The 50 Fun Ways to Enjoy a Kansas City Summer for $5 or Less list has gone viral! If you're looking for Kansas City Summer fun on a budget, it's the place to turn.
What if you want to splurge a little this summer or you just want to enjoy the best that a Kansas City Summer has to offer? (There is no set price range for this list, some of these ideas are free / inexpensive, and some are worth the splurge!)
These are my family's 25 Favorite Ways to Enjoy a Kansas City Summer! PS: Check out 50 Fun Ways to Enjoy a Kansas City Summer for $5 or Less for more great summer fun ideas!
- Savoring McGonigle's Ribs. Truth: I purchased our first slab of summer ribs for dinner tonight and the smell is very distracting while I'm writing. Can't wait to dig in! You know it is summer at my house when you smell barbecue and I make my grandmother's hot German potato salad.
Enjoying local lakes! We love to swim at local swim beaches, rent pontoons and pedal boats, fish, and there are more summer water adventures including wakeboarding, skiing, and sailing to enjoy. Check out our guide to - Enjoying local lakes! We love to swim at local swim beaches, rent pontoons and pedal boats, fish, and there are more summer water adventures including wakeboarding, skiing, and sailing to enjoy. Check out our guide to KC Water Adventures for inspiration!
- Enjoying live shows at Starlight Theatre. This summer's line up is FABULOUS! We are so excited for so many family-friendly shows with The Wizard of Oz, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, andSound of Music being our family's three top picks from the line up. Thanks Starlight for bringing my husband's FAVORITE show (Joseph) during his birthday this year.
- Attending the Missouri State Fair. Okay, this isn't exactly in KC, but it's worth the drive to Sedalia! We go every summer and my kids have a blast. Read my City's Girls Guide to the Missouri State Fair for fun tips!
- Visiting the Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens (Aug. 1-3 & 8-10 this year). Powell Gardens is a family favorite every year and we enjoy many of their events, but the Festival of Butterflies is top of our family's list!
- Riding roller coasters at World's of Fun and enjoying water rides at Oceans of Fun.
- Attending The Winter’s Tale at Shakespeare in the Park (June 17-July 6). I love Shakespeare in the Park and go every year. Pack a picnic and enjoy free shows across the street from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (another one of my favorite places).
Picnicking at - Picnicking at Loose Park! The rose garden is breath-taking. We bring the camera for great photos in the rose garden, the kids wear swimsuits under their outfits and we pack beach towels for the sprayground. Truly, this is one of my favorite places on earth.
- Window shopping and taking photos at the Country Club Plaza, topped off with sharing a skyscraper (GIANT Ice Cream Soda) at Winstead's.
- Spending a day at The Kansas City Zoo where we love the rides and fantastic new animal exhibits. We have a FOTZ Membership and love all the benefits (including free / discounted admission to OTHER zoos when we travel!).
- Enjoying our local library’s summer reading program.
- Strolling through Kauffman Memorial Gardens another great photo-op destination near the Country Club Plaza and Nelson-Atkins.
- Rooting for The Royals! We join the Blue Crew every year (kids club) and enjoy the great ticket prices, kids shirts, and passes on fun in the kid's section. Friday night fireworks games are our favorite!
- Sampling foods from around the world at the Ethnic Enrichment Festival (Aug 15-17 in Swope Park).
- Feeding animals at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead followed by a stroll through Firefly Forest.
- Spending a first Friday in the Crossroads on a date night.
- Treating the kids to Glace Ice Cream a decadent artisan ice cream worth the wait in line.
Attending a free family fun night at - Attending a free family fun night at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (Thursdays, 6:00-8:00). Our family loves their living history programs and my girls especially enjoyed making their own "S Hooks" in the blacksmith shop. The stagecoach rides are pretty cool too!
- Train rides! My husband loves trains (always has), so it's a summer tradition to ride the rails with the Belton, Grandview & KC Railroad, or the Midland Railway, or the KC Northern Railroad. All three offer great train rides on the weekends in the summer.
- Spending a day at Schlitterbahn. We love bringing our own picnic and enjoying a day riding through the water park. With free tubes (including two person tubes), free parking, and permission to bring coolers, it works great for our family.
- Picking blueberries, strawberries, and fresh fruit at Kansas City's U-Pick Farms.
- Exploring Missouri State Parks & Kansas State Parks - great for camping, hiking, nature and discovery. Ha Ha Tonka, with authentic castle ruins to explore, is one of our top picks!
Shopping at a - Shopping at a Kansas City Farmers Market - I love buying artisan bread and fresh honey at the Overland Park Farmers Market, and we always stop into Planter's for spices when we shop at City Market.
- Listening to live music under a night sky. Kansas City's Free Summer Concert list is great!
- Exploring new places! New museums opening around town (Prairie Fire and KC Auto Museum), new exhibits (Discovery of King Tut at Union Station, Glass Labyrinth at the Nelson-Atkins) and more!
And remember to search Free Events on our Kansas City calendar, where there are free (and cheap) things to enjoy every day.