The Kansas City Zoo

I can't discuss kids in Kansas City without mentioning the Kansas City Zoo. The zoo has improved in recent years and now includes a polar bear exhibit and a sky safari with plans to add penguins soon. It is broken into continents with sections for Asia, Australia, and Africa. Besides the Polar Bears, the highlights of the zoo for me are the river otters at the front entrance and the elephants. The lions (if they are in view) and the gorillas are also pretty neat, but I adore the hippos! I'm a sucker for a good view of a hippo I guess.

Parking: Parking is free and generally there is plenty of it, but you may have to walk a bit. On weekdays parking is pretty easy.

Strollers: The zoo accommodates strollers for the most part. There are a few areas that are difficult to maneuver through with them (specifically the walk-thru aviaries). If you have little ones strollers are a must because this zoo demands a lot of walking. (They do have places for you to stow away strollers on the train, tram, and boat--but not the sky safari--more about those below.)

Walking, walking, and more walking: This zoo was designed to give the appearance of being in nature with the animals. In order to do this they created a central open area in the Africa section to replicate the African plains. You have to walk around this to get the full zoo experience. If you do this, as well as Australia and the other zoo exhibits, you better have your walking shoes on. Just getting to Africa is a hike, let alone exploring it.


So what if you're not much of a walker? The zoo does offer tram rides out there, for a fee, as well as sky safari rides. There is also a fun kid-friendly train you can ride and a boat tour that allows you to see Africa from the water. My kids love the train and enjoyed the boat, but you aren't guaranteed to actually see any animals on these, so be warned. The sky safari allowed us more views of the animals and was a fun experience for older kids. They do offer ticket packages that include these rides for a discount.

There are animals obviously, but anything else worth mentioning? The zoo has a carousel that my kids adore (this is for a fee), as well as a petting zoo and a couple playgrounds to enjoy. They do seal shows and have various nature chats you can take part in, many of which are hands on. There is also an attached IMAX theater and gift shop.

The zoo is a great way to spend a day, especially if you live in the "zoological district." It isn't as awesome as Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, but it's a little cheaper, and not as far of a drive (assuming you live near Kansas City of course!).

Hours:
Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends (now until Labor Day 2013)
Admission: 
$11.50 Adults ages 12 & above; $10.50 Seniors;
$8.50 Children ages 3 -11; ages 2 and under are free 
Zoological District (residents of Jackson and Clay Counties, MO) admission prices are:
$5 Adults; $4.50 Seniors; $4 Children
Tram $1.50; Train $2.50; Carousel $2; African Sky Safari $4; Boat $2

Location:
6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64132 (in the heart of Swope Park) 

The City Market in Kansas City's River Market

I love the City Market. We try to go several times during the growing season. Kansas City's largest farmers market is located in the River Market area downtown. During it's most active period you can expect to see several vendors hocking everything from the expected fruits and vegetables to locally raised meat, honey, baked goods, and flowers. There are also booths with handmade soaps, and other arts and crafts. If you go on a Sunday (from 9 am to 3 pm) you never know what you might find browsing the "community yard sale." I recommend bringing your own shopping bags, although most of the vendors have plastic bags you can use if you need to.

Parking is occasionally a challenge. There are a few lots around the market, with the largest being on the Northeast side. This is where we usually park and I have always been able to find a space, but you might have to walk farther than you expect at first! But hey, at least the parking is free.

Strollers: Absolutely! Not only are they handy for your kids, if you're like us and have a hard time saying no to fresh veggies, they work well as a grocery buggy for your overloaded bags.

Are there restrooms??? Yes. There are public restrooms in the breezeway of the shopping center on the East side of the market. They aren't awesome, but they work.

Your kids will not be bored here! There is plenty to see with all the bright colors and happy faces. There is a train ride available and sometimes other kids activities too. Often there are live musicians performing, and many of the shops that surround the market are fun to browse through. My kiddos love to help us pick out our fruits and veggies and hand the money to the vendors. Last Fall we got to take a free hayride around the block and see some of the city up close, so it's worth checking out their website to see what activities might be going on the weekend you choose to attend!

Farmers' Market Schedule

March - October

Saturday 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

November - February

Saturday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Longview Lake Beach

Kansas City's Longview Lake Beach is a fun way to spend an afternoon! We've been here several times over the past few years, and for a beach in the Kansas City area, this one is pretty nice. A lot of lake beaches are, in my opinion, "meh" at best, but this one has a smooth sandy bottom and lots of beach space for your kids to play. The water is shallow with a gentle slope so my daughter could go out pretty far and still only be in water waist deep.



The sand is HOT! You'll want to wear sandals on a hot day (or even a mild day as I learned this year) or you could burn the bottom of your feet trying to get to the water. Obviously there is no shade on the beach so an umbrella and some sunscreen are good ideas. You can bring all the inflatables you want, but hang on to them! We've done our fair share of swimming trying to chase down loose beachballs and innertubes. They do not have concessions like you might be used to at public swimming pools, so bring a water bottle and snacks if you think you'll get hungry.


We packed a picnic and had a birthday party there this year. They have picnic tables on the grass by the trees, but they are a decent walk from the water. There are also showerhouses/bathrooms so you can change at the beach and rinse your feet off before you leave.

Lifeguards are on duty. We had the scary experience of seeing a lifeguard go after a little girl, and I have to say, he was amazing. It was good to know just how attentive and prepared they are.

Location
11101 Raytown Road
Kansas City, MO 64134

Admission
Adults: $5.00
Children: $3.00 (15 & Under)
3 & Under are free

The Berry Patch

The Berry Patch was a new adventure for us this summer. It is located in Cleveland, MO (South of Kansas City on State Line Road), which isn't too far out of town, but it's a fair drive if you're coming from the middle of the metro. We went to pick blueberries and found that there were plenty. The picking was easy and we soon found ourselves buying 9lbs of them!

This place is definitely kid-friendly. I don't recommend strollers unless you have one with large wheels because you have to walk a lot and nothing is paved. The blueberry and blackberry bushes are separated by mowed grass lanes to walk on, although the best picking is generally the furthest bushes to walk to. I took my newborn with me and wore her on my chest in a sling. This was a lot easier for me than dealing with a stroller. My two year-old and six year-old had a good time picking berries. My son did find that the long rows of tall bushes were great for running off and getting "lost" in so be prepared to keep a close eye on your toddlers!

The blackberry crop wasn't developed enough the day we went but we drove down and checked it out anyways. I probably wouldn't take a toddler blackberry picking if I didn't have to since they have the native thorned variety of bushes. You'll want to wear long sleeves and pants and bring work gloves if you want to pick more than just a handful of those. You'll also want to keep an eye out for poison ivy.

You'll need to check their website often during the growing season to see how the picking is and what their hours are. I recommend following them on Facebook to get current updates.

Other things I would consider if I went back would be to bring a picnic, if you plan to spend awhile there. I would also bring sunscreen because there is no shade in berry patches, and bottled water. They do sell bottled water, for a reasonable price, but it's cheaper yet to bring your own!

On a side note: When you first drive into The Berry Patch you'll see this dinosaur. My kids love dinosaurs, as most do, so they ran up to it and enjoyed looking at it. The owners of this place are creationists and display information to that effect, so be warned. They also use their website to promote the belief that "evolution is a myth." This "science" lesson caught me off guard.