Snow is almost a guarantee in the winter in Kansas City, but the amount of snow, when it will come, how long it will last and the quality of “fun snow” varies. Children typically love snow days: no school, lots of hot cocoa and sledding. For parents, things aren’t that simple. You don’t have to ask many parents before you discover a trend: Many have a love/hate relationship with snow. You can make the most of the winter and turn a snowy day into a family memory with these ideas.
No snow? No problem!
Set aside a day and create your own snow fun. This can be as elaborate or as low-key as you like. Take a few of these ideas and make them your own.
- Are kids yearning for snow and yet none has fallen (or maybe just not enough to build Frosty or Olaf)? Then have a no-snow snow day! Make snow-themed snacks. Cut flour tortillas with scissors as you would a paper snowflake, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake until melted. Serve cauliflower and ranch dip as little snow hills. Make snowmen out of giant marshmallows with chocolate frosting eyes and buttons, or use white powdered donuts. Bake sugar cookies and decorate as snowflakes. Let the kids help brainstorm additional menu ideas using white foods.
- For fun, make fake snow. Simply mix 1-¼ c. baking soda with ¼ c. of white conditioner. This will create a fun wet snow for tactile play. Older kids enjoy Minute to Win It games with miniature marshmallows. You’ll find a lot of ideas on Pinterest, but a few of our favorites include using toothpicks and mini marshmallows to build the tallest structure in under a minute, using chopsticks to pick up marshmallows and drop them into a bottle and using a straw to move marshmallows from one plate to another. Use giant white pom-poms or pillows for an indoor snowball fight.
Get into the Spirit with Snow-Themed Fun
Take the family on an outing to enjoy the best of winter at one of these local attractions:
- The Kansas City Zoo (6700 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, MO, 816.513.5700, KansasCityZoo.org) is open year-round, and favorite stops are the Polar Bear Passage and the Helzberg Penguin Plaza. Featuring a dozen Humboldt penguins and nearly 40 cold water penguins, the Helzberg Penguin Plaza is a state-of-the-art exhibit with a 100,000-gallon cool pool for cold water penguins and a 25,000-gallon warm wet area laced with sand for warm water penguins. On weekends, watch as the penguins march from the back of the exhibit, outside for guests to see and then back inside the building, weather permitting.
- Brave the cold and enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride (offered only on snowy weekends) at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm (1200 Kansas City Rd., Olathe, Mahaffie.org). Mahaffie is one of our favorite historic sites in the metro, with wonderful interpretive programs throughout the year. On snowy winter weekends, you may ride in an authentic 19th-century horse-drawn sleigh. Be sure to call ahead at 913.971.5111 to verify. This is a weather dependent activity.
Get Active with Snow & Ice Sports
Head to Weston for skiing and snowboarding at Snow Creek Ski Resort (816.640.2200, SkiSnowCreek.com). The facility offers snow skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, as well as lessons for beginners. The most daring experience at Snow Creek is tubing at Tornado Alley. Slide down a 700-foot-long slope and then jump onto a special conveyor carpet "twister" for a ride back up!
If you’re more into spectator sports, catch an ice hockey game in Independence, cheering for the Kansas City Mavericks (19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, 816.252.7825, KCMavericks.com).
Top off the winter family fun with a spin on the ice at one of these indoor or outdoor skating rinks:
Kansas City's Indoor Ice-Skating Rinks Open Year-Round:
- Independence Community Ice Rink 19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, 816.795.7577
- Kansas City Ice Center and Pavilion 19900 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, 913.441.3033
- Line Creek Community Center Ice Rink 5940 NW Waukomis Dr., Kansas City, MO, 816.513.0760
Kansas City's Outdoor Ice-Skating Rinks:
The season for the outdoor rinks is typically November through February or March. Please call for hours for each location.
- Crown Center Ice Terrace 2425 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 816.274.8411. On Tuesdays after 5:00, pay one full-price admission and receive a second for free.
- Summit Ice 120 NE Chipman Rd., Lee’s Summit, 816.249.2600. Enjoy skating, pond hockey, curling, broomball and ice-skating lessons at this facility.
- Linden Square Ice Rink 602 NE 70th St., Gladstone, 816.423.4200. Children 4 and under skate free at this affordable local rink.
- Ice Rink at Bois D'Arc Park in Lenexa West 88th Terrace, Lenexa. This rink is only open when temps are cold enough for the ice to be solid. The rink is open during daytime hours and is free to use, but you must bring your own skates.
- The Ice at Park Place 11565 Ash St., Leawood. This rink is near many places for shopping and dining.
Kristina Light loves snow and reminds her girls of the promise of Isaiah 1:18 every winter.