KCKidsFun

I know it’s Monday.  And the weekend is oh-so-far away.  But I just finished updating the KC Kids Fun calendar that runs down the left side of this page – and WOW!  There are a TON of great things to do with the kids this coming weekend.  (Don’t forget to check out the calendar every week this spring and summer – we’ll try to keep on top of all the great kid-related events in KC!)

Check these events out:

• Paul Mesner Puppets presents Hansel and Gretel, Folly Theater (Kansas City, MO) – Friday, April 18 thru Sunday, April 20
• Civil War Battle Re-enactment at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm (Olathe, KS) - Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20
• Mr. Stinky Feet at Kansas City Earthfest, Shawnee Mission Park –  Saturday, April 19, 10:30 a.m.
• Kansas City Pet Expo at American Royal Center – April 19-20
• Earth Day Festival at Lakeside Nature Center (Kansas City MO) featuring StoneLion Puppets - April 19
• Earth Day Party for the Planet at Kansas City Zoo - Saturday, April 19
• Mr. Stinky Feet again at Jesse James Fairgrounds (Kearney MO) - Sat, April 19, 5 p.m.
• Miller Marley Youth Ballet presents Cinderella, Olathe East High School - April 19 at 6 p.m., April 20 at 3 p.m., tickets $7
• Midwest Baby and Kids Festival at Overland Park Convention Center - April 19 and 20
• Mr. Stinky Feet at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Earth Day Fair (Overland Park KS) - April 20
• Worlds of Fun, open weekends now, open daily beginning May 10
• Larry the Cat in Space–Kid-friendly cartoon planetarium show. 10:30a, 1:30p and 4:30p on Mondays and Saturdays, 1:30p and 4:30p on Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays. Union Station, Gottlieb Planetarium
• The Coterie Theatre at Crown Center presents Sideways Stories from Wayside School, runs through May 18
• Beanstalk Blues, Martin City Jr. Children’s Theatre, closes May 11

So – rain or shine, you’ve got no excuse!  Grab the kids and get out of the house this weekend!  Kansas City has a lot going on…don’t miss out!

Mark your calendars now for the first annual JIGGLE JAM FAMILY FEST at Crown Center!!! I am so excited about this one – a music festival for families over Memorial Day Weekend! There will be all kinds of music – from classical to rock – specifically for kids, kids, kids! And moms and dads are bound to love it too.

THE DATES: Saturday, May 24 – 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday, May 25 – 11 am to 6 pm

THE PLACE: Crown Center Square, 25th and Grand, Kansas City, MO

THE MUSICAL LINE-UP:

Saturday

• Dino O’Dell and the Veloci-Rappers
• Funky Mama
• Justin Roberts
• Trout Fishing in America
• Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove and the Hiccups
• They Might Be Giants
• and more!

Sunday

• Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove and the Hiccups
• Funky Mama
• Trout Fishing in America
• Tom Chapin
• John McCutcheon
• and more!

If you watch the Disney Channel or Noggin, you know that this is a superstar line-up of kid-friendly music! Seriously? These are some amazing artists…

As if that wasn’t enough, the Jiggle Jam organizers will also have inflatables, shopping, food and a Wonderscope-sponsored tent for the kids. Parking will be FREE in the Crown Center garages. Tickets will be $10 per child on the day of the event, $8 per child in advance and $5 for adults. Children under 2 are free. Tickets are available online at the Jiggle Jam website NOW! They will also be available at all Kansas City HyVee locations after May 1st.

* Jiggle Jam logo used with permission

***THIS IS THE 2008 DIRECTORY. PLEASE REFER TO

OUR 2010 KANSAS CITY SUMMER CAMP DIRECTORY! THANKS!***

Continuing our series on summer camps in Kansas City, today’s post covers performing arts camps. Theater, dance, voice, gymnastics – there are so many offerings in this genre. We’ve got a huge list here and I’m sure we’ve even missed a few. And many of the general day camps I mentioned in my first Summer Camp post offer performing arts-themed camps as well. Check those out and then take a look at these, in addition to those offered by your local parks and recreation department.

• If you would like to purchase a Sponsored Listing in the 2009 KC Kids Fun Summer Camp Directory, please CONTACT US as soon as possible! The Sponsored Listing will include one square graphic adjacent to your listing (like the one you see to the right) and your camp information will be published at the top of the list before non-sponsored listings! Don’t delay! Reserve your Sponsored Listing now!
• Academy of Performing Arts (Grandview, MO) has two-week sessions of performing arts training for ages 6 and up, culminating in a musical play and talent showcase on the Academy’s outdoor stage. This year – Alice in Wonderland!
• Act Out! (Olathe, KS) is an acting camp for ages 6 and up, hosted by the First Christian Church in downtown Olathe.
• Ballet North (Northland) offers week-long dance camps for ages 4 and up.
• Camellot Academy (Blue Springs, MO) offers a camp program for kids age 5 through grade 9. Campers participate in activities related to dance, art, drama, vocal music and performance skills. They rehearse and perform a complete play the final week of camp.
• Chestnut Fine Arts Center (Olathe, KS) is offering two one-week theatre workshops this summer. Topics covered include scripts, songs, dances, costume design, set building and performance. A 30 minute production caps off the week.
• Christian Youth Theater (multiple locations) offers several day and overnight camp options for kids from age 4 through high school. Each session is a week long. The kids work on fun productions all week long and then perform!
• Coterie Theatre (multiple locations) has courses for grades 1 through 12 – try acting, playwriting or theatre exploration classes.
• Creative Arts Academy (Gladstone, MO) offers weeklong, full day camps for kids from ages 4 to 14, each week in July. Camp activities include hip hop dance, gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, arts/crafts, sports, drama and swimming.
• Culture House (Olathe, KS) has a HUGE variety of summer courses available from dance and ballet to music and theater. Take a stage saber fighting course, learn to perform Wicked and Hairspray!
• Dave’s Gymnastics Factory (Lee’s Summit, MO) offers a full day camp for ages 5 to 11, all summer long. Activities includenot only gym time but also outdoor activities, arts and crafts and swimming
• Eagles Gymnastics and Dance Centre (south Kansas City, MO) has half day camps with different themes each week. Each camp includes gymnastics and special activities related to the week’s theme. Boys and girls of all ages are welcome!
• Edge Gymnastics (Liberty, MO) offers one day “power camps”, which are single full day classes based around a fun theme – princesses, American Idol, Mad Scientist, Olympics, cheer and dancing.
• Emerald City Gymnastics (Overland Park, KS) offers four-day camps with gymnastics, games, playing in Bump City and a week-ending show for parents.
• A Fairytale Ballet (Prairie Village, KS and Overland Park, KS) has one and two day “princess” camps for little girls throughout the summer.
• A Flip Zone (Lee’s Summit, MO) offers two-day camps based around different themes. Kids from 2 1/2 to 12 participate in gymnastics, games and snacks.
• Camp Shakespeare/Heart of America Shakespeare Festival (various locations) has a wide range of offerings for kids from 5 to 18. Camps range from one day to two weeks and many camps end with a camp performance of a Shakespearean play.
• Ibsen Dance Theatre (Northland) doesn’t have their summer schedule posted on the website yet. But they traditionally have a theatre camp in addition to dance classes during the summer. Check back on their website or just give them a call!
• Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey AileyCamp (Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS) is a camp for inner-city middle-schoolers which uses dance as a vehicle to build self-esteem, self-discipline and critical thinking skills.
• KC Young Audiences (Kansas City, MO) gives kids ages 5 to 18 a chance to learn music, musical theater, Shakespeare, comedy, dance and show production.
• Legacy School of the Arts (Olathe, KS) offers regular and intensive summer dance classes as well as drama and musical theatre camps for all ages.
• Lyric Opera (Kansas City, MO) hosts an amazing two week camp for kids ages 10 to 18. Campers will study the opera La Boheme and acting techniques. They will perform a family opera at the end of camp and will have the opportunity to be chosen to sing in an actual Lyric Opera production next season.
• Martin City Melodrama (Overland Park, KS) offers fun comedy camps for grades K through 12 during the month of June.
• Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice (Overland Park, KS) doesn’t have their summer information posted to their website yet (as of March 27, 2008 ) but check back because the folks at Miller-Marley never slow down!
• Music House School of Music (south Overland Park, KS) has some super non-traditional camp offerings – Rock Band, Garage Band and The Real Guitar Hero – for ages 10 to 17.
• Music Theatre for Young People (Olathe, KS) is putting on a day camp for ages 7 to 12, culminating in a performance of School House Rock!
• Paul Green School of Rock (North Kansas City, MO) offers rock music performance camps and theory camps. Check back at their website soon for details.
• Paul Mesner Puppets (Kansas City, MO) is having Puppet Camp for ages 6 and up! Learn to make puppets and create puppet shows from the best!
• The Pulse PAC (south Kansas City, MO) offers some fun camps this summer in addition to their regular and intensive dance classes. Sign up for High School Musical, Pop Divas, Fairytale Ballet and Beach Party camps.
• Theatre for Young America (Shawnee, KS) hosts drama classes and five-day workshops at Wonderscope Children’s Museum during the summer. As of March 27, 2008, they still had 2007 summer information on the website – but check back soon for an update!
• Theatre of the Imagination (various locations) offers theatre camps at several locations around the city. Check out their website for updates. UPDATE: Looks like Theatre of the Imagination is offering camps in Kansas City and in Leawood. All ages, several themes – acting, singing dancing!
• University of Missouri – Kansas City Community Music and Dance Academy (Kansas City, MO) has several dance and musical instrument summer programs. Some are offered at UMKC and others are offered at Notre Dame de Sion.