Kansas City people, I need some ideas

[BarbecueMom]

We're taking a weekend trip to Kansas City next month and are looking for some stuff to do. Preferably of the cheap/free and toddler-friendly variety. We are already planning on going to the children's museum, but the zoo has been ruled out. Are there any really cool local parks, playgrounds, or nature areas nearby? We'll be staying up near the airport, but we're willing to drive around (no different than getting around St. Louis). Thanks!

[RahRah]

I'm not in KC, but in MO....

 

Puppetry Arts Institute – Hazelle Rollins Puppet Museum (Independence, MO) - they have puppet shows - check their calendar!

 

KC Rail Experience at Union Station (Kansas City, MO)

 

Line Creek Museum of Archaeology, 594 NW Waukomis Dr., Kansas City (north), MO, 816-741-7201, 11 am to 4 pm on weekends – located on actual dig site features life-size 200 BC Hopewell Indian village diorama and replica hut room

 

Missouri Town 1855 (Lee’s Summit, MO)

 

Science City (Kansas City, MO)

 

Wonderscope Children’s Museum (Shawnee, KS)

 

CoCo Key Water Resort (Kansas City, MO)

 

Hallmark Visitors Center (Kansas City, MO)

 

Kaleidoscope (Kansas City, MO)

 

Moon Marble Company (Bonner Springs, KS)

 

Union Station (Kansas City, MO)

 

Burr Oaks Conservation Nature Center (Blue Springs) - often have really good family programs, check their calendar

 

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (Overland Park, KS)

 

Kansas City Community Gardens & Beanstalk Children’s Garden (Kansas City, MO)

 

Lakeside Nature Center (Kansas City, MO)

 

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (Overland Park, KS)

 

Powell Gardens (east of Lee’s Summit, MO) - often have great family programs - check their calendar

 

Worlds of Fun (Kansas City North, MO)

 

Louisburg Cider Mill (Louisburg, KS)

 

 

Louisburg Corn Maze (Louisburg, KS)

 

 

Red Barn Farm (Weston, MO)

[Maus]

We just got back from there. Board members gave me some great suggestions here.

 

My youngest is a toddler and she had the most fun at:

 

• Science City (there is a room with animals and a place to dig.) (She kind of liked the model train exhibit next door to Science City, but it was a bigger hit with the older kids.)
  

 

 

Rain Forest Adventure at the Crown Center.
 

 

 

If you wanted to go that far, she also liked some of the hands-on things in the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph.

[MrsBasil]

My DS loved the Deanna Rose Farmstead. It's free during the week and pretty cheap on weekends. There are playgrounds, picnic areas, the animals, and for a couple of bucks you can get fishing poles, bottles to feed baby animals. We didn't do that, DS had enough fun with the animals, the cowbell wall, the playgrounds, and the tee-pees.