Explore the Nall Hills area where a day of family fun awaits as you support a special ice cream shop, paint pottery, and play at one phenomenal park! This and more in our six stop tour!
July Fun Calendar
July: National Bison Month Visit a herd of bison, elk and other hoofed animals at the Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure in Fleming Park, near Lake Jacomo.
July 1, International Joke DayCheck out some joke and riddle books at your local library. Use the online catalog for Mid-Continent Public Libraries at MyMCPL.org.
July 4, Independence DayCelebrate the Fourth of July with a local fireworks show or patriotic event. Find them all in our Fireworks Guide.
July 6, National Fried Chicken DayFounded in 1933, Stroud’sbegan as a barbecue restaurant at 85th & Troost. During WWII, beef was rationed, so they began serving fried chicken dinners for 35 cents! Now, the restaurant is a local legend known for delicious pan-fried chicken.
July 7, World Chocolate Day Spend the day at Crown Center visiting Legoland or Sea Life, then stop by Chip’s Chocolate Factory for a treat. Watch as they make homemade fudge by hand and enjoy a tasty dessert.
July 10, National Kitten Day Great Plains SPCA is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the Kansas City area. Learn how to adopt a pet, volunteer or help support the cause at GreatPlainsSPCA.org.
July 11, National Free Slurpee Day Stop by your local 7-11 and claim your free Slurpee … the perfect treat on a hot summer day!
July 13, National French Fry Day Five Guys Burgers & Friesis known for their handmade burgers and fresh-cut fries. They are so proud of their ingredients, they even post where the day’s potatoes were grown.
July 14, Bastille Day Vive la France! Visit the French Marketin the Village Shops in Prairie Village where you can enjoy made-to-order crepes, hot sandwiches, tapas, charcuterie and wine. You can shop authentic French merchandise, too.
July 18, National Ice Cream DayKansas City is home to many outstanding ice cream shops, and you’ll find a map and guide to our top picks when you read the Best Frozen Treats in KC.
July 24, Amelia Earhart DayLearn about the famous female pilot and the story of her childhood in Atchison, KS, at the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum.
July 31, Harry Potter’s Birthday Snuggle up with one of the books or watch one of the films as a family. Enjoy a chocolate frog, Jelly Belly Bertie Botts or other fan candies available at the Candy Wizard in the River Market.
Ask the Experts
We have a wide range of experts on hand to answer your questions on everything from dental visits and playdates to dance lessons, lawns and so much more! If you have a question that needs answering, get in touch.
Q. Will wisdom teeth affect the correction from braces?
Many people believe that wisdom teeth cause teeth to get crooked following braces. Research has shown that this is NOT true. It is true that teeth can move after orthodontics if retainers are not worn, but the teeth will move regardless of wisdom teeth being there or not. Even though they do not affect the orthodontics, wisdom teeth most likely will need to be removed due to other dental problems: nerve damage, infections, or other pathology. It is best to discuss with your family dentist for timing and need of removal. Dr. Jeremy Fry Fry Orthodontics
Dr. Jeremy Fry FRY ORTHODONTICS
At Fry Orthodontics, we have been providing superior service to patients of all ages for more than 40 years while helping them achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. 913.469.9191, FryOrthodontics.com
Q. Besides books, what else am I able to get with my library card?
People are always surprised when they learn that they can use their Mid-Continent Public Library card to download eBooks and eAudiobooks for both adults and children, download up to five songs per week to keep, learn a language, get free online tutoring and take free online courses in a variety of professional and personal development subjects. You can also read the Kansas City Star and Kansas City Business Journal for free, and access important information on ConsumerReports.com before a big purchase. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can access with your library card. Mary Altman Marketing and Communications, MCPL
Mary Altman MCPL
Mid-Continent Public Library has 33 branches and serves more than 816,000 residents across Jackson, Clay and Platte counties, offering resources and services for all ages. 816.836.5200, MyMCPL.org
Are you an expert in your field with advice for our readers, contact editor@kcparent.com and we may consider adding you to our panel.
4th of July Water Gun Artwork
Time to get festive for the 4th with this super-fun, outdoor-messy craft! Get brave and give your kids water guns filled with watered-down paint and a target for them to create fireworks artwork! Take it from me—you’ll want to have more than one canvas ready for them to paint! Get the hose ready to spray the kids off after they’re done with this project!
Supplies:
- White canvas or large posterboard
- Little water guns
- Red, white and blue paint
- Three plastic bags (optional)
- Scissors (optional)
- Water
Directions:
1. Start by filling the water guns. You’ll need a solution of about ¾ paint to ¼ water or ½ paint to ½ water, depending on the look you are going for. You can eyeball this and just pour each color and water directly into a separate water gun.
2. If you want a bit less mess, put the paint and then the water into a plastic bag. Shake or mix the paint and water, cut a corner of the bag and pour into the water gun.
3. Outside, find a place to prop up your canvas.
4. Stand back and bravely hand your kids water guns filled with the paint and water mixture!
5. Watch them create fireworks on the canvas and then probably ask for another canvas to keep painting!
Tip 1: Warm outside temperatures will cause the paint and water mixture to dry quickly. You can continue to paint onto the dried canvas, but it will cause the colors to run.
Tip 2: The more water you use in your paint mixture, the more the colors will run. If you are after more of a firework look, use less water.
Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Overland Park with her husband, two children and two dogs. Janelle is a former health care executive director and is a mediator in Kansas, helping families in conflict. Janelle loves to focus on learning through play and getting messy with crafts.
What is ozone pollution?
Even though you can’t always see it, ozone pollution can still make the air in Greater Kansas City unhealthy to breathe. There are two types of ozone. The ozone layer high above the earth protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The second type of ozone — ground-level ozone — can be harmful to your health. Ground-level ozone forms when emissions from sources including cars or lawn and garden equipment react in heat and sunlight.
What are the health risks?
Ozone pollution can cause wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing even in healthy adults. Seniors, children, and people with asthma or COPD may be especially sensitive to ozone pollution.
How can you keep your kids healthy this summer?
- Follow the SkyCast at AirQKC.org for the daily ozone pollution forecast.
- When elevated pollution levels are predicted, limit the time children spend outdoors.
- Tell your child’s caregivers about the SkyCast and the health risks of air pollution.
- Help keep our air clean. Walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to reduce emissions.
What are some other steps to reduce ozone pollution?
- Carpooling is a great way to save money, keep the air clean and keep miles off your car. Talk to friends or coworkers and visit RidechareKC.org to find a carpool partner.
- Postpone refueling your vehicle. Refueling vehicles can release harmful fumes into the air. If you must fill up, do so after 7 p.m. and stop when the pump clicks. Over-filling the tank releases more harmful gases into the air and can damage your car.
- Consider mowing after 7 p.m. Lawn and garden equipment — including mowers — lack efficient emissions controls resulting in more pollution per hour of use than most cars. Consider mowing after 7 p.m. so emissions can dissipate overnight.
Five Fabulous Summer Daycations in KC
This summer, make memories locally by enjoying classic summer fun with the family.
Experience a Summer of Yesteryear
Take a break from technology and enjoy an opportunity to get back to the basics at Shawnee Town 1929. This living history site welcomes visitors to engage in hands-on history and experience a typical day in and around the 1920s farm community of Shawnee. Families explore homes and businesses in the town representing the 1920s. An auto shop, grocer, dentist, barber, school and offices are just a few of the buildings you’ll find in the town. The site hosts many events throughout the year (all found on the KCParent.com calendar). Our favorite are the Time Travelers events taking guests back to a time when everyone had “at least one chicken in the pot and five in the coop, washed clothes with lye soap and a washboard, and made dinner with vegetables fresh from their garden.” Families participate in old-fashioned chores, farming, gardening and cooking activities and learn what life was like for previous generations of Americans.
Tip: Enjoy an old-fashioned ice cream soda or phosphate at the nearby Georgetown Pharmacy (800.279.3026).
Make Some Waves
Summer and swimming—the two go hand-in-hand. Splash into fun at Oceans of Fun, Kansas City’s premier outdoor water park. The outdoor water park offers Surf City wave pool, the Caribbean Cooler lazy river, Crocodile Isle for little ones, waterslides and attractions. This summer, race your friends on the brand new five-story-high Riptide Raceway, the world’s longest mat racing waterslide. Racers speed down 486 feet in enclosed, winding tubes and around a 360-degree loop before making a splash landing at the end. Admission to Oceans of Fun is included with a Worlds of Fun ticket, so you can enjoy the thrill of coasters and waterslides or explore Planet Snoopy and float along a lazy river, all in one day!
Tip: Check their calendar in advance for up-to-date ticket and reservation policies. And don’t forget to pack sunscreen!
Go on a Treasure Hunt
As children grow up, their interests and needs do as well. Could your kids use a new chair or desk for their room? A bulletin board or reading nook? If you’re inspired by home makeovers and decorating shows on HGTV, Kansas City’sHabitat for Humanity ReStorelocations (Habitat.org/restores) are the place for you. Each store is a resale outlet where donated goods—home remodeling materials, from hardware, tile and carpet to the proverbial kitchen sink and furnishings—are sold at a fraction of retail. This is a great way to buy inexpensive materials and reuse supplies that may otherwise wind up in a landfill. And, even better, 100 percent of the proceeds benefits local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to fund the construction of Habitat homes within the community. Take the kids on a treasure hunt to find just the right item to jazz up their bedrooms, refresh it with a fresh coat of paint and voila! You’ve just updated a bedroom, made memories and helped a worthy cause.
Tip: For inspiration to repurpose your treasures, check out50 Ways to Paint Furniture: The Easy, Step-by-Step Way to Decorator Looksby Elise Kinkead orFurniture Facelifts: A Paint Recipes Book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Revamping Your Furnitureby Liz Wagstaff and Mark Thurgood.
Celebrate America’s Pastime
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Arthas been a favorite local landmark for generations. The south lawn is home to Art Course, a nine-hole miniature golf course inspired by masterpieces within the museum. The playful, whimsical holes are fun and creative. This summer, the museum introduced a new hole based on a favorite piece, Radcliffe Bailey’s Mound Magician in the museum’s contemporary galleries. The hole pays tribute to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the 100th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs. Next, visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum(TIP: Find a coupon on KCParent.com) that showcases the history of American baseball from the African-American perspective, beginning in 1863, and gets you acquainted with many famous local baseball stars. Measure up against the life-size bronze statues of players in mid-game on the baseball diamond. And take in a game at the Field of Legends where you can cheer for the new Kansas City Monarchsbaseball team!
Tip: After a day at the Nelson, visit the nearby Kauffman Memorial Gardens, Kansas City’s free botanical garden and oasis in the heart of Midtown.
Spend a Lazy Day at the Lake
We love spending summer at the lake, andLake Olatheis one of our favorite local lakes with a beautiful swim beach and inflatable Aqua Park. For landlocked Midwesterners, it’s great to have a place where you can build sandcastles, swim with the family and jump into the water from a giant floating playground. Lake Olathe Park visitors can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats at the marina. The upper lawn at the lake is surrounded by landscaping and a small stream with a water feature flowing into a waterfall before ending in a pond. A creek leading from the pond wraps around the kid-friendly sprayground before flowing into the lake. Search “Beaches and Boating” on KCParent.com for a complete guide to local lakes.
Tip: Bring the cooler filled with water and pack a picnic to make a complete day at the beach with the family. Remember some sandcastle building toys too!
Kristina Light and her girls love local adventures.