22 minute read
Winter Fun Guide
Ceramic Cafe Ceramic Cafe is a paint-your-own-pottery 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. 50. CeramicCafeKC.com Code Ninjas Have your kids join our Winter Camp December 28-30th 8:30-3:30. Come one day or all three! Roblox, game coding, engineering, and STEM activities. Limited space to allow each student to have dedicated socially distanced desk with sanitized technology. See display ad on pg. 47. CodeNinjas.com 913.444.9448
Johnson County Museum Make your visit extra special with a step back in time. The 1954 All-Electric House will be decked out for the holidays. Enjoy the sparkle of an aluminum tree, the glow of big bulb light strings, and the nostalgia of the vintage décor throughout the house. On December 10, Samantha Bradbeer will take guests on a virtual tour through Hallmark’s history of card giving. Don’t forget to shop the museum store for unique holiday finds! 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, Continued on page 55
From chemistry to construction, toys have prepared generations of kids to pursue careers in STEM fields. Discover how these toys, once marketed primarily to boys, have evolved over time to encourage all children to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through play.
/toyandminiaturemuseum
@toyandminiaturemuseum
@toyminiature
/toyminiaturemuseum
/toy-and-miniature-museum-of-kansas-city
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TOYS AND MINIATURES 5235 OAK STREET, KANSAS CITY, MO 64112 816.235.8000 TOYANDMINIATUREMUSEUM.ORG
beat the winter blahs with movie-inspired fun
by Kristina Light
national treasure
Home Theater: National Treasure stars Nicholas Cage as historian and code-breaker Ben Gates. He’s been searching his entire life for a rumored treasure. The movie is filled with thrills, adventure and intrigue as Gates races to get ahead of those that betrayed him. National Treasure appeals to many age levels so that both younger and older children will enjoy. Edible Pyramid. Make crispy rice treats and then cut and stack them into the shape of a pyramid. If you are ambitious, you can frost and add detail with gel paint.
Treasure Hunt! Create a treasure hunt for your kids to follow, complete with clues, mysteries and a prize at the end. Another fun idea is to play the board game Clue or to solve cryptograms. Better yet, each write your own cryptogram and trade with family members to solve. Or, hide a treat and the only way to find the treat is by solving a cryptogram puzzle.
a very merry unbirthday
Home Theater: In Disney’s animated classic Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter sings the “Unbirthday Song” about the 364 days a year that are NOT your birthday. Enjoy the film, then celebrate with your own unbirthday party! Backwards Dinner! Decorate the party with an unbirthday banner and upside down decorations. Invite your children to a backwards dinner and encourage them to wear their clothes backwards. Then dine backwards, starting with dessert and ending with appetizers. Play Backwards Games! Create a pin the tail on the donkey game, but place many tails on the donkey. Then, blindfold the contestants one at a time as they take turns removing one of the donkey’s tails. The object of the game is to remove the correct tail—the one in the proper spot. Replicate the concept to play other favorite games backwards. Play Candyland beginning at the finish line. Play Old Maid where the winner is the player holding the maid at the end. Raid the game cabinet and see what games inspire your kids.
winter the dolphin
Home Theater: Is winter making you long for the beach? Cuddle up with Winter the dolphin for an at-the-beach, heartwarming family film, Dolphin Tale. A boy rescues Winter the dolphin when her tail is lost in a crab trap. With creativity, he persuades a team of scientists to develop a prosthetic tail enabling the dolphin to swim again. Dolphin Sandwiches! Local grocery stores sell sandwich cookie cutters in dolphin shapes. If you are unable to find these, you can purchase food-coloring markers in the bakery aisle and let the kids draw ocean scenes on their sandwiches.
Dolphin Olympics! Create two teams and compete in some fun races. Catch Fish in Your Mouth: Dolphins can jump up and catch a fish in midair with their mouths. Provide everyone with a cup of goldfish crackers (5-10/person) and see who can successfully toss them into the air (one at a time) and catch them in their mouths. Award one point per successful catch. Balance a Ball on Your Nose: Give each player a plastic ball and, using a timer, determine who can balance the ball on the nose the longest (no hands!).
snowed in
Home Theater: Dean Jones, the iconic actor of Disney’s Herbie movies and That Darn Cat, stars in this oft-forgotten but fun-filled slapstick family comedy, Snowball Express. Jones’ character, John Baxter, inherits a Rocky Mountain ski resort and, along with his family, must fix up the property and make it profitable in order to keep it.
Eat Tortilla Snowflakes. Warm flour tortillas for 15 seconds in the microwave. Fold the tortillas in half once and then in half again, so you create a pie wedge shape. Using clean scissors, cut as you would paper snowflakes. Unfold tortillas. Brush with butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake until just warm and slightly crisp (about 4 minutes at 250˚).
Snowball Fight! Try an indoor snowball fight. Create indoor snowballs using balled up white socks, white tissue paper or giant pom-poms. Create two teams and divide the space into two sections. Set a timer for 2-5 minutes and have each team throw snowballs to the other side. If a snowball lands on your side, you may throw it back to the opponent’s side. This continues until the time expires. The team with the fewest snowballs on its side wins.
For cabin fever busters, summer fun in winter, sledding hills and more, head to KCParent.com for tons of winter fun!
DATES WITH LETTER N
Has winter caused you to be iN a rut when it comes to dates with your significant other? If so, check out these dates that start with the letter N!
NORTH ITALIA We recently enjoyed a new place to us—North Italia in Leawood. They have locations in 12 states, and while we generally steer clear of most chain restaurants, this is one we highly recommend! It’s open, airy and casual with excellent Italian food. We started off with the zucca (zucchini) chips; grilled cauliflower with a fried egg and baby asparagus; and grilled bread with olive oil. We devoured the bread and chips. They were super yummy. And the flavors of the cauliflower blew us away. For our entrees, we ordered the burrata tortelloni with cherry tomato, basil, pecorino and rustic tomato sauce and the grilled wild striped sea bass, served with roasted cauliflower, fennel, zucchini, and broccolini. Dessert was a shared order of the Italian butter cake with wild blueberry preserve, whipped lemon creme fraiche, cinnamon crumble and basil. WOW. Everything was so delicious. We can’t wait to go back!
NORTHLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Northland Symphony Orchestra is a group of approximately 65 student, community and professional musicians that performs free concerts in the Northland. We recently attended a concert that was basically an homage to humor in music. It was a fun performance to attend, that’s for sure! In the first half, NSO performed all four movements of Haydn’s Symphony No. 45. During the final movement, one-by-one, the orchestra members stopped playing and left the stage, which was a nod to what inspired Haydn to write the piece. And it was the perfect segue into intermission! The second half of the Northland Symphony’s performance included 14 variations on the “Happy Birthday” song (imitating Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, ragtime, tango and various other composers and music styles), wrong notes played on purpose, meandering strings scales, a cat opera solo and a tune played entirely by plucking the strings.
FAMILY TREE NURSERY For a fun activity, head to Family Tree Nursery to create a holiday container. They have locations in Liberty, Shawnee and Overland Park that offer an excellent selection of trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, edibles, plants and gardening supplies. Plus, they have gifts and home decor. Their employees are always readily available to help with anything you might need—and we were definitely in need of help when we put together our holiday container. We chose a small pot, which was pre-filled by the nursery with potting soil and sand. Then, we chose a spruce top, a skirting bundle, two bundles of greens and two berry picks. We were also able to purchase additional picks. Be sure to check out Family Tree Nursery’s website and Facebook page for information on when the workshops are being held. This year, they will have in-person workshops (by appointment), as well as take-home kits.
Hannah Berry is a freelance writer who lives with her husband in Kansas City. They enjoy regular date nights and love trying new restaurants and activities.
FOR GREAT DATE NIGHT IDEAS STARTING WITH A-M, HEAD TO KCPARENT.COM!
5 simple tips for birthday bash success
(Family Features) w hether you’re planning a princess tea party or a superhero birthday bash, the secret to organizing a party your child will treasure is to keep your little one’s interests at the forefront.
If your child does well in smaller groups, keep the guest list small. Plan the menu around her favorite foods and look for little touches that celebrate the unique joy she brings to your family. Make his big day extra special with these simple tips that make childhood birthday parties manageable but magnificent:
LET’S PARTY!
KCPARENT.COM
We have everything you already love about our site plus a bunch of new features, including an ALL NEW PARTY GUIDE where parents can search by location with venues displayed on Google Maps plus search for party type AND see photos and video.
Find the perfect entertainer, arcade, party supplies, inflatable, live animals, face painter and MUCH MORE!
VISIT KCPARENT.COM TODAY!
PAINTING AT HOME AT-HOME BIRTHDAYS You host the party, Ceramic Café provides the fun! CREATIVE STORY TIME PACKAGES Purchase the supplies and watch a video of the story at home! CeramicCafeOnlineStore.com Easy ordering for take home pottery fun!
Set a theme. Building your celebration around a theme that reflects your child brings an added touch of fun and excitement. Popular options include a favorite color, sport, activity or character. While the Internet offers a mind-boggling array of ideas for crafting the perfect theme, there also are a variety of party-ready options for busy moms with limited time.
Decorate the guests. There’s no reason to stop with streamers and balloons. Integrate your guests into the decor with fun activities that bring your theme to life. Face paint, washable tattoos or stamps let little guests take an active role in the party and express a little creativity of their own.
Amp up the activity. Create opportunities for all the little partygoers to participate in the festivities with interactive games that tie back to the theme of the party. Old-school favorites like pin-the-tail on the donkey can be updated to reflect today’s popular characters; makeyour-own slime or clay is the perfect project for a group of mad scientists; or a treasure hunt can be adapted to nearly any theme. Add some fancy to the food. If your party menu calls for more than cake and ice cream, you can take advantage of another avenue to carry through your theme. A little creativity, some clever monikers and a few basic modifications can quickly transform everyday snacks into festive fun. For example, a dinosaur party might feature Brontosaurus Burgers and T-Rex Trail Mix. The options are nearly endless, and if you’re at a loss, you can find ample inspiration online.
Offer a fond farewell. No birthday party is complete without treats to send partygoers home happy. However, goodie bags need not be costly or elaborate. An inexpensive item such as bubbles or sidewalk chalk tied in theme-colored ribbon is a fun choice for many ages. When it comes to candy, favorite Hershey’s products—from Kit Kat Miniatures to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures to iconic Kisses chocolates—are now available in birthday-themed designs for a sweet ending to any celebration.
Princess Partyat my
Have your favorite princess at your party!
Parties Include: Story Games Facepaint Music Prizes & More
Rachel Johnson rachel@princessatmyparty.com 816.830.4841 www.princessatmyparty.com
Have a WILD Birthday Have a WILD Birthday Party Party at the Zoo! at the Zoo!
Go to kansascityzoo.org for details and to book your party today!
OPEN DAILY kansascityzoo.org 816.595.1234 The Kansas City Zoo, a private, non-profit organization is operated in agreement with the Kansas City, MO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, partially funded by the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties in MO, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
mom-tested, kid-approved indoor fun
Parenting is full of excitement and challenges. One of the most challenging aspects of parenting includes keeping your little humans active and engaged during the long winter months. “Winter is seriously the hardest. The stir-crazy kids, the germs, the being stuck inside. It gets to you after a very short time,” says Monica Wells, Kansas City, KS, mom. When the slick roads, the cold winds and the threat of every virus known to man combine to keep you and your kids home for extended periods of time, life can get chaotic. “The kids’ energy levels don’t subside just because we can’t go out and play,” says Robin Allen, Olathe mom. So, how do you keep your kids from bouncing off the walls while you are stuck inside? We have five tips to keep your winter days wonderful! Work It Out. Regular exercise helps to reduce risk factors of cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a multitude of studies. The science makes a great argument for being active, but we parents know our kids are happier when they have outlets for their endless energy. “My kids are happier and, as a family, we get along better when we exercise. Staying active is a key to our sleep habits, how we eat and our ability to relax during the downtimes,” says Laura Purdue, Olathe mom. Staying active when you are stuck in the house gets a bit complicated, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Try getting your kids involved in a regular workout routine. You can try making obstacle courses in the living room, playing red-light-green-light or Simon Says or have a push-up contest. Try workout videos or invent some routines yourself! These small efforts can make all the difference and can get your blood pumping! Get Crafty. In today’s Pinterest world, crafting is always an option. But it doesn’t have to be over-the-top or stressful. Choose projects that align with your kids’ interests and your household vibes. “I look to Pinterest now and then, but mostly we do crafts that fit with what is going on with our family at the time,” Joelle Martin, Kansas City, MO, mom says. “We make cards for neighbors and friends. We paint pictures for people on their birthdays.” Coloring in a coloring book, making paper dolls or
drawing a picture for the grandparents are all crafts that excite the imagination. And craft time offers bonus benefits. Children who use their hands for cutting, coloring, writing and playing with Play-Doh develop stronger hand muscles and greater finger dexterity—all of which help with the ability to write and to hold a pencil correctly. Crafting at home is a boredom buster that can help set your child up for success down the road! Mix It Up in the Kitchen. “Cooking is our go-to in the winter. Not only is it fun for the kids, it helps me with meal planning!” says Gretchen Kelley, Shawnee mom. Cooking with your kids sounds like a great way to make a mess, but it is also a great way to make memories and happily pass a cold, wintry afternoon. No matter what is on the menu, kids love to help. And teaching them about nutrition, where their food comes from and how dinner gets on the table are life lessons important at any age! Try checking out some kid-friendly cookbooks from the library or finding some online tutorials to get you started. Before you know it, you could be cooking up meals with the next Top Chef Junior! Learn, Learn, Learn. Just because you are stuck inside doesn’t mean you have to put learning and fun on hold. From online learning apps to playing Crazy Eights, you can find a million ways to teach your children while having fun indoors. “We set up flash card challenges. We play board games. I have some workbooks, but I actually feel like my kids learn more through imaginative play, playing with toys or dressing up,” says Samantha Brown, Overland Park mom. Designating a theme day can help to narrow down your choices. Choose a topic, a period in history or an animal to learn more about. Incorporate your theme into the stories for the day, your dress-up games and your snacks to help make learning fun and interactive. Your local library is a great place to go to add depth to any topic!
Melissa Bellach is a freelance writer, wife and mom of three living in Overland Park. pianolessons Learn to play piano and have FUN doing it!
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winter read-alouds: fun with poetry
By Jan Pierce
While your family is working and learning from home, why not make your read-aloud times really special? Maybe you’re reading a classic chapter book as a family, or a biography or nature books that open the door to environmental learning. Whatever you’re reading, don’t forget to include some rhymes and poems.
A few decades ago, children consistently knew classic folk and fairy tales, nursery rhymes and various poems when they entered school. Today that isn’t true. For a variety of reasons kids have become more focused on popular contemporary songs and stories rather than classic literature. They know all about Frozen or Lion King, but they aren’t familiar with The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.
But there are good reasons to make some time for poetry, both classic and contemporary. Here are some of them: Poetry can boost social/emotional growth.
• Poetry is full of expression and emotion. It can help a child learn how others think and feel.
• Reciting poems can build community. It’s a bit like singing a song together, with all the rhythms and rhyming words. • Enjoyment of poetry can build emotional resilience. Children can say, “I feel that way, too,” or, “Now I understand why my friend was afraid.” Response to poetry has a physical component. • Poetry is the most kinesthetic of all literature. It is filled with rhythms and musical beats. It invites a physical response. • Reciting poems gives a child’s mouth, tongue and breathing a good workout. It builds fluency and expressive skills. • Poetry is filled with patterns and sequences; it has a musical quality that creates interaction. Poetry can support and improve cognitive learning skills. • Poetry builds and extends vocabulary. It places new words in a quick context supporting access to meaning. • Poems build phonemic awareness such as pitch, voice inflection and variations in volume. • Poetry invites creativity and self-expression. Children learn that reading is not just a list of rules to follow, but a world of meaning. • Poetry can improve both reading and writing skills as children gain a deeper love of language. • Poems can aid in memorization skills. The structure of poems makes them easier to remember than longer passages.
From the cradle on, children love poetry. Look for anthologies of children’s poetry to get an overview of poets or search for your favorite children’s authors, as many of them have written verse as well as stories. Read the poems to your children, but don’t forget to have them memorize some of them for the valuable skills gained and the sheer fun of it. Here are some children’s poetry favorites:
The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children’s Poems, edited by Donald Hall
Animals, Animals by Eric Carle
A Treasury of Poetry for Young People, more than 150 poems by six American poets
Favorite Poems Old and New, more than 700 poems edited by Hellen Ferris
Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky
The Original Mother Goose by Blanch Fisher Wright
Best Mother Goose Ever by Richard Scarry
Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne
the Discovery Barn, and Stingray Bay. Stroll down Tiger Trail and through Elephant Expedition. Let your cubs run loose in the Tropics see the animals of Australia. See display ad on pg. 45. KansasCityZoo.org
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Discover for yourself what life was like for the Mahaffies, their neighbors, and westwardbound travelers following the Civil War. Experience travel in a real stagecoach with a ride around the grounds and visit the animals. Explore the 1865 house where you can see cookstove demonstrations. Listen to the blacksmith hammer iron as they share stories of fixing the company stagecoaches. We are open year-round; activities and admission vary, visit Mahaffie.org or call 913.971.5111. See display ad on pg. 57.
Mid-Continent Public Libraries Getting organized for the holidays is always a daunting task, but Mid-Continent Public Library can provide some help with solutions that are free and easy! Download seasonal tunes and find recipe or decorating suggestions from popular magazines. Reserve your choice of holiday DVDs for checkout through curbside pickup, and gather for virtual programs you can tune in to from the comfort of your couch. The Library can help make this season a special one. See display ad on pg. 61. MyMCPL.org/celebrate.
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures Visit The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures and explore two must-see collections. Located on the UMKC campus, T/m is home to the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection and one of the largest historic toy collections on public display. The museum’s newest exhibit, Bridging the Gender Divide: Toys that Build STEM Skills, examines how toys once marketed primarily to boys have evolved to encourage all children through play to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. See display ad on pg. 44. ToyAndMiniatureMusuem.org
Union Station With more lights, more trees and special sights all around, Union Station’s Home for the Holidays has something for everyone. Holiday Classic Movies. Family Fun Experiences. A weekly outdoor craft market. The biggest indoor tree! New this year – Holiday Reflections walk-through village in Grand Plaza. Discover eight festive photo ops for your family photo or a just-for-fun selfie. Included in your ticket is access to the massive model train display and the mini ride-on train (additional ticket required). See display ad on pg. 49. UnionStation.org/Holidays.
Urban Air Looking for the best year-round fun? With new adventures behind every corner, Urban Air Adventure Park is the ultimate indoor playground. Take birthdays to the next level or spend a day of fun with the family and you’ll see why we’re more than just a trampoline park. Let the kids fly through the park on our sky rider, take on our climbing walls, or reach new heights on our trampolines. Urban Air. Let ‘em fly. See display ad on pg. 55.
Youthfront Seeking some social-distanced family fun this holiday season? Come to camp! Fully decked out for Christmas, Youthfront’s Camp West in Edgerton, KS, features an illuminated lake walk with outdoor interactive experiences to retell the Nativity story. Sip hot chocolate by a bonfire, enjoy music, family game stations and much more. Christmas at Camp also features a Holiday Mart with local vendors and handcrafted items. 6 nights only: December 3-5 & 10-12. See display ad on pg. 58. Youthfront.com/christmas
Where fun TAKES FLIGHT!
With attractions that cater to any level of adventurer, there’s something fun for everyone.
nowopEn Lenexa • UrbanAirLenexa.com 8540 Maurer Road • Lenexa, KS 66219 • 913-359-5800
ComInGSoon Overland Park • UrbanAirOverlandPark.com 14401 Metcalf Ave • Overland Park, KS 66223 • (913) 298-0626
