru September 14 - will you drive to Hutchinson to see Corbin Bleu (Chad from High School Musical) in concert?!

Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival, Blue Springs, MO - September 12 thru September 14

JUST ADDED:  FESTIVAL ON THE TRAILS, GARDNER, KS - September 12 thru September 14 (Wow!  Don’t miss Lee Ann Womack performing LIVE as well as pony rides, the Buckaroo Corral and kids’ entertainers!!)

Zona Rosa Art Festival, Kansas City north, MO - September 12 thru September 14 - check out Mr. Stinky Feet in concert on Saturday the 13th!

Jesse James Festival, Kearney, MO - September 12 thru September 21

Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO - September 19 thru September 21 - spend some time at the Kids’ Art Workshop!

Spring Break is over or almost over for most Kansas City families.  You survived!  The trees are starting to bud, the bulbs are popping up.  Spring soccer is starting.  It’s time, parents.  Time to start thinking about what to do to keep your kids busy over the summer.  Some families need child care and full-time camps due to parent work schedules.  Others just need a week of out-of-the-house fun here and there during the hot and sticky months.  We’ve all been faced with the mopey kid dragging around the house after school has been out for a few weeks, saying the thing we love to hear the most:  “I’m booooooooored…” 

At KC Kids Fun, we thought we’d bring you a series on the day camps available around Kansas City this summer, for kids of all ages and all interests.  Check back over the next few days to see what’s coming up next!

Today, we’re covering the general day camps - camps with no theme, no purpose, just fun OR camps with many themes, many purposes, many choices and lots of fun.

• Check out your local parks and recreation and the YMCA.  We can’t tell you enough what a blessing the Kansas City area parks and rec departments and the Y are to parents and kids across the metro.  Take a look at their summer catalogs - lots of offerings for every interest.  You can find their websites by clicking the Classes link on the right side of this page - or just click here.
• Barstow School Summer Program (south Kansas City, MO) - week-long sessions for kids from preschool through high school age.  Barstow has academic classes, sports clinics, Fun Factor day camp and great weekly themed camps.  My oldest kids have been to this one - and loved it!
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City (Kansas City, MO/Kansas City, KS/Independence, MO) has programs for kids from 5-18.  I’m not sure that they update their website very often - so give your closest club location a call!
• Brookside Charter School (Kansas City, MO) offers academic and fun day camps to elementary age kids.  As of March 23, 2008, they didn’t have any camp info on their website - so you may have to give them a call.
• Clay-Platte Montessori School (Northland) offers camps for ages 3 - 10 including sports, science, art, cooking, computers, language, crafts and more.
• Cub Scouts of Heart of America Council (various locations) sponsors three to five day long day camps for Cub Scouts.  BB guns, bows and arrows, nature, crafts and games. 
• The Field Trip Club (Olathe, KS) - I don’t know (and can’t find) much about this one other than what is printed in the Kansas City Star’s annual camp listing.  The Star says this is a summer day camp for ages 5-14, with 15 fun field trips each week - including laser tag, bowling, drama, music and movement, sports, horseback riding, arts and crafts, cultural arts, science and nature, children’s museums, computers, skating, children’s theater, athletic games, library programs, educational enrichment activities, friendship skills and team building games, petting zoos, parks and playgrounds. Sounds fun but I don’t know who sponsors it. Call 913-780-6171 or 913-221-BEST for information.
• Gymboree Play & Music (various locations) usually has special play and music offerings during the summer for babies through age 5.
• Heartland Presbyterian Center (Parkville, MO) hosts a day camp program for 1st through 4th graders (they have overnight camps for older kids).  They have the typical sports, swimming, music, crafts and games of most day camps as well as regular Bible study.
• Johnson County  Community College (Overland Park, KS) has academic enrichment and sports camps for kindergarten through 9th graders.
• The Little School House (Smithville, MO) caters to ages 4 - 14 with academic and themed offerings throughout the summer.
• Metropolitan Community College - Longview (Lee’s Summit, MO) sponsors programs for ages 3 -15 including horsemanship, American Girl, cartooning, robotics, stacking, Hannah Montana, dance, study skills, martial arts, painting and more.  As of March 23, 2008, the website still has Spring 2008 offerings posted.  Check back for summer offerings or call 816-672-2030.
• Metropolitan Community College - Maple Woods (Northland) offers classes and camps for ages 8-14, covering topics such as art, drama, science, writing, animal care and sports.
• North Kansas City Schools Community Education Services (North Kansas City, MO) has camps for ballet, dance, art, computer and drama - ages 4 through 18.  We’ve jumped the gun again!  As of March 23, 2008, NKC doesn’t have their summer offerings available through the website.  Call them at 816-413-5494.
• Notre Dame de Sion Elementary (Kansas City, MO) hosts Camp Renaissance for preschool through grade 8.  The camp has academic, sports, arts, technology and regular old FUN components.
• Notre Dame de Sion High School (south Kansas City, MO) hosts Coterie Theatre camps and sports camps for grades 3 - 12.
• Oakhill Day School (Northland) offers many different sessions for age 2 through 7th grade.  The sessions include cooking, computers, karate, academics, sports, swimming and more.
• Paradise Park (Lee’s Summit, MO) hosts Adventure Summer Camps for kids 4-7 years old - a different theme every week!  For those 48″ tall and over, Paradise Park hosts the Go-Kart Driving Experience, a 4 day, one hour long camp.
• Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City, MO) sponsors a summer program, similar in breadth to the Barstow program, for kids ages 2-18.  They have fun day camps, sports camps and academic courses.  There are some really fun offerings here!
• Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, MO) offers various day camps for kids of all ages, including academics, computers, music and sports. 
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School (Kansas City, MO) offers morning and afternoon classes in art, music, theater, soccer, basketball, academics, cooking and more!
• St. Teresa’s Academy (Kansas City, MO) has summer camps for girls in grades 4-9, including sports, dance, art and drama.  As of March 23, 2008, their website doesn’t list anything for this summer.  But the Star says they’ll have camps!  So, give them a call at 816-501-0011 for more info.
• St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park, KS) sponsors day camps for kids in kindergarten through grade 8.  They are mostly sports camps with some sewing and cooking thrown in too!
• Shawnee Mission School District (Johnson County, KS) offers their Summer Enrichment Program for students in preschool through 8th grade.  They have a variety of programs ranging from science and nature to art and drama to photography and sign language.  What a fantastic resource!
• Swope Park Exploration Camp (Kansas City, MO) does include two overnights - it includes acting at Starlight, checking out the zoo, playing soccer and swimming with Parks & Rec and exploring the Lakeside Nature Center.  The website gives information not only about the Swope Park camp but also about all of the zoo’s summer day camp offerings.

Stay tuned for more in this series - including art camps, dance/gymnastics camps, sports camps, science and nature camps, special needs camps, academic enrichment/readiness camps, theater camps and a potpourri (to use a Jeopardy term) of impossible to categorize camps!

We’ve been working hard on a great new site for Kansas City kids, parents, grandparents, caregivers and visitors!  And now it’s time!  We are two Kansas City-area moms who want to help YOU have fun with your family.  Bookmark us or add us to your feed reader to keep up-to-date on great activities to share with your kids.  We have links to the websites of TONS of great places for children and families in and around Kansas City.  We also have reviews by local moms of all kinds of hotspots - old and new.  Take us for a spin!  Come back often!  We’re gonna have lots and lots of FUN!

Contact us at kate@kckidsfun.com or kiran@kckidsfun.com or leave a comment if you have any questions or want us to know about someplace new around town.  Thanks!  We look forward to hearing from you!