Winter Fun Guide

Ceramic Cafe Ceramic Cafe is a paint-your-ownpottery and glass fusing studio serving the Kansas City area. Our creative assistants guide you through the creative process; showing how supplies and techniques can help the inspired and help those who need an extra boost of inspiration to create a masterpiece they are proud to call their own! The whole creative process from start to finish takes about a week. Reservations recommended and paint-at-home kits available for purchase. See display ad on pg. 59. CeramicCafeKC.com

Colonial Gardens We are an experience to inspire. Colonial Gardens is a garden center & agritourism destination in Blue Springs, MO. We are shaping hearts & minds through food, flowers, & trees. We provide nursery & greenhouse products, landscaping & hardscaping materials for every season of gardener! From tree disease to houseplant bugs, compost, & patio pavers, if you’ve got questions, we have answers. Join us for a workshop or book your next event! See display ad on pg. 53. ColonialGardensKC.com

Family Tree Nursery Family Tree Nursery is a team of passionate horticulturists, providing an abundant selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, houseplants and more. Our staff is backed by years of experience, knowledge and integrity. We believe that our passion for plants helps to set us apart. We invite you to walk through the doors of our unique locations to experience the magic that has made Family Tree Nursery a premier garden center destination. See display ad on pg. 3. FamilyTreeNursery.com

Johnson County Museum Featuring award-winning long-term and changing exhibitions as well as public and school education programs, the Museum is a great place to spend the day learning about our county’s history and having fun in Kidscape, our hands-on exhibit. The museum has been recognized over 20 times for excellence in exhibitions, programming and publications by national, regional and state organizations. The Johnson County Museum also operates the Lanesfield Historic Site in Edgerton, KS. See display ad on pg. 53. JCPRD.com/museum

Kansas City Zoo Explore the Kansas City Zoo. With more than 1,700 animals on 202 acres, it’s the most affordable family fun for kids of all ages. Travel all over the world without ever leaving the Kansas City Zoo. Visit Polar Bear Passage, Helzberg Penguin Plaza, the Discovery Barn, and Stingray Bay. Stroll down Tiger Trail and through Elephant Expedition. Let your cubs run loose in the Tropics and see the animals of Australia. See display ad on pg. 67. KansasCityZoo.org

Legoland Discovery Center LEGOLAND Discovery Center is Kansas City’s ultimate indoor LEGO® playground! Surround yourself with millions of LEGO Bricks, take flight on Merlin’s Apprentice, blast skeletons on Kingdom Quest ride adventure, see your favorite characters on LEGO 4D Theater, and build epic LEGO creations alongside master builders. Come safely play where everything is AWESOME! Adults must be accompanied by at least one child, 17 and under, to visit. See display ad on pg. 4.

LegolandDiscoveryCenter.com/kansas-city

love bug candy treats

What better way to make Valentine’s Day just a bit more special than to craft some little love bugs for your family and friends? Mix and match the colors you pick. When selecting the candy, make sure to choose the “fun size” treats with enough space in the individual bags to push the candies to each side of the bag and avoid smashing the pieces! Step one: Paint clothespins and let dry completely. Step two: Hook candy inside of clothespins as wings. You will need to adjust the candy in the bag to avoid smashing the treat. Step three: Add in pipe cleaners as the bug antennas inside the clothes pin at the top. Step four: Curl or cut the pipe cleaners around the end of the paintbrush to achieve the desired look.

Step five: Attach googly eyes (or use a marker) and you’re all done!

Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Overland Park with her husband, son 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.

Heart Name Puzzle String Heart Valentines Popsicle Stick Hearts

Materials needed:

• Assorted paints • Paintbrush • “Fun size” candy • Googly eyes or markers • Clothespins • Pipe cleaners

beating the Winter blues How to keep the kids (and yourself) from going stir crazy during the winter months

When it’s nice outside and the kids start getting a little rambunctious, the easy solution is to send them outdoors to run and play. Yet on very cold or snowy days, finding ways for them to exert energy and arrange entertainment can be a challenge. How do you maintain your sanity and keep the kids from bouncing off the walls when you are all stuck indoors?

Here are a few ideas to help make the most of your time indoors:

Cook and create together.

Develop a list of recipes to try with your kids and reserve them for a cold day. Cooking together can be a great opportunity to teach your children skills in the kitchen while keeping them entertained at the same time.

Similarly, look up different ideas for art projects or perhaps even some good indoor science experiments you can do together. Keep all supplies on hand and ready to go when needed.

Build indoor forts.

Rachel Talkington, a Lee’s Summit mom of three, purchased two construction fort sets from the Discovery Kids brand. These products allow one to build a wide variety of structures and are something she says keeps her kids entertained all day.

She says sometimes her kids pretend their forts are a grocery store or a drivethrough restaurant. Talkington only brings the fort sets out on days when a special indoor activity is needed, so the fun remains something to relish. The family now has neighbor kids wanting to come over and play with the sets.

Of course, old-fashioned forts with sheets and blankets draped over furniture are always sure to provide long hours of entertainment.

Bring bikes, roller skates and other similar outdoor toys inside to the garage or unfinished basement.

Kids may not have as much room to enjoy these activities in more restricted spaces, but on a cold day, they still can burn off some energy with these toys.

Have bins of toys and activities you bring out only on cold days.

Lee’s Summit mom Christina Larson created bins of activities to help entertain her son on cold, boring days. She included toy figures, animals and vehicles, as well as blocks, arts and craft supplies, sorting and stacking items, playdough and magnets. She bought most of these items at a dollar store and sorted them into shoebox-sized plastic containers.

Create personal space for your kids.

Independence mom Kyndal Costello has taken into account her children’s unique personalities in providing ways for them to find entertainment inside.

Her son has autism, and his space is all about providing him with sensory input. They started with a personal-sized trampoline, and they now even have a swing for his room. The family currently has plans to loft his bed to give him more room to play below. They also have decided to build a rock wall up to his bed instead of using a ladder.

Costello’s daughter has a reading nook in a small space in their house. The cozy spot consists of a little decorated house in which she can sit, relax and read. Her personal space also includes chalkboards on the walls so she can write, draw and express creativity.

Allison Gibeson is a mom and freelance writer from Lee’s Summit.

a a a WE <3 HEARTS

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Historians believe the rapid heartbeats felt when one is excited, upset or in love led people to believe the heart was the seat of emotions. This belief took hold and carried on through poetry, books and art. The image of cupids shooting arrows through a heart shape became a symbol of Valentine’s Day, as it still is today.

Snap a photo with a neon heart in Downtown Lee’s Summit at Third & Douglas. The vintage heart is one of the signatures of the quaint downtown district, standing in honor of Dale Hartley, the original owner of Hartley’s Furniture, and a founding member of Downtown Lee’s Summit’s Main Street. The beautiful red heart is a great place to snap a pic for Instagram when you visit the boutiques, restaurants and local businesses in the district.

Wear a heart. Charlie Hustle’s signature KC heart t-shirt has seen many design iterations over the years, but it remains a signature of a tried-and-true loyal Kansas Citian. Show your love for your community and your neighbors with the KC heart shirt.

Feast on heart-shaped pizza. Minsky’s (multiple locations: Minskys. com) has been serving gourmet pizza to Kansas City since 1976. The pizzeria commemorates Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped pizzas, a tasty and memorable meal the family will love.

Charlie Hustle’s signature KC heart t-shirt

Where fun TAKES FLIGHT!

With attractions that cater to any level of adventurer, there’s something fun for everyone.

Both locations now open UrbanAirLenexa.com 8554 Maurer Road • Lenexa, KS 66219 • (913) 359-5800 UrbanAirOverlandPark.com 14401 Metcalf Ave • Overland Park, KS 66223 • (913) 298-0626