Things to do in Kansas City

 

Summer Activities for Kids

There are tons of great things to do with the kids this summer – we’ve listed a variety of activities, attractions and fun things to do at home too.   Some attractions are free and some have admission fees (which can be found at the attraction’s website).   

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us through Facebook or thru our Contact Us page.

 

 

Summer Activities & Resources

• Summer Movie listings for area theaters and outdoor movies around Kansas City — more than 100 free & discount shows!

• National & Local Summer Reading programs for kids ages preschool – middle school with links to all bookstore & library details.

• Enjoy some music at one of the many outdoor concerts around Kansas City.

• Take the kids to some great summer workshops — Michael’s craft sessions ($2 – $4), outdoor skills & clinics at Bass Pro (free), tech workshops at Apple or Micrsoft store & more!

• 50 Tips & Resources for Fun Field Trips & Outings – making the most of your summer visits!

 

 

Fun & Learning Ideas at Home

• Create a Summer Bucket List – learn what the kids want to do this summer

• 8 Easy Flower Crafts

• Kid’s Gardening activities & books

• 5 Resources for Exploring Nature

• Create Outdoor Activity Rocks

• Printable Playground Scavenger Hunt

• Play the License Plate Game

• 23 Ideas for Frozen Fun this Summer

 

Visit with the Animals

• Burr Oak Woods Nature Center (Blue Springs, MO) FREE

  • Huge nature center, trails, native animals and great programs

• Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary(Louisburg, KS)
  • Visit lion, tigers & wolves at this conservation and education park.

• Deanna Rose Farmstead (Overland Park, KS)  $2 on wknds/Free during the week Mon – Thurs
  
  • Open April – October, feed animals, tour a prairie town,  daily programs,  nature trails & playgrounds.  Extra cost for fishing, horse rides, mining & feeding.

• Ernie Miller Nature Center (K-7, Olathe, KS)  FREE, but admission for special programs
  • Owls, hawks, native animals and lots of hiking trails.  Weds. Storytimes are great for ages 2 – 6. ($3/person)

• Kansas City Zoo (Swope Park, KC, MO)  Admission 
  • Ride across Africa on the new Skyride, feed the lorikeets, visit the polar bear & much more!

• Lakeside Nature Center (Swope Park, KC, MO)  FREE
  • Native animals, hiking trails, weekend programs.

• Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure (Fleming Park, Blue Springs, MO)  FREE
  • Feed bison & elk – bring small apples and long carrots with you.

• SEA LIFE Aquarium (Crown Center, KC, MO) Admission 
  • Visit fish, sharks, stingrays and more at Kansas City’s 1^st aquarium!

 

 

Explore Science

• Powell Observatory (Louisburg, KS)  Admission/donation requested
  • Saturday evenings from May – Oct.  View stars & planets thru the largest telescopes in a 5-state area!

• Science City (Union Station, KC, MO) Admission
  
  • Ride a bike on a high wire, explore weather on huge interactive sphere, learn about energy, the earth and more!

• Warkoczewski Observatory (UMKC Campus)
  • Friday evenings from late March – Oct.  View the night sky thru telescopes.

 

Create Some Art

• Kaleidoscope (Crown Center, KC, MO)  FREE
  • Attend ‘family art sessions’  or register kids ages 5+ for individual sessions. 

• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (KC, MO)  FREE
  • Sculpture, paintings, photography exhibits that encourage art exploration and discussion. 

• Nelson-Atkins Museum (KC, MO)  FREE
  • Travel thru history in the galleries, enjoy some time at Sculpture Park – use the kids guides to the galleries and visit the interactive exhibits in the Creative Café.

• Nerman Museum (JCCC Campus, Overland Park, KS)  FREE
  • See contemporary art, photography & sculpture – plus, tour the college campus!

 

 

Travel thru History

• Federal Reserve Bank Money Museum (KC, MO) – FREE
  • Lift a gold bar, see the vault and learn about money.

• Harry Truman Library  (Independence, MO) Admission
  
  • Visit a replica of the Oval Office along with many interactive exhibits at the Truman Library. 

• Lanesfield School Historic Site
  • Visit a historic one-room schoolhouse to see how students learned in the late 1800’s.

• Mahaffie Stagecoach & Farmstead (Olathe, KS) Admission
  
  • Tour the last hotel on the Santa Fe trail still open to the public & & ride a stagecoach.

• Toy & Miniature Museum  (UMKC Campus) Admission
  • See a huge collection of toys and games from the last 200 years.  Some interactive exhibits.

• Wornall House (KC, MO) Admission
  
  • Tour this historic home and learn about people who lived at the time of the Civil War.

• WWI Museum/Liberty Memorial (KC, MO) Admission
  • Poke your head into a trench scene; see tanks, guns and planes; movies and interactive exhibits that showcase the events of World War I.

   

 

Fun Places to Play & Learn

(these locations recommended for kids ages 3 – 10)

• Kidscape @Johnson Co. Museum (Shawnee, KS)  FREE
  • Kid-size town with theater, park, hospital and more for kids to pretend.

• Crown Center  – Curious George exhibit in Summer 2013  (KC, MO) FREE
  • Guides will be coming soon.  Exhibit begins Memorial Day Weekend.

• LEGOLAND Discovery Center (Crown Center, KC, MO) Admission
  • A Lego world with rides, games and exhibits.

• Wonderscope Children’s Museum  (Shawnee, KS) Admission
  
  • Many rooms with interactive exhibits for kids.  Most entertaing for kids under age 8.

 

 

Kids Theatre Shows

• Coterie Theatre (Crown Center, KC, MO) Admission
  
  • “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile” is showing June 18th – August 4th.  Awarded Top 5 Kids Theatre in the Country – great shows for kids.

• Paul Messner Puppets (KC, MO) Admission
  
  • See “Puss in Boots” in June and “Go Dog Go” in July/August.  Best for kids 10 and under.

• Theatre for Young America  (Union Station, KC, MO ) Admission
  
  • See “The Boxcar Children” from June 11th – 29th based on the kid’s books.  Best for kids 10 and under.

 

Tours & Fruit Picking

• Shatto Dairy – Tour of Dairy Farm  (Osborn,MO) Admission
  
  • Tour a working dairy farm, milk a cow & see how milk goes from farm to store.

• The Berry Patch (223rd & State Line Rd, MO) Cost for fruit that you pick/buy
  • pick your own blueberries or blackberries

• Chip’s Chocolate Factory  Admission
  • Call and schedule a tour to see how they make fudge (tasting included!)

• T-Rex Cafe  Free tour
  • You can see them turn on the dinos, learn about the fish and check out the shark tank during an early-morning tour of the resturant.  Stay for lunch and to play a little too!