10 Top Picks for May in Kansas City: 2011

     May in Kansas City... the end of the school year, the start of summer, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Beaches, and Bar-B-Q! So many wonderful family outings in KC and terrific places to go with kids in Kansas City! Don't miss these 10 great places to go in Kansas City in May 2011!

10 Top Picks for May in Kansas City!

Jurassic Gardens

• When, Where, What: Jurassic Gardens at Powell Gardens (1609 N.W. U.S. Highway 50, Kingsville, MO). Journey back to the prehistoric world when more than 20 dinosaurs and oversized ancient insects return to Powell Gardens. The exhibit is designed by Guy Darrough, Missouri’s own self-taught paleontologist and artist. May 1 - Aug. 14. Garden admission applies: $9.50/adults, $8.50/seniors and $5/children 5-12. 816.697.2600 www.powellgardens.org
• Why We LOVE It: Jurassic Gardens is fun for the whole family! Powell Gardens is one of our favorite family outings, especially with the addition of the Heartland Harvest Garden and it's an annual tradition to attend the Butterfly Festival in August. With giant dinosaurs greeting us throughout the foliage, the fun is even bigger and better than before!

Brookside Art Annual!

• When, Where, What: The Brookside Art Annual (63rd and Brookside Blvd, KCMO). Art Fair Hours: Friday, April 29, 5pm-9pm; Saturday, April 30, 10am-9pm; Sunday, May 1, 11am-5pm. Visit www.brooksidekc.org for more information. No admission fees. 816.523.5553
• Why We LOVE It: Brookside, just minutes from the Plaza, is home to several of our favorite shops, including: Brookside Toy & Science, Reading Reptile, The New Dime Store, and Stuff, one of Kansas City's Best Parks, Loose Park, and a wonderful Farmers' Market on Saturdays. It is also host of one of our favorite Art Festivals! Kansas City hosts some of the best Art Festivals in the nation and we love them all, but this particular festival is especially family friendly. The Brookside Art Annual is celebrating its 25th year featuring art work from local and national artists, terrific children's activities, live music in the evenings, and food from local restaurants.

Sheep Shearing Days!

• When, Where, What: May 7, Missouri Town 1855. It’s Spring and the flock of sheep at Missouri Town will be sheared of their winter coat. Fiber artists will demonstrate the complete process of shearing, washing, carding, dying, spinning, weaving and knitting. Take a step back in time and enjoy these important skills of our ancestors. Adults, $5.00; Youth 5-13 and Seniors, $3.00; Under 5, Free . 816.503.4860 www.jacksongov.org
• Why We LOVE It:When we attended Missouri Town's Sheep Shearing Day last year, my first thought was, "I wish they would rename this event....it is MUCH more than Sheep Shearing and MUCH better than the name suggests!" It is "Sheep Shearing Day" because the focus of the day is on the fiber arts (shearing, dying, spinning, and weaving wool), but the festivities included many more fun and educational activities and our only regret after three hours at Missouri Town was that we didn't have MORE time to explore the village! We can't wait to go back this year! Read our review of last year's event.

National Miniature Golf Day

• When, Where, What: May 14 at Cool Crest. Cool Crest will celebrate National Miniature Golf Day by offering a free miniature golf season pass ($79.99 value) to the first 100 guests that purchase a round of mini golf! Hole- in-one prizes will also be awarded all day long. Games start at $7. BONUS: Download these Cool Crest Coupons for great savings! 816.358.0088 www.coolcrest.com
• Why We LOVE It: Miniature Golf is one of the most fun ways to spend a day playing together as a family and Cool Crest is the prettiest mini-golf course in KC!

Sprint Family Fun Day

• When, Where, What: May 21 from 11am-3pmat KC Power and Light District. Enjoy a Paul Mesner Puppet Show, Mr. Stinky Feet Concert, Art Activities, Music from Around the World, and MORE! Best of all... it's all FREE!
• Why We LOVE It: Live music, puppets, art... what's not to love? Rock n' Roll the day away with the entire family with Mr. Stinky Feet... PEEEEE UUUUU!

Ride the Rails!

• When, Where, What: Kansas City is home to several affordable train rides for families, and most of them start running in May! Check out the trains at Line Creek, Belton, Baldwin City, or Bonner Springs. We have your Guide to Train Rides in Kansas City... all sure to delight your Little Engineers.
• Why We LOVE It: Children, young and old, love trains. Screaming in the tunnels, listening to the rhythm of the tracks, and waving at passersby… memories of train rides are a highlight of childhood. A few highlights: Kansas City Zoo FOTZ Members can upgrade to a Gold Membership for unlimited train, tram, and carousel rides! The Belton, Grandview, and KC Railroad offers wonderful Ice Cream, Hot Dog, and Holiday Train Rides. The Line Creek Train is only 50cents/each! And the Midland Railway is once again hosting "Day Out with Thomas" this summer! On a rainy day, take your train lover indoors for a treat at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant where meals are delivered by train, or visit the model train display at the Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe.

Stop and Smell the Roses!

• When, Where, What: April Showers bring May Flowers and we can't wait to Stop and Smell the Roses! Okay, enough with the cliches. Let's just say Kansas City is home to several marvelous gardens, including Powell Gardens, the Overland Park Arboretum, the Rose Garden at Loose Park, the Children's Beanstalk Garden and Kauffman Memorial Gardens. 
• Why We LOVE It: Each garden on our list offers a great family outing. Visit Powell Gardens where the children can look out from the top of a silo onto a quilt square garden full of wonderful edible plants and foods... many that may surprise you! The Monet Garden and Children's Gardens at the Overland Park Arboretum are wonderful for photography and a day of play. Kids learn about gardening firsthand at the Beanstalk Children's Garden. And the Kauffman Memorial Garden and Loose Park Rose Garden are both great for a picnic.

Spend a Day at the Park!

• When, Where, What: One of the best things about Kansas City is its wealth of wonderful parks and playgrounds for families! We compiled a list of our favorite parks in Kansas City and why we love them!
• Why We LOVE It: Does your child dream of becoming a fire fighter? Do they pretend to be a Pirate, Prince, or Princess? Or they enthralled by elephants? Kansas City is home to many EXTRAORDINARY parks! Castle Playgrounds, Penguin Slides, Pirate Ship Parks, Firetruck Jungle Gyms, Dinosaurs and MORE! We've collected a list of some of the most unique and most FUN Parks in KC! Best of all? This is a FREE and Fun Outing on our list! Grab the picnic basket, camera, bubbles and balls and spend May playing.

Rock 'n Roll at Jiggle Jam!

• When, Where, What: Jiggle Jam, Kansas City's annual Family Music Festival giggles, jiggles, and wiggles into KC Memorial Day Weekend! May 28th, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and May 29th, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Crown Center (2500 Grand Blvd., KCMO). 816.997.8511 www.KCJiggleJam.com
• Why We LOVE It: The annual festival features local and national children's musicians: Mr. Stinky Feet, Funky Mama, The Doo Dads, Dino O'Dell, Brady Rymer, Rockin' Rob, The La-La's and more!

Celebration at the Station!

• When, Where, What: May 29, 7:30pm-9:30pm at Union Station (30 W. Pershing, KCMO). FREE Memorial Day Celebration with a 90 Minute Patriotic Musical performance by the Kansas City Symphony, followed by Fireworks over Liberty Memorial. www.CelebrationAtTheStation.com
• Why We Love It: Celebration at the Station is a wonderful patriotic celebration as Kansas City gathers to pay tribute to Veterans and celebrate freedom at a marvelous outdoor concert. The Grand Finale of the evening is a magnificent fireworks display behind Liberty Memorial choreographed to patriotic music. Pack a picnic, or buy food from vendors, bring lawn chairs and bottle water, and prepare to wave your flags and cheer as Kansas City celebrates America, freedom, and what Memorial Day is really all about! Read our Guide to Memorial Day in KC for more ideas!

Still looking for more great family fun ideas in Kansas City? Check out our Kansas City Calendar of Events and Going Places in Kansas City on KCParent.com.