✕
☰

A Sense-ational Summer of Fun in Kansas City

by

Observe and enjoy the world around you this summer on a sense-ational adventure celebrating all five senses:

 

When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength. ~Maria Montessori

TOUCH: Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (138th & Switzer, Overland Park, KS, 913.897.2360. FREE Mon.-Thur. with $2/person admission Fri.-Sun. During the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day), the Farmstead is open until 8:00 on Tuesday and Thursday). The farmstead showcases a variety of farm animals: goats, longhorn steer, cows, horses, chickens, mules, sheep, bison, prairie dogs, a koi pond, and even some rescued animals—our favorite being the bald eagle. Kids enjoy the petting zoo area where they pet and feed goats They also enjoy feeding the fish, riding ponies or a horse-drawn wagon, learning about cows in the dairy barn where they can milk a model cow and riding miniature John Deere tractors. The farmstead is beautifully maintained, well shaded and full of wonderful.

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. ~ Lewis Grizzard

Taste: A visit to Powell Gardens: (1609 NW U.S. Hwy. 50, Kingsville, MO, 816.697.2600) is a treat for all five senses. Powell Gardens, one of Kansas City’s botanical gardens, features many wonderful areas to explore. One of our favorites, the 12-acre Heartland Harvest Garden, is the largest edible landscape in the United States. After a visit, children better understand where their food comes from. One of the highlights of a visit is the opportunity to sample foods at the tasting stations, which are open during growing season. “On any given day, you're likely to find several things to try, from basics like strawberries to more unusual items like yard-long noodle beans,” Callen Zind, Powell’s marketing and events director, says. “With more than 2,000 types of food plants, we can almost guarantee there will be something to surprise you!”

Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world, our own, we see it multiplied, and as many original artists as there are, so many worlds are at our disposal. ~ Marcel Proust

Sight: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak, Kansas City, MO, 816.751.1278) is one of our favorite destinations in Kansas City. The beautifully lit Bloch Building, the all-new interactive outdoor sculpture "Glass Labyrinth" and amazing galleries featuring art from around the world make this a terrific family outing, date night or parents night out. Best of all, because admission is free, you don't have to do it all in one day! Visit for 30 minutes or just an hour or two and come back another day. With young children, come after they've enjoyed breakfast and are well rested, then visit for a bit and return another day to see more. Tours are available, including FREE mobile audio guided tours. Check out an iPod Touch or connect with your own web-enabled device. The mobile audio guide has a special Kansas City Sculpture Park tour just for kids! Guided tours are also offered for free every day. In addition, you will find family guides in the Bloch Lobby that explain various exhibits specifically with kids in mind. You may pick up free copies of the guide at the museum, or read the family guides online before your trip! Tip: Use our “Nelson-Atkins Scavenger Hunt” to add to your fun.

Take time to stop and smell the flowers. ~unknown

Smell: Visit the Kauffman Memorial Gardens (4800 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO), one of the most beautiful places in Kansas City. The gardens are a beautiful spot for a stroll and photography, and they are open and free to the public. Moms will appreciate that the gardens are gated, keeping children within the walls to explore the flowers and fountains without worry that they'll wander into the street or parking lot. The indoor gardens offer a nice place to sit and relax, and they have public restrooms, as well. Bonus Tip: On select dates throughout the summer, you may catch a FREE ride from Kauffman Gardens to Powell Gardens. Read the Powell Gardens shuttle schedule at www.PowellGardens.org/Shuttle for more information.

Music is the art of thinking with sounds. ~ Jules Combarieu

Sound: Kansas City is home to many wonderful children’s musicians, as well as great performers in every genre that the entire family will enjoy. Search our Kansas City Calendar for FREE summer concerts all season long! Local attractions and parks host talented musicians who perform great outdoor concerts, offering a terrific opportunity to introduce kids to a love for music. Best of all, most of these concerts also permit you to bring your own picnic and perhaps even toss a Frisbee or blow some bubbles, making it a truly fun and memorable family experience. So enjoy some great music under the summer sky.

More Summer Fun for the Senses in Kansas City:

Kristina Light every year looks forward to summer fun at Powell Garden, where her daughters especially enjoy the annual Festival of Butterflies.

Back to topbutton