Summer... my feelings about the season are bittersweet. Summer is my personal "least favorite" season simply because of the weather... give me snow ANY day (Yes, even the massive amounts we enjoyed last winter!). But, summer does have its rewards and we've been enjoying many of them all summer. My girls and I decided to share our 10 Favorite things about Summer and hope that your family is having a Super Summer too!
- Fantastic LIVE Outdoor Theater! We LOVED Little House on the Prairie at Starlight, Annie at Theatre in the Park, and I'm enjoying a Moms' Night Out at Shakespeare in the Park's FREE production of King Richard III. Later this summer, we can't wait for Beauty and the Beast at Starlight and Cinderella at Theatre in the Park. Our friends are excited about Annie Get Your Gun at the Gladstone Amphitheatre and many more great shows!
- Bar-B-Q! As a Kansas City native, I LOVE Bar-B-Q! Whether we fire up our own backyard grill, or visit our favorite restaurant, Jack Stack.... nothing says summer as deliciously as Bar-B-Q!
- Baseball! As the only member of my family who remembers '85 (my husband grew up in Arizona and isn't a big fan of sports)... I still remember the excitement of cheering for Frank White, George Brett, and Brett Saberhagen during the summers of my youth. Now my girls are loving baseball and it's a summer ritual that they sing, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" almost every day... whether or not we're actually going to a game! The K has remained a family-friendly ballpark and we're glad. The girls enjoy The Little K and the fireworks after Friday games, which even my non-sports-loving husband can appreciate!
- Playing in the Water! We love Summit Waves in Lee's Summit and Adventure Oasis in Independence. The kiddie water playground and lazy river make it a perfect hang out for our family. Ocean's of Fun and Schlitterbahn are both on our list to visit this summer, and we LOVE to play at Longview Beach. We've also enjoyed playing in the fountains at Crown Center and the spraygrounds at Loose Park.
- Summer Reading! My girls are participating in our library's summer reading program, and we've also taken advantage of the library's special events including free children's concerts, puppet shows, and parties. We love our local libraries and we visit the Central Library downtown for a treat... Emily says it's like visiting "Belle's library in Beauty and the Beast!"
- Summer Movies! We've been enjoying cheap movies at Dickinson theaters and free movies around town. We're especially looking forward to The Wizard of Oz FREE at the Legends NEXT WEEK! Check our schedule for a great summer movie line up.
- Art, Art, Art! Summer brings out our creativity. We've spent several days at the Nelson exploring the art and creating stories about the masterpieces... aren't they all just illustrations for fairytales? The girls have also loved free visits to Kaleidoscope, and I love that our art outings are FREE!
- Day Trips! Whether Berry Picking at The Berry Patch, visiting small towns like Jamesport or Atchison, or exploring historic sites, we love day trips! One of our favorite "not too far" options for girls is a trip to Bonner Springs where we enjoy watching marble making at Moon Marble and have lunch at Madame Hatter's Tea Room (the most fun tea room for children).
- FREE Bowling! Sign up on www.KidsBowlFree.com for Free Summer Bowling every day at AMF Bowling Alleys.
- Flexible Schedules for Adventures! It's great fun to wake up each day and say, "What sounds like fun today?" Whether we visit the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, or the Zoo, spend the day at Science City, or Jumping Jax... there is so much fun to be had in Kansas City!
So, what has been the highlight of your Kansas City Summer? I'd love to hear all about it!
Written by Kristina Light