KC Parent magazine June 2021

FREE | JUNE 2021 | KCPARENT.COM

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SUMMER FUN GUIDE VOLUNTEERING WITH KIDS

SPORTS

LIFE LESSONS

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

DAD

Let Your SUMMER FUN Fly! Voted “Best of KC”

Includes Exciting New

EARLY LEARNING Destinations

Visit KC Visitors’ Choice Awards

SO MUCH TO SEE & DO

at Union Station!

• Internationally Awarded SCIENCE CITY: Endless fun featuring New “Step Right Up!” • Arvin Gottlieb PLANETARIUM: Travel the Universe and be home in time for dinner • Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre: Educational & Feature Films on Largest Screen in Midwest • Model Train Gallery: “Best Kept Secret in Missouri” • Restaurants, Retail, Partner Attractions and So Much More!

Plan Your Visit: UnionStation.org

Come See Us in

Springfield…

We’ll Show You Around!

When you visit Springfield, Missouri, ask a local! We know where there’s drama — whether it’s performed on the stage of one of the city’s historic theatres, or discovering the hair-raising drama at the Discovery Center, we love our city and know the best places to eat, drink and play. See you in Springfield!

Explore Springfield at

SpringfieldMo.org

Point your smartphone camera at this QR code to find out more about things to do in Springfield.

JUNE

2021

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 Craft Corner 12 Date Night 14 Dear Teachers 16 Media Mix 18 5 Things 19 Word from Dad 20 Ask the Experts

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM SPORTS, PG. 32

47 Tasty Treats

SPECIAL SECTIONS 26 Camp Guide

FEATURES

40 Party Guide 46 Summer Fun Guide 56 Calendar of Events

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Camp Guide

Bonding with Kids

Summer Fun

Great ideas for last minute summer camps.

Ways for busy parents to fit in time to bond with kids.

Your guide to tons of summer fun in Kansas City.

Our cover features Matt and son, Theodore from Overland Park.

Photo by Melissa Rieke Photography.

MelissaRiekePhotography.com FREE | JUNE 2021 | KCPARENT.COM

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Celebrate Dad’s Day

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Sports Life Lessons

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Volunteer with Kids

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Summer Fun Guide

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SPORTS

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WAYS TO CELEBRATE

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EXPLORE .

IMAGINE . PLAY!

WONDERSOFWILDLIFE.ORG/PLAY

EDITOR’SLETTER JUNE 2021

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Associate Publisher Darrell Dean Darrell@KCParent.com Editor Margaret Sarver Margaret@KCParent.com Art Director Kim Tappan Tappan Design Kim@KCParent.com Advertising Sales Debbie Clark Debbie@KCParent.com Darrell Dean Darrell@KCParent.com Digital Media Manager Kristina Light Kristina@KCParent.com Copy Editor Susan Crainshaw Susan@KCParent.com Distribution To be added to our distribution list, e-mail Distribution@KCParent.com

LOCAL CONTENT

Local Contributing Writers Bill Bartlett (Belton), Hannah Berry (Kansas City), Julie Collett (Overland Park), Janelle Cumro-Sultzer (Overland Park), Lauren Dreher (Stillwell).

Sandy Foster (Grain Valley), Allison Gibeson (Lee’s Summit ), Judy Goppert (Lee’s Summit), Lauren Greenlee (Olathe), Kristina Light (Kansas City), Sarah Lyons (Olathe), Kerrie McLoughlin (Peculiar), Emily Morrison (Independence), Heather Shields (Kansas City)

Mailing Address 11936 W. 119th #335, Overland Park, KS 66213 913.782.3238 phone • 913.681.5139 fax OUR PRODUCTS FREE | JUNE 2021 | KCPARENT.COM

kansas city’s #1 travel guide since 2010

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SINCE 2002

kcgoingplaces.com

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Happy Father’s Day, KC!

Publisher Michael Gimotty Michael@KCParent.com

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BABY SKIN CARE 101

PREGNANCY PERKS

AZINE

the ins and outs of your

hospital delivery expecting again?

VOLUNTEERING

find out what items to keep and what to toss

WITH KIDS

WEEKEND GETAWAY EXPLORING DOWNTOWN

SPORTS

LIFE LESSONS

LOVE IS IN THE AIR GREAT DATES

GEMS OF KANSAS CITY LANDMARKS LOCALS LOVE

.com

hen I started high school, my mom told me I needed to join a sports team because she felt it was “good for everyone to have that team experience.” Since I was not what you would call athletic, I joined the swim team (it was a no-cut sport and practices were at one of the all-boys high schools, a win-win). To say I wasn’t good would be an understatement. I showed up for practices and meets and did try my best, but I’m truly just not athletic. After my failed swim team attempt, Mom dropped her requirement for my siblings because she discovered that some kids just aren’t made for sports teams. But that’s not to say her reasoning wasn’t sound. There are a lot of beneficial life lessons kids can learn from being part of a team, and despite the fact that I wasn’t any good, even I managed to learn some of them. Athletics are a big part of life for today’s kiddos. Judy Goppert takes a look at just some of the lessons yours can learn from sports on pg. 32.

June brings the start of my most fave season of all, summer! I revel in the longer, hotter days and everything that accompanies them.

My husband and I love to attend concerts and are thrilled to see so many picking back up this year, especially at outdoor venues. What are some of your favorite summer activities? If you are a thrill seeker, then head to pg. 54. to check out great ideas for unforgettable summer adventures right here in KC! June also brings Father’s Day. I get my love of summer from my dad. He hated the cold and snow and loved the heat of summer.

Cheers to my Pops—happy Father’s Day in heaven! I know it will be a great one!

Facebook.com/KansasCityParent Pinterest.com/KCParent @KCParent

Member of:

Circulation verified by:

KC Parent is giving away

10 FAMILY 4-PACKS to Sea Life Aquarium or Legoland Discovery Center.

Details and to enter, visit KCParent.com.

Margaret Sarver, Editor

Kansas City Parent Magazine is published 12 times a year by Family Media Group. It is distributed free of charge throughout the Kansas City area. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect KC Parent’s opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Kansas City Parent Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors.

All photography and letters sent to KC Parent will be treated unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. KC Parent often includes websites that may be helpful to our readers. We verify each site prior to publication. However, content changes frequently. We encourage you to use caution and discretion when visiting a website.

Postmaster, please send changes to KC Parent, 11936 W. 119th #335, Overland Park, KS 66213

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KCPARENTWEBSITE

KCPARENT.COM Even More Local Parenting Information, Articles, Events and Surprises

SEARCH KCPARENT.COM FOR MORE AFFORDABLE FUN IDEAS: 1. Best of June 2. Family Game Night 3. Summer Reading Programs

4. Best Parks in Kansas City 5. Party Guide

SPOTLIGHT

6. Farmers Markets

FESTIVAL GUIDE It’s festival season in Kansas City! From trendy boutique shopping to old-fashioned county fairs, ethnic festivals with delicious delicacies, and local barbecue festivals ... there is something for everyone! Head to KCParent.com for a guide to summer festivals in the Kansas City area.

7. Father’s Day Gift Ideas

LABOR & DELIVERY GUIDE Choosing the best hospital for the arrival of your baby is an important decision. Use the KCParent.com Labor & Delivery Hospital Guide to find the perfect location for you and your child.

8. Hiking Trails

9. Great Giveaways 10. Perfect Picnic Spots

4 MORE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED

Like us on Facebook facebook.com/KansasCityParent Repin us on Pinterest // Follow us on Twitter @KCParent // Subscribe to our FREE e-newsletter at KCParent.com

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CRAFTCORNER This quick and easy craft can be done with items you probably already have around your house.

Materials needed:

F

Love You to Pieces Photo Frame

ather’s Day will be here before we know it! This quick and easy craft can be done with items you probably already have around your house. Step it up one notch and add a homemade card with the saying “We Love You to Pieces!”

Step one: Put new photo into photo frame.

Step two: Glue puzzle pieces onto the frame. Make sure to leave a straight line of pieces at the bottom where the frame will stand up.

Step three: Continue to layer pieces until you have your desired look..

Step four: Let dry and you are 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.

Kids Art Coasters

DIY Rock Art

Ice Cube Paintings

For even more great craft ideas, log onto KCParent.com!

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• Photo • Old photo frame • Glue stick • Old puzzle (we used 22 pieces)

The starting point for a healthy smile.

We specialize in giving kids the care and special consideration they need for successful dental care.

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OVERLAND PARK 913-553-2492

LEGENDS 913-948-8688

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DATES WITH LETTER T

DATENIGHT

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It’s date night time! How about one of these “top notch” ideas?

TASSO’S Where can you eat amazing Greek food and break a plate after?

Tasso’s, of course! What began in 1976 as a gyro sandwich business run out of a tiny bar in Brookside grew into a freestanding building of its own on Wornall Road. Tasso’s is festive and fun, with live music, belly dancing and breaking plates on Fridays and Saturdays. It had been several years since my husband and I had been there, so we set off for a date night recently to enjoy some tasty food. He had the pastitio, which is pasta and ground beef topped with Béchamel sauce. I had the moussaka, which is eggplant and ground beef, also topped with Béchamel. Rice, potatoes, mixed veggies and pita bread rounded out the entrees.

Everything was delicious! If you are looking for a fun and different date night, head to Tasso’s. Next time, we will definitely get the saganaki— flaming cheese served with pita bread. Opa!

T-MOBILE CENTER An outing at the T-Mobile Center is always a great date! My husband and I have attended a number of concerts there, with my two absolute favorites being the Eagles and Garth Brooks. But the T-Mobile Center has many other kinds of events besides music. We have seen motorcycles race around at an Arenacross event and have cheered on the Tigers at an MU basketball game. We have watched big trucks tear up dirt and compete with each other at Monster Jam. And one of my favorite non-music events that we attended was the US Figure Skating Championships. Other events hosted by the T-Mobile Center include professional bull riding, Disney on Ice and comedy tours. If you are looking for a fun date night (or day), you can bet the T-Mobile Center will have something up your alley.

TIKTOK TARGET CHALLENGE The TikTok Target Challenge, which went viral in 2020, sends couples— or friends—into Target with a list of items to find for each other. On a recent weekday afternoon, we headed to the store, split up and did our shopping. On the challenge list were the following items: their favorite snack, their favorite drink, something in their favorite color, something they need, something you want them to try, something that reminds you of them and something from the Dollar Spot section. We set a budget of $20 or less. The challenge ended up being harder than I thought it would be, and I had to make more than one pass around the store to fulfill all the items. I also forgot to add up my finds as I went and ended up going over budget by more than $10. My husband managed to stay much closer to the limit than I did. All in all, it was a fun date, and we both liked that it was something different.

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-S, HEAD TO KCPARENT.COM!

My rescue dog, KC, from Great Plains

you can practice some small trips

Stress and medical problems can

SPCA, is a wonderful dog with great

around the neighborhood and stop the

cause a cat to avoid using the litterbox.

manners and personality. However,

car and ignore her every time she

Some litters irritate the paws of

she has one problem - she whines and

whines, then start driving again. Do not

declawed cats so you may need to use

cries continuously whenever she rides

do this if its fear related however, as it

a different kind if your cat is declawed.

in the car. She is always excited and

can cause adverse effects.

As you can see there are many

eager to get in the vehicle, but as soon

– Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

reasons for litterbox issues. About 10

as we start the engine she begins to

percent of cats have issues with

vocalize. And she does not stop. She

litterboxes at some point in their lives

gets a little better on the way home if

I have a multi-feline home and one of

so this is not uncommon behavior. Try

we have been somewhere where she

the cats has a lot of issues with not

different things and through trial and

has had some exercise, but she still

using the litterbox. He seems to

error you will find what helps.

carries on. Any ideas about why she

frequently go on the rugs near the

– Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

may do this? How can I train her not to

litterbox, but not in the litterbox. I am

do it? Thank you for your help.

getting tired of cleaning up his messes.

– Priscilla Bradley

Thoughts on why he used the litter box for years then suddenly stopped?

This is a very normal habit for many

FEATURED PET

– Violet Hawkins

dogs and I recommend you try to find out why your dog is whining.

There are many reasons for litterbox

Sometimes it can be related to fear,

issues with cats. Some cats do not like

excitement, or motion sickness.

using the litterbox if it is not clean or if

Sounds like it might be from

they do not have easy access to the

Sophie is a loving and devoted

excitement from what I am reading. Try

box. I recommend having a litter box

companion searching for her perfect

to redirect her by putting her in sit, stay,

on every floor in your home and

family! She is a four-year-old terrier mix

down on the back seat or give her

multiple litterboxes if you have multiple

who adores being by her human’s side

treats or a Kong filled with goodies to

cats. The rule of thumb is to have one

24/7. She is an all-star ball player and is

occupy her time. It is not safe to do this

litterbox for every cat in the household

always game for snuggles after a good

when you are driving, so have

plus one more. Some cats do not like

play session. Sophie is a very

someone else drive while you work on

them if they are too small or deep.

well-behaved house guest and is very

this with KC. If it is just you in the car,

Some cats do not like the hoods or

smart! She will do best in a home where

liners. If this behavior started suddenly,

she can be your one and only pet so she

you may want to check with your vet to

can soak up all your love herself. As soon

make sure your cat is feeling well and

as you meet this lovely girl, we know you’ll

rule out any medical concerns.

fall in love!

Sophie

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.

Animal expert, Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA, is the Director of Animal Behavior & Training at Great Plains SPCA. Ashley has more than 16 years of experience in animal training and behavior.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 4,000 animals

www.greatplainsspca.org

annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira and Johnson County Parks and Recreation and unincorporated Johnson County.

Q&A DEARTEACHERS

HOOKING CHILDREN ON READING

QUESTION: My children who are currently in second

and fourth grades are just barely reading on grade level.

What can I do this summer to help them up their reading level and get them hooked on books? – Need a Plan

ANSWER: Most unmotivated readers don’t associate reading with the word “fun.” They limit their reading to school assignments. Start off by reading to your children every day. Select reading material that will make them laugh. Poems written by Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelusky and Bruce Lansky will definitely tickle their funny bones. You will be able to get other good suggestions from your local librarian or the library’s web page. Once they see that reading can be fun, your children will be readier to tackle some reading on their own.

Begin by having them read material that is fun and that caters to their interests. If you can find books that are slightly below their reading level, they will feel more confident of their reading ability and likely read more. Plus, the more they read, the more their reading will improve.

You can further build your children’s excitement about

BY PEGGY GISLER AND MARGE EBERTS

Select from the activities below to help your children

become even more excited about reading:

1. Have great reading materials spread throughout your home, from magazines to vacation brochures.

2. Be sure each child has his or her personal collection of fiction and nonfiction books.

3. Start an online book club or a neighborhood one if social distancing has been lifted.

4. Have your children take part in the summer reading program at your library if one is available.

5. Give kids a magazine subscription.

6. Let them stay up at night an extra 15 or 30 minutes to read in bed.

In addition to getting them excited about reading, attending a summer school program at elementary schools, colleges and learning centers, if these are available, can usually improve children’s reading skills.

reading by helping them become active readers. We do not mean they are to run around the room as they read. No, they are to become interactive with the printed page. You can help them learn how to do this by asking them questions about what they think will be happening next in a story when you read to them. Also, have discussions with them about the author’s point of view in what you or they are reading.

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website. © Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2020

A great way to keep kids reading over the summer is to get involved with your local library’s summer reading program. Visit KCParent.com for a list of summer reading programs all over the KC metro.

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Great deals on Trampolines and Basketball Goals!

Delivery and Set-up

by Specialist Install Team

Visit our Olathe store, website, or Facebook page for more information

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913-307-6023

Visit our outdoor showroom

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MEDIAMIX

Bear Outside Written by distinguished author Jane Yolen and illustrated by awardwinning illustrator Jen Corace

“Some folks have a lion inside, or a tiger. Not me. I wear my bear on the outside. It’s like wearing a suit of armor,” begins the narrator of Bear Outside.

The narrator of our story is a plucky little girl. With the help of her bear.

They go everywhere and do everything together … They saunter past bullies, they go to school and raise their hand in class and they ride their bike all the way to the stop sign. And while they might not agree on everything (like what’s the best paint color), there is one thing they wholeheartedly agree on: “I take care of Bear, and Bear takes care of me.”

A beautiful look into the relationship people have with their inner strength and a wonderful conversation starter about confidence and self-assurance.

I Want to Ride the Tap Tap

Dozens of Doughnuts

By Danielle Joseph, illustrated by Olivier Ganthier

Picture book debut

by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Brianne Farley

Claude and his mother walk Claude’s father to the tap tap stop on Monday so he can ride the tap tap to work.

They meet a lady selling mangoes. She is also boarding the tap tap.

The next day the family walks to the tap tap, they meet a fisherman. Each day Claude wants to ride the tap tap, but each day he has school to attend and chores to do.

Claude is surprised when the end of the week arrives and the whole family boards the tap tap to go to the beach!

This vibrantly illustrated look into the life of a Black Haitian family will have children wanting to ride the tap tap themselves! Tap taps are brightly decorated vehicles that are privately owned. No two tap taps are alike!

“Early one morning, as autumn leaves scatter, LouAnn’s busy (a big, black bear) stirring a big bowl of batter. She’ll eat some sweet treats, then, warm and well-fed, she’ll sleep away winter, tucked tight in her bed.”

At least that’s what LouAnn thinks is going to happen! As she pulls a pan of fresh, hot doughnuts from the oven, her doorbell rings. It’s her friend Woodrow, who is hungry.

Of course, LouAnn is willing to share her doughnuts, but when they are about to eat … the doorbell rings again.

Another friend! This time it’s Clyde.

And so it continues. LouAnn’s generous nature wins out until her doughnut batter is all gone, and there are no doughnuts left for her! Finally, her friends come to her rescue in this cute book about friendship and sharing.

Sandy Foster lives in Grain Valley and is a Bookstagrammer (@picturebookapotamus), freelance writer and mother of two.

You can find children’s book reviews and resources at HappyBeingMom.com.

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be a part of MORE THAN just another school.

• Christ-Centered Education • Academic Excellence • Dual Credit Classes • League-Leading Sports • Featured Fine Arts • Leadership Development • Lifelong Friendships Pre-K through High School

Find your new school family.

mca-eagles.org

15000 W 63rd St. • Shawnee, KS 66217 • 913-631-0637

Building Great Smiles for Life!

Four convenient locations near you!

kcparent.com june 2021

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FIVETHINGS Strip Lights Both of my girls recently painted and redecorated their rooms, and they both wanted strands of lights to run across the top of their walls. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but we ordered the lights, they arrived, and now I understood how it works. You just peel and hang—so simple and fun! (Note: the sticky stuff is super strong and pulls paint off, so hang in the right place the first time.) The lights, controlled by a remote, have all sorts of colors and settings. Our hallway does look a little like a rave when both girls have the lights on at night, but they’re a fun way for them to personalize their living space! Amazon.com

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza A friend on Facebook shared a post about what fun her family had playing Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, so I got on Amazon, ordered and scheduled a family game night.

It’s a card game with only a few rules, but it brought lots of laughs. The funniest part was the fact that my older couldn’t get the hang of it and was getting very flummoxed. The more confused she got, the more I laughed. We played again with cousins of all ages, and everyone enjoyed! Be prepared for some sore hands from slapping cards, but also be prepared to have lots of fun!

5

THINGS WE

LOVE RIGHT NOW

Compiled by Margaret Sarver

Flavored Milk We’ve been fans of the Shatto flavored milks for quite some time in the Sarver home. A grocery store by us recently started selling 12 oz. bottles of their flavored milks, a perfect size for our family because we often have trouble finishing off the larger containers.

The coffee-flavored milk in this size is now one of our go-to’s. We heat up a small amount, froth it and then pour coffee into—a delightfully decadent way to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Side note: The glass bottles are the perfect size for small vase. One of these days I’m going to paint one! ShattoMilk.com

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kcparent.com june 2021

Hubert’s Lemonade

In our home, we indulge in several treats that are strictly seasonal.

For example, I’ll only make pumpkin bread in the fall and I have an egg casserole that is reserved for Christmas morning. A summer fave and a staple is Hubert’s Lemonade. Even though it’s available yearround, it’s in our fridge all summer long and is the perfect drink to sip on a hot summer day.

Available at retail stores all over; watch for when it’s on sale at Sprouts!

Taste Box For many years, my dream job was to be a food critic. However, I don’t like seafood so I figured that might hamper my aspirations.

I recently discovered Kansas City Taste Box and it’s like I can be a food critic in my own home! Each month they offer a tasting box with treats from six local establishments. You and your family try and rate each item, send in your scores and then see the results. It was such a fun and yummy event, even my teen (who doesn’t especially look forward to things with Mom and Dad) got involved! Kansas-City-Taste-Box.square.site

WORDFROMDAD

what dads are for The image caught my eye, but not because it was an unusual photograph of a baby elephant as it frolicked on its mother in a rare moment of semi-recumbence on a hillside. Instead, I related to the moment because I did this when my kids were little.

I first noticed after my oldest started walking. All I had to do was lie on the floor, and the kids knew. I have no idea how, but the second my sorry corpus hit the carpet, they stopped whatever they were doing and ran as fast as their little legs would take them to where I lay, then flopped on me, again and again.

Sometimes, they crawled on me before they got up, but all five of my kids loved standing with their legs touching some part of my body, before they toppled over on me. I didn’t mind. I did this many times, partly to observe the phenomenon but, mostly, because I enjoyed it, too.

I remember the sadness when my youngest child stopped this game. Of course, it’s both inevitable and natural that they outgrow a part of their childhood, even if they’re still children when they do.

Tricycles become bikes, then 10-speeds— then cars carry them about.

Parents lose importance as our children grow to prefer time with their friends, then become embarrassed by our presence before developing romance after romance until they find the one that will last the rest of their days.

If we’re lucky, we’ll witness the time they don’t look back as they walk out of our lives. Years later, but always when we least expect it, we’ll see an image that brings back the times when their legs were so little, but big enough to carry them from their pursuits, just to flop on Dad. William R. Bartlett lives in Belton with his family.

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Is your child struggling with their mental health?

It can be difficult for children to understand and explain what they’re feeling so it’s important for parents and caregivers to watch for any changes in a child’s behavior.

If you’re concerned about your child, complete a free mental health assessment with them at: www.kvchospitals.org/assess

Contact us to learn more. (913) 890 – 7468

www.kvchospitals.org kcparent.com june 2021

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ASK THE EXPERTS

MEET THE

EXPERTS We have a wide range of experts on hand to answer your questions on everything from dental visits and playdates to dance lessons, lawns and so much more!

If you have a question that needs answering, get in touch.

Dr. Jeremy Fry

Megan Maciel

FRY ORTHODONTICS

KVC KANSAS

At Fry Orthodontics, we have been providing superior service to patients of all ages for more than 40 years while helping them achieve a healthy and beautiful smile.

913.469.9191, FryOrthodontics.com

KVC Kansas provides heart-centered services to children and families through in-home family support, foster care, adoption, behavioral health care and children’s psychiatric hospitals.

913.499.8100, Kansas.kvc.org

Rebecca Tusken, MD, FAAP

Brad Winfrey, RN, BSN

ADVENTHEALTH

CHILDREN’S MERCY

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission’s pediatricians and primary care providers offer compassionate, expert care for children of all ages. Find a provider at AdventHealthKC.com.

Children’s Mercy is one of the nation’s top pediatric medical centers. With hospitals and specialty clinics in Missouri and Kansas, we provide the highest level of care for children.

816.234.3000, ChildrensMercy.org

ASK THE EXPERTS...If you have a question, send it our way and we’ll ask one of our experts to answer.

Email editor@kcparent.com and put “Ask the Experts” in the subject line.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any medical questions or concerns.

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kcparent.com june 2021

ASK THE EXPERTS

Q

Q

How can I help my child deal with discomfort from braces?

How do I know my home meets the licensing requirements to provide foster care?

One of the biggest concerns of patients and parents is about the potential pain from braces. The pain from braces is a lot like a bruise on your arm: It only hurts when you touch it. When patients are chewing food, it is similar to touching a bruise and is uncomfortable.

The good news is that the pain is not a continual, throbbing pain. Most patients spend most of the day with their teeth apart and are not in pain. Pain can be best managed with over-the-counter pain medicine like Tylenol or Advil. Chewing sugar-free gum is also a good pain management technique, as the gum will dissipate the pain quicker after appointments.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, we encourage you to reach out to a recruitment specialist to discuss options. During this process we will evaluate and discuss your home, how many children you are interested in fostering, and what state requirements need to be met. We can also assist with school and daycare enrollment, community resources for counseling, and where to access medical care for a foster child in your home.

Megan Maciel Director of Recruitment and Communication KVC Kansas

Dr. Jeremy Fry Fry Orthodontics

Q

Q

How can I make sure my child is getting enough physical activity?

With summer approaching, what are some water safety tips to keep in mind?

First, you should know how much exercise your child needs. Infants should spend at least 30 minutes doing tummy time daily. Toddlers and preschoolers should spend three hours of their day active, while older children need 60+ minutes daily. Starting in elementary school, three days of the week should include muscle/ bone strengthening as well. Exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore – make it a fun family event. For younger kids, a walk, bike ride or outside play are forms of exercise.

With older kids, finding an activity that they enjoy and that facilitates socialization while keeping them moving is the key. Variety is also important, especially for middle schoolers – try multiple sports.

Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years, and children are more likely to drown at home. Drowning is also a top cause of death among teenagers. Some tips to help prevent drownings:

Rebecca Tusken Johnson County Pediatrics AdventHealth

• Teach kids to swim. Most children are ready by 4 years.

• Watch the water. Active supervision is required for all children in pools and other bodies of water. Develop a “water watcher” system where adults take turns making sure at least one adult is watching and is within arm’s length of children.

• Wear life jackets.

• Fence with locking gate.

• Cover the pool.

• Get CPR certified!

• Install door alarms.

Brad Winfrey Manager, Center for Childhood Safety Children’s Mercy kcparent.com june 2021

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celebrate

DAD’S DAY!

Father’s Day is just around the corner ... can you believe it? If you don’t already have the holiday on your radar, no worries! It will be our little secret, and KC Parent is here to help you with plenty of ideas to celebrate the dads, grandpas, uncles or other important male figures in your life. Read on to find a fun new idea for 2021!

No matter what the dad in your life is into, I’m sure anything you do will be well received because it is from the heart!

Game Dad Does your dad have a little competitive side to him? Host a family game night with games you already have. You might even consider purchasing a new one. There are endless possibilities with card and board games and outdoor games— or let your kids make up a game.

Auto Dad If your dad is a car lover, visit the KC Auto Museum in Olathe or KC Classic Auto in Lenexa. Be sure to check their websites for current hours and pricing.

You also can book an exotic driving experience at the Kansas Speedway at TheXtremeXperience.com. Other amazing driving experiences, including ones through our very own Kansas City, are available through KCExotic.com.

Handy Dad You might find this dad always tinkering, building or fixing. Why not buy him a special tool he has been wanting or a fun “handy dad” sign for the garage? Check out Lowe’s for one of their Build and Grow kits Dad and the kids can do together or snag a similar kit from Home Depot the first Saturday of the month and save it for Father’s Day!

Sporty Dad Grab a couple tickets to the Royals’ 1:10 home game on Father’s Day, or let dad pick his favorite sports bar to watch the game with a few friends.

You also could peruse Kansas Sampler for his favorite local team gear (boy, do they have a ton!) or see what Amazon offers for non-local team fans, like my husband, who roots for Manchester City soccer.

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Outdoorsy Dad

Foodie Dad Do you have a foodie dad? Will he raid the pantry at night after everyone has gone to bed? Buy your dad a cooking class, a gift card to a new restaurant or a fun kitchen gadget. You could even simply stock the pantry with his favorite snacks. Get the kids involved by having them plan a menu, help cook and even serve up Dad’s favorite dish restaurantstyle one night!

Workout Dad This dad loves a good sweat session, so why not sign him up (with his permission, of course) for the Father’s Day Quarter Marathon June 19 at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport.

Children can join in the fun at the kids run. If that’s not really his thing, buy him a new pair of tennis shoes or some workout clothes.

The possibilities are nearly endless for this dad. Take your dad to one of the many amazing trails that can be found around the metro at places like Parkville Nature Sanctuary, Lakeside Nature Center, Overland Park Arboretum, Big Bull Creek Park or any others your family loves!

For this dad, you can obviously go to a movie, but how about letting your kids help plan an indoor movie theater at your house? They can go all-out with decorations, concessions and tickets. Who needs to go out when you can stay in?

Soon-to-Be Dad Expecting a new baby? Celebrate this dad with a matching dad t-shirt and baby onesie or a cool dad tee.

And since he’ll be blowing up your phone with cute baby pics, why not invest in a digital photo frame you both can enjoy?

How about some new grilling tools or accessories for this dad who loves barbecue? Spice up dinner plans with a Q39 gift card or let the kids help Dad grill!

Music Dad Have a family dance party or check out any of our local summer concert series happening around the metro.

Buy Dad a new speaker for outside, or if you are tired of listening to his style of music, some wireless earbuds would be even better!

Animal Loving Dad Visit a local animal shelter and pick out a new fur-ever pet as a family.

If that feels a little too permanent, head out to Yaya’s Alpaca Farm, the zoo or Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary to hang out with their animals!

History Buff Dad Movie Dad

Barbecue Dad

If you happen to visit the National WWI Museum and Memorial on a Saturday, the Hands-On History is free to the public and allows participants to actually touch war artifacts. Be sure to pack a family picnic to enjoy on the expansive front lawn … and don’t forget to snap a pic with downtown KC in the background!

Travel Dad Does your dad have the bug to travel? Book a small weekend getaway as a family, or if you’d prefer to stick close to home, purchase a Wander Club keychain instead. With customizable options, you will be able to create something special for the dad in your life!

Beer Loving Dad Is your dad a connoisseur of all things beer related? Head to Up-Down KC or Draftcade for fun, games and drinks. Our very own local Boulevard Beer offers tours, as does Tom’s Town Distillery if your dad prefers spirits instead. If you do a little digging, you can find some other cool little breweries sprinkled throughout the metro, like Limitless in Lenexa!

Artsy Dad Frame a piece of kids art for Dad to display or have youngsters create something new together. You can also plan a family outing to one of KC’s galleries, like the Nelson-Atkins, Kemper or JCCC’s Nerman.

No matter what the dad in your life is into, I’m sure anything you do will be well received because it is from the heart! So have fun deciding and celebrating that special guy this year! He deserves it!

Julie Collett writes from Overland Park and can’t wait to help her four kids plan something special for their dad this year! kcparent.com june 2021

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celebrate

DAD’S DAY!

Four FABULOUS Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day in KC Celebrate Dad at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun Worlds of Fun is the perfect place for family fun. Max out on thrills with flips on Patriot, splashes at Predators’ Plunge and raging waters at Fury of the Nile. To make the day complete, top things off with some Father’s Day barbecue at the Cotton Blossom BBQ. With all these things and more, you can treat Dad to an amazing day!

Spend the Day at the Lake

Lake Olathe (445 S. Ward Cliff Dr., Olathe), Shawnee Mission Park Beach and Marina (located in Shawnee Mission Park at 7900 Renner Rd., Shawnee and Lenexa) and Kill Creek Park Beach and Marina (11670 Homestead Ln., Olathe) are favorite summer hangouts. Celebrate Dad with a day at the lake. Enjoy swimming at the swim beach; rent a pedal boat, kayak or canoe at the lake; or enjoy a day of fishing.

Ride the Rails

Belton, Grandview & Kansas City Railroad is a short line passenger railroad and demonstration museum. The BG&KC offers excursions running south from Belton on a 5-mile, 45-minute round trip. Special events include hot dog train rides, ice cream rides and specials on holidays. This is a great family experience for all ages. Visit KCRRM.org for a complete schedule.

Go to the Game

Celebrate Dad and baseball by taking in a Kansas City Monarchs (the new name for the KC T-Bones, part of the American Association of Baseball) game. The Monarchs brand hasn’t had a home field since 1965. The team is rebranding in a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and celebrating part of Kansas City’s rich baseball history. The Kansas City Monarchs was the longest-running franchise in Negro Leagues history and a founding member of the league in 1920. The Monarchs won 10 league pennants and the inaugural Negro League World Series Championship in 1924. When the team was disbanded in 1965, it had produced more major league players than any other Negro Leagues franchise.

Discover even more ideas on our Kansas City Calendar at KCParent.com!

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Fishing in Kansas City

T

hough sometimes seen as an old man’s pastime, fishing can be a fun family affair.

Some of my favorite childhood memories come from fishing with my family. You’ll find lots of fishing opportunities around the metro area for families to enjoy. Both Kansas and Missouri have several large lakes in the area, as well as many smaller lakes, streams and rivers with public access and good fishing. A local fishing enthusiast, John Krzysztow has a passion for teaching kids to fish for a lifetime and is developing a website that encourages kids to do just that (TeachKidsToFishForLife.com). Here are his suggestions for kid-friendly area lakes and ponds:

Kansas Fishing

• Lake Olathe (Olathe) • Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa) • Antioch Park (Merriam) • Heritage Park (Olathe) • Kill Creek Park (Olathe) • Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (Overland Park)

Missouri Fishing

• Englewood Lake (Kansas City North) • Lake of the Woods in Swope Park (Kansas City) • Blue Springs Lake (Lee’s Summit) • Lake Jacomo (Blue Springs) • Longview Lake (Kansas City) Before you head out, check with state wildlife departments for important rules and regulations. Both states require anyone 16-64 years old to have a fishing permit in public areas for the state where they are fishing. Area rules will usually be posted near popular fishing places like docks, dams and marinas. In the case of streams, rivers or ponds that might be on private property, always ask permission before fishing.

State wildlife and local parks and recreation departments are also the best sources for free fishing education and fishing opportunities. The Missouri Department of Conservation and the

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks post public fishing areas and upcoming fishing programs on their websites. Our local Bass Pro Shops in Independence and Olathe offer fishing workshops as well. Visit their site, BassPro.com, and use their store locator guide to go to the page of the store nearest you to see what workshops they offer.

Some of the most commonly caught local fish include bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass and catfish (bullhead and channel).

All of these can be caught on live bait, like fishing worms, crickets and minnows. Artificial bait like plastic worms and grubs have to be “worked,” cast and recast often, which is better left to older, more skilled children and adults. When fishing with younger kids, keep it simple. A pole with 8- to 10-lb. fishing line, small hooks, sinkers and bobbers are inexpensive and easy to replace when the line is caught on a tree or an underwater snag. A pair of needlenosed pliers is irreplaceable for removing hooks.

Fishing teaches valuable life lessons like patience, good sportsmanship, respect and an appreciation of nature that can only be learned by experience. Plus, your child’s first fish, no matter how big or small it is, will be a memory neither of you will forget.

Heather Shields grew up in Kansas City with a love for nature and conservation. She now teaches science at Ruskin High where she shares her passion with students. kcparent.com june 2021

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animal myths and mystical creatures.

A typical week includes exclusive zoo tours, science experiments, games, and crafts. Full day camps are available for ages 5-12, MondayThursday, 8:30am-3:30pm COST: $225.

10% discount for FOTZ members. See display ad pg. 29. www.KansasCityZoo. org/programs/day-camps

KC Parks

KC Parent’s

Camp Guide

Ceramic Café Ceramic Cafe’s summer program provides instructions on a variety of ceramic art techniques including hand-building with clay, ceramic painting and glass fusing. We offer 3-day themed camps for younger kids (5-7 years old) that feature a taste of each artistic medium. Older artists (8 and up) can dive deeper with the focus of their choice. Daily sessions are longer and each day features a specific medium. Campers can choose to attend 1, 2 or all 3 days of a session. One day workshops will be added throughout the summer. See display ad on pg. 31. www.CeramicCafeKC.com

The Culture House Spend your summer at The Culture House! Shows/workshops include dance, theatre, music and art taught by professionally trained adults. “BRIGHT STAR” (13-20), “JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH JR” (10-13), “DISNEY’S LION KING KIDS” (6-11), Broadway Musical Intensive, Into the Unknown, Arabian Nights, Improv Comedy, Ovation Ensemble, Music of Trolls, Wildcats School Musical, Disney on Stage, Instrumental Music, Girl Power, Recording Studio Basics, Art Explorers,

Painting, Clay Creations, Itty Bitty Ballet Camp, Faerie Tale Dreams Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet & more!

COVID SAFE! Openings limited! See display ad on pg. 27. 913.393.3141.

Enroll online: www.CultureHouse.com.

Genesis Mighty Camp At Mighty Camp, we leverage everything we do to maximize fun, increase positive self-talk, and build problem-solving skills. We leave parents proud of their child’s growth!

Camp includes 9 different sports, daily swimming, field trips, STEAM activities, cooking, improv, and yoga.

Through our well-rounded camp programming, we create environments where children thrive! Mighty campers spend their days playing, laughing, growing, connecting with friends, and being celebrated for who they are. See display ad on pg. 29.

GenesisHealthClubs.com/camps

Kansas City Zoo Make your summer a little wilder with Summer Break Camp. Camp runs June 7 through August 19. Explore life in the dark, investigate animal habitats, or discover where fact meets fiction with

Get ready for 10 weeks of fun with KC Parks Summer Enrichment Camp!

This year’s camp includes educational enrichment opportunities, crafts, games and safe socialization. KC Parks follows CDC guidelines for all our programs. Campers will also enjoy guest speakers, art projects, sports and more! Camp is $80 per week.

Visit www.KCParks.org for details. See display ad on pg. 28.

KC Watersports Camps are held Monday - Friday from 9:00-3:00. Our passion is teaching people how to enjoy watersports at every level. Whether you’re new to the sport and have never ridden any kind of board before to the advanced rider wanting to learn a new flip or twist our camp will fit every level of rider. Included with camp is instruction from our toplevel coaches, gear, and a light lunch.

Kids bring a positive attitude, swim wear, sunscreen and a towel. See display ad on pg. 31. KCWaterSports.com

Missouri Military Academy Summer Camps Build confidence, learn to lead, and have fun! For boys, choose Confidence or Leadership Camp for experiences such as paint ball, rappelling and obstacle courses to build teamwork and leadership skills. Summer Academy focuses on academic support, plus fun, outdoor activities. Check out our All Sports Camp and Summer Jazz Academy (co-ed). See display ad on pg. 31.

MissouriMilitaryAcademy.org/summer Continued on page 31

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Packing for Camp

n Sweatshirt,

n Rain

n 2

n Towels

sweater or jacket

coat with hood

bathing suits & goggles & washcloths

n Good sturdy shoes that cover the whole foot

S

ummer camp can be a lot of fun, especially if you are prepared! Involve your child in the packing process and begin packing several weeks in advance to avoid last minute shopping trips.

Although it will probably take a while, label all items going to camp with your child’s name. Certainly, your child’s camp will send a packing list, but you can expect some of the following essentials to be on it.

n Several

n Old

pairs of socks

pair of shoes or sandals

What to Pack for Overnight Camp:

n Personal Items (toothbrush/paste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, cup, medicines)

n Pillow

n Disposable

n Insect

n Notebook

& pen/pencil

n Pre-addressed and stamped stationery/envelopes

n Flashlight

n Water

bottle or canteen

n Shorts

& long pants

n Shirts

& extra batteries

(short & long sleeved)

& sleeping bag camera

repellent and sunscreen

n Ziploc bags and/or laundry bags for wet, dirty items n Stuffed animals (for younger campers)

June 7 – August 13, 2021

Join us for summer camp at one of our five KC Parks & Recreation community centers.

7:30 a.m. Ͳ 5:30 p.m. • Monday Ͳ Friday • Ages 6 Ͳ 13 Day Camp: $80/week Hillcrest • Kansas City North • Southeast Tony Aguirre • Westport Roanoke

KCPARKS.ORG

20% discount if paid in full by May 1. Financial assistance available.

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Explore life in the dark, investigate animal habitats, or discover where fact meets fiction with animal myths and mystical creatures. A typical week includes exclusive zoo tours, science experiments, games, and crafts.

Camp runs June 7 through August 19 Full day camps are available for ages 5-12 Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:30pm COST: $225 10% discount for FOTZ members.

www.KansasCityZoo.org/programs/day-camps kcparent.com june 2021

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Last Minute Tips Before Heading Off to Day Camp Here are a few things to keep in mind to help make day camp a success!

be sure the lunch you send is substantial, because campers work up big appetites.

Freeze a towel. Find a golf towel or

Spray all over. Coat them in the morning

something of a similar size. Wet it, wring it out, fold it, place it in a zip-close baggie and place in the freezer. The next morning, place it in your camper’s lunch. By midday, the towel will have thawed just enough that your camper can place it around his neck. It’s built-in air-conditioning that really helps when the temps soar.

Dress them right. Campers need to be

dressed to spend the day outside, prepared to do a lot of walking. That means ONLY closed-toe shoes, preferably tennis shoes, shirts with sleeves and longer shorts. Leave the cute sandals and tank tops at home and don’t wear anything new.

Chances are very good you may want to trash some of the clothes after camp ends.

Pack a snack. Send an extra snack with

lunch. Kids are famished at the end of the day, and a small snack on the bus ride home can help ward off the grumps at pickup time. Also

with sunscreen and bug repellent and then send it with them so they can reapply throughout the day. Nothing ruins a week at camp faster than a lack of sunscreen on the first day. And there will be bugs. Lots of them. Do a tick check each night after camp.

Find a backpack. Send a cinch sack or something along those lines to hold water bottle, extra bug spray and sunscreen, frozen towel and individual wipes. While there will be areas to wash hands, a sanitized wipe is a good idea. Also, throw in a travel-sized hand sanitizer. The backpack will also come in handy to carry around any trinkets collected or crafts made throughout the day.

Lenexa mom Margaret Sarver is not sorry that her days as day camp leader have come to a close.

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summer training: june 11august 14

Summer at Pembroke Hill Extra! Extra! Read all about what an exciting summer you are going to have attending camps at Pembroke Hill. Our comprehensive summer camp provides a variety of academic, athletic and enriching classes while focusing on what summer is really about ... having fun!

Open to all students ages 2 through 18.

Registration begins on April 19, 2021.

Classes have limited enrollment so you are encouraged to enroll early and ONLINE at www.pembrokehill.org. See display ad on pg. 31.

Tiger Rock Martial Arts Train all summer at Tiger Rock’s Martial Arts Summer Camp. For only $189, you can spend your summer training at our studio. Fee includes summer training uniform and below and unlimited martial arts lessons. Hurry! You must register for this offer by June 1. Classes fill up every summer, so register today! 913.829.8818 (Olathe) or 913.851.5050 (Overland Park).

See display ad on pg. 30. KCTigerRock.com

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SPORTS

LIFE LESSONS KIDS LEARN FROM

Understanding how to be a team player is crucial.

This does not mean everyone has to be best friends, but they must do their part to complete a given task.

This skill can be helpful in school projects, job situations and simply getting along with others in life.

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ick, snag, toss, throw, shoot, run, hit—sports give an active outlet to childhood energy.

Parents wonder at what age to sign their children up for organized sports, and some kids from day one love throwing, catching and kicking a ball. As they grow older, they’ll give you cues on which sport would interest them. And whether it be soccer, baseball, basketball or football, your youngsters will learn great lessons on behavior and control.

My son played soccer, competitive baseball and high school football and basketball, so sports had a huge impact on him. The coach that stands out was his football coach who gave each player a chain link to hang on his own keychain or belt loop. When the guys had team meetings, they would attach all the links together.

Coach used this tangible object lesson to demonstrate to the boys that without each other, there was no strength. But together, they could work magic! That’s one lesson playing sports can give: how to be a team player—which extends to jobs, family and more as kids mature. As for my son, the love of sports has stayed with him; at 25, he plays sand volleyball and co-ed softball.

Another sports benefit is crystal clear.

Kids learn about competition. Teams and individuals go head-to-head to outdo one another. If this is fostered in a healthy way, athletes learn to translate their competitive spirt on the field or court into real life. Be it grades or a job or admission to college, or even a husband or wife, athletes understand that having a competitive edge can be the deciding factor in getting the most out of life. That attitude helps kids become achievement-oriented. Setting goals and working toward those goals creates drive, which leads to lifetime success.

Good sportsmanship is another invaluable lesson. It means winning and losing in a respectable, gracious manner and that an athlete has patience and selfcontrol. The young athlete learns to be humble instead of bragging on a win and to be calm and collected rather than lashing out in rudeness and anger at a loss. These attributes are needed in life when things do not go our way. This builds strong character.

K

As mentioned before, understanding how to be a team player is crucial. This does not mean everyone has to be best friends, but they must do their part to complete a given task. This skill can be helpful in school projects, job situations and simply getting along with others in life.

If you participate in sports long enough, eventually you will experience intense competition that can lead to adversity.

Learning to deal with tough situations in the best manner is fundamental in life. With learned resilience, we can handle lost jobs, car accidents or simple bad days. How we handle difficulty defines character.

The definition of courage is the ability to face difficulty despite fear. In sports, this may mean going against a bigger, stronger, more athletic opponent. In life, there will be plenty of times the odds are against you.

Courage will get you through.

Hard work gets you places, and nothing can teach this more than playing a sport. The only way to stay on top of your game is to work hard and practice. The same holds true in life.

Whether your children aspire to be an engineer, craftsman, teacher, doctor or lawyer, they need to understand that putting forth the effort is necessary to be successful in any career.

Just because life isn’t fair does not mean you quit. The greatest athletes in any sport, from swimming to gymnastics and beyond, are committed to doing their best whether they win or lose. They learn this from instructors and coaches who train them all along the way to do their best regardless of the outcome. There is always another competition—in sports and in life!

Another lesson taught from being on any team is learning to differentiate between being a player and being a performer. From an early age, children begin to recognize the difference thanks to an instructor or coach helping them understand. For example, when a coach picks one player who is performing well, the others will naturally want to rise to the level of performer.

Some of sports’ lessons may not be recognized for years. For instance, as kids grow up, graduate and move on, many remain lifelong friends with members of their teams because they are the ones they grew with, both emotionally and physically.

Sharing the team spirit and receiving that team trophy together is the strongest bond.

A child who feels those connections will be happier, better adjusted and hopeful.

Whether watching them, playing them or coaching them, we love the constancy of sports in our lives. And sharing the experience with your son or daughter is one of the most rewarding you’ll have.

You’ll learn the best way to encourage your children and share in their wins and losses.

Don’t be surprised, too, if you learn a little about yourself along the way.

Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.

Sources: CoachUp.com, Living.ALot.com, TheActiveLife.com

Here are some famous folks who played sports before they became well-known: John Wayne was a guard for the University of Southern California’s football team. Matthew Fox, the Lost star, attended Columbia University and played wide receiver for their football team. Mark Harmon, NCIS, was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played football growing up and attended the University of Miami on a full athletic scholarship and played for their football team. Burt Reynolds went to Florida State University on a full scholarship where he played football. Carl Weathers, before fighting Rocky as Apollo Creed, played football for Long Beach City College and then San Diego State University. He moved on to play for the Oakland Raiders then the BC Lions in the CFL.

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In the midst of your crazy lifestyle, try not to let those moments slip away. You’d be surprised how many minutes in a day you can actually bond with your kiddos without even overexerting yourself. We’ve prepared a short guide to get you started.

You may even think of several other opportunities in addition to these everyday moments.

Read together (even just bedtime stories) Is bedtime the only part of the day this week you can truly settle down with your child and be present? That’s okay! Soak up every single one of those few minutes.

Read one or two of her favorite books. Use silly voices. Be animated. Give her an extra hug and say you love getting to read with her. Tell her, “Same time, same place?” for tomorrow.

Do arts and crafts

Busy Parent's Guide to Bonding

W

How to enjoy moments with your kids when you’re always on the go

e get it. You’re working a fulltime job while coordinating school pickup and drop-off with only mere moments to hug your child goodbye before speeding away to the office.

Breakfast was a blur. It took you an extra 10 minutes to find your car keys on the way out the door, and you’re already flustered about that big morning meeting.

You’ve got homework to check, lunches to make, meals to prep, bills to pay.

Laundry is piling up, you’re accumulating overtime at work, and late nights after the kids are all tucked into bed is when you

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catch up on chores or eat a quick snack and catch your breath.

Maybe you’re trying to homeschool your children while not losing your patience and feel like you can’t enjoy your time with them no matter what you try. Maybe you’re navigating the world of virtual learning on top of your part-time job.

Whatever your “busy” looks like these days, those perfect bonding moments with the kids may be few and far between. You may often find yourself thinking, “Man, I just need a break. I don’t feel like I’m nailing parenting right now.”

Fancy setups aren’t required to simply color a picture, draw with markers or paint with your kiddo for a while. Muster up a few free minutes after dinner. Skip bath time just to dig up his favorite coloring books. You don’t have to commit to hours of organized crafting—just replace one of your routine nighttime activities for this fun one instead.

Enjoy music Sing along with the radio together in the car. Have Amazon Alexa play a few Disney tunes at bedtime as you’re tucking them in. I promise they’ll soak up and appreciate these positive, mindful moments as much as—if not more than—a well-planned vacation or expensive new toy.

Take a walk or head to the backyard Instead of jumping right into homework after school, take the kids outside and join them in a game of catch or hide-and-seek.

Walk around the block once. Take a few minutes to breathe in the fresh air while asking them about their day.

Cook together If you’ve been working all day, just picked your kids up from school or daycare and don’t necessarily have energy to take them to the park or plan a special activity together, don’t worry. Why not include them in cooking dinner? It doesn’t have to be a complicated, home-cooked meal. Even if you stir up a box of pancake mix or heat up some chicken nuggets, include your children in the process.

Utilize homework time Even though homework time can be the most stressful hour (or three) of the day for you and your kids, it doesn’t have to be. Try to make it fun one night. Pop some popcorn and read through your son’s social studies textbook with him. Help your daughter practice spelling words and give her gummy bears for each word she spells correctly. Laugh and tell jokes in between tough math equations.

Watch a movie Change up story time and instead watch a quick episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood or a Disney short on the iPad before bed. Even if the two of you don’t chat and just snuggle up with a blanket, you’re still bonding, and your presence makes your child feel safe and secure.

Little smiles can have a BIG impact!

Just listen My 5-year-old sure knows when I’m not giving him my absolute, undivided attention. He tells me, “Wisten, wisten (listen)!” until I make eye contact and notice what he is trying to show me on his iPad or a toy he brought me. This may happen while we’re playing with Play-Doh, coloring or building with Legos. Sometimes, the simplest and best way to snatch those bonding moments is to be fully present and engaged in simple activities together.

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WAYS FOR MOMS TO GET

ENERGY

ENERGY— this may seem like a foreign word to some moms. We moms have so much on our plates, and most of it is for other people. We do everything we can to have a good day before collapsing on the couch at a decent hour—and, hopefully, make it to bed before falling asleep on that couch. Or sometimes after collapsing, we stay awake into the wee hours, reading, watching or scrolling through what interests us. Once that big list of things gets done in a day, we go overboard with that time to ourselves. Sound familiar?

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Moms can find plenty of advice out there about doing some “self care,” like taking a shower. Is it me, or does a 5- to 10-minute shower not feel much like self care? More like, “I finally do not feel gross.”

Or maybe you get a shower every morning before going to the office but have to consider a 15-minute lunch break self care because it’s shocking you’re not working through lunch.

Be it kids, work, or all the activities and chores we have to do just to keep the house running smoothly, our full, busy lives tend to suck the energy right out of us. And a mom’s nature is to put herself on the bottom of the list with the things she probably won’t get to. Now, I’m not going to tell you to keep your cup full because you can’t give what you don’t have. I will tell you, however, to give yourself a mental break more frequently than you do.

Mental whirlwinds are exhausting. All those to-do list items swirl around in our heads until we finally cross them off the list. So many moms among my friends and family have shared how the mental turbulence just doesn’t quit until the list of essentials is complete.

Here’s my experience: I love a good list with everything checked off. I love a good clean house that is picked up—with dinner already planned. But the things to do will always keep coming. I have told myself so many times that I’ll get to a certain point and surely things will get better. In a couple weeks when this is past, I think to myself, things will change. They will not, however, change. Things will always come up, and life will happen. So I asked a variety of different moms what they do to recharge and get their energy back when they are overwhelmed. Here are their responses.

Do 20 minutes of exercise. The time commitment is not long, and it ends before a half-hour kids television show runs its course. This time can give

you some space to breathe or maybe get your heart pumping and ready to go. Yes, exercise has been proven to help a person’s mental state—and sometimes we really need it. If exercise is not your thing, keep reading.

Take 10-20 minutes of a break.

Organize to energize. Kids are messy and busy. Houses, closets and toys can get disorganized and cluttered quickly, and kids grow fast and all of a sudden their clothes are too small. It all creeps up on you fast!

Some people glean energy from decluttering and organizing.

Again, find something to capture your kids’ attention for this short amount of time and find yourself a break. No matter what you do, set a timer and do something for yourself. Taking a brain break does not take that long, but it can do so much to reenergize you.

Plan and prep. If this is your personality, get revved up putting your calendar in order and preparing food, wardrobes, pickup and drop-off plans—any of a myriad of things to free some mental energy. After all, if you know what’s coming, you don’t have to spend time wondering or worrying.

Spend time away from family. If you can, go get coffee, gas or whatever you need to pick up. Life demands a lot from you, and sometimes you just want to do something alone. Don’t feel bad about it.

Have you ever just sat in the car before, enjoying the stillness? I have.

Pick up a good book. If you get sick of

Pursue things that give you “fire.”

This is different for everyone, but we all have something that gives us energy. Paint, write, read, call a friend, watch funny videos, create something. You will not be disappointed if you find time to do these things.

Take time with friends. If you are an extrovert, friends give you energy.

Whether it’s in person or not, schedule some time to connect and catch up. We all need some sort of connection with people.

There is something about having adult conversations that gives energy.

Ask for help with “mom” duties.

On the days we cannot do it all, asking for help is such a relief. Maybe someone can stay with the kids while you get a couple errands done. Can someone pick the kids up for a carpool to carve out extra time? Worth it. Whatever your mom duties consist of, don’t be too proud to ask for help.

being in your own head and need to escape for a while, get some recommendations on good books. Sometimes there’s nothing quite as good as escaping your world to be in someone else’s imagination. Or find a topic that interests you and learn something.

Both fiction and nonfiction can freshen your perspective.

If you’re like me, you’ll have to make a point to schedule one of these restorative revels. Go ahead, set the timer if you need to. Some of the best advice I have gotten is this: “All those things will still be there when you are done.” Yes, they sure will.

Perhaps the biggest energy-zapper is mom guilt. I recently had a conversation with a friend about it. If she left her kids to either have alone time or even a date night, she had mom guilt. But think about it—do you have guilt about not taking care of yourself too? Make the choice to change your mindset. Do what you need to do to care for your family. And do what you need to do to care for yourself—both without entertaining guilt. It will probably take some effort, but once you get the swing of it, I bet you’ll thank yourself.

Lauren Dreher lives in Stilwell with her husband and two toddlers.

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take your vitamins

the lowdown on supplements for kids

A

daily multivitamin is a healthy basic for adults and kids alike, right? Maybe not. The journal Annals of Internal Medicine recently deemed multivitamin and mineral supplements massive money drains that don’t deliver promised health benefits.

Though the supplement industry is robust—Americans spend nearly $27 billion on supplements annually—doctors and researchers aren’t sold on the value of vitamins.

According to a 2009 study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, most kids and teens who pop a daily pill probably don’t need one because they get adequate nutrition from their diet. The same study found that kids with nutritional deficiencies are the least likely to take a supplement.

This leaves confused parents holding the bag—or, in this case, the bottle of brightly colored chewables. Read on to discover whether nutritional help makes sense for your child.

The diet defense As it turns out, deciding whether kids need a daily pill isn’t simple. If your child eats a varied diet that includes a few servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and plenty of whole grains (see sidebar), a

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multivitamin probably isn’t necessary, says Kristi King, senior clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital and clinical instructor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

“We encourage parents to help kids meet their nutritional requirements through food, because the nutrients in food are better absorbed than those in supplements,” King says.

In fact, for kids already downing vitamin-rich foods such as leafy greens, milk, meat and fish on a daily basis, a pill could be overkill, she notes. That’s because certain fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are toxic in very high doses.

Then there’s the challenge of finding a kids’ vitamin that’s not full of unwanted additives or worse. A 2008 study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that a significant number of popular children’s vitamins were contaminated with lead. And they may not contain the vitamins or doses promised—independent testing service ConsumerLab found labeling errors in 40 percent of the vitamins studied.

Tennessee mom Julie Gallagher ran into this very problem when she wanted a quality multivitamin for her 3-year-old, Will. “A good diet should cover everything, but I know I don’t prepare a perfect meal every night,” she says. But when she started looking, she found

that nearly every kids vitamin contained a questionable ingredient: added sugar, artificial dyes (linked to behavior problems in children since the 1970s) or lead.

Is it safe to skip?

With all the questions surrounding supplements, some parents choose to bypass them altogether. But that may be a mistake, too. Picky eaters, exceptionally slow growers, chronically ill children or those who avoid certain food groups due to allergies or preferences, King says, may need added vitamins: “It can be very hard on a restrictive diet to get everything kids need for growth.”

In those cases, King recommends a multivitamin and mineral supplement, as opposed to single-vitamin supplementation (with the exception of vitamin D—see below), because vitamins and minerals must be balanced appropriately to be effective. Too much of a single nutrient can be problematic. An excess of iron may cause abdominal pain, while too much magnesium may lead to diarrhea.

For some kids, a multivitamin might not be enough, says Pirayeh Pedarsani, a clinical dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Multivitamin supplements are

designed to complement a typical varied diet, so kids who avoid entire food groups— say, dairy or all animal products—may need a multivitamin plus other supplementation.

For example, dairy avoiders may need additional calcium and vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth, and vegans can benefit from supplemental B12, a vitamin found mainly in animal foods that’s important for nerve function. Those who avoid grains or gluten might miss out on the magnesium or vitamin E found in whole grains.

Research shows that most Americans are deficient in vitamin D, so the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU (international units) per day for babies and children via a nutritional supplement.

Vitamin D isn’t readily available in food, so even an immaculate diet won’t provide enough, King says.

Supplement savvy What’s a parent to do? If your child won’t drink milk or gets stuck in an “I hate veggies!” phase, or if your family follows a restrictive diet, King says that a daily multi

is worth considering. Though food-based nutrition is ideal, she recognizes that it’s not possible or practical for all kids all the time.

Multivitamins are probably safe for most children, she notes.

A few simple blood tests can eliminate nutritional guessing games. Your family doctor can easily check levels of nutrients such as D, B12 and iron, and offer customized advice about supplementation, says Kimberly L. Braly, a pediatric dietitian at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

But deciding whether to supplement is only half the battle; now you have to pick one. All vitamins aren’t created equal, and some manufacturers use cheaper ingredients that don’t absorb well, says Haylie Pomroy, a nutritionist, mom and author of The Fast Metabolism Diet. Go for one with folate (look for “5-methyltetrahydrofolate” or “L-methylfolate” on the label) instead of synthetic folic acid; methylcobalamin (the bioactive form of B12); and cholecalciferol (the most active form of vitamin D). If a vitamin contains these superstars, Pomroy says, it’s likely high quality.

What about buzzy supplements such as probiotics and fish oil? While research is still emerging, it’s promising, says King.

Probiotics have been linked to reduced colic in breast-fed babies, and fish oil may improve cognitive function. But because recommended dosages haven’t been established for children, be sure to check with your pediatrician before supplementing.

After spending a “ridiculous” amount of time reading labels, Gallagher settled on a natural gummy vitamin. Now the real challenge: finding a safe spot to stash them so Will doesn’t overindulge. “He loves them,” Gallagher says. “He’d eat a whole bottle if he could!”

Malia Jacobson is a nationally published parenting journalist. Her most recent book is Sleep Tight, Every Night: Helping Toddlers and Preschoolers Sleep Well Without Tears, Tricks, or Tirades.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

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their child, and won’t feel guilty because you spent more on a goodie bag than they did on your child’s gift.

PARTYGUIDE

3. To kill some time, consider a piñata (filled with something quickly disposed of like candy or fruit snacks instead of junky toys). Otherwise, kids don’t need every minute of their day scheduled for them … running wild is what they are best at, especially at a birthday party!

Birthday Parties on a Budget This year, consider giving your child the Ultimate Birthday Party, one where he can play, have fun and just be a kid. The added bonus is that you get to keep your sanity and money. Follow these steps and you’ll have a stress-free celebration everyone can enjoy.

1. The night before the party, bake the cake (from a box, of course!) or cupcakes. Feel free to get fancy on the cake if you have that talent; otherwise, most kids are just thrilled

to have sugar in any form. You could even bake a special small cake (maybe heartshaped!) just for the Birthday Kid and let him decorate it himself.

2. On party day, don’t worry about setting up a craft or handing out costly goodie bags for the kids. Most parents these days are into decluttering and find their kids have way too much junk. Parents will appreciate not having to take home anything except for

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4. Make the decorations simple, especially for younger kids who probably don’t watch enough television to even have a favorite cartoon character. Colored paper plates work great, as do regular plastic forks (recycle those forks if you’re going green!).

Rather than buy expensive Mylar balloons, blow up some store-bought colored balloons yourself and tape them to walls and doorways or leave them loose on the floor.

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com) lives in Peculiar and enjoys throwing five birthday parties a year for her kids!

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VOLUNTEERING

WITH KIDS

When children have the opportunity to serve in their community, they develop a desire to help others and make a difference.

W

hen children have the opportunity to serve in their community, they develop a desire to help others and make a difference. Not only do they become more aware of others who are less fortunate, they learn to appreciate the blessings in their own lives. Kids who serve others are more likely to give of their time and treasures for a lifetime. When you choose a family service project, try to pick something that excites or interests your children because they are much more likely to become invested in the project and glean more enjoyment from helping others. Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Organize a drive

Help a four-legged friend

Craft time

Collect coats, hats and gloves, blankets, diapers, school supplies, toiletries, toys or clothing to donate to those in need. Have the kids clean their rooms and sort through items that are in great shape but are no longer needed. Many organizations will collect these items to give to shelters, foster care or victims of fire. Check with the organization you are planning on donating to in order to find out specific items that are most helpful.

Animal lovers will enjoy volunteering at a local animal shelter. Typically, shelters need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and giving lonely animals attention. Oftentimes shelters can also use donations of food, cat litter, bedding and cleaning supplies.

Contact your shelter to see whether there are things your family can donate as well.

For families that love creating, find a project that will use your interests to help others. Make blankets, hats or scarves to donate to a shelter or hospital, make pet toys for an animal shelter, or create suncatchers or Christmas ornaments for a nursing home.

The possibilities are limitless.

Fill the food pantry Talk with your kids about others who may not have enough to eat. Take them shopping to choose their favorite nonperishable items for meals and snacks to donate to a local food pantry. Try going door to door in your neighborhood to collect even more items.

You can also leave a note on doors in your neighborhood stating what organization you are donating to and give a date in the future when you will return to pick up items.

Work outdoors Help a neighbor, friend or family member who may be unable to do yard work. Offer to rake leaves, pull weeds, plant flowers or mow the lawn. Ask whether there are other projects like painting, gardening or maintenance your family can help with.

Work in the kitchen Everyone loves cookies. Get the kids to help out in the kitchen by baking up some tasty treats to share with friends and neighbors. Consider taking them to a local police or fire station to show your appreciation for their hard work in the community. If you know a family in need, consider taking them a meal and, if appropriate, deliver it as a family.

Send cards Words of encouragement, handmade cards or coloring pages are a great way to brighten soldiers’ days and show your appreciation for the sacrifice they are giving for our country. This is a good opportunity to talk to kids about soldiers, veterans and the American freedom they defend. Nursing homes also appreciate delivery of items like these for their residents. A handwritten note can brighten residents’ days, especially if they are not able to regularly have visitors because of the pandemic.

Give back to Mother Earth Kids who love nature may enjoy volunteering to clean up a local park, adopting a street in your city or cleaning up the green space in your own neighborhood.

Contact your local school or church to see whether there is landscaping that needs attention. Kids can help plant trees and flowers, pull weeds and lay mulch. They will see the beauty of their hard work in no time.

Donate proceeds Do you have a budding entrepreneur in the family? Consider hosting a lemonade stand, garage sale or bake sale and donating the proceeds to the charity of your choice.

This is a great way to teach kids money management, marketing, sales and other business skills while helping others in need.

Get moving If your family loves to exercise and be active, consider participating in an awareness walk or run that benefits an organization that is important to your crew.

This will give you an opportunity to raise money and stay active while helping others.

Pay it forward Teach your kids the value—and fun—of paying it forward. Pass out Popsicles to your mail carrier or garbage collector; deliver flowers to the receptionist at school, librarian or someone you appreciate; pay for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop; deliver donuts to someone who is having a difficult day; send a card to a grandparent; or have your kids come up with ideas of how they could spread kindness in their community. Your family can declare a day of kindness and plan fun ways to surprise others and brighten their day or choose ways to spread cheer each day in big or small ways.

These are just a few ideas for how you can serve your community—there are countless others. When parents take the time to serve others, their kids will see volunteering as a priority and develop a desire to give back as they become adults.

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and stay-athome mom living in Olathe with her husband and their six children.

BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING WITH KIDS n n n n n n n

n n

n n n

Builds empathy for others Teaches kids the value of hard work Helps them appreciate the blessings they have Teaches them to think of others Feels good to help other people Helps them understand their community and the world around them Shows them they can make a difference in other people’s lives and in the world Helps build relationships and develop social skills Can help boost your mood, battle depression, relieve stress and build self esteem Shows kids they can use their natural gifts to help others Gives experience working with others Helps build leadership skills

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WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?

P

ersonality tests abound. Perhaps the most well-known, the Myers-Briggs test, reduces your personality type to four letters that sum up your strengths and weaknesses. And then there’s personality assessment that determines whether or not you’re most like a lion, otter, golden retriever or beaver. But did you know that there are also parenting personalities?

It’s true!

In the 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study of preschool children, using a combination of parental interviews and naturalistic observation, along with other research methods, to identify key dimensions of parenting. These dimensions include warmth and nurturing, disciplinary practices, communication styles, as well as personal expectations for control and maturity. Based on her research, Baumrind concluded that there are three primary parenting styles. Two decades later, researchers Macoby and Martin picked

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up where Baumrind left off, determining there was an additional parenting style that had gone undetected. Interestingly, each of these four parenting styles produces unique outcomes on a child’s behavior.

Authoritarian Parenting This parenting style could be summed up in four words: because I said so.

Authoritarian parents may exhaust this phrase ad nauseum, but if they don’t, it’s still heavily implied—and the child knows it.

Strict rules are enforced, and failure to meet expectations, whether through disobedience or simple error, is met with punishment.

Authoritarian parents don’t feel the need to expound on why rules are in place. Rules are there to be followed, whether the child understands them or not. As Baumrind explains, these parents “are obedience- and status-oriented and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation.” There is a high degree of expectation put on children

of authoritarian parents, but not a lot of consideration is put into how a child feels or what his or her limitations are. These parents are often militant and best described as domineering. The end goal is submission without question.

Authoritarian parents may end up with children that are great rule followers, but it often comes with a price. Children within these home environments typically have low self-esteem because their opinions aren’t considered and their feelings are often invalidated. Likewise, because authoritarian parents focus on ultimate control, their children seldom have opportunity to participate in problem solving or learning through natural consequences. Authoritarian parents are more concerned with making kids feel sorry for their mistakes than learning through them. Consequently, children may grow up to become hostile and aggressive and learn how to become good liars to avoid Mom or Dad’s wrath.

Authoritative Parenting Authoritative parents have high yet clear-cut expectations for achievement and maturity, but they are equally warm, nurturing and responsive toward their children. They put immense effort into cultivating a healthy relationship with their child as well as making their home a warm environment. These parents are invested in preventative work; training and using positive discipline strategies are implemented so that a child ultimately learns to become self-controlled and self-disciplined. While children within these homes know that ultimately Mom and Dad are in charge, they also know that their input is welcomed and appreciated. Likewise, authoritative parents don’t shy away from explaining why things are the way they are within their homes. Open dialogue ensures that kids know the purpose behind the family rules. Baumrind’s research indicates that children raised by authoritative parents tend to be the happiest, most independent, high achieving and self-regulated. They also tend to display the least amount of violent tendencies or struggle with mental health issues as a result.

Permissive Parenting Permissive parents are warm, nurturing and responsive, but they don’t establish healthy boundaries with their children, meaning they are ultimately lenient and indulgent. Parents of this variety want to be seen as their child’s friend or peer more than their authority figure. Unlike authoritarian parents, permissive parents want to have open dialogue with their children about their feelings, and they keep rules to a minimum, assuming a child will learn best by doing things his or her own way. Children raised in permissive households know how to work the system to get what they want out of their parents and are the most likely to

Authoritative Parenting Authoritative parents

have high yet clear-cut expectations for achievement and maturity, but they are equally warm, nurturing and responsive toward their children. They put immense effort into cultivating a healthy relationship with their child as well as making their home a warm environment. struggle academically as well as with health challenges like obesity and impulse control. Permissive parents adopt the mentality that “kids will be kids” and don’t tend to follow through if consequences are laid out. Children within this home environment struggle to understand the significance of established rules and often have issues with authority outside the home as a result. They’re also at risk of being egocentric, as permissive parents often seek to talk to their children about their issues but avoid bringing up any ownership the child may have in the situation.

Uninvolved Parenting Uninvolved parenting takes permissive parenting to a whole new level. Freedom is given completely to the child, but not with the intention of getting on the kid’s good side. Instead, uninvolved parents seek autonomy over relationship. While some choose to parent this way intentionally, others simply do so out of ignorance or lack of care. This is particularly the case when a parent struggles with substance abuse or mental health challenges, but it’s important to note it can also be the result of overwhelm if a parent is dealing with high degrees of stress, conflict or financial challenges. There is no particular form of discipline used within this environment and, likewise, there are no expectations

for how the child will turn out. Uninvolved parents typically don’t know how their kids are doing in school, are unaware of who their children hang out with, and don’t really know who their kids are at their core. Children raised with an uninvolved parent tend to struggle with self-esteem issues, exhibit behavioral challenges, turn to drug and substance abuse and have high suicide rates.

Things to Note While parenting styles are linked to child behavior, it’s important to note that there are other variables that play an important role. First, parents will often find themselves vacillating between parenting styles, seldom sitting in one permanently. Not all parents are on the same page or display the same type of parenting style, as well, which can affect the overall temperature of the home.

Conversely, a child’s temperament and behavior can also alter his parents’ parenting styles. Other factors include cultural expectations and social influences.

Lauren Greenlee is an Olathe boymom of three, soon to be four, wonderful sons. She aims to parent with grace and humility, apologizes often for learning throughout the process, and relishes in the gift it is to have some of her favorite people call her Mom.

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E D I U G N U F

table of contents 47 tasty treats 48 first family campout 50 summer sleep 52 lemonade stand learning 54 summer adventure guide

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TASTYTREATS

Summer Fruits

10 TIPS TO RECOGNIZE RIPE FRUITS (Culinary.net) Keeping fresh fruit around the house provides a healthier alternative when your sweet tooth comes calling. Understanding how and when to buy at the peak of ripeness (or just before, in some cases) can help you avoid food waste while keeping your doctor happy.

Consider these simple tips for recognizing ripe fruits: n

Strawberries: Check the area at the top

n

smell, and the melon should feel heavy upon lifting.

of the berry near the stem and leaves. A ripe strawberry is fully red; green or white near the top means the fruit is underripe. n n

n

Watermelon: The “field spot,” or the area where the melon sat on the ground, should be yellow, and a tap on the rind should produce a hollow sound.

n

n

Raspberries: Generally follow the same rules as blackberries. Best eaten within a couple days of purchase, berries show their ripeness with a bright red color.

n

Bananas: A ripe banana features a peel lightly spotted without significant bruising.

Your best bet may be to purchase bananas still slightly green and allow them to ripen at home.

should deepen to dark blue. A reddish or pink color may be visible in unripe berries. n

Blackberries: Look for a smooth texture without any red appearance. Because blackberries don’t ripen after being picked, they tend to spoil quickly.

Pineapple: Smell is again an important factor for pineapple—a sweet scent shows it’s ready, but a vinegary one likely means it’s overripe.

Cherries: Flesh should appear dark with

Blueberries: Similar to cherries, color

Peaches: A sweet, fragrant odor should be apparent. Skin should feel tender but not soft.

a crimson color and feel firm. n

Cantaloupe: You should detect a sweet

To find more food tips, tricks, recipes and videos, visit Culinary.net.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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First Campout with Your Family:

MAKE IT A WINNER

I

f your family has a long history of camping and is totally outdoorssavvy, you need read no further.

But if your children haven’t been camping before and you’d like to take them, there are some important points to take into consideration.

Much as we wish otherwise, many of our children have become indoor creatures. They don’t play outside unless they’re playing an organized sport. It seems that old-fashioned playing is a bit of a dinosaur these days. There are some good reasons for this, one of them being safety. It’s no longer safe for children to play unsupervised in their neighborhoods. The indoor trend is also the result of technology. All of our computers, video games and other screened entertainments occupy children without challenging them to physical activity.

Even though the great outdoors may seem like foreign territory to many of our kids, getting children out into nature has a lot of benefits. They can learn about the flora and fauna of an area, relax in the company of family and friends and build healthier bodies and minds. It’s a great thing for everyone to do.

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FUN

As you begin to think about a camping trip you’ll want to ask several questions.

Where?

A first-time venture probably should be relatively close to home and shouldn’t be overly challenging in terms of comfort and endurance. Consider choosing a place with bathrooms and showers and maybe even a children’s play area. After all, you want the children to have a great time, and a Spartan trip, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate, will only ensure that it’s the last trip for your children. When you’ve found a suitable place, be sure to include some bona fide camping experiences such as day hikes, fishing, boating and the traditional evening campfire.

When?

Reservations usually have to be made at campgrounds a year ahead of time. Often in addition to the nightly fees, you’ll have to pay an additional campground entrance fee. Be sure to arrive at the campground area as early in the day as possible. It’s no fun trying to set up camp in the dark!

What to do?

Taking some time to plan for this first camping adventure will pay dividends.

First of all, plan activities for the drive. A small game to play in the car or pastimes such as “find the license plate” will keep children occupied during the drive and avoid repeated queries of “Are we there yet?” Plan quick and easy meals and include disposable plates, cups and other supplies. If you want to be more “green,” make the cooking and cleanup— including washing dishes—part of the fun. Perhaps there could be partners, one adult and one child, responsible for each meal. Remember how much fun the evening campfires can be with songs,

stories and special treats like s’mores.

Some of the larger campgrounds have park rangers who will lead daytime activities or have evening slideshows and talks. Be prepared if the weather turns bad. Simple raingear can be a lifesaver, as well as games and activities to do inside the tent if necessary.

Now, enjoy!

When you’ve done all your planning, be sure to take along plenty of enthusiasm. Children will pick up on the fun if you are eager and ready to have fun too. Be creative—maybe you’ll see some wildlife or catch a trout or spot a certain bird or butterfly. Once again, keeping

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your children’s hobbies and interests in mind may help you plan things they will be sure to enjoy. This is also a great time to share your areas of expertise. Do you know all about wildflowers, or can you teach the children how to paddle a canoe?

Now you’re all set. Be sure to take along a camera to document all the fun.

Kids are certain to enjoy the camping event and all the stories and memories of their first camping experience.

Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is a retired teacher and freelance writer. You can find her at JanPierce.net.

Quick and Easy Meals for Campers English Muffin Pizzas: Use English muffins, squeezable pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella. Toast muffin halves on oiled grill. Turn over and spread with sauce, cheese and any toppings your family enjoys. Serve when the cheese melts.

Grilled PB&J: This one is a cinch. Choose a hearty bread and be generous with the fillings. Butter on both sides and toast on your grill. They’ll stick to your ribs.

Coffee Can Stew: Cut stew meat into small pieces. Place meat in a clean coffee can with 2 T. butter. Brown meat over the fire. Add red potatoes, baby carrots and onions with 2 T. more butter. Cover with foil and place in the fire for 20 minutes.

Banana Boats: Slit unpeeled bananas lengthwise without cutting through. Fill the opening with mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips. Sprinkle with brown sugar, wrap in foil and place either on a grill or in the coals of your fire. They’re ready in just seven minutes.

Eggs in a Hat: You may want a change from morning cereal or pancakes. Try this fun recipe. Grease a hot griddle. Cut a hole in pieces of bread using a cup or glass. Toast the bread on both sides and crack an egg in the hole. When the egg is solid, flip the bread. Top with a slice of your favorite cheese and a slice of ham.

Serve when cheese is nicely melted.

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t y h h m r a w g n i i d th s n iF u p e m e l s m r e H With additional daylight and changes in routine, summertime can make adequate rest elusive

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ummer days can mean fun in the sun, swimming, camps, playing sports, vacations and other activities.

There can also be summer days filled with inconsistent routines, staying up late, sleeping in and more screen time than normal. Even with all the changes to the schedule, making sure kids get enough rest during the summer months is essential to their health.

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While it might be difficult to ensure proper sleep during the summer, it can be accomplished with a few considerations.

“Even though it’s summer, kids still benefit from a consistent sleep schedule,” says Kevin Smith, PhD, pediatric psychologist with Children’s Mercy Kansas City. “Healthy sleep patterns help improve memory, mood and more.”

Smith says preschoolers ages 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep, school-age children 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep, and teenagers 14 to 17 need 8 to 10 hours.

One of the first things to consider when ensuring adequate rest, according to Smith, is the child’s sleep environment. He says the sleep environment needs to be generally quiet, although some white noise can be helpful. It also needs to be dark, but it does

FUN

not have to be completely dark, as a nightlight can help foster sleep.

Additionally, making sure the bed is comfortable is especially important. Smith says sometimes parents buy their children a bed but never test it out themselves to see what it feels like for their kids, so he encourages parents to test it out. He also says studies have shown having a relatively clean room is more conducive to sleep than a highly cluttered environment.

Although the room does not have to be especially organized, having it generally picked up is helpful.

Once you’ve established a healthy sleep environment, take a look at behaviors throughout the day that can lead to healthy sleep. Smith says activity during the day helps with sleep at night. To this end, consider making sure the kids get plenty of physical activity, even on those lazy summer days. One approach is to have the kids pick at least one physical activity—swimming, going for a bike ride, jumping on the trampoline, hiking or whatever else interests them—to complete each day.

Also consider limiting screen time, especially right before bed, to help the body become ready for sleep at the proper time.

Not only does too much screen time tend to suppress physical activity, but too much can have significant negative impacts on mental health, which can impact proper sleep.

Timing of the physical activity throughout the day is also important. Smith warns activity right before bed can have the opposite effect and prevent kids from going to sleep on time. “Sleep is more like a dimmer switch than an on/off switch,” he says. “We have to help our body ease from awake to sleep. Sudden transitions are not what our body wants.” Because of this, Smith advises parents to have a solid cut-off time for physical activity and for there to be a transition time between activity and sleep.

The difficulty in this is the simple fact the summer has more daylight hours. And with the additional daylight, kids often do not want to go to sleep at their usual bedtime. After all, it’s still light outside. They might see other kids still playing outside in the neighborhood and naturally want to join. Youth sports games might run later into the evening as well.

Blackout curtains can be helpful in blocking out the additional sunlight and ensuring a proper bedtime, but it’s important for everyone in the household to be on the same page when it comes to expectations of when to quit activity for the evening. Perhaps the kids might need to skip an evening activity if there is a day camp starting early in the morning.

Try creating fun and relaxing activities to do before bed, whether that be reading, listening to calming music or having discussions about the day. Think of simple things you can do while sitting or relaxing that will help children gradually ease into sleep mode.

Overall, pay attention for signs your child might not getting enough sleep.

These include excessive irritability and lack of attentiveness, in addition to the more obvious signs of yawning and discoloring around their eyes, according to Smith.

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Though carefree summer fun may entice your family to stay up until all hours, setting some slumber parameters is a must because sleep is so important. As Smith says, “Sleep affects almost every aspect of our lives—it can affect mood, learning, family relations, health and weight.”

Allison Gibeson is a Lee’s Summit writer and mom whose son loves to read to wind down before bed.

Resting up for the school year It’s never too soon to consider preparing for the transition back into a school schedule One difficult aspect of going back to school in the fall is returning to a normal sleep routine, so consider now how children’s summer schedule will impact their return to the classroom.

Kevin Smith, PhD, pediatric psychologist with Children’s Mercy Kansas City, says summer schedules should not change much for a child under the age of 6 or 7. For older children, he says a summer routine ideally would vary no more than 30 to 60 minutes from what their school routine would require.

“The key to a smooth transition is to do it gradually,” he says.

“The body and brain would much prefer that, but it involves advance planning.”

He recommends about three days of adjusting for every 15 minutes kids need to change their schedule.

Consider noting in your family calendar when you need to start that transition and plan activities around the date to help set up a successful start to the school year.

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NADE STAND LEARNING

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hen your kids ask if they can have a lemonade stand, do you sigh in anticipation of all the work required? Me, too. So when my kids first suggested doing a lemonade stand in our front yard, I blamed TV and movies for putting the idea in their heads. I soon reluctantly agreed, and we were on our way to many days of fun and (don’t tell my kids this part) learning.

To start, I told the kids to hunt down a small table, bigger folding table or stable cardboard box. Then we ran to the store for cups, ice and powdered lemonade mix. The kids made signs to put on their table and on sticks stuck in the ground. One of the kids held up a sign with prices and yelled, “Lemonade!” to attract business. The lemonade stand was a simple venture at first glance, but when I looked a little deeper, I saw it for all the lessons it taught my kids and their friends.

Economics and altruism

My financially savvy 10-year-old son started the first day by charging one dollar for each medium-size glass of lemonade.

He actually had a few takers, but the next day he decided to charge half price and ended up earning much more. Some days the kids would put up a sign that said all the proceeds from the day would be going to a specific cause, like to a cat shelter or to the Red Cross. Those were the days I didn’t gripe about having to sit outside in the heat acting as Lemonade Stand Manager but instead beamed with pride.

Kids learn how to seek out a deal on cups and lemonade and to make their own ice in advance at home since they should ideally pay Mom back for start-up business costs

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(learning about profit and costs). They also learn about making change, counting money, measuring, dividing earnings between kids, how much to charge, record-keeping, saving for something they want, and altruism (through donating their money to a specific cause or charity).

Social and general business

There’s so much for kids to learn about business, like the fact that there are good and bad times and days to sell lemonade (lunch and rush hour are good; neighborhood garage sales days are great; chilly days are not). They also get to meet and greet neighbors and strangers and learn patience and perseverance.

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As summer wore on, the kids enjoyed coming up with bigger and better ideas, like Kool-Aid mixed with Sprite, and that was a hit. They looked like mini businesspeople sitting around the dining room table discussing the next Big Idea.

They started getting repeat business from people who drove down our street every day and made labels for the cups with their business name: Summer Kids Drink Stand. Then they used some of their profits to buy Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies to sell, so they made even more money, and it was a hit with customers.

Safety and stranger danger

I’m sure your kids know not to go up to a car when they don’t know who is in it, but selling lemonade helps reinforce that message and lets your child know it’s okay to tell someone, “No, I’m not allowed to do that.” Teach your child to let the customers get out of their car and come to get their lemonade.

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Basic manners and hygiene

I made sure the kids knew to not hold cups by the lip or accidentally stick their hand in the cup. When telling customers how much the lemonade was, they would say, “Fifty cents, please,” and thank the customer upon receiving the money. If they got a tip, they would say an extra profuse term of gratitude. My oldest (who now is most likely heading into Police Academy) wanted to make sure they were offering free lemonade to the letter carrier and any first responders.

Bonus: your neighbors may be broke and sick of lemonade, but your kids won’t ask to borrow money from you again. At least, not until summer’s over.

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com) is the mom of five and the author of The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook.

PLACES , TO WALK, RUN AY RIDE, FISH, PL AND EXPLORE IN LENEXA

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Kansas City Adventure Guide

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ave you ever wanted to experience an unforgettable adventure? This summer, thrill as you soar to new heights, plunge to new depths and travel at incredible

speeds. Next time you start to say, “I always wanted to try…,” go ahead and try it! Then enjoy reliving the memories only an adventure can provide.

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Have you ever wanted to ...?

Go on an African Safari Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Kansas City Zoo’s African exhibit, ranked as the top African zoo exhibit in the nation. The African Sky Safari gives visitors a bird’s eye view of majestic animals as they roam wide open plains. Ride above the treetops and take in giraffes, zebras, antelope, cheetahs, rhinos, birds and more.

Get a Bird’s-Eye View of the City The Liberty Memorial Tower looms 217 feet in the sky and 268 feet above the North Lawn and provides a spectacular view overlooking downtown Kansas City. You can take a trip to the top with a ride in an elevator, followed by 45 steps to the observation deck. When you visit the National WWI Museum and Memorial, a visit to the top is included with admission to the museum. Within the museum walls below lies one of the best historical sites in the Midwest. With tremendous state-of-theart exhibits telling the story of World War I and, more importantly, the soldiers and civilians of the era—their sacrifices, their journeys—this is one of Kansas City’s most important attractions. The museum provides a free family gallery guidebook, including a map of the galleries, games, puzzles, question-and-answer sections for various exhibits and a scavenger hunt to complete throughout the galleries.

Defy Gravity Take the Sky Bike challenge at Science City at Union Station. Visitors are invited to pedal a bicycle suspended on a high wire 30 feet above the ground. The experiment both thrills and educates. You’ll experience firsthand the relationship between counterweights and balance as your center of gravity keeps you safe riding across the high wire. This attraction is included with admission to Science City, where many funfilled adventures await.

Take a 200-Foot Plunge Kansas City’s own Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (816.454.4545) are two theme parks enjoyed for the price of one ticket. Worlds of Fun is a roller coaster enthusiast’s dream park! It’s home to seven world-class roller coasters, including one of the tallest, longest and fastest roller coasters in the world, the Mamba, with a first drop of 205 feet! The Patriot is a giant inverted coaster that carries the daring through four inversions at a top speed of 65 mph. At Oceans of Fun, enjoy a huge water park with waterslides, rapids, an 800-foot rapids river and a wave pool. This summer, the recordbreaking Riptide Raceway debuts at Oceans of Fun. Thrill seekers race down the fivestory-high four side-by-side tunnels atop a soft foam mat. Riders in each lane will race more than 486 feet to be the first to reach the finish line as they make an exhilarating journey down a winding hillside, around a tight 360-degree loop and through a rapid final descent before splashdown.

Zip Line Over a Mile at Up to 50 mph Near the Kansas City Zoo, Go Ape offers treetop and private group adventures. The 2to 3-hour obstacle course includes 40 crossings that feature rope bridges, five zip lines, Tarzan swings and net bridges. This is a fully immersive experience combining obstacles and zip lines for the adventure enthusiast.

Climb the Wall

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underground in downtown Kansas City.

With 3,800 square feet of terrain, the gym features boulder obstacles and challenges for every level of climber. IBEX Gym offers a 33-foot-tall wall with a variety of challenges for climbers.

Play with Glass You know our local paint-your-own pottery shops as a fun family outing where you make your own masterpieces, but did you know that our local shops also offer glass fusing workshops? Ceramic Cafe offers glass fusing during walk-in studio hours or special classes. Glass fusing involves layering multiple pieces of colored glass to create a design. The pieces are fired in a kiln producing beautiful tiles, bowls, jewelry and other works of art.

Solve a Mystery Tick Tock Escape Games hosts groups to take on the escape room challenge. For the uninitiated, escape rooms are an interactive game where teams of friends are locked into a small room for an hour while they solve puzzles and clues to escape the room. The rooms typically include props and a series of puzzles, each unlocking the next until you escape in an hour or less. The adventure often features unlocking doors, turning dials, moving objects and deciphering clues in your race against the clock. If time runs out, the staff releases your team and takes a photo wishing you the best next time.

Kansas City mom and KC Parent digital media manager Kristina Light enjoys adventures with her family.

kansas city’s #1 travel

For even MORE great ideas for adventures, pick up the latest copy of KC Going Places.

guide since 2010

kcgoingplaces.com

GOI NG P YE A R L S

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Choose one of these rock wall climbing adventures: APEX Climbing Gym, home to a 7,000-square-foot climbing wall with slabs, overhangs, arches and corners, is challenging. The truly daring tackle the challenge of the Warped Wall and Ninja Warrior-inspired obstacles. RoKC is an indoor rock climbing gym 10 stories

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Kansas City Kayak & Canoe offers float trips to paddle local Kansas City waters in a kayak or canoe. Floating down the Missouri River is a one-of-a-kind experience, and KCKC makes it simple, providing all the equipment and a variety of float trips for a few hours or a day.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience (800.237.3889) at Kansas Speedway (913.328.3300) lets fans ride shotgun at speeds of up to 165 mph or get behind the wheel and drive a 600-horsepower NASCAR race car for eight to 18 laps. Even teens can get in on the action! Youths ages 14 to 19 have the opportunity to receive a complimentary three-lap high speed ride-along when accompanied by an adult.

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Paddle the Mighty MO

Ride in a Race Car

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UNFORGETTABLE ATTRACTIONS

WEEK END GETA WAY

EXPLO RING DOWN TOWN

LOVE IS IN THE AIR GREAT DATES

GEMS OF KANS AS CITY LANDM ARKS LOCAL S LOVE

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june

FOR EVEN

MORE EVENTS, HEAD TO THE ONLINE CALENDAR AT KCPARENT.COM.

CALENDAR

Heartland Air Show at Forbes Field

No part of this calendar may be reproduced in print or web format.

Please call to verify event details.

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learn

play

listen

enjoy

watch

Enjoy Pirates Ahoy! thru June at Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium.

Tackle new pirate challenges, discover what it’s like to be a pirate, and much more! Purchase tickets online.

Head to Shawnee Mission and Kill Creek parks on June 5 for A Day in the Park. A fun-filled variety of facilities and activities to choose from!

JCPRD.com

June 18-19 is the Summertime Bluesfest at Oak Grove Park (Gladstone). Event will be rockin’ its 25th year of fun, great music and barbecue!

GladstoneChamber.com

Colonial Gardens hosts Berry Fest on June 18-19.

Enjoy berry season with yard games, livestock petting and feeding, tractor rides, u-pick berries and more!

ColonialGardensKC.org

The Heartland Air Show is June 26-27 at Forbes Field (Topeka). With everything from vintage planes to jets, this event is power-packed!

HeartlandAirShow.com

1 Tuesday Jumperoo 9:00, Urban Air (Lenexa). A special time when entire park is open for children 5 and under with a parent. Jump, bounce and crawl!

UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com Drive-Thru History Tuesdays 9:00, Missouri Town 1855. Drive into Missouri Town to explore the village and visit with our living history interpreters. MakeYourDayHere.com Friends of the Library Book Sale Today & tomorrow, Indian Creek Library. Choose from adult, teen and children’s books, DVDs, CDs and audio books all priced for a $1 or less!

OlatheLibrary.org

2 Wednesday Mom & Me Bumper Bowling 9:30, Summit Lanes. For just $3 per person, you get a game, shoe rental and drink on Mondays and Wednesdays. SummitLanes.com Days Out with Frank and Ella 10:00, Mahaffie.

Enjoy a different history theme each Wednesday and Thursday with plenty of hands-on activities, crafts and a stagecoach ride! Mahaffie.org

Story Time at the Farm 10:00, Atkins-Johnson Museum. Enjoy a story time that includes a featured farm story and sing-alongs. For ages 6 mos-5 with a caregiver. Gladstone.Mo.Us

3 Thursday Toddler Time 10:00, Ceramic Café. On Thursdays from 10:00 to 2:00, toddlers 5 and under can paint one selected item for just $10!

CeramicCafeKC.com Nature Story Time 11:00, Overland Park Arboretum. Join for music, movement and adventures outdoors hosted by Stepping Stones KC. Pre-reg at 913.685.3604.

Belton Farmers Market 4:00, Belton Memorial Park. Shop for fresh homegrown produce, home baked goods and homemade items from local vendors. BeltonParks.org Summer of Music 7:00, Hawk Ridge Amphitheater (Raymore). Bring a chair and a picnic basket and enjoy an evening of live music! Raymore.com/arts

4 Friday Youth Bridge Summer Lessons 9:30, Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Lee’s Summit). Bridge lessons for kids ages 8 and up. Any skill level from beginner on up. MOKANBridge.org

Food Art Drink Today & tomorrow, Linden Square (Gladstone). Food trucks, drinks, an awesome musical lineup and artists displaying their best pieces. LindenSquare.info Summer Concert Series 6:30, Grandview Amphitheater. Grab a lawn chair or blankets and enjoy a fun night of live music and food trucks. GrandviewAmp.com Friday Night Nature Programs 7:00, Ernie Miller Nature Center. Bring the family to the NEW outdoor amphitheater for entertainment and education. 913.826.2800 First Fridays 7:00, Crossroads Art District. Art galleries, retailers and other participating art venues located in the Crossroads Art District showcase art. KCCrossroads.org Mamma Mia 8:30, Theatre in the Park. Enjoy a funny, feel-good musical that will leave audiences disco dancing out the theater.

TheatreInThePark.org

5 Saturday Hospital Hill Run 7:00, Crown Center.

Experience the Thrill of the Hill, Kansas City’s long- standing running tradition. Choose from the half marathon, 10K or 5K. RunSignUp.com

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Days Out with Frank and Ella Mahaffie. Enjoy a different history theme on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Mahaffie.

Hands-on activities, crafts and a stagecoach ride! Mahaffie.org

Fishing Derby 7:30, Olathe Cedar Lake (South Side). Spend the morning at Cedar Lake fishing with family and friends at the Annual Kids Fishing Derby. OlatheKS.org

Free Day at the Johnson County Museum 9:00, Johnson County Museum.

Experience all the museum has to offer— free of charge! JCPRD.com/museum

Farmers Market 8:00, Downtown Lee’s Summit.

Purchase a variety of fresh produce, plants, meat, baked goods, handmade crafts and more.

DowntownLS.org

Summer Workout Series 9:30, Legends Outlets. Open to all ages and fitness levels.

Enjoy a workout class on the Lawn. Free.

LegendsShopping.com

44th Annual Fishing Derby 8:00, C Lee Kenagy Park (Raytown). The derby is free and open to Raytown residents of all ages.

UnctionMedia.com/rp2019

Downtown Makers Market 10:00, Downtown Overland Park. Event includes inspired handmade and vintage vendors and local live music. VisitOverlandPark.com/events

Day in the Park Shawnee Mission and Kill Creek parks. A fun-filled variety of facilities and activities to choose from, and on this special day all of them are free! JCPRD.com

Little Acorns 10:00, 11:30 or 1:30, Anita B Gorman Discovery Center. Join naturalists for a journey through nature. Stories, activities and more. Pre-reg at MDC.mo.gov.

Discover Fort Osage 9:00, Fort Osage. Event showcases the best of history and cultures through music, storytelling, walking tours and historic crafts. MakeYourDayHere.com

Hy-Vee SummerFest Noon, Memorial Park (Belton). Live music and performances, cornhole tournament, food trucks, games, crafters and fireworks. BeltonParks.org

Parkville Cruise Night 4:00, Farmers Market Lot (Parkville). Hang out with friends, listen to music and come see all the cars while also exploring downtown Parkville. ParkvilleMo.org

6 Sunday Public Tours 11:00, Cedar Cove. Explore Cedar Cove with an experienced guide. See these epic animals and learn about them. Tours start every half-hour. SaveOurSiberians.org

What do YOU do for summer fun? l June 5 - A Day in the Park in Shawnee Mission & Kill Creek Parks

In conjunction with JCPRD’s free fishing, boating, and archery weekend (June 5 & 6), celebrate our trails, parks, and recreational spaces. Free 1 hr. rentals at the marinas and admission to our beaches.

l June 5 - Great American Campout in Shawnee Mission Park

Come sleep under the stars! This event coincides with A Day in the Park, beach admission and marina rentals are free today only. Register at JCPRD.com/register - search for “Great American Campout.”

l Friday Nights, 7 pm - Ernie Miller Nature Center Amphitheater Programs

June 4, 11, 18, 25 and July 9, 16, 23, & 30 - Bring the family to the new amphitheater this summer for affordable entertainment and educational experiences. Preregistration required. Register at JCPRD.com/register - search for “Amphitheater.” Call (913) 826-2800 for details.

l August 8 - Evening in the Park at Theatre in the Park

Join us for a free, laid-back party in the park as we say “thank you” for your support of JCPRD parks, programs, and special events. Enjoy foot-stomping music from the Short Round Stringband and The Matchsellers. Then, settle in to watch a movie as the sun sets across the park. Food, wine & beer will be on location, so bring your wallet and ID.

2021 stage performances

Also, se

e our l MAMMA MIA: June 4 - 12 Movies in the Pa rk l CURTAINS: June 18 -26 li ne -u p he re ! l CINDERELLA: July 2 - 10 (no show July 4) l HALF TIME: GOTTA DANCE - July 16 - 24 l Disney’s NEWSIES: July 30 - Aug. 7

theatreinthepark.org

For beach and marina information, plus a listing of all we have to offer this summer, visit JCPRD.com

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Northland Mouse Derby 2:00, Northland Early Education Center. Enjoy food, drinks, raffles, racing and all sorts of fun for all ages. NEECKids.org Treasure Tails Geocaching 3:00, Meadowbrook Park. Bring your furry friend to sniff out treasure throughout the park. Pre-reg at JCPRD.com.

Outdoor Concert Series 5:00, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic dinner and enjoy a variety of live music in an outdoor setting. Lenexa.com Music in the Park 6:00, Rotary Park (Blue Springs). Enjoy a relaxing evening outdoors with free live musical entertainment.

Concessions available. BlueSpringsGov.com

7 Monday Pirates Thru June, Legoland Discovery Center.

Tackle new pirate challenges, discover what it’s like to be a pirate, and much more! Purchase tickets at LegolandDiscoveryCenter.com.

Koala Bears 10:00, Kansas City Zoo. Meet koalas Chuckels and Thackory! These two cuddly marsupials are visiting the zoo through November! KansasCityZoo.org

Story Time Shorts 10:00, MCPL360. Join library staff for short and sweet story times. Say hello, hear a story and say goodbye. Perfect for busy day! MyMCPL.org

Early Explorers 9:30, Science City. Bring the younger set to visit the new Early Explorations areas designed for babies and toddlers. Pre-reg at ScienceCity.com.

Summer Reading Kickoff 7:00, Boulevard Drive In Theatre. Celebrate the start of summer reading with a movie! Gates open at 7:00 and movie is at 9:15. KCKPL.org

10 Thursday

8 Tuesday Jumperoo 9:00, Urban Air (Lenexa). A special time when entire park is open for children 5 and under with a parent. Jump, bounce and crawl! UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com Drive-Thru History Tuesdays 9:00, Missouri Town 1855. Drive into Missouri Town to explore the village and visit with our living history interpreters. MakeYourDayHere.com Grinnin and Groovin Concerts 9:30, Ironwoods Park Amphitheatre. Tuesdays in June enjoy a fun and free outdoor kids concert series.

Leawood.org

9 Wednesday Farmers Market 8:00, Downtown Market (KCK). A network of farmers markets in Wyandotte County featuring local producers!

KCKFarmersMarket.com

Toddler Time 10:00, Ceramic Café. On Thursdays from 10:00 to 2:00, toddlers 5 and under can paint one selected item for just $10!

CeramicCafeKC.com Bridging the Gender Divide 10:00, National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. Exhibit explores how toys once marketed to boys have evolved over time to encourage all children.

816.235.8000 Family Fun Nights 6:00, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm. 1860s living history events include visiting the Mahaffie house, cookstove demonstrations and stagecoach rides.

Mahaffie.org

11 Friday Food Truck Fridays 11:30-1:30, Grandview Historical Depot Museum. Enjoy a variety of tastes just outside City Hall every Friday during lunchtime. Grandview.org

Offer expires 6/20/21

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Prairie Village Art Walk 5:30, Prairie Village Shops. Join for the first Prairie Village Art Walk to view the city’s public sculptures.

PVKansas.com

Yoga on the Farm 8:00, Atkins-Johnson Farm.

Stretch, breathe and relax with yoga classes held outdoors at the beautiful and historic museum. Pre-reg at 816.423.4200.

Mamma Mia 8:30, Theatre in the Park. Enjoy a funny, feel-good musical that will leave audiences disco dancing out the theater.

TheatreInThePark.org

Friday Night Nature Programs 7:00, Ernie Miller Nature Center. Bring the family to the NEW outdoor amphitheater for entertainment and education. 913.826.2800

Kids Club 10:00, Colonial Gardens. Kids enjoy fun activities while you shop at Colonial Gardens or enjoy a coffee at the Bean Counter.

Pre-reg at ColonialGardensKC.com.

Olathe Live! 7:00, Stagecoach Park. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, food and non-alcoholic beverages and enjoy live music. OlatheKS.org

Nature Art 10:00 or 1:00, Anita B Gorman Discovery Center. Make a nature journal and then take a walk around the grounds. Pre-reg at 816.759.7300.

Overnight Fishing 11:00, Kill Creek Park.

Grab your fishing pole and lantern for the first overnight fishing of the summer. Park police officers on duty throughout the night.

JCPRD.com

Cinema in the City 8:30, Leawood City Hall.

A free outdoor movie series at Leawood City Hall! Please join us for The Little Rascals.

Leawood.org Sleeping Beauty Thru June 13, TCH Purple Studio. Fall under the spell of Kenneth MacMillan’s fairy tale classic performed by the Culture House. CultureHouse.com

12 Saturday Junque n’ Donuts 8:00, Louisburg Cider Mill.

Miami County’s best outdoor flea market and craft sale. Grab lunch and enjoy yard games in the courtyard. LouisburgCiderMill.com

Farm Fresh History since 1858!

Check out our website and Facebook page for summer fun!

Donut Making Demonstration 11:00, Shawnee Town 1929. Using a 1920s recipe, museum staff will fire up our wood-burning cookstove to make donuts. ShawneeTown.org Nerf Wars 11:00, Pink Hill Park (Blue Springs).

Prepare for battle! Kids, friends and family are welcome to compete in a friendly 6 vs. 6 tournament. Pre-reg at BlueSpringsGov.com.

Raytown Live 7:00, Town Center Greenspace.

Kick up your heels and have some familyfriendly fun while enjoying live music.

Raytown.Live

13 Sunday Train Ride 2:00, Belton, Grandview and KC Railroad. Take a 40-minute trip along the tracks of the Frisco Railroad and enjoy a fun afternoon! Pre-purchase tickets at KCRRM.org.

Stormwater Sunday 2:00, StoneLion Puppet Theatre. Enjoy a free live performance, socially distanced games, art making and fun in our outdoor garden. Pre-reg at 816.221.5351.

Music in the Park 6:00, Rotary Park (Blue Springs). Enjoy a relaxing evening outdoors with free, live musical entertainment.

Concessions available. BlueSpringsGov.com

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1200 Kansas City Road Olathe, Kansas • 913.971.5111 Activities vary by season Visit www.mahaffie.org

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kcparent.com june 2021

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14 Monday Art for the Animals Thru June 24, Buttonwood Art Space. Exhibition featuring animals of all colors, kinds and breeds. Percentage sold benefits Great Plains SPCA. ButtonwoodArtSpace.com Pirates Thru June, Sea Life Aquarium. Tackle new pirate challenges, discover what it’s like to be a pirate, and much more! Purchase tickets at VisitSeaLife.com.

Story Time Shorts 10:00, MCPL360. Join library staff for short and sweet story times. Say hello, hear a story and say goodbye. Perfect for busy day! MyMCPL.org Flag Day Geocaching 1:00, R Park (Roeland Park). Groups are loaned a GPS device and given instructions on how to find the caches hidden around. Pre-reg at JCPRD.com.

15 Tuesday Drive-Thru History Tuesdays 9:00, Missouri Town 1855. Drive into Missouri Town to explore the village and visit with our living history interpreters. MakeYourDayHere.com Grinnin and Groovin Concerts 9:30, Ironwoods Park Amphitheatre. Tuesdays in June enjoy a fun and free outdoor kids concert series. Leawood.org

Panther Playdates 10:00, Oakhill Day School. Make new friends over Popsicles and playground fun. Open to all area early childhood families. OakhillDaySchool.org

Time Travelers 10:00, Shawnee Town 1929.

Kids will enjoy hands-on, historic fun on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Shawnee Town.

ShawneeTown.org Meet the Library Animals 10:30, Mr & Mrs FL Schlagle Library. Join at the outdoor classroom to meet some of the live educational animals that call our library home! KCKPL.org Discover Nature: Naturalist Hour 2:00, Burr Oak Woods. Go on an adventure with a naturalist to make amazing discoveries as you explore on a trail. Pre-reg at MDC.mo.gov/events.

Popsicles in the Park 6:30, Armstrong Park Gazebo (Grain Valley). Family fun in the park!

Listen to a story and then enjoy a Popsicle!

CityOfGrainValley.org

16 Wednesday Koala Bears 10:00, Kansas City Zoo. Meet koalas Chuckels and Thackory! These two cuddly marsupials are visiting the zoo through November! KansasCityZoo.org Days Out with Frank and Ella 10:00, Mahaffie. Enjoy a different history theme each Wednesday and Thursday with plenty of hands-on activities, crafts and a stagecoach ride! Mahaffie.org

17 Thursday Kids Day at Kenagy 10:00, Kenagy Park (Raytown). Petting zoo, various trucks to explore, story times, games and more!

UnctionMedia.com/rp2019 Farm Tales 10:30, National Agricultural Hall of Fame. Join to learn how important bees are for yards, gardens, agriculture and the food we eat.

Ages 3-8. Pre-reg at 913.721.1075.

Moonlight Market 4:00, Shawnee City Hall.

Grab goods from the farmers market, check out local restaurants, breweries and shops and enjoy live music! CityOfShawnee.org Summer of Music 7:00, Hawk Ridge Amphitheater (Raymore). Bring a chair and a picnic basket and enjoy an evening of live music! Raymore.com/arts

18 Friday Jumperoo 9:00, Urban Air (Overland Park).

A special time when entire park is open for children 5 and under with a parent. Jump, bounce and crawl! UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com

FRENCH FASHION DOLLS, 1912–1918 / THROUGH JULY 17, 2021 | EXHIBIT BRIDGING THE GENDER DIVIDE: TOYS THAT BUILD STEM SKILLS / THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 | EXHIBIT

Support the T/m Mission at toyandminiaturemuseum.org/get-involved/ Find T/m on social media: Social icon

Circle Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

Exhibit sponsored by: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TOYS AND MINIATURES 5235 OAK STREET, KANSAS CITY, MO 64112 816.235.8000 TOYANDMINIATUREMUSEUM.ORG kcparent.com june 2021

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Food Truck Friday 11:00, Union Cemetery Park. Enjoy a tasty and affordable lunch in one of downtown’s most peaceful park spaces.

816.513.7500 Local Life Today & tomorrow, downtown Overland Park. Explore locally owned businesses, activities and more. Head to DowntownOP.org for details about this month’s theme.

Summertime Bluesfest Today & tomorrow, Oak Grove Park (Gladstone). Event will be rockin’ its 25th year of fun, great music and barbecue! GladstoneChamber.com Movie Night 8:00, Grandview Amphitheater.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy Croods 2: A New Age under the stars for just $1.

GrandviewAmp.com Movie in the Park 8:30, Freedom Fields (Lenexa). Put on your pjs, hop in the car and watch a free outdoor movie at Lenexa’s drive-in movie. Lenexa.com Movie in the Park Dusk, Kenagy Park (Raytown). Bring the family to enjoy a movie under the stars. Tonight’s movie is Moana.

UnctionMedia.com/rp2019

y r r e B A E S

Movie in the Park 9:00, Cornerstone Park (Gardner). Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and head out to see Hook in the park.

GardnerKansas.gov

20 Sunday

19 Saturday

Classic Car Concours 10:00, Atkins-Johnson Farm. See classic cars from almost every decade on the grounds of the beautiful and historical museum. Gladstone.mo.us

Lost Trail Days 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00, Louisburg Cider Mill. View soda production, hear history of Lost Trail soda and enjoy a nine-flavor flight.

Pre-reg at 913.837.5202.

Berry Fest Today & tomorrow, Colonial Gardens. Enjoy berry season with yard games, livestock petting and feeding, tractor rides, u-pick berries and more! ColonialGardensKC.org Amphibians: Treefrog Tubes 10:00 or 1:00, Anita B Gorman Discovery Center. Explore the biology of frogs and toads and what makes them important. Pre-reg at MDC.mo.gov.

Nature Story Time 11:00, Overland Park Arboretum. Join for music, movement and adventures outdoors. Geared toward ages 2-5, along with parent. ArtsAndRec-OP.org Overnight Fishing 11:00, Shawnee Mission Park. Grab your fishing pole and lantern for overnight fishing. Park police officers on duty throughout the night. JCPRD.com

N O S

FATHER’S DAY

Train Ride 2:00, Belton, Grandview and KC Railroad. Take a 40-minute trip along the tracks of the Frisco Railroad and enjoy a fun afternoon! Pre-purchase tickets at KCRRM.org.

Music in the Park 6:00, Rotary Park (Blue Springs). Enjoy a relaxing evening outdoors with free, live musical entertainment.

Concessions available. BlueSpringsGov.com

21 Monday Schoolhouse Tales 9:30, Oxford Schoolhouse.

Enjoy story time, activities and crafting! Ages 6-10, $5 per child. Pre-reg at 913.663.9154.

Auschwitz. Not Long Ago Not Far Away. 10:00, Union Station. Exhibit features more than 700 original objects, 400 photographs and hundreds of artifacts. UnionStation.org

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Make Music Kansas City 11:00, multiple locations. The first annual city-wide Make Music Kansas City offers a wonderful mix of free outdoor musical events. MakeMusicDay.org/kcmo

22 Tuesday Grinnin and Groovin Concerts 9:30, Ironwoods Park Amphitheatre. Tuesdays in June enjoy a fun and free outdoor kids concert series. Leawood.org Discover Nature: Naturalist Hour 2:00, Burr Oak Woods. Go on an adventure with a naturalist to make amazing discoveries as you explore on a trail. Pre-reg at MDC.mo.gov/events.

23 Wednesday

24 Thursday Pirates Thru June, Legoland Discovery Center.

Tackle new pirate challenges, discover what it’s like to be a pirate, and much more! Purchase tickets at LegolandDiscoveryCenter.com.

Time Travelers 10:00, Shawnee Town 1929. Kids will enjoy hands-on, historic fun on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Shawnee Town. ShawneeTown.org In the Garden 6:00, Colonial Gardens. Enjoy live music at Colonial Gardens! Pre-purchase a table online before the event. Food and drink options available. ColonialGardensKC.com

25 Friday

Farmers Market 8:00, Downtown Lee’s Summit.

Purchase a variety of fresh produce, plants, meat, baked goods, handmade crafts and more.

DowntownLS.org

Jumperoo 9:00, Urban Air (Overland Park).

A special time when entire park is open for children 5 and under with a parent. Jump, bounce and crawl! UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com

Art for the Animals Thru June 24, Buttonwood Art Space. Exhibition featuring animals of all colors, kinds and breeds. Percentage sold benefits Great Plains SPCA. ButtonwoodArtSpace.com

Youth Bridge Summer Lessons 9:30, Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Lee’s Summit). Bridge lessons for kids ages 8 and up. Any skill level from beginner on up. MOKANBridge.org

Bugs 4:00, MCPL Zoom. Welcome to the realm of insects. Learn about their fabulous flying abilities, unique eyesight and how they defend themselves. Pre-reg at MyMCPL.org.

Food Truck Fridays 11:30-1:30, Grandview Historical Depot Museum. Enjoy a variety of tastes just outside City Hall every Friday at lunchtime. Grandview.org

W

Fourth Fridays Art Walk 5:00, Downtown Lee’s Summit. Enjoy showcases from local artists, live music performances, shops and restaurants.

DowntownLS.org Friday Night Sound Bites 5:30, Lenexa Public Market. Enjoy live local music and tasty bites from a food truck. Lenexa.com A Night Out 6:00, Macken Park. Check out large vehicles and trucks up close! Try out a bounce house, enjoy concessions and stay for movie at dusk. NKC.org Friday Night Nature Programs 7:00, Ernie Miller Nature Center. Bring the family to the NEW outdoor amphitheater for entertainment and education. 913.826.2800

26 Saturday Midwest Mushrooms 10:00 or 1:00, Anita B Gorman Discovery Center. Presentation on mushroom hunting and how to properly ID mushrooms. Pre-reg at MDC.mo.gov.

Family Frolic: Nature’s Playground 10:00, Powell Gardens. Experience Powell Gardens’ fascinating pollinators through play and exploration in the gardens. PowellGardens.org

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Freedom Fest Hitt Park (Greenwood). Celebrate Independence Day with family fun for everyone. Hosted by Greenwood Parks and Rec. GreenwoodMo.com Flags for Freedom Thru July 10, Merriam Marketplace. View more than 1,500 US flags at the Merriam Marketplace. Merriam.org Heartland Air Show Today & tomorrow, Forbes Field (Topeka). With everything from vintage planes to jets, this event is power-packed and geared to giving your family a weekend to remember. HeartlandAirShow.com Family Fun Day Passes Noon, Youthfront Camp (LaCygne). Bring the whole family or a group of friends and enjoy all the fun that Youthfront Camp has to offer! Youthfront.com Main Street Cruise Night 3:00, Belton Main Street. Check out all the cool classic rides parked on Main Street. Enjoy shopping and good food and drinks, too! BeltonParks.org Waterfest Today & tomorrow, Downtown Excelsior Springs. Enjoy a fun-filled, family friendly event that is the largest Excelsior Springs festival. EXSPGSChamber.com

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27 Sunday

29 Tuesday

Public Tours 11:00, Cedar Cove. Explore Cedar Cove with an experienced guide. See these epic animals and learn about them. Tours start every half-hour. SaveOurSiberians.org

Koala Bears 10:00, Kansas City Zoo. Meet koalas Chuckels and Thackory! These two cuddly marsupials are visiting the zoo through November! KansasCityZoo.org

Train Ride 2:00, Belton, Grandview and KC Railroad. Take a 40-minute trip along the tracks of the Frisco Railroad and enjoy a fun afternoon! Pre-purchase tickets at KCRRM.org.

Stormwater Sunday 2:00, StoneLion Puppet Theatre. Enjoy a free live performance, socially distanced games, art making and fun in our outdoor garden. Pre-reg at 816.221.5351.

Music in the Park 6:00, Rotary Park (Blue Springs). Enjoy a relaxing evening outdoors with free, live musical entertainment.

Concessions available. BlueSpringsGov.com

28 Monday Mom & Me Bumper Bowling 9:30, Summit Lanes. For just $3 per person, you get a game, shoe rental and drink on Mondays and Wednesdays. SummitLanes.com Pirates Thru June, Sea Life Aquarium. Tackle new pirate challenges, discover what it’s like to be a pirate, and much more! Purchase tickets at VisitSeaLife.com.

Mr Stinky Feet’s Fam Jam 10:00, MCPL360.

In honor of National Hug Day, join for songs about friends, family and peace. Pre-reg at MyMCPL.org.

Grinnin and Groovin Concerts 9:30, Ironwoods Park Amphitheatre. Tuesdays in June enjoy a fun and free outdoor kids concert series. Leawood.org

30 Wednesday Auschwitz. Not Long Ago Not Far Away. 10:00, Union Station. Exhibit features more than 700 original objects, 400 photographs and hundreds of artifacts. UnionStation.org Bridging the Gender Divide 10:00, National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. Exhibit explores how toys once marketed to boys have evolved over time to encourage all children.

816.235.8000

JUNE

AQUARIUM MONTH

Visit Sea Life Aquarium where you can come nose-to-nose with sharks and stingrays as you walk the tunnel. Save on admission with the coupon on KCParent.com.

JUNE 3

FUN CALENDAR World Bicycle Day Visit KCParent.com and search “Bike Trails.” The metro is home to many fun trails, including locations where you may rent a bike with BikeKC.

JUNE 6 National Trails Day Discover a new adventure on a trail using the guidebook Hiking Kansas City by William B. Eddy and Richard O. Ballentine (available at local libraries and Amazon).

JUNE 12 National Peanut Butter Cookie Day Head to Cookies and Creamery in the Red Bridge Shopping Center where you can enjoy Mary’s Mountain cookies, creamwiches and other yummy goodies! Facebook.com/ cookiesandcreamerykc

NATIONAL

ADOPT A CAT MONTH Great Plains SPCA is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the Kansas City area. Learn how to adopt a pet, volunteer or help support the cause at GreatPlainsSPCA.org.

JUNE 23 JUNE 9

Donald Duck

Day Donald Duck has Kansas City roots as a creation of Walt Disney, who started his animation business at the company he founded, LaughO-Grams Studio in Kansas City. Celebrate with a trip to Marceline, MO, where you can visit the Walt Disney Museum.

FIRST WEEK OF JUNE IS NATIONAL

GARDENING WEEK Family Tree Nursery’s expert staff is always on hand to help with your

gardening questions, and the nursery is stocked with everything you need for the garden of your dreams. FamilyTreeNursery.com

National Pink

Day It’s the day to celebrate the color pink, and what better way than to visit the restaurant that looks like a giant pink ice cream cone? Kris & Kate’s serves delicious hot dogs, ice cream and malts.

JUNE 25

National Food Truck Day Local food trucks

serve up fabulous servings of deliciousness all summer long at local parks and events. Waffles, tacos, coffee cake, gyros, barbecue, salads, sandwiches … everything you can imagine is available, it seems. Visit KCFoodTrucks.org for locations and dates.

kcparent.com june 2021

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