This summer has been a SCORCHER... but the nighttime isn't quite as hot (or maybe we're used to it by then)... so, we've been enjoying a lot of family fun in the evenings! Best of all, many of our fun outings are FREE or cheap thanks to great coupons from KC Parent Magazine! Our Favorite Ideas for Cool Summer Nights in Kansas City have been:
- Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is open till 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and admission is FREE!
- Once a month the Kansas City Zoo hosts Sunset Safaris as they stay open till 8pm! The next one is THIS Friday, July 22, where you're invited to enjoy an evening in Australia, Asia, KidZone, Tropics and the NEW Polar Bear Passage! Grab a free snow cone and watch the animals receive ch-ch-chilln' treats (while supplies last). Every half hour watch animals pounce, chomp and lick their way to the treats frozen inside ice formations. Listen to the rockin' music and eat the zoo's food specials prepared just for you and offered at affordable prices. Have you seen the llamas from the train ride? Check it out - train rides are $2.50 or free to GOLD and PLATINUM FOTZ Members. It is FREE for FOTZ Members and only $6 for non-members. Special concession discounts, music and fun!
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is open till 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays and admission is FREE! Bonus: Use our Nelson- Atkins Scavenger Hunt on your visit for added fun!
- Family Nights at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (1200 Kansas City Road, Olathe, KS) every Thursday through July from 6-8pm with FREE admission. Enjoy a variety of historic-themed activities each week. Special activities like stagecoach rides are $2/person. 913.971.5111 Activities include free activities (for example: butter churning, planting seeds, tours of the home) and activities with a small fee (for example: Stagecoach rides, working in the Blacksmith Shop, Grinding Corn) and they vary with the theme each week. Our children were enthralled at the blacksmith shop where they made their own "S Hooks" last year and the stagecoach ride is a fun historic experience, but watch out for stagecoach thieves!
- Cool Crest is open till midnight or 1am every night all summer! Enjoy miniature golf, GoKarts, and arcades (Bonus: Cool Crest Coupons)!
- Kansas City's Spraygrounds are open till 7 or 9pm (check the local parks & rec listings for exact times for each one) and offer a great FREE way to cool off!
- Kansas City's Drive-In Movie Theaters are a fun and nostalgic way to watch a movie as a family and it's affordable too! Tip: Read these Tips for the Drive-In before you go!
- Outdoor theater at Starlight and other local theaters. Starlight is one of our FAVORITE family traditions and my girls are counting the days till Cinderella starts next week! Tip: Enter to win FREE Tickets to Cinderella's Opening Night!
- Kansas City's Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Shops offer a delicious, "healthy" (choose toppings wisely), and fun evening treat!
- Enjoy one of Kansas City's indoor play places! Little Monkey Bizness (perfect for toddlers and preschoolers) offers family night from 4-8pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and Monkey Bizness (an inflatable play place for ages 2-14) is open till 8pm Mon-Sat (Bonus: Monkey Bizness Coupons). Leaping Lizards (inflatables for ages 2-14) is open till 7 or 8pm many evenings, check the Leaping Lizards Open Play Schedule for dates (Bonus: Leaping Lizards Coupon). Zonkers (an indoor amusement park) is open till 9pm M-Th, and 10pm Fr-Sat. Paradise Park offers gokarts, batting cages, arcades, rock wall climbing, and the Children's EduTainment Center and they are open evenings as well!
- Worlds of Fun is open late all summer long and Planet Snoopy is a big hit for children (Bonus: Worlds of Fun coupon)!!!
- Enjoy bowling, gokarts, lazer tag, paintball, or more family fun! See KC Going Places for your complete guide to all of these fun attractions! (Bonus: Mission Bowl Coupon).
- Swim beaches and boating at the local lakes is great fun. Up for something simple?, We love to simply feed the fish at the Longview Marina (bring stale bread or cereal). Discover local beaches and lakes here.
- Play at the Park... a new one! Kansas City is home to many fun and unique parks and these are our TOP PICKS for the Best Parks in Kansas City.
- FREE Summer Concerts and FREE Summer Movies at local parks... many outdoor concerts feature our favorite kiddie rockers like Funky Mama and Dino O'Dell, and summer movies at the local parks range from animated favorites to classics!
Okay... this is just the tip of the iceberg we're sure! What our your favorite evening outings for your family?
Written by Kristina Light