The Kansas City Renaissance Festival

The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is an annual tradition for a lot of people. It takes place over several weekends in September and October at a permanent location in Bonner Springs, KS. I've been several times over the years. I remember going as a little girl and being enthralled with the people and costumes. There is a lot to see and do so there are no worries that your kids will be entertained.

Parking: Parking is free. There are gravel lots nearby, although some people are directed to park on grass.

Strollers: Strollers are allowed, and since there is so much walking, I recommend bringing one, BUT this doesn't mean it's a great place for one. The festival is not paved at all. In most areas the ground has been worn flat from years of tromping feet, but there are places where it is really difficult to maneuver a stroller. Strollers with big wheels are definitely preferable, and even then, there are places where you just can't take them.

Admission: Tickets are $16.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids ages 5-12. It's pricey, but this is a place you can easily spend all day. Usually there are promotions or discount tickets available. One year we got discounted tickets for bringing canned goods to donate to Harvesters (a local food bank).

Will my kids enjoy it? Definitely. It's a fun place. A word of warning though--check out the different acts before plopping your kids down for a show. Some of them might be considered a wee bit bawdy and inappropriate. There are tons of things for kids to do besides the shows though. There is a Children's Realm with play areas, rides, fairies, and your kids can get knighted or be declared ladies in waiting...etc... The queen even hosts a special tea with the kiddos. It's good fun.

Things don't change much from year to year, so for us, going once every two or three years is sufficient. Tons of people come dressed in costume--both those working there and the spectators. I am a seamstress so I thoroughly enjoyed dressing my kids up in costume to attend. This is a great chance to get an extra wear out of Halloween costumes!


Location: 
633 N. 130th St.
Bonner Springs, KS 66012

If you like this, you'll probably also enjoy KC's Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.

Rosehill Garden Classes for Children at Park Place

When trying to find activities to keep my kids busy over the summer, I came across a series of classes offered by Rosehill Gardens. The classes are held at the Park Place Shopping Center in Leawood, KS. The shopping center is close to the intersection of 119th and Nall Ave. To find the exact dates and times of these classes check the Park Place Schedule of Events. If you missed them this year (they are held over the summer), check back next year!
 

These garden classes are a fun way to introduce your child to the basics of gardening. There are classes about dirt and worms, but my favorite was the one where my daughter got to make her own birdbath. They are hands on and some of them are a bit messy so dress appropriately! (The ones we attended followed a free story time put on by The Learning Tree, so come an hour early and enjoy that as well!)

 
Parking: I parked in the parking garage at the shopping center. Parking is no problem, and it's free.
Strollers: Sure!
Ages: No age limits are listed that I can find, but my experience is that kids between ages 3 and 8 would probably enjoy it the most.

Fee: $5 per child per class. This isn't astronomical, but since there are so many free things to do, it's something to consider. I was selective about which classes I allowed my daughter to do because of it. Fortunately, you register for each class individually rather than for all of them, so check the descriptions and pick your favorites!

Park Place offers other children's activities over the summer besides this one. In 2013 they also had classes geared towards exploring your imagination through different mediums and classes involving having fun with food. I can't write about those since we didn't participate in them but they are certainly worth a look. Some activities are free and some have fees (I saw $12 per child on a few classes). The shopping center has some fun stores to look through, including The Learning Tree, which is a really fun book/toy/educational store.

Kansas City's Shakespeare in the Park

Kansas City's Shakespeare in the Park is an annual event held each summer in the Southmoreland Park next door to the Nelson-Atkins Museum. It's also called the "Heart of America Shakespeare Festival." I've been several times and always enjoy myself. This is a "free" event, but the donation takers are pretty persuasive! They generally have a few activities before the performance you can enjoy, which is good because you want to get there early. Seating is first come first serve (besides a few sections of reserved seats you can purchase--see the website for more information). People bring camping chairs or sometimes blankets to lay on the ground. You're welcome to bring a cooler and a picnic with you to enjoy while you watch the play. People often bring wine.

In the past I've brought a blanket to lay on the ground, but honestly, the play will most likely be long so you may prefer a chair if you have a bad back!

So, should you bring kids? Well, they do have a few events before the show for kids, and it's always good to expose your kids to theater, right? Sure, if your kids will want to sit through a 2+ hour play spoken in Shakespearean English they don't understand while getting bitten by mosquitoes. Some kids will enjoy this, some kids won't. Mine would not. I brought my son when he was a few months old and he slept through it, which worked out well. Once a kids is 8 or 9 I think they would do alright as well...it's those ages in between that worry me.

Parking: You can park on the street, although this may be hard to find. You can also park in the parking garage across the street at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. In the past the fee was $5.

Tips: Bring some kind of bug repellant. Bring enough cold drinks to get you through the play (it is usually very hot!). Get there early to get a good seat. Use the restroom before you arrive unless you're cool with port-a-potties.

If you like this, you'll probably also enjoy the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.

The Kansas City Scottish Highland Games

The Kansas City Scottish Highland Games are held in June (usually the 2nd weekend) each year at the E.H. Young Park in Riverside, Missouri. I've been a couple times now, once as a spectator and once as a parent of a participant. It is held over a weekend, and in 2013 the adult admission on Friday was $5, Saturday and Sunday was $10, and kids 12 & Under were free. I'll admit that my daughter is a Scottish highland dancer, but I won't let this sway my opinion of the festival.

Parking: In the past parking was in a different location and you had to ride a shuttle to the park. When we went in 2013 that was no longer the case and we got to park on the grounds just a short walk away. Parking was free as well!

Strollers: Yes, you can use strollers, but it is a grassy park, and when not on the walking paths strollers with little wheels might be hard to maneuver. Just keep it in mind.

Vendors: There are several vendors there, mostly selling celtic and Scottish apparel, jewelry, and souvenirs. There are also a few different choices of food vendors, some selling Scottish and Scottish inspired food, while some were selling traditional "vendor food." The prices were high, but what you would expect for those types of vendors. Bring cash!

Entertainment? The Highland Games of course! The festival showcases both local and national talent in a variety of Scottish sporting events including the caber toss. My daughter participated this year (2013) as a highland dancer in the dancing competition. You can also browse several clan tents hosted by members of different clans (Go Clan Leslie!) displaying their history and other items, or take in some of the musical guests performing. If you like bagpipes you're in luck! They do have a kids area with activities for children, some free, and some not. My kids got to make their own shields sporting their "crest" and do some kid-safe versions of the grown-up highland games.

Overall, my opinion is that if you're interested in Scotland or Celtic culture, check it out. If not, the admission fee is a little steep for what is offered. As the parent of a participant, I had a good time, and I think most kids would enjoy running around the park and seeing all the people in kilts. You could spend all day there, but I was satisfied with just a couple hours (another reason I think the admission fee is too high).

Wanna make your kid a kilt to wear to the games? Here you go!

Kansas City's Planet Comicon

Kansas City's very own Planet Comicon is an annual comic book convention, featuring local comic shops, artists, media guests, and other artistic souls who have found themselves catering to nerd culture. Okay, I'll admit...I was once one of those nerd souls. That's me in the Batgirl Apron.

Planet Comicon is fun if you like digging through bins of action figures and flipping through long boxes of comics. It's an opportunity to show off your costumes as well. You're bound to see plenty of storm troopers, but there is always something unique running around too.


Planet Comicon is held over a Saturday and Sunday in the spring each year (generally in late March or early April)

Kids are welcome at this event, and besides a few racy costumes and book covers, it's a mostly kid-friendly event. Strollers are okay and can be helpful if you're a big shopper! I recommend bringing cash because many of the artists are unable to accept credit cards. If you have a special sketchbook, be sure to grab it as well as your camera. There are lots of fun photo opportunities!

Kids 10 & under are FREE...but this doesn't mean it's a cheap event. Saturday Tickets are $25 (2013). If you go on Sunday you pay $20. There are limited concessions there as well.

Yes, there is lots to see, and your kids will be entertained...for about an hour. The downside to Planet Comicon, is that there isn't tons for little kids to do. If your children can't read--even less. My daughter had a blast meeting Wonder Woman and wearing her costume, but once she went through all the toy booths and saw all the costume clad people, she was done. If you plan on sitting through some of the media guest chats or other lectures, your kids will be squirming on the floor and pulling on your pant legs asking if they can go.

Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade

The Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade is a tradition with a lot of families in the area. It's held on St. Patrick's Day each year in downtown Kansas City. Since the holiday often lands mid-week, people even take long lunch breaks just to go. If you like parades, I recommend it. There are a few hassles to consider before you head out.

Parking is difficult to find. But if you keep looking, you will find it! I say to bring a stroller for your tot in case you have to walk a long ways to get to the parade route, but be warned that it will be difficult to maneuver once you're on the sidewalks of the parade route.
Get there early if you plan to sit on the street. We brought camping chairs to sit in, and I'm glad we did because it would be a long time to have to stand. A lot of people do stand though.

There are other activities for the kids besides the parade. These change from year to year, but you can count on vendors walking the streets selling green novelties! I enjoyed taking my daughter, but it isn't something I feel compelled to do every year.