Holidays of the past included a lot of hustle and bustle and a way too busy calendar trying to squeeze as much magic in as possible. With being on the KCMC team, I’m fortunate to have been able to experience the best holiday attractions Kansas City has to offer families. This year, the outings may be more limited but dare I say, we savor them a little more? Moms everywhere are trying to find ways to still bring the magic to their families this Christmas season despite parenting in a pandemic. And Kansas City businesses are getting creative to help find ways to celebrate safely. I applaud them for helping make our jobs as Santa’s helper a little easier this year!
We were excited to have our first holiday outing and kick off the season at Zona Rosa this past weekend. We made reservations online to meet Santa at The Grove (Mom tip: a $15 deposit is required). We wore our masks and there were clear markers so each family could social distance in line. We waited patiently for Santa’s elves to sanitize after the family before us. Santa was really engaging and fun with the kids – even behind plexiglass. He asked each child their wish-list and teased my boys about their high-dollar ticket items (that’s what happens when your kids are 9 and 11 and want all the electronic things). We took a series of photos from posed to silly, with Santa pretending to drive the reindeers (two out of the three wore the reindeer headbands they gave us, one didn’t want his hair to mess up!) We were able to view the photos right away and they had plenty of cute options from digital images to light up frames and snow globes. Remember that deposit – it can go toward your photo purchase!
If your family is playing it safe and would rather not venture out, Zona Rosa has a virtual option to meet Santa too. For $25, you can make a reservation online for Santa to meet your kids virtually at home!
After visiting Santa, we wanted to check out The Rink – the northland’s newest ice skating rink. The area south of Dillards was completely revamped and is now home to a skating rink and side court for pond hockey and curling. They even have a cute green space area with outdoor tables and heaters to warm up when you need a break. For little ones, they offer rentals of the trainer/walkers, which I highly recommend to help the kiddos feel comfortable skating. They will get a kick out of it and you won’t break your back leaning over so much. The Rink will be open through the end of February and follows similar COVID protocols as Santa – masks required, social distance and only open to 50 percent capacity.
After we finished ice skating, we had to take a picture at the new Chiefs mural right by The Rink. It was just featured on Sunday Night Football! And if you’re like us we always need a treat after some fun – Zona Rosa has several options: popcorn from Topsy’s, ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery or a warm beverage at Barnes and Noble.
I’m so thankful to Zona Rosa for providing safe and enjoyable experiences for families this holiday season. It felt great getting out of the house (and our sweats) and being able to do something fun as a family. The kids had that excited look on their faces and maybe its me, but I think they appreciate these little outings a little more than they used to!
For more information on Zona Rosa’s Santa visits and The Rink, click here.
