KCKidsFun

It’s that time of year…preschool enrollment time!  It’s hard to believe that it’s time to register your little ones for Fall 2012 preschool classes.  Many area preschools have already started the enrollment process for current families and will open up to the public within the next week.  Typically, priority enrollment is given to current families, church members, alumni and then the general public.

KC Kids Fun has compiled an extensive and very useful directory of preschools around the Kansas City metro area. We’ve got a separate list for each of the following areas:

• Kansas City, MO -south of the river (including Grandview & Raytown)

• Northland – Clay and Platte Counties, MO

• Johnson County, KS

• Eastern Jackson County, MO (Lee’s Summit, Independence, Blue Springs, Oak Grove, Grain Valley)

• Cass County, MO (Belton, Harrisonville, Raymore, Peculiar)

• Wyandotte & Leavenworth Counties, KS

If we’ve missed a good one (or if you find a broken link or closed facility amongst our list), please let us know in the comments section. Thanks for your help.  It takes a village to keep this updated and current!!

Good luck! We hope everyone finds a great preschool/parents day out program for their child!

KC Kids Fun provides its readers with contact information for the listed preschools. We make every effort to supply you with up-to-date information, but we cannot guarantee each school’s capabilities. All information listed on preschools is subject to change without notice.Because selecting a preschool for your child is a personal decision, you should visit the schools to determine which you and your family feel is best for your child and your circumstances.

Looking for something new to do with the kids around Kansas City?

Be one of the first to check out the new Schlitterbahn Vacation Village Waterpark in Kansas City, KS!

After months of construction and anticipation, the park opens for a sneak peek beginning Thursday, July 16. Construction is still on-going so the sneak peek offers limited attraction availability (but they’ve discounted admission prices).

Discounted admission is $19.99 (kids 2 & under are free). Regular admission will eventually be $32.99 for ages 12 and older and $24.99 for kids 3 to 11 and seniors (55 and older).

Once construction is complete, the first phase of the new Schlitterbahn Waterpark will have 13 signature attractions with more than 24 slides and chutes. The park is located just off of I-435 and I-70 near the Kansas Speedway and The Legends shopping district.

For now though, the sneak peek attractions include:

• Bahnzai Pipeline – Climb to the top of a 42-foot-tall tower and take an open-air tube ride down a twisted pipeline.

• Black Knight – Plunge in a tube down a dark and warped fully-enclosed coiled slide.

• Henry’s Hideout Hot Tub Bar – Unwind in a giant hot tub that incorporates a swim-up refreshment bar and in-water seating that creates the perfect place to take a break from all the action.

• Kinderhaven Kids’ Area – Splash and play in an area designed especially for families with smaller children. This shallow water playground includes ten mini-slides and is separated from the rest of the “big kid” activities by being conveniently located in the center of the park surrounded by shaded seating and open-sun lounging areas. Kinderhaven lets both kids and parents have fun together as they explore the Wyandotte Express choo choo train, a friendly frog, a mammoth turtle and a giant fountain.

• Torrent Beach – Whether guests just want to catch some rays, cool off in the surf, or embark on a journey through the canyon of the Torrent River, Torrent Beach is the perfect spot to enjoy a great day.

• Torrent Cove – Relax on an island surrounded by the Torrent River and Torrent Beach.

• Torrent River – Float the world’s longest tidal wave river which combines a continuous, endless float with ocean-sized waves creating an ever changing experience. Guests enter this attraction without waiting in line!

• Wolfpack - Take a tube and surge through an extra-wide pipeline of wild water. This oversized slide provides an experience that is different every time you ride!

Additional 2009 opening schedule and ticketing information will be announced soon. New retail, lodging and other entertainment elements will be introduced during further phases through 2011.

If you head out there with the kids, stop back by here and let us know how it was!!

*photo courtesy of Galveston.com (Galveston is home to another Schlitterbahn waterpark)

Summer in the Kansas City metro means fairs and festivals! And they’ve already started! The Brookside Art Annual was held last month and the next few weeks brings the first wave of true summer events. The best news? Each and every fair has a TON of awesome activities to share with your kids!

So, get ready for Tilt-A-Whirls, funnel cakes, ferris wheels, corn dogs, cotton candy, livestock and live music. Fair and festival season is starting…and there are so many that you have ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE to not catch at least one!

The 2009 Kansas City fair and festival schedule looks like this:

Prairie Village Art Fair, Prairie Village, KS – May 29 thru May 31

Serb Fest – St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, College & Greenwood (west of Pflumm), Lenexa KS – May 29 and May 30

Old Shawnee Days – Shawnee, KS – June 4 thru June 7

Lee’s Summit Downtown Days – June 5 thru June 7

Festa Italiana – Zona Rosa, Kansas City North – June 5 thru June 7

Mardi Gras Days – downtown Overland Park, KS – June 5 and June 6

Vaile Strawberry Festival, Vaile Mansion, Independence, MO – June 6

Irish Street Fair – Kansas City, MO – June 6

Sugar Creek Slavic Fest – Sugar Creek, MO – June 12 and June 13

Greek Festival – St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Church, Overland Park – June 12 thru June 14

Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Festival, E.H. Young Park, Riverside, MO – June 12 thru June 14

Dragon Boat Festival – Country Club Plaza, KCMO – June 13

Fiesta Filipina – Filipino Cultural Center, 79th St. between Antioch & Frontage in Overland Park – June 13 thru June 14

Chalk & Walk Festival, Crown Center Square, Kansas City, MO – June 20

KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – July 2 thru July 4

Cass County Fair, Pleasant Hill, MO – July 14 thru July 19

Amelia Earhart Festival – Atchison, KS - July 17 thru July 18

Miami County Fair, Paola, KS – July 18 thru July 26

KC Fringe Festival – various KCMO locations – July 19  thru July 26

Platte County Fair, Platte City, MO – July 22 thru July 25

Douglas County Fair, Lawrence, KS – August 5 thru August 9

Wyandotte County Fair, Kansas City, KS – July 28 thru August 1 (CANCELED THIS YEAR DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF SPACE AT THE WOODLANDS)

Johnson County Fair, Gardner, KS – August 3 thru August 8 – don’t miss the rodeo, Family Fun Night or the parade!

Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO – August 13 thru August 23 – 12 & under FREE every day; lot of free kids’ entertainment

Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – August 7 thru August 9 and August 14 thru August 16 – no carnival but still super cool!

Leavenworth County Fair, Tonganoxie, KS – August 11 thru August 15

Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Kansas City, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Trails West!, St. Joseph, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Parkville Days Riverfest, Parkville, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Lewis & Clark Trail Days, Buckner, MO – August 21 and August 22

Santa-Cali-Gon Days, Independence, MO – September 4 thru September 7 – 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 – September 4 thru 6- awesome children’s area at this Crown Center event

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

The 48th Annual Annunciation Greek Food Festival, Kansas City, MO – September 11 thru September 13

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

Valley Fair Daze, Grain Valley, MO – September 10 and September 11

Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS – September 11 thru September 20 – Nat & Alex Wolff, the Naked Brothers Band closes the Fair on the 20th!

Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival, Blue Springs, MO – September 18 thru September 20

Zona Rosa Art Festival, Kansas City north, MO – September 18 thru September 20

Jesse James Festival, Kearney, MO – September 11 thru September 20

Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO – September 25 thru September 27 – spend some time at the Kids’ Art Workshop!

(Photos via jonathan_moreau)