Get Your Weekly Top Events Here

KC Parent

MenuClose

Soak Up the Last Days of Summer

By |

Enjoy one last hurrah at these local attractions before the first school bell rings. To make these memories even sweeter, KC Parent has partnered with each attraction and is giving away tickets and passes so you can enjoy the fun all month long-check it out on our Giveaway page and at the bottom of this article!

S: Spend a Day at Crown Center

Crown Center, Kansas City’s downtown shopping center, is home to many great shops and attractions, including The Coterie children’s theater, Kaleidoscope, a free art experience for children, and the free Hallmark Visitors Center. Family favorite attractions Sea Life and Legoland Discovery Center are must-visits when in the district. At Sea Life, enjoy touch pools, an aquarium tunnel and more than 5,000 aquatic animals from waters ranging from the Missouri River to the ocean. At Legoland, enjoy two themed rides, play with the world’s biggest box of Lego bricks, catch a 4D Lego film and explore a miniature Kansas City built with Lego bricks.

O: Outdoor Adventure

Powell Gardens offers beautiful gardens, kid-friendly play areas and the summer favorite, a water fountain kids can use to cool off on a hot day. Fortopia, the newest permanent outdoor exhibit, is a collection of whimsical play forts in which children can frolic in a giant beehive, pirate ship, play house and other creative forts.

A: Animal Adventures

The newest attraction at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is the world-class Sobela Aquarium with thousands of oceanic animals. Also be sure to ride the African Sky Safari, a ski-lift-style ride above Africa offering great views of the animals. The Elephant Expedition, camel feeding station, Discovery Barn, Australia exhibit, Helzberg Penguin Plaza, train, carousel and Polar Bear Passage are just a few of our other favorite attractions at the zoo.

K: Kid Play

Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City offers pretend play in the pint-sized grocery store and farmers market and inspires imaginative play on a train car, riverboat and covered wagon in the transportation exhibit. A high-energy, interactive exhibit pays homage to local teams, and the water play, Wonder Climber, Tot Spot and other exhibits bring hours of fun. Each charming section celebrates Kansas City’s past and present.

U: Up in the Tower

National WWI Museum and Memorial tells the story of the Great War through interactive displays, thought-provoking films and eyewitness testimonies. With family guides and hands-on exhibits, the museum is an educational attraction for all ages. The museum takes a full afternoon to explore and offers a cafe for a snack break, as well as trips to the top of the tower via an elevator ride followed by climbing several dozen stairs for a great view and photos.

P: Pickleball and Food

Head to Chicken N Pickle (locations in North KC and Overland Park) for a day of pickleball, delicious food, yard games and family fun. The entertaining eatery offers both indoor and outdoor pickleball courts as well as yard games, shuffleboard and a full menu of delicious American fare.

S: Step Back in Time

Jackson County Parks + Rec operates two engaging living history museums. Fort Osage, in Sibley, Missouri, was built in 1808 as the first U.S. outpost in the Louisiana Purchase. Osage Indian history and early military history are depicted through exhibits and living history programs. Missouri Town Living History Museum offers more than 25 buildings dating from 1822 to 1860 across 30 acres of land. Visitors can see what life was like on the frontier, and children love visiting the sheep, oxen, chickens, pigs, mules and farm cats. Both sites offer special events throughout the year.

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Olathe brings 1850s farming to life with tours and programs all year, including stagecoach rides, family programs and a working blacksmith shop. Children love learning about open-hearth cooking, meeting the animals on the farm face-to-face and experiencing hands-on history with interpreters.

U: U.S. President from Missouri

The Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence captures the story of Harry S. Truman and his presidency. Visitors read, listen, watch, look and relive through film and interactive displays of some key moments in American history. Films are shown throughout the museum previewing the various exhibits and setting the stage for the stories they tell.

M: Monarchs Baseball

Catch a baseball game with the Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. The team offers great promotions all season, including Disney Night on Aug. 24. Children love the Variety KC baseball-themed playground that’s accessible to children of all abilities. Check their schedule for family fun games and promotions all summer long.

M: Mini Golf

Art Course, a mini golf experience in the Nelson-Atkins’ Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park, is designed by artists to celebrate some of the most beloved pieces in the museum’s collection. This nine-hole course is the cherry on top of your visit to the world-class art museum where admission is always free. Ask for a scavenger hunt or family guide at the information desk to enhance your visit.

E: Experiment with Fun

Science City at Union Station offers hands-on exhibits exploring the human brain, water, outer space, dinosaurs, energy, optical illusions, transportation and more. This is a favorite place to spend a day. Cap your visit to the museum with a show at Gottlieb Planetarium. Live presenters take guests on an engaging journey as they learn about the night sky.

R: Ride a VR Plane Like Amelia’s

Take a day trip to Atchison, Kansas, and visit the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. The centerpiece of the museum is the Muriel-the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft-that was named for Earhart’s younger sister and is identical to the plane Earhart piloted on her final flight. Surrounding Muriel are 14 interactive STEM and history storytelling exhibit areas that take visitors through Earhart’s extraordinary life. The interactive exhibits teach more about Earhart and the science of flight. One of the museum’s highlights is the VR experience where visitors can attempt to replicate the end of her first transatlantic flight.

Bonus: More Family Fun as Autumn Approaches

Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins will open soon for apple picking followed by pumpkin season! This family-owned business invites visitors to enjoy the fun of a farm. With a petting zoo, jumping pillows, tractor rides, barn games, a corn maze, a beautiful sunflower field, and u-pick veggies, apples and pumpkins, Johnson Farms offers a perfect family day in the country. Follow JohnsonFarms.net for season announcements.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg! Visit KCParent.com/summer for even more ideas.

Dear Teachers Q & A

By |

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Opportunities for Young Teens to Volunteer

annaannaannaannaannaannaanna annaQuestion: I’m already thinking about summer and what my young teens could do beyond just fun activities. There are some jobs like babysitting and yard work, but beyond this there aren’t too many jobs for children this age. Where are some places they could do some volunteer activities? – For Volunteering

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Answer: Volunteering is a worthwhile experience for young teens. It can be an opportunity to explore career paths by stepping into a new environment. Most communities offer some summer volunteer opportunities even for young teens. annaYou can find opportunities for young teens with parks and recreation departments, food banks, soup kitchens, animal shelters, nonprofit organizations and local libraries.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna You and your young teens can easily get an idea of what opportunities exist by searching for “volunteer opportunities for children” online, or you can be more specific and search for a specific age. You will find loads of websites with suggestions about things that they can do. Some cities, usually larger ones, have websites that list volunteer opportunities for teens.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Besides volunteering in person, there are many opportunities to be an online virtual volunteer. Both of you can explore these opportunities online. Consider online tutoring, calling and checking on senior citizens as well as playing online games with them, being a pen pal to younger children, advocating for a cause, starting a fundraiser and much more.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Young teens can also get together with their friends to create items for the homeless or others in need. They can sew blankets, knit socks and put together bags of needed items from clothes to food. They can also grocery shop for the house-bound and raise funds for a particular cause.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna One thing that is great about young teens’ volunteering is that it starts them on the road to a lifetime of volunteering. Furthermore, studies show that volunteering tends to make them happier and increase their self-confidence—and they may even learn some new skills. And in volunteering, they get a feeling of satisfaction that they have made a difference by meeting real needs in their community.

Kindergarten Expectations

Question: My son did not attend preschool. This fall he will start kindergarten. I have tried to teach him some of the skills I thought he would need to be ready for kindergarten. He has been an eager learner and knows how to write his name, knows most of the letters of the alphabet and can count to 20. What I am wondering is whether he has the readiness skills the teacher will expect him to have. Is there a checklist I can use to evaluate his readiness?anna I want to make sure he is ready and gets off to a good start in kindergarten. – Ready or Not

Answer:anna You are right to be questioning whether your child is ready for kindergarten. You want him to be ready to learn from day one. Unfortunately, kindergarten is no longer the milk and cookies and playtime it once was. In many school districts, kindergarten is now essentially a watered-down first grade. The kindergarten readiness checklists all now have an academic element, as well as the more traditional social, emotional and motor skills sections of the past.

If you search online for checklists, you will find a great number of lists. However, what you want to find out first of all is whether your local school district has a checklist. This will be the best checklist for you to use. Another possible source is your state’s readiness checklist.

If you want to see whether your child is ready to learn to read, visit the ReadingRockets.org website and search for the “Get Ready to Read Screening Tool.” It is a fast, free, research-based and easy-to-use screening tool designed specifically for children in the year before they begin kindergarten. It only takes parents 10 to 15 minutes to give this test. Be sure to read what to do after using this test. This excellent website also has skill-building activities to help children get ready to read, as well as animated online games. All are designed to enhance their pre-reading skills.

One important reminder for you and all parents who are anxious to know that their children are ready for kindergarten: Children this age change rapidly. Skills they may not yet have acquired this month may be solid in another few months. Just use a checklist as a guidepost for engaging in fun activities with your son to strengthen skills that are not as strong as they should be.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

Dear Teachers Q & A

By |

The Importance of Reading to Your Children

Question: I know that it is important to read out loud to young children. I have been reading a lot to my younger children. Should I also have been reading to my older children in middle school and high school? At what age should you stop reading to children? – Wondering

Answer: Your question is a concern of many parents. Although many parents stop reading to their children when they are able to read on their own, it is very beneficial to continue reading to children even in their early teen years. Research shows that reading aloud to school children of all ages will definitely improve not only reading skills but also listening skills and academic performance.

Unfortunately, the percentage of parents who read aloud to older children drops drastically for children over the age of 5. This is way too early to stop reading to your children. When surveyed, older children say they enjoy read-aloud time. In fact, children of all ages enjoy listening to a good story, and reading aloud to children helps them in so many ways:

  • Builds vocabulary.

  • Increases comprehension.

  • Models how to read.

  • Improves listening skills.

  • Introduces them to longer books like the classics.

  • Helps improve discussion skills.

  • Broadens knowledge of different genres.

  • Promotes reading beyond schoolwork.

  • Lessens time spent on electronic devices.

  • Gives them an understanding of more sophisticated concepts.

  • Cements ties between parents and children.


Good readers succeed in school. Poor readers have far more problems with subjects that require considerable reading. Help your children—regardless of their age—become active readers who are engaged with the printed page. This is very important for your children’s ability to comprehend what they are reading. The following questions will help you and your children talk about the stories you are reading to them:

  • Do you think this story could really happen? Why? Why not?

  • Did you think a certain event in the book was funny or sad?

  • Would you like to be friends with a character in the book?

  • If you were the major character in the book, what would you have done differently?

  • Would you like to be able to do something the hero of the book did?


Besides reading fiction to your children, be sure to include interesting nonfiction works that will add to their knowledge of the world.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and, to learn more about helping their children succeed in school, visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

Dear Teachers Q & A

By |

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Finishing Tasks

annaannaannaannaannaannaanna annaQuestion: What should children and families be doing to end the school year on a high note? – Final Tasks

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Answer: Life certainly is easier for your children and the entire family if everyone takes the time now to tie up all the loose ends necessary to ending the school year successfully. In this way, the next school year can begin without having to do tasks related to the previous year. Keep the check-off list below as a handy tool to track tasks that need to be completed before the last day of school:

  • The most important thing children need to do is keep their grades up until the end of the school year. Homework still needs to be done, and tests prepared for.

  • Encourage your children to clean out their desks and lockers. They should select papers, projects and personal items they want to keep and bring them home.

  • Have them search everywhere—from under the beds to in the car and the lost and found—for items that belong to the school, such as textbooks, library books and musical instruments, and return them.

  • Make sure children at all levels have a list of any assignments they must complete over the summer to be ready for the next grade.

  • Learn when any sports, band or other activities will begin if they typically start before the beginning of the school year.

  • Talk to your children’s teachers well before the last day of school about any special concerns that need to be addressed during the summer. For example, not working on grade level in any subject requires some type of intervention during the summer.

  • Sign your children up for remedial summer programs, if needed, or enrichment programs, if offered.

  • Gifted children should definitely be challenged over the summer and enrolled in programs that will fuel their desire to learn.

  • Plans for special needs students with IEPs for the next school year must be in place.

  • Make sure young children are enrolled in kindergarten and older ones in a new school, if this applies.

  • Have your children obtain the phone numbers and email addresses of friends they wish to see during the summer if they don’t already have them.

  • Make it a point for you and your children to thank teachers who have truly helped them during the school year. A short note will do the job.

  • Find out the dates of any special programs the school will be offering during the summer. Some elementary schools have weekly library programs, as well as sports programs.


Think About the Future

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Parents: Life moves forward faster than we are often prepared for. Before you know it, children are in high school and thinking about college. As early as middle school, you need to be sure they are taking the right courses to meet college admission requirements. And when they get to high school, it is absolutely essential to know they are on the right path to college. Course requirements for state schools are a good standard for them to meet for most colleges, but not all.

The costs of going to college are much publicized. Investigate early some of the financial help you might be able to get. There are 17 states that offer tuition-free programs at community colleges for eligible students. Find out whether your state is one of them. Also, look into the costs of attending a public or private college in your state or another state. Your savings and a college savings plan may not meet all these costs. Think ahead to the probability of getting help from your children obtaining scholarships and from funds that may be available from your company or union. Plus, some states offer college money that does not need to be repaid for superior grades or certain career choices.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

Dear Teachers Q & A

By |

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Tricks to Encourage Summer Reading


annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Question: With my daughter’s compulsion to be on the internet and her mobile phone, my tween just about stopped reading for pleasure during the school year. How can I motivate her to become a reader once more? When she was younger, she could scarcely be seen without her nose in a book. – Not Reading

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Answer: Unfortunately, when the technological world takes over a child’s life and she stops reading for pleasure, she is missing out on a lot of benefits. Reading beyond classroom assignments has the advantage of building vocabulary, writing, spelling and grammar skills. And it is also likely to boost test scores. There is even some evidence that it helps kids think more clearly and solve problems more effectively.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Today, it is very common for children your daughter’s age and those who are teens to sharply reduce the amount of reading they do outside the classroom. You will need to be creative to reawaken her interest in books. You definitely should encourage her to read books that are tied to her interests. Other books that may reignite her desire to read are those that are parts of series or books that have been made into movies.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Though you can try motivating your child to read, she still may not willingly put down her mobile phone or stop her online activities. You can try doing some of these things. Resume reading to her before bedtime or after supper and discuss what has been read.anna This can encourage her to complete a book on her own. Another suggestion is to set aside a definite time twice a week when the entire family will sit down together in the same room and read for a half-hour, perhaps right after dinner or some other time when everyone is likely to gravitate toward the electronic world. And if she has younger siblings, assign her the task of reading books to them instead of your reading to them every night. She might find this to be fun if she is reading entertaining books to them. Subscriptions to age-appropriate magazines can also encourage your daughter or any tween or teen to read more.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Recently, we talked to children from elementary school to high school about what they will be reading this summer. Most of the older children admitted that they will be doing most of their reading online. This will include browsing online websites for topics that interest them, and some say they will be taking classes online to learn new skills. A few said they would actually read books—mostly fiction—however, some wanted to read nonfiction, especially history. Genres especially popular with middle schoolers and high school students were fantasy, adventure and science fiction books. And, interestingly, we found a second grader who limited his reading to reading aloud rhyming books to anyone who would listen. Overall, most agreed they actually read more in the summer when the pressure of having so much schoolwork disappears.

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Do talk to your daughter about what she is looking at online. She may be reading more than you think.

Making Transition to High Schoolannaanna


annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Question: In the fall, my son will be making the transition from middle school to high school. Are there any things he could do this summer to make this move easier? Moving Onward

annaannaannaannaannaannaannaannaanna Answer: Your son, like most children, is likely to experience some anxiety about making this transition. Here are some suggestions that may make this move easier for him:

  • Attend any orientation sessions to find out what high school will be like. This can also be an opportunity to become acquainted with the layout of the school.

  • Observe an online high school class to familiarize himself with the way high school classes are taught.

  • Talk to students who have been going to the school he will be attending. They should be able to give him a good picture of what the high school is like.

  • Visit our DearTeacher website to look at the list of 100 Words High School Freshmen Should Know in the Skill Builders: Reading section.

  • Get a summer reading list if the school offers one.

  • Spend time training if he will participate in a fall sport.

  • Find out the date when fall activities that he wants to participate in will start. Many begin before the first day of school.


Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

Dear Teachers Q & A

By |

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Summer Learning Activities


Parents: We hope this past school year has gone well for your children. Because children should never stop learning in the summer, once more we are giving you some activities they can do throughout the rest of the break. This summer, we have selected activities in social studies. We realize considerable controversy has erupted about what should be taught in this area, but our hope is that our activities will extend and broaden children’s knowledge of our nation, as well as interject some fun into learning more about it.

Learning More About Immigration

Almost everyone in the United States is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant. Today, immigrants need to take and pass the naturalization civics test to become a citizen. Your older children should take the practice 2008 test online. It is a multiple choice test; however, the actual test is not. It is an oral test of 10 of the 100 questions on the 2008 test. Part of becoming a citizen requires an immigrant to answer six of them correctly. Can your children pass the test without doing some studying? Older children and parents should know the answer to most of these questions. Unfortunately, a survey showed that only one in three citizens could pass this test. There are other requirements besides passing the naturalization civics test to becoming a citizen.

A great topic of conversation this month is to talk with your children about from where their relatives immigrated to the United States. If you know, tell them where the relatives entered the United States, approximately what year it was and also why they came to the United States. If you are short on information about your ancestors, visit one of the genealogy sites for an absolute wealth of information. You might even make a family tree together. This is a good project because, more than likely, younger family members will have this assignment sometime during elementary school or even middle school.

Know the United States

Gather the family together and have them look at a detailed map of the United States. Then ask the following questions. Let the younger family members answer the easier questions. If there is no agreement about an answer, look it up. You can make this activity a game by having all family members circle their answers on individual maps, and it can be extended by having family members create new map questions for everyone to answer.

  1. What states form an area known as the Four Corners?

  2. What state is the smallest in size?

  3. What states were the original 13 colonies?

  4. How many states border Canada?

  5. How many states border Mexico?

  6. How many national parks can you find on the map?

  7. Which states border Washington, D.C.?

  8. What is the capital of your state?

  9. What states border our state?

  10. Which states border Lake Michigan?


Visiting Seats of Government Power

Expand your children’s knowledge of how government works. You might begin on the local level by visiting your city hall or the county seat. Many are in historical buildings, and some may even offer tours or let you visit different meetings so the children can see government in action. Be sure to call ahead to get information on what you might be able to see and do on a visit. Once your children are acquainted with local government, explore the things they might see and do at the state capitol.

Of course, the best place to see government in action is in Washington, D.C. Your senators and representatives, as well as the Capitol Visitor Center, can arrange for tours of many government buildings. In the summer, it is wise to arrange for reservations to be able to visit many sites. You may be able to see a session of the House of Representatives or Senate, and there are tours of the White House, the U.S. Mint and the Supreme Court. Have some fun, too, at places like the Spy Museum, the Smithsonian Museum and the National Air and Space Museum. Washington, D.C., is such a great place to visit and means you’re not far from colonial Williamsburg and the homes of Washington and Jefferson. Take advantage of their proximity. Such a visit is really a lesson in history.

Visiting the Past

Though students at all levels learn about past events in their social studies classes, they may not also have a picture of what life was like in earlier times in the United States. Summer is a great time to let them experience those days in the past. There are many great places like Connor Prairie Farm in Indiana and Williamsburg in Virginia that have homes and buildings like schools and blacksmith shops that give a great picture of colonial life and offer reenactments of colonial life. Most communities also have museums and historic homes that let children get a glimpse of what life was once like in the United States.

If you live close to one, try to visit one of the 11 important Native American heritage sites or an American Indian Reservation. Be aware that not all tribes wish to have tourists visit their reservations. You should call ahead to the tribal government office. Tours of reservations typically will have a fee; however, some offer a great look of the history of the American Indian people.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

Still can’t get enough of KC fun?

Get even more with our weekly eNewsletter—packed with can’t-miss events, exclusive giveaways, and local family fun. Join 51,000+ KC parents who already subscribe!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.