It was New Year's a few years back and I decided to actually make a New Year's resolution. This was my first real New Year's resolution to undertake voluntarily as all previous resolutions had revolved around a school assignment or family challenge, but it was without a doubt the most fun and most memorable... and I actually fulfilled it. My resolution? It was simply to do something NEW every week. That, in and of itself, is relatively vague, so yes there were guidelines. In a nutshell, new had to 1) be legal, moral and reasonably safe, and 2) "really be new." Essentially it had to be more than reading a new book, the activity as a whole had to stretch me.
This one resolution provided me with one of the most fun and interesting years that I can remember and the habit of doing something new, while not necessarily weekly, has stuck with me. Now I'm always on the lookout for small adventures. New adventures have included: swing dance lessons (didn't learn much, but would like to revisit that one), silversmithing lessons (LOVED this), hot air balloon flying lessons and flight, flying over the Plaza Lights in a small Cesna, rappelling, learning to make sushi (used books, not a class for this one), oil painting lessons, cooking lessons with Plaza restaurant chefs, tours of wineries or homes of KC's rich and famous, renting and riding a bicycle built for two through Hermann, attending many of the festivals Kansas City has to offer from the Japan Festival (tremendous fun) to the Italian Festival (skip it) and more.
So, how do you find new things to do? My top three sources were Kansas City websites, books, and lessons offered through local community education programs.
Many people think community education means basic computer courses for the elderly or ballroom dancing lessons for singles. While those classes do exist, community ed has come to mean much more! The class offerings are varied from the practical, to the artistic, to the just plain fun. Classes make for unique personal enrichment, a fun Mom's Night Out, or a great date with your husband!
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Local community centers and public schools also offer courses and programs. Many stores and shops, such as scrapbooking stores, and mosaic and pottery shops offer classes as well.
Art Classes:
- Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI.edu) They offer non-credit, inexpensive courses in painting, stained glass, drawing, photography, sculpture and more.
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Nelson-Atkins.org) The Nelson offers classes for all ages ranging from hands-on art courses to tours and historical workshops and lectures.
- Urban Arts and Crafts (UrbanArtsAndCrafts.com) This unique KC shop offers offbeat art materials and unique courses ranging from jewelry making to crochet.
- The Paper Source (Paper-Source.com) This Plaza boutique features unique stationery and cards. They also offer courses in making your own paper crafts.
Cake Decorating, Crafts, and More:
- Hobby Lobby (HobbyLobby.com)
- Michaels (Michaels.com)
- Joann (Joann.com)
- Hancock Fabrics (HancockFabrics.com)
These local stores offer classes for all ages including cake decorating, painting, sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery and more.
Culinary Courses:
- Williams Sonoma (Williams-Sonoma.com) Call a store near you for information. Their culinary courses offer full cooking demonstrations, complete meals, and take home recipes from top area chefs.
- Culinary Center of Kansas City (KCculinary.com) They offer the widest range of gourmet and practical cooking courses in KC. Classes are offered year round and most courses include a complete meal. Courses are varied and unique.
Health Courses:
- Kansas City Red Cross (KCRedCross.org)
- Lee's Summit Hospital (LeesSummitHospital.com)
- Children's Mercy (ChildrensMercy.org)
- Carondelet Health (CarondeletHealth.org)
- Overland Park Regional Health Center (Oprmc.com)
- Olathe Medical Center (Ohsi.com)
Classes are practical ranging from Family CPR to Infant Message to Baby Sign Language and parenting courses. Some hospitals also offer exercise courses and healthy eating or cooking.
Local Colleges offer Community Education covering MANY topics:
- Johnson County Community College (Jccc.net)
- Metropolitan Community Colleges (Mcckc.edu)
- UMKC's Communiversity (Umkc.edu/commu)
Search for "Community Education" when you visit these sites. These courses are non-credit courses that you can take just for fun. The courses tend to be inexpensive and require no homework!
Local Libraries offer classes... and they are often FREE:
- Johnson County Library (JoCoLibrary.org)
- Mid-Continent Public Library (Mcpl.lib.mo.us)
- Kansas City Library (KCLibrary.org)
Happy exploring!