Summer Month Activities for Kids...

As the school year is coming to a close, I've started looking for activities that could keep our kids interested, engaged, and entertained throughout the summer.

Or that would make a great field trip for the next school year!

Unfortunately, most of these activities seem to come with a price tag.

If you're looking for something to do during the summer--and you just happen to live in the bi-state area of Kansas and Missouri--here are a few kid-approved activities for the whole family that are worth the money.


Kansas:
1.)  Sedgwick County Zoo.  You would think living in a big city like Kansas City that the zoo would be a-mazing.  You would be wrong.  The Sedgwick Count Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, though, is one of the best zoos I have ever been to.  The layout is great, the exhibits are good, and you can make your way through the entire zoo in a day.

2.)  Exploration Place.  Found in Wichita, Kansas, Exploration Place is THE place for kids to be kids.  Complete with exhibits on flying, a "miniature" exhibit, and hands-on exhibits, Exploration Place also has a "Tot Spot"--complete with activities just for the young kids.

3.)  Tanganyika Wildlife Park.   Found on the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas, Tanganyika Wildlife Park is full of exotic animals--some of which are near-extinct--and many you are able to physically interact with.  Where else would you be able to walk out onto Lemur Island and feed ring-tailed lemurs from Madagascar?

4.)  Botanica of Wichita.   With more than 20 themed gardens and over 3,600 species of plants that spread over nine acres, Botanica of Wichita is the perfect place to take your children for a natural science lesson.  Make sure to stop in during late March and early April when there are over 43,000 tulips in bloom!


Missouri:
1.)  St. Louis Zoo.  While the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS is a great zoo, the St. Louis Zoo has been ranked #2--right behind the San Diego Zoo.  And can I get an "Amen" that this zoo is FREE to get into?!  While on vacation, our family spent several hours at the St. Louis Zoo, and we didn't even see half of the park.

2.)  The Magic House.   THE place where a kid can be a kid.  Found in beautiful St. Louis, Missouri, the Magic House is amazing for kids.  From the "Construction Zone" where kids can shovel gravel and build with PVC pipe to the "Bubble Room" where kids can get inside of a bubble, the Magic House is worth every single penny.

3.)  The Steamboat Arabia Museum.  Found in the Rivermarket area of Kansas City, Missouri, the Steamboat Arabia Museum is a tiny treasure that not many people know about.  It started with a group of men looking for treasure, and it ended with pulling up a steamboat out of the ground filled with perfectly preserved artifacts from 1856.  Millions of seed beads, beautiful china, bolts of silk in the most brilliant of colors.  The Steamboat Arabia Museum makes everyone feel like a kid again--with the hope of finding buried treasure!

4.)  Sea Life Aquarium and Lego Land.  Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri boasts a large number of shops and restaurants.  Sea Life and Lego Land are two NEW attractions to Crown Center.  The Sea Life Aquarium boasts over 5,000 sea creatures including sharks, rays, and jellyfish.  Move over to the Interactive Pool where you can hold a crab or touch a starfish!   The Lego Land Discovery Center is THE place to go for all lego enthusiasts--young or old.  Visit "Miniland" to see over 1.5 million lego bricks put into action!  Or visit the "Earthquake Tables" where you can build a tall tower of legos--and then stand back to watch the tables shake to see if your tower can withstand an earthquake!

Happy learning!