10 Ideas for Outdoor Fun

I am loving this beautiful sunny weather today, and I can’t wait to get out and about with the kids this weekend to enjoy even more sunshine! Here are some ideas to make your own weekend full of outdoors fun:

1. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, located in south Overland Park, offers so much fun for everyone. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the animals, playground equipment, Kanza Indian encampment, dairy barn, fishing pond, pony rides, gold-mining and much, much more. Admission is just $3/person; be sure to bring more money for pony rides and fishing, plus a handful of quarters to pump into the animal-feed machines.
2. Putt your heart out at Cool Crest Family Fun Center in Independence. It’s an old family favorite that offers four miniature golf courses, batting cages, and more. Then cool off with a treat at Clinton’s Soda Fountain on Independence Square, which employed Harry S. Truman when he was a young man.
3. Or play the 9-hole miniature golf Art Course, view the Walking Wall, and try your hand at the glass maze on the beautiful grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4. Head to Lake Olathe Park for fun on land or water: Rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats at the Marina on Saturdays and Sundays through September 29, play in the Spray Ground (also open until Sept. 29) or stay dry on the Nature Playground
5. Pack a picnic lunch for your family (and for the ducks), then head to Loose Park  near the Plaza. After lunch, enjoy the playground, explore the rose garden, and play hide and seek among the trees!
6. Visit a Nature Center near you to learn about nature through outdoor exploration and fun trails!
7. Kids not so into hikes? Take them Geocaching for hidden treasure at area nature centers, parks, and even strip mall parking lots near you. You’ll find a treasure box with trinkets, but the thrill of discovery is the real treasure in this game. Standard protocol is to take one item out and replace it with a trinket of your own when you find it.
8. Visit your favorite animals at the  Kansas City Zoo, Fleming Park’s Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure for bison, elk and deer sightings, or get up close and personal with tigers, ligers and other cats, big and small at Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory
9. Pick your own produce at a KC-area orchard. Before you go, check the orchard’s website or Facebook page before you go for their latest picking reports.
10. Sleep under the stars: Cap off your day with a backyard camp out, including s’mores, flashlight games, stories, and cozy sleeping bags. See how long the kids last outside!

And don’t forget to check out our Events Calendar, full of fun things to do everyday in KC!