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101 Ways to Enjoy Summer in Kansas City

The weather’s getting warmer, the kids are out of school and the farmer’s markets are open — summer is here!

Now that the kids have been on break for a few weeks, the initial excitement of summer has worn off and we are all looking for some fun things to do.  

The goal parents:  to fight off the dreaded “I’m bored” comment and keep them away from the screen long enough to make a few memories.

And boy do we have a list for you — the Ultimate Kansas City Bucket List for summer fun!

There are some awesome new places to visit this year along with many of our favorite KC events and activities.  It’s a great time to explore the city, check out a new attraction and enjoy some time together!

 

101 Things to Do in Kansas City this Summer

There’s always so much going on and Kansas City is such a big place so we’ve looked for activities and ideas from all around the metro. 

Honestly, we probably have more than 200 ideas & activities on the list and we’ll keep adding more throughout the summer!  If there’s something amazing that we didn’t include, be sure to list it in the comments so we can share it with everyone!

 

 

New at the Nelson-Atkins: Glass Labyrinth

Photo Credit: John Lamberton

 

All New & Amazing in Kansas City this Summer

  • Slide down the biggest water slide in the world at Schlitterbaun — leave me a note if you do this because I am too much of a chicken to do it myself 😉

 

New Natural History Museum in Kansas City

  • Take an old-time photo at the new Photography shop at Deanna Rose Farmstead (they have a great one that looks like you’ve been caught in a tornado!)
  • Tour the new blacksmith shop and barber shop at Deanna Rose Farmstead

 

 

Feeding apples to the bison

Outdoor Adventures

  • Attend one of the 100+ Outdoor Music Concerts around town!  Seriously, there’s so many performances we had to give music it’s own page!
  • Tour Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum
  • Pick your own fruit!  A great way to connect kids to where their food comes from — try these locations & be sure to call ahead or check the website as the weather plays a huge part in the availability of the crop:

The Berry Patch

Cider Hill Family Orchard

First Fruits Orchard

Sibley Orchard

  • See a movie under the stars — more than 40 great outdoor movies are showing this summer around the city

 

Skyride over giraffes at Kansas City Zoo

  • Get a birds’ eye view of things from the Skyride at the Kansas City Zoo
  • Step back in time and enjoy a Family Fun Night at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm

 

fireworks

  • See Fireworks!! (let the kids wear their pj’s and bring a fun snack)
  • Go geocaching with the kids — there are 100s of secret caches hidden all around the city!
  • Take the kids to a drive-in movie (another great pj activity 😉

Boulevard Drive-in

I-70 Drive-in

Twin Drive-in

 

Tigers at Cedar Cove

  • Enjoy a play — you can see outdoor theater shows at Shawnee Mission park, the Shakespeare Festival (great for teens)
  • Stop and smell the roses at Loose Park – a great place to spend the morning with lots of trails and playground areas
  • Have fun at one of the Splash/spray parks in the area:

Loose Park Sprayground – this one’s really cool

Kansas City Spray Parks — a dozen more around the city!

Spray Parks in Wyandotte County

 

 

Play area at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

Play area at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

 

Cool Indoor Fun on Hot Days

  • Visit a Mummy & complete one of the Kids Guides to the Galleries fun books at the Nelson-Atkins Museum
  • Enjoy storytime at your local library — this can be a weekly thing!
  • Our local Nature Centers have AWESOME programming going on all summer with storytimes, meet the animal programs and skill sessions:

Ernie Miller Nature Center – Olathe

Lakeside Nature Center – Kansas City

Schlagle Library & Nature Center – Kansas City, KS

Remington Nature Center – St. Joe

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center – Blue Springs

 

Hold a sea star

  • Hold a starfish or sea urchin and watch the sharks at SEA LIFE Aquarium
  • Take the kids to a workshops or clinic – they can build, craft, code and learn some skills at these Free & Low-cost Workshops that are held at Bass Pro, Michael’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot, American Girl, Apple and Microsoft stores

 

 

Bottle feed the baby goats

A Few Family Favorites

  • Create art at Kaleidoscope
  • Waddle with the penguins at the Kansas City Zoo
  • Hang out at the pool
  • Bottle-feed the goats at Deanna Rose & stop by Ben’s Bank for a passport

 

Ahh…Summertime Events!

June 22nd:  Future Stages Festival at the Kauffman Center, free event 12 pm – 5 pm

Jun 28th & 29th:  Maker Faire at Union Station

July 10th:  Picnic in the Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum with puppets, ice cream & fun art activities!  5 pm – 8 pm

July 12th:  Tractor Daze & Touch-a-Truck at the National Agricultural Museum

 

 

Enjoy Your Summer!!

~ Jacquie