Kansas City is bursting with museums and activities designed for children. But once families have frequented Science City, the Nelson-Atkins and Kaleidoscope, some find themselves wondering… what’s left? Fortunately, our city is a cultural marvel with attractions to appeal to every interest and intellect. Sometimes, the key is getting down on a knee and looking at Kansas City from the eyes of a child.
Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City
What kid doesn’t love a building full of toys? Laura Taylor, museum educator, bubbles with enthusiasm about opportunities for families. “The miniature gallery is brimming with miniature replicas of some of the most celebrated works of art in the world. You can visit Louis XV’s glittering study in the Palace of Versailles, experience the quiet solace of Federico da Montefeltro’s Liberal Arts Studio in Italy and peruse the nooks and crannies of a colonial mansion—all in an afternoon at the Toy and Miniature Museum.” A unique place for informal learning and fun, the museum also hosts hands-on sessions for “toy makers” of all ages.
Children will be enraptured by the Rube-Goldberg-like machine in the marble room and the full range of dolls in the Barbie exhibit, while adults laugh and point out the antique toys and board games they played with when they were children.
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
Johnson County Community College’s campus boasts a family-centered art museum buzzing with activity. Guided tours for children and family groups, available via the museum’s website, include a variety of hands-on elements to enhance children’s learning experiences with the diverse collection of artworks. Karen Gerety Folk, curator of education, points out the Early Explorations and Contemporary Creations classes. There, on Saturdays from October through April, students explore and discuss identified pieces of art, then return to the classroom to create “unique finished projects inspired by the art in the museum.” The Nerman is the perfect fit for introducing children to art with active, hands-on inspiration.
National Frontier Trails Museum
Did you know the first railroad west of the Mississippi River linked Independence, MO, with its steamboat landing? For the more adventurous, parents and children visiting Independence’s National Frontier Trails Museum can test their knowledge of Lewis and Clark, plan a trip west in interactive exhibits and peruse letters and diaries from children whose families traveled by covered wagon during westward expansion. Families can even take a real mule-pulled covered wagon ride. Especially when paired with the city’s Santa-Cali-Gon Days (over Labor Day weekend), a trip to the Frontier Trails Museum is anything but stuffy and boring.
Any museum can be a place of wonder with the guidance of an adult who has bought into it. Excitement is catching—especially for children, who already possess a heightened curiosity in our world. Ask questions. Wonder. Explore. Be excited! The crucial component in getting your child to love a museum is to love it yourself!
Kimberly Brownlee,the mother of three very different boys, spends the summer frequenting museums across the country and right here at home in Kansas City.