Five Fabulous Summer Daycations in KC
This summer, make memories locally by enjoying classic summer fun with the family.
Experience a Summer of Yesteryear
Take a break from technology and enjoy an opportunity to get back to the basics at Shawnee Town 1929. This living history site welcomes visitors to engage in hands-on history and experience a typical day in and around the 1920s farm community of Shawnee. Families explore homes and businesses in the town representing the 1920s. An auto shop, grocer, dentist, barber, school and offices are just a few of the buildings you’ll find in the town. The site hosts many events throughout the year (all found on the KCParent.com calendar). Our favorite are the Time Travelers events taking guests back to a time when everyone had “at least one chicken in the pot and five in the coop, washed clothes with lye soap and a washboard, and made dinner with vegetables fresh from their garden.” Families participate in old-fashioned chores, farming, gardening and cooking activities and learn what life was like for previous generations of Americans.
Tip: Enjoy an old-fashioned ice cream soda or phosphate at the nearby Georgetown Pharmacy (800.279.3026).
Make Some Waves
Summer and swimming—the two go hand-in-hand. Splash into fun at Oceans of Fun, Kansas City’s premier outdoor water park. The outdoor water park offers Surf City wave pool, the Caribbean Cooler lazy river, Crocodile Isle for little ones, waterslides and attractions. This summer, race your friends on the brand new five-story-high Riptide Raceway, the world’s longest mat racing waterslide. Racers speed down 486 feet in enclosed, winding tubes and around a 360-degree loop before making a splash landing at the end. Admission to Oceans of Fun is included with a Worlds of Fun ticket, so you can enjoy the thrill of coasters and waterslides or explore Planet Snoopy and float along a lazy river, all in one day!
Tip: Check their calendar in advance for up-to-date ticket and reservation policies. And don’t forget to pack sunscreen!
Go on a Treasure Hunt
As children grow up, their interests and needs do as well. Could your kids use a new chair or desk for their room? A bulletin board or reading nook? If you’re inspired by home makeovers and decorating shows on HGTV, Kansas City’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations (Habitat.org/restores) are the place for you. Each store is a resale outlet where donated goods—home remodeling materials, from hardware, tile and carpet to the proverbial kitchen sink and furnishings—are sold at a fraction of retail. This is a great way to buy inexpensive materials and reuse supplies that may otherwise wind up in a landfill. And, even better, 100 percent of the proceeds benefits local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to fund the construction of Habitat homes within the community. Take the kids on a treasure hunt to find just the right item to jazz up their bedrooms, refresh it with a fresh coat of paint and voila! You’ve just updated a bedroom, made memories and helped a worthy cause.
Tip: For inspiration to repurpose your treasures, check out 50 Ways to Paint Furniture: The Easy, Step-by-Step Way to Decorator Looks by Elise Kinkead or Furniture Facelifts: A Paint Recipes Book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Revamping Your Furniture by Liz Wagstaff and Mark Thurgood.
Celebrate America’s Pastime
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has been a favorite local landmark for generations. The south lawn is home to Art Course, a nine-hole miniature golf course inspired by masterpieces within the museum. The playful, whimsical holes are fun and creative. This summer, the museum introduced a new hole based on a favorite piece, Radcliffe Bailey’s Mound Magician in the museum’s contemporary galleries. The hole pays tribute to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the 100th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs. Next, visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (TIP: Find a coupon on KCParent.com) that showcases the history of American baseball from the African-American perspective, beginning in 1863, and gets you acquainted with many famous local baseball stars. Measure up against the life-size bronze statues of players in mid-game on the baseball diamond. And take in a game at the Field of Legends where you can cheer for the new Kansas City Monarchs baseball team!
Tip: After a day at the Nelson, visit the nearby Kauffman Memorial Gardens, Kansas City’s free botanical garden and oasis in the heart of Midtown.
Spend a Lazy Day at the Lake
We love spending summer at the lake, and Lake Olathe is one of our favorite local lakes with a beautiful swim beach and inflatable Aqua Park. For landlocked Midwesterners, it’s great to have a place where you can build sandcastles, swim with the family and jump into the water from a giant floating playground. Lake Olathe Park visitors can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats at the marina. The upper lawn at the lake is surrounded by landscaping and a small stream with a water feature flowing into a waterfall before ending in a pond. A creek leading from the pond wraps around the kid-friendly sprayground before flowing into the lake. Search “Beaches and Boating” on KCParent.com for a complete guide to local lakes.
Tip: Bring the cooler filled with water and pack a picnic to make a complete day at the beach with the family. Remember some sandcastle building toys too!
Kristina Light and her girls love local adventures.