The Tiny Tot Tourist
As a stay-at-home mom of three preschoolers, including two under 2, sometimes I need to leave the house and “go on an adventure” with my kids. I need to get out and be among other people. I love to explore museums, think about life and discover things beyond the ABCs. But taking a 2-year-old or infant out for the day can be overwhelming, even if it’s good for them and good for me.
Each outing we brave is easier than the last because I’ve learned tricks and tips to make it work, and my children have learned how to behave and what is expected of them as we explore the city together.
Five Favorite Field Trips for Little Ones
Visit Animals
Super Simple: My firstborn LOVED visiting the local pet store as a toddler. We watched tropical fish, exotic birds, even gerbils running in cages. Best of all, the pet store is next to our grocery store, so we were able to use it as a reward for good behavior in the food aisles .
Extra Special: Visits to the Kansas City Zoo and Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead are wonderful opportunities for young children to see unfamiliar animals up close and personal. They can bottle feed goats at Deanna Rose, feed deer at the Zoo, and see animals—from elephants to bison—typically found only in picture books.
Explore Books
Super Simple: Attend story time at your local library or bookstore. Encourage your child to choose books and participate in the summer reading program so they can begin to earn incentives.
Extra Special: Take in a special event at the bookstore or library, like a costumed character visit from the Cat in the Hat or a puppet show at the library. Let your child choose a book to purchase as their very own.
Food is Fun
Super Simple: Make a trip to the grocery store fun by joining your supermarket’s kids’ club. Price Chopper, for instance, offers free cheese, cookies, juice and treats to kids. They receive coupons on their birthdays and they soon enjoy shopping.
Extra Special: Make trips to the store extra fun by including your child in the trip. Let him choose fruits to purchase. Ask her to help you find red apples, green grapes and yellow bananas to learn her foods and colors, or have him count the number of carrots, boxes of cereal and potatoes you purchase.
Marvelous Museums
Super Simple: Paradise Park, Wonderscope Children’s Museum, KidScape at the Johnson County Museum and the free exhibits at Crown Center are specially designed for young children. They love to explore the hands-on activities. It is best to visit these sites when school is in session and the sun is shining (other moms are probably at the park).
Extra Special: Take your child to a “grown up” museum. I’ve been taking my girls to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art since birth. We play “I Spy,” I create scavenger hunts, we tell stories in the artwork and I use the paintings as “giant flash cards” to teach vocabulary. We typically look at the art inside for 30-45 minutes, play outside for 10-15 minutes, then look at the art again before heading home. They also love the Toy and Miniature Museum, Missouri Town, historic homes and other “grown up” museums.
Picnic at the Park
Super Simple: Pack some snacks, grab the bubbles and head to your local park for a day of play (seewww.KCParent.com and click “Going Places” to find a park near you).
Extra Special: Call a friend and book a play date at the park. Visit one of Kansas City’s best parks and discover something new. From pirate playgrounds to castles, dinosaurs and penguins, Kansas City is home to many exceptional parks.
Kansas City mom Kristina Light can be found on field trips all over town with her three tiny tots.