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.

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!

Kauffman Stadium (The "K") and the KC Royals

Kauffman Stadium, or "the K" as many people call it, is home to the major league baseball team the Kansas City Royals. My husband is a baseball fan so we head out to the stadium every year at least once. It has recently added some new attractions to entertain the kiddos, including a playground, but most of these attractions are for an additional fee. Despite this, if you want to see a professional sports team in Kansas City, baseball is still far cheaper than football.

 Reasons to take your kids to the "K"
1. It doesn't usually get too crowded...maybe this means the baseball isn't that great...but you don't have to be smashed in with strangers.
2. They do have some fun stuff for the kids to see, besides the baseball game that is! This includes a carousel and playground, as well as a batting cage and a chance to see how you compare to the big leaguers in a speed test. They call these activities the "Outfield Experience."
3. Fireworks Fridays and Buck Nights. The fireworks shows on Friday nights are the best in town. They put community 4th of July displays to shame. Buck Nights are when hotdogs and small (very small!) sodas are just $1. If you can catch a Buck Night on a Friday, it's a win-win!
4. A beautiful ball park. Kauffman Stadium is home to a fountain and waterfall display, making it unique amongst baseball stadiums.

Reasons not to take your kids to the "K"
1. Strollers are pretty much impossible for most ticket holders. They do have elevators available if you need them, but just getting to your level isn't the end of your climb. Unless you have handicapped seats, you're almost certainly going to find yourself going up stairs (a lot of which are steep). Plan on carrying the little ones!


2. Tickets start at $14, and go as high as around $250. $14 a seat isn't cheap for a large family, and that's for the worst seats there, but as I said earlier, it doesn't usually get that crowded and often you can sit just about anywhere in the upper levels. They also offer ticket deals from time to time and lap babies and toddlers do not need a ticket.

3. Parking is $10. This is another additional expense to consider. The stadium is located in an area that makes it difficult to park elsewhere.

4. Lines. There are often long lines at the kids activities, and on Buck Nights or other popular promotion nights there can be long lines at the concessions too. The concession staff isn't always well-trained and the prices are ridiculous.

5. Bag Checks. Yes, they will go through your bags before you enter the ballpark. This isn't by itself a big deal, but it makes it so you can't bring in any outside drinks. They even made me dump out water in a baby bottle. My advice--locate the water fountains.

Other things I've learned along the way...
We have found signing our daughter up for Slugger's Blue Crew to be a good investment. It's $25 (as of 2013) and includes a jersey, tickets for the "outfield experience" activities, and some other goodies that change each year, plus two ticket vouchers. The tickets alone are worth the $25, and every year  we've signed up so far we've been sent another set of ticket vouchers in the Fall. This isn't promised or mentioned on website, it just has always happened. Sure these tickets aren't for the best games, but for us a day at the ballpark is less about the baseball and more about the family time!

The stadium has tours available if you're interested, although I feel that I've seen all I need to as a spectator there. If you go on a Sunday they have a "Fun Run" where they allow the kids to run around the bases on the field. (Blue Crew members get to cut to the head of the line for this--sometimes the line is pretty long, but it moves fairly quick)

Is it your kids first time at Kauffman Stadium? Run them by the office to get their free personalized "Official Royals Fan" certificate!

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.