10 Top Picks for May in Kansas City

     May in Kansas City... the end of the school year, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Baseball, 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 2010!

10 Top Picks for May in Kansas City!

Dinosaurs: Unearthed

• When, Where, What: Starting May 1, 2010 (and lasting all summer) Union Station (30 W. Pershing, KCMO 816.460.2020) is hosting Dinosaurs Unearthed... the Largest, Most Interactive and Dynamic Dinosaur Exhibit in the History of Kansas City. While you're there, visit Science City’s DinoLab to talk to staff paleontologist, Matt Christopher aka "Dino Matt." Then head over to the Extreme Screen to see, “Dinosaurs Alive 3D.” All coming 05.01.2010 A.D. 816.474.3922
• Why We LOVE It: Dinosaurs Unearthed is more than animatronic dinosaurs and fun special effects... though the special effects are super cool! It is a truly hands-on experience where visitors interact with the dinosaurs controlling their movements, participate in educational games, and explore fossils firsthand learning. KCParent.com went behind the scenes at Dinosaurs Unearthed for a sneak preview and we have exclusive video and interviews with the creators of the exhibit! We also have your complete guide to Dinosaur Fun ALL Around Kansas City!

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 & KC Railroad is one of our favorites where you can enjoy a ride at 2pm every Saturday and Sunday in May for only $8.50/ea and throughout the summer they offer 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.  

Brookside Art Annual!

• When, Where, What: The Brookside Art Annual (63rd and Brookside Blvd, KCMO). Art Fair Hours: Friday, April 30, 5pm-9pm Saturday, May 1, 10am-9pm Sunday, May 2, 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. 

Happy Birthday Harry!

• When, Where, What: On May 8th, celebrate the Birthday of President Truman in Historic Independence! Enjoy $1 Admission at historic sites, Birthday Cake, watch "Hats Off Harry," and meet President Truman, as portrayed by re-enactor Niel Johnson, who will visit The Truman Presidential Museum and greet visitors from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 816.268.8200 www.trumanlibrary.org
• Why We LOVE It: This is a great event to celebrate Kansas City's Own Harry Truman and the rich historic sites of Independence, Missouri. From the National Frontier Trails Museum, with its wonderful hands-on exhibits portraying the history of Westward Expansion, to the Truman Home and Truman Presidential Library, Independence is home to many of Kansas City's best museums for families and you simply can't beat $1 admission! Read our article on Independence.

Smucker's Stars on Ice

• When, Where, What: Smucker's Stars on Ice performance will be in Kansas City for ONE Show on May 10th at 7pm at the Sprint Center (1407 Grand, KCMO 816.949.7000)!
• Why We LOVE It: If your family enjoyed watching the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, then you'll love the Smucker’s Stars on Ice Tour! The spectacular cast includes freshly crowned 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists Meryl Davis & Charlie White; and 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists & 2010 Olympians Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto. They will be joined by 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen; World Champion & Six-Time National Champion Todd Eldredge; Two-Time World Bronze Medalist & Three-Time National Champion Michael Weiss; World Champion & Two-Time Japanese Ladies Champion Yuka Sato; and 2009 U.S. National Champion Alissa Czisny. We, at KCParent.com, had the pleasure of interviewing Sasha Cohen, Silver Medalist! Read the full Sasha Cohen Interview here.

Moms Get in FREE at Wonderscope!

• When, Where, What: Every Sunday in May, Moms get in for FREE at Wonderscope Children's Museum! 913.268.4176 www.Wonderscope.org
• Why We LOVE It: Wonderscope Children's Museum will capture the imagination of your preschool and early elementary children With wonderful hands-on exhibits where your family can race golf balls, play at a water table, explore the ocean through Legos, and take your tykes on an imaginary shopping trip in a pint-size grocery store... at Wonderscope the entire family is encouraged to play together! We can't think of a better way to celebrate Moms and Family than to spend a day being a kid again... together. Read our Guide to Mother's Day in Kansas City for even more ideas!

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 29th, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and May 30th, 11 a.m. – 6 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, Ralph's World, The Jimmies, The Zeros, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, and more!

Celebration at the Station!

• When, Where, What: May 30, 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 and a 21-gun salute to Veterans. 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! 

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.