My daughter was just six weeks old when I begrudgingly went back to work. At the time I was working in a job I hated and for people who were less than understanding about pumping schedules and why I couldn’t just stay late at the drop of a hat. But a mortgage, two car payments, and student loans required my salary.
There is a lot of talk about how we only have 18 summers and 940 Saturdays with our kids before they turn 18 and inevitably leave us to follow their own path. For any mom this ticking clock can feel overwhelming. For this working mom, it just made me sad. I’d watch my stay-at-home mom friends going to playgroups and library story times and I hated that these were things I was missing out on with my daughter.
I missed Madeline with an intensity that left me staring at her photo in tears most days. How could I leave this precious little girl every morning? The guilt I felt for not being able to be with her during the week weighed heavy. I decided that instead of driving myself crazy with working mom guilt, I would just make every weekend together count. We explore our city parks. We try new ice cream shops and fun places for treats, and take lots of trips to the zoo. We find new adventures every weekend. We pack a week’s worth of fun into two days, and we make each moment count!
For our family, the weekends are our chance to spend time together, and as she has grown, we have tried our best to make the most of every one of them. Thankfully, we live in a city that allows just that, and thankfully, there are lots of amazing things to do that are free or nearly free too for those weeks where spending money isn’t an option.
- KC Streetcar – This one is a recent favorite. Our favorite thing is to take advantage of the free parking at Crown Center and walk over to Union Station to hop on the Streetcar. We love to take a ride downtown and find new places to explore. Make a stop at the City Market and pick up some fresh veggies to make dinner together at home. Or make a stop in the Crossroads and let your little one pick out a special treat at Christopher Elbow Chocolates. Make a stop at the Kansas City Library and check out some new books or just explore their amazing children’s section. Cost: FREE other than anything you buy along the way.
- Explore a Kansas City Park or Garden – We love to explore new and fun parks around KC. Some of our all-time favorites are: Loose Park – a rose garden, a splash pad, a playground, and lots of beautiful trees and walking paths make Loose Park one of the top parks on our list. Kenagy Park – located in Raytown, Kenagy offers three play structures, skate ramps, tennis courts, a ball field, and even a fishing pond. While here keep your eye out for painted rocks. Lots of locals like to paint and hide these little gems all throughout the park. Be sure to look in the Little Free Library. Lea McKeighan Park in Lee’s Summit is so amazing that it is actually two parks. Lea McKeighan boosts an awesome climbing structure and zip line for older kids and a brand new splash pad, pickleball and volleyball courts and will even have a ice rink this winter. Kauffman Memorial Garden is another one of our favorite spots. There are plenty of beautiful flowers and fountains to explore. After a busy week of work, school, sports, and dance classes, it is nice to take time to literally stop and smell the roses. Antioch Park has been one of our favorites for a couple of years now. There are playgrounds, basketball and bocce courts, a rose garden, and two lakes, but the best thing about Antioch Park is the Historic Dodge Town Play Area. It’s like a little miniature town for young children to let their imagination run wild. Roe Park is another gorgeous park with lots of area to explore. Roe Park has a splash pad, an amazing playground and nature area. There are tennis courts, soccer fields, and softball fields too. Waterfall Park with a rock wall, a lake, a playground, and of course waterfalls this is a beautiful park to explore. Cave Spring Park is located right in the middle of the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails, landing this park on the National Register of Historic Places. There are several footpaths to take a nature hike and find a hidden playground, a stream, of course a cave. Their annual Pumpkins on Parade event is a great way to spend a fall evening with food trucks, children’s activities, and trails lined with lots of fun carved pumpkins. This year’s event will be held on October 20th. – Cost: FREE
- Kansas City is lucky to have so many amazing museums to explore too. From art at Kemper Museum and the Nelson Atkins Museum to money at the Federal Reserve Bank. You can explore and learn about just about anything. Some of our favorites include: The Steamboat Arabia – check out artifacts from the Arabia that sank in the Missouri River in 1856 and was rediscovered in 1987. The Toy and Miniature Museum boosts thousands of vintage and nostalgic toys and miniatures that will entertain both kids and parents. And Hallmark Visitor Center. It’s always fun to take a look at all the vintage cards and ornaments that have made our local Hallmark a household name across the world. Don’t forget to check out my daughter’s favorite: the bow machine. With the press of a button you can watch the machine make your very own bow to take home. Other great options: Museum at Prairiefire, Negro League Baseball Museum, American Jazz Museum, Truman Library and Home, Jesse James Bank Museum, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, Wornall Majors Home, Missouri Town 1855, Wonderscope, Rice-Tremonti Home, and Vaile Victorian Mansion. Cost: FREE – $15
- Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead – For my little animal lover, Deanna Rose is a perfect place to spend a Saturday. You can ride a tractor, catch a fish, ride a pony, and even feed a goat from a baby bottle. There are lots of beautiful areas to explore and even a playground to burn off the extra energy that they will have from that ice cream cone you will inevitable buy them at the adorable ice cream parlor. There is a blacksmith shop, an old school house, and a General Store. Cost: $2 per person
- Children’s Peace Pavilion – The Pavilion let’s children (and adults) explore the concept of peace. Peace for Me, Peace for Us, Peace for the Planet, and Peace for Everyone through more than twenty different interactive exhibits. There are puppets, crafts, and lots of things that will help start a conversation with our little ones about what it means to be responsible for this planet and the people on it. Cost: FREE, they do suggest a donation of $1 per person.
- Kaleidoscope – Always a favorite among little artists. A room full of art supplies that your little one can use to create anything their imagination desires. Yes, please. Don’t forget to check out the black light room. Playing with light and melted crayons, this was one of my favorite spots when I was a kid and now it’s one of my daughter’s favorites too. Cost: FREE
- For those times we feel like splurging a bit Kansas City offers lots of not-free fun too. Some of our favorites include: Paradise Park – the Discover Play Area and Foam Factory are favorites with the preschool set and for older kids there is an arcade, laser tag, and even an escape room. Legoland and Sea Life are always a family favorite for us. Our little master builder loves to build a car and race it down the ramps and I love looking at the Lego version of downtown Kansas City. At Sea Life our favorite are the jellyfish and the Doodle Reef where we can create and color our own sea creature and watch it come to life before our eyes. On Sunday mornings, Sky Zone in Lee’s Summit has toddler time allowing little ones to jump and play without having to worry about the big kids knocking them over. Plus one parent jumps free with the price of a toddler admission.
