out & about
KC Parent is available in ALL Lawrence grocery stores!
VisitLawrence.com LawrenceChamber.com Hot Tips: * Plan to take K-10 instead of I-70 to avoid toll roads. * The Spencer Museum of Art & Prairie Park Nature Center offer free admission. * The Natural History Museum offers free admission but encourages donations.
The City of Lawrence, Kansas Looking for a day trip that will appeal to everyone in the whole family, something that’s big on attractions but small on travel? Check out Lawrence, KS, just a hop, skip and jump away from the KC Metro area and home to more than 54 parks, 11 museums, a vast assortment of unique stores and restaurants and, of course, the University of Kansas. Before You Go Marrying a small town feel with big city options, Lawrence offers indoor and outdoor fun sure to please every member of your group. Plan ahead by checking out the Chamber of Commerce’s site, VisitLawrence.com, where you will find a comprehensive listing of restaurants, shops, museums and family attractions. Year-round attractions are enhanced by a lengthy listing of special events sprinkled throughout the year. If you’re planning your excursion during a KU sporting event, make sure to allocate extra time for travel, as traffic can be hairy. While You’re There Lawrence is perhaps most famous for its college life, and even kids will relish the on-campus fun. Take a stroll on the scenic KU campus and, while there, check out the Spencer Museum of Art or the Natural History Museum. The Spencer provides family the ultimate guide to family
fun in KC
programming and an art-cart station for young guests, while the Natural History Museum offers scavenger hunts to enhance its self-guided tours. Offcampus fun abounds, too! The Prairie Park Nature Center offers educational programming on its 80-acre preserve, while the downtown district houses a myriad of shops, sure to please any shopaholic (check out the Toy Store, a child’s paradise full of specialty games, toys and books!). After You Leave Kansas University has a reputation for its top-ranked basketball program. In fact, the sport was invented in 1891 by one of the college’s own professors, Dr. James Naismith! Now, 122 years later, it is still a favorite sport, held dear by many. Let your competitive spirit take the lead as you shoot hoops as a family. Not athletically inclined? Take in a KU home game at Allen Fieldhouse, dubbed the best place to watch American college basketball. A repeat visit to Lawrence affords you the opportunity to take in even more that the city has to offer! Lauren Greenlee hit the downtown district on her last Lawrence excursion and looks forward to a repeat visit to try her hand at geocaching next. She writes from her home in Olathe.
fall/winter 2012-13
For over 500 great family-friendly places to visit in KC, plus a whole section featuring family-friendly shows, pick up a copy of KC Going Places.
GET OUT &
PLAY! IN KC 500+ FAMILY OUTINGS
FUN FAMILY DINING TREASURE DISCOVER BURIED & SKATING! SLEDDING, SKIING
OM KCGOINGPLACES.C
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PM 9/15/12 2:29
GP Fall Winter
your tickets today! 913.254.4444 Toddler Time 10:00, Bonner Springs Community Center. Bring your toddler in to jump and have some fun! 913.422.7010 Plaza Bunnies & Wonderland Animals Thru April 1, Country Club Plaza. The Plaza makes its annual transformation into an Easter wonderland. 816.753.0100
26 TUESDAY
Preschool Indoor Playground 9:30, Irene B French Comm Ctr. Children 5 and under can play for just $2. 913.322.5550 Story Time for Twos 9:30, Westport Library. Seasonal stories, songs, videos and other learning activities for children 2 and younger. 816.701.3488
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Coffee Playground 10:00, OP First Assembly of God. Inflatables, scooters, balls and other toys in the gym for kids 5 and under. Free. OverlandParkMops.blogspot.com Preschool Story Time 11:00, Ceramic Café. Kids will hear a book read, paint a piece of pottery and enjoy a snack! 913.383.0222 Chicken Little: The Musical Thru Apr 13, City Stage (Union Station). Theatre for Young America performs this musical comedy. 816.460.2083
27 WEDNESDAY
Pop ‘n Play 10:00, Johnson County Museum. A drop-in program with age-appropriate activities for children 9 months to 3 years old. 913.715.2550 Visit Vaile Mansion 10:00, Vaile Mansion. Come see one of our nation’s premiere examples of Sec-
ond Empire Victorian architecture. 816.325.7430 Animal Tales 10:30, Ernie Miller Nature Center. Visit the nature center for stories, songs and surprises geared to preschool children. 913.764.7759 Marble Lessons Thru Mar 31, 1:00-4:00, Toy & Miniature Museum. Learn how to play the classic game of marbles. See KC Parent ad on pg. 51 for a FREE shooter marble. 816.235.8000 Spring Portraits Kia Bondurant Photography. Celebrate spring with a darling portrait with a live bunny or baby lamb. hello@KiaBondurant.com
28 THURSDAY
Tales for Tiny Tykes 9:30 & 10:30, Plaza Library. Toddlers ages 18-36 months can listen to a 20-minute story time followed with a craft. 816.701.3481 kcparent.com march 2013
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