The Little House Project: Living Like Laura in Kansas City
About The Little House Project: As a child, the very first "chapter books" I read were "The Little House Books." I remember watching the television series and falling in love with the history of pioneers through the Ingalls family. I wanted to share the stories with my own girls (we have three, just like the Ingalls) and I wanted the stories to jump off the pages and capture their imaginations just as they had mine. With Little House on the Prairie: The Musical coming to Starlight Theatre in Kansas City (June 22-27, 2010), I decided it was time to dust off the beloved books and introduce Little House to my girls. The "My First Little House" picture book series was a wonderful introduction for my young girls, and my oldest loves the original chapter books... but each book introduces new vocabulary and concepts unfamiliar to my 21st century kids. As we read about churning butter, trundle beds, covered wagons, ox yokes, and log cabins images of Kansas City's wonderful historic sites and museums came to my mind and thus the idea for The Little House Project was born. My girls and I are embarking on Day Trips in Kansas City exploring what life was like for Laura and her family through the wonderful museums and sites across our metro. This is just the beginning.... we encourage you to read along and journey with us as we escape to the 1800s with the Ingalls for the next six weeks in anticipation of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical in Kansas City! ~ Kristina Light
Follow The Little House Project
The Little House Project continues through the end of June 2010! We'll be embarking on Day Trips across Kansas City to explore life as Laura lived for the next several weeks. To follow the newest installments subscribe to the KCParent.com eNewsletter!
Little House on the Prairie: The Musical
Little House on the Prairie: The Musical is coming to Starlight Theatre from June 22-27 and we can't wait! Starlight was inspired by KCParent.com's EXCLUSIVE Little House Project to start the celebration EARLY with a Party on the Prairie! Starlight teamed with a number of local historical attractions and organizations to host the family event from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. before each performance of Little House on the Prairie, The Musical. The Party on the Prairie events and activities will be on the north lawn inside Starlight’s gates. Adults and children will enjoy old-fashioned games, crafts, square dancing, butter churning, wool spinning, hair braiding and much more. All Party on the Prairie events are free with the purchase of a ticket to the show. Participating organizations include Atkins-Johnson Farm, John Wornall House Museum, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, Missouri Town 1855, National Frontier Trails Museum, Piccadilly Puppets, Pioneer Trails Adventures, Robbie Wisdom Basket Weaving and Swingin’ Singles Square Dancing. For more details, visit www.KCStarlight.com or call 816.363.STAR (7827).
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm
The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Olathe offers a wonderful living history of pioneer life. From farming, the blacksmithing, to home life, and of course... Stagecoaches... Mahaffie is a wonderful historic outing to remember life in the 1800s as it was on Little House on the Prairie.
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm is a living history home, farm, blacksmith shop, and grounds where the highlight is the hands-on history programs and Stagecoach Rides. Read Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop: Life in the 1800s to discover a hands-on history site in Johnson County.
Shoal Creek: Childhood on the Prairie
Laura's childhood tales include memories of school, her father's work at the Mill, Sunday worship, playing games with friends, and chores at home. The Living History programs at Shoal Creek are a fun and educational way for children to visit the 1800s and experience life as Laura lived through hands-on history!
Shoal Creek Living History Museum includes over twenty buildings on eighty acres, each depicting real aspects of 19th century living. Read Shoal Creek: Childhood on the Prairie to discover a must see in the Northland.
Independence, Missouri: Going West
The third book in Laura's collection, "Little House on the Prairie," begins with the Ingalls' journey West from the Big Woods of Wisconsin to Eastern Kansas. I can think of no better place in the Kansas City area to portray traveling west, log cabin living, and the journeys of the Ingalls than Independence.
Read Independence Missouri & The Little House Project to learn about the best museums and sites to visit for hands-on history, pioneer exploration, and family fun.
Missouri Town 1855: Imagining life in Walnut Grove
The Little House on the Prairie television series took us to the prairie town of Walnut Grove and Missouri Town 1855 is the closest thing to it in Kansas City! The antebellum village is a collection of homes, businesses, and buildings from the towns of western Missouri all situated on thirty acres of land. Staff and volunteers dress in period attire as they bring the town to life! Read Missouri Town &: The Little House Project to experience life in a prairie community of the 1800s.
The Wornall House: Day-to-Day Life on the Prairie
The John Wornall House Museum is certainly not a "Little House," but it does depict life in the 1850s. The Wornall family was extremely wealthy, perhaps closer to the Oleson family than the Ingalls, but many artifacts in the home knew no economic barrier. Everyone had to eat, sleep, and wash up at night. How can we depict that to our children? Read Wornall House & The Little House Project to learn about the new Touch and Feel Tour that brings the 1800s to life in a way no other Kansas City museum does.
To follow the newest installments subscribe to the KCParent.com eNewsletter!