50 Under $5 for Summer Fun in Kansas City

Stretching the family budget while making the most of summer break is every parent’s dream. Celebrate the season with these free and cheap local ideas!

• Splash and play at a Kansas City area sprayground. All local spraygrounds are FREE. Discover more fun at local pools and waterparks with this KC Water Fun Guide (note: some of these exceed $5 admission, but check calendars for deals like free admission for Dad on Father's Day).
• Join the summer movie club at Cinemark or B & B Theaters where you can enjoy cheap films all summer long. 
• Step back in time at one of Shawnee Town 1929's family-friendly summer events.
• Play at “The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD®,” Crown Center’s free summer kids exhibit. The exhibit is FREE May 28 - Sept. 5. An exciting hands-on traveling exhibit created by the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in collaboration with Hasbro. The exhibit features MR. POTATO HEAD, the much-loved silly character, who becomes an explorer, scientist, and adventurer with a change of his "parts." 
• Attend a free family fun night at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (Thursdays, 6:00-8:00). Enjoy a different theme of 1860s living history each week. FREE admission, stagecoach rides are $3/person ages 3 & up, some activities require an extra fee. 2016 Themes: June 2 - Cowboys, June 9 - Civil War, June 16 - Farm to Table, June 23 - 1860s Construction, June 30 - 1860s Mad Science, July 7 - 19th Century Fireworks, July 14 - Civil War, July 21 - Hit the Trail, July 28 - Kansas Wheat Harvest.
• Go fishing.
• Participate in a summer reading program.
• Enjoy Little Adventures (Wed in June & July) at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures  (Admission is $5 for ages 5 and up).
• Head to the KC Power & Light District for Sprint Family Fun Days event the second Saturday of each month.
• Explore the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
• Tour the Truman home in Independence.
• Visit Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (2016 Admission - $2/person (under age 2 free), Fri.-Sun. & holidays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Thu.: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special Free Admission from 2pm to close Mon-Th).
• Picnic near a Kansas City area waterfall.
• Sign up for free bowling with www.KidsBowlFree.com or free roller skating at www.KidsSkateFree.com.
• Stroll through Kauffman Memorial Gardens.
• Attend Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park (For its 24th season, the Festival will present Twelfth Night; or, What You Will, Shakespeare's hilarious romantic comedy set in romantic Illyria. The play explores love, loss and reunion along with ambition, madness and gender reversal -- all with lots of humor. The production dates are June 14 - July 3, 2016, Tuesday - Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Signed performances for the hard of hearing will be Wednesday, June 22 and Sunday, June 26.  Festival admission is donation only.).
• Take a tour of The Roasterie and learn about coffee.
• Play at Penguin Park.
• Share a Skyscraper at Winstead’s.
• Play “I Spy” at Lakeside Nature Center.
• Create a masterpiece at Kaleidoscope.
• Ride the KC Streetcar.
• Imagine and play at KidScape at the Johnson County Museum. Note: This museum is relocating in 2017 and this summer is the last chance to see the exhibit before it moves to its new home next spring!
• Marvel at modern art at the Nerman Museum, where admission is free.
• Really hot outside? Treat the kids to a snow cone at Little Freshie or a Tropical Sno Station or Kona Ice Truck.
• Stop and smell the roses at Loose Park.
• Spend a first Friday in the Crossroads.
• Take a tour of the Kansas City, MO, City Hall and go to the roof for amazing views of downtown.
• Ride the KC Northern Railroad, just 75 cents on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Hike at Ernie Miller Nature Center.
• Visit the free National Archives of Kansas City and explore their free exhibits.
• Build a free project at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Both offer free workshops on select Saturdays.
• Pretend to be a pirate at a local pirate ship park.
• Photograph friends in front of a fountain.
• Discover a masterpiece at the free Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
• Get free money at the Money Museum.
• Attend a Kansas City area Festival.
• Taste test every flavor of Glace Ice Cream until you find your favorite.
• Ride bikes at one of KC's Best Bike Trails.
• Learn about the Santa Fe Trail at Cave Springs Nature Center.
• Explore the Central Branch of the Kansas City Library, because any library with a parking garage painted with classic books has to be cool.
• Walk the Country Club Plaza and admire the art and fountains.
• Tour the Harley-Davidson Factory, a favorite activity for ages 12 and up.
• Take photographs in front of a fountain.
• Feed the fish at Longview Lake (buy fish food at the marina shop).
• Bike Trolley Trail.
• Take a free class at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center.
• Imagine you’re in the Wild West at Antioch Park.
• Learn new things about nature through a class or program at one of KC's Nature Centers or Gardens.
• And remember to search Free Events on our Kansas City calendar, where there are free (and cheap) things to enjoy every day.

Tip: You may also enjoy 100 Ways to Enjoy a Kansas City Summer (our favorite ideas regardless of price!).