Sea Life Aquarium at Crown Center

The Sea Life Aquarium is a new attraction for Kansas City. It is located in the Crown Center at 2475 Grand Boulevard and is open 7 days a week. This place is designed for kids, although who doesn't love a good aquarium??

What I love about this place:
The "under the sea" ambience is really cool. Low lighting and beautifully decorated aquariums make it a really neat walk-thru experience.  It is kid-friendly. They have a touch station where children (and grown-ups!) get to explore a mini sea ecosystem with their hands and glass walls that go all the way to the floor so the little ones get a good view. Other kid-friendly notables is a "just my size" aquarium tunnel, "bubbles" that let kids put their heads inside a few of the tanks, and a colorful play area. You can also get your hand stamped at the end to go through again if you want.

What will you see? Several different tanks featuring sea life from different parts of the ocean as well as some freshwater fish. You'll see a few sharks, although they are small (don't expect to see Jaws!), seahorses, jellyfish, and a turtle exhibit. They have a large variety of brightly colored reef fish and some eels too.

Things to consider before packing up the kids:
Sure, you can bring a stroller. I brought mine and it worked okay, but it wasn't very crowded that day. This is NOT a huge aquarium, and some of the walkways are pretty narrow. On a busy day, strollers would really crowd it up!

The bathrooms are towards the beginning of the aquarium. If you think you'll need to go during your visit don't walk past them. I didn't see any other bathrooms, so you'll have to backtrack.

They do allow photography, but not flash photography, so the low-light makes it difficult to get good pictures. They do an optional "souvenir photo" at the entrance before you enter the aquarium that they will sell to you for $11.

Okay, so this place sounds neat, why wouldn't I want to go?
We went during homeschool week, which is important to note because we got deeply discounted tickets. Tickets are expensive to this attraction. A family of four (assuming your children are between ages 3 and 12) would have a walk up price of $68! The aquarium only takes 1 to 2 hours at most to wander through, so this seems steep to me. They do offer an online discount if you plan ahead, dropping that price to $52. This discounted price is still more expensive than the Kansas City Zoo, which is an all day affair, and is pretty stiff competition now that they have penguins and polar bears! We are also just a couple hours away from the aquarium located in Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, which is larger and houses some much bigger sharks!

A new option they offer is the 1 parent/1 toddler combo ticket for $20. If you have just one child between 3 and 5, this isn't a bad deal. Additional tickets are $10 if parent #2 wants to join you.

Alldredge Orchards

We've discovered a gem in Platte City, MO. Alldredge Orchards is now our go to place for getting our annual fall pumpkins. My husband and I struggled each year after our first child was born to find a great place to get pumpkins that wasn't an overly commercialized, paid admission "experience." Some of these pumpkin "amusement parks" are expensive and take away from the agricultural opportunity we wanted to have with our kids.

Alldredge Orchards is a bit out of town, but that's part of the allure for us. It is a small farm, with an apple orchard and pumpkin patch. They offer a simple hayride back to the pumpkins where you can pick your own. It's a legitimate pumpkin patch--not pumpkins strewn in decorative piles. It's a short walk if you're not interested in the hay ride.

You purchase your pumpkins in a nearby barn. They have pre-picked pumpkins there if you don't want to go out to the patch, and apples from the orchard for sale. Sometimes they have u-pick apples, but not always. They also sell mums, which look so pretty lined up beside the barn! Outside there are chickens wandering around and a few other penned animals to look at. They have a small play area for the kids, but the real draw is the simplicity of it all. There is no admission fee to pick out a pumpkin. There are bathrooms available and a small gravel parking lot with plenty of room to park.

Loose Park

I recently took my kids to Loose Park with a few friends. I've been to the park before for different events, but this was the first time I went specifically to let my kids play on the playground.  This park is the third largest park in Kansas City. It has a lake, a shelter house, some Civil War markers, tennis courts, a sprayground, several picnic areas and a beautiful rose garden.

Address: 5200 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO 64112

Hours:

Sunday hours 8:00 am–8:00 pm 

Phone: (816) 784-5300

There is lots of room to run and play here. The playground had two separate play areas as well as a large sand pit. The play areas are built on spongy rubber as a safety feature. My son loved the sand pit though, and being hot and sweaty, he made a huge mess of himself! If you're wondering, yes the sand was clean! There were several picnic tables around but just a few were close enough to be useful at the playground. This isn't a big concern as there are lots of large shade trees to throw a picnic blanket underneath.



There isn't tons of parking, but it proved to be enough for a weekday afternoon. There are bathrooms and a water fountain within sight of the play area and shelter house, but everything is spaced out pretty far. I imagine this is to maximize efficiency, but if your kid suddenly needs to go to the bathroom, be prepared to walk a little ways. My kids didn't want to leave, which I suppose is the true testament to whether or not a park is good.

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) 

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.

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.

Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is an institution in the Kansas City area. This place is a fantastic way to spend a day with your kids. Admission to the farm is free on Monday through Thursday and only $2 on Friday through Sunday, making it one of the most affordable activities around. The farm features several fee-based activities to help generate income and has a general store and ice cream shop as well, but your kids will be entertained without spending a dime if need be.

Activities include pony rides, bottle-feeding baby goats, and fishing. Your child can also pedal around on a tractor or play on one of the playgrounds available both inside and outside the farm. Structures on the grounds include a dairy barn, schoolhouse, teepee, and bank, with plans to add more in the future.

The farm has several animals, not all of which are farm animals. The animals on display can change, but we've seen a bobcat, bald eagle, buffalo, and a great-horned owl. The farm animals include your standard pigs, goats, and cows, but they also have ducks and rabbits. There is a butterfly garden and working vegetable and flower garden plots, as well as a short nature trail area. In the Fall the farm offers hayrides and pumpkins, for a fee.

Location:
3800 Switzer Rd
Overland Park, KS 66221
913-897-2360

Hours: 

9am to 5pm

It's only open from April 1 - Oct. 31

I definitely recommend taking your kids here. My babies love this place! 

If you would like to do some of the paid activities, consider getting a combo ticket. Other things to note are that they do not allow outside food and drinks. This excludes water bottles and children's snacks (and therefore is sort of a vague rule) They offer birthday party packages but those seemed kind of pricey to me.

Strollers are certainly allowed and can go just about everywhere without too much trouble. The only problem is that, being a kids place, there are a lot of strollers, so expect some traffic jams! There are a few bathrooms scattered around the grounds. I've found the ones in the dairy barn often have lines.