KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, May 25: Memorial Day Ceremony at the National WWI Museum and Memorial
Mon, May 25: School's Out Carnival Skate at Skate City Overland Park
Tue, May 26: Kids Games: Pokémon
Fri, May 29: Carry Nation Days | Downtown Belton Main Street
Fri, May 29: 2026 Prairie Village Art Show
Fri, May 29: Friday Night Sound Bites at Lenexa Public Market
Fri, May 29: Festa Italiana 2026
Sun, May 31: Outdoor Concert Series: The Joshua Tree at Sar Ko Par Trails Park
Fri, Jun 5: Friday in the Park at Macken Park Festival Shelter
Sat, Jun 6: Global Neighbors & Flavors Fest | Lenexa Public Market
Sat, Jun 6: Art on the Side 2026 |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For 25 years, one of my core missions with KidsOutAndAbout has been to make invisible things visible, to celebrate what local communities offer families. Everyone is busy, and local treasures are easy to miss. Our job is to point, spotlight, nudge, and say Look here. Try this. Bring the kids. But there’s another kind of invisibility worth fixing:
The people who create these experiences rarely get to see their full impact. They track tickets sold and kids enrolled, but may never hear that your child talked about their field trip for six months, found courage on their stage, or simply felt welcome exactly when they needed it. That’s why our annual Top 20 Places to Take Kids survey matters. Each summer, we ask readers to vote for their favorite local places to take kids.
The results help families see what other families love. The ranking and comments help local organizations see that their work matters. So your three minutes becomes both a recommendation and a thank-you. The survey is simple: Click on your three favorite local destinations. Then also, optionally, nominate favorites in special categories—like arts, sports, and STEM education—and leave comments that we’ll pass along to the people who make these experiences
happen. So please click here to vote in the 2026 edition of the survey. Help families find the places they’ll love, and help the people behind those places know they’re making a difference. The survey will be open until June 20.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
P.S. If you're interested, check out the 2025 list here to see who won
last year. |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Welcome to KC Bubble Parties, your go-to company for extraordinary indoor and outdoor soap bubble entertainment! We specialize in providing captivating bubble experiences for festivals, community events, birthday parties, kid's events, pre-schools, camps, daycares, and more.At KC Bubble Parties, we believe in taking bubble entertainment to a whole new level. We come to your location or venue, with our age appropriate music and state-of-the-art equipment, we create an enchanting atmosphere where thousands of bubbles fill the air, captivating audiences of all ages. Brace yourself for bubbles potentially as big as a school bus, as we push the boundaries of what you thought possible!Our mission is to deliver a never-before-seen bubble experience that will leave you and your guests in awe. Whether you're hosting a small gathering or a large-scale event, our team of skilled bubble performers will create a magical and immersive environment that will transport everyone to a world of wonder.
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Bach to Rock music camps give kids the chance to unleash their inner rock star — No experience necessary. Kids have a blast learning to play hit songs and performing with other campers! Rock City World Tour Camp: (Ages 4-6): Introduces young campers to the world of music! Rock Band Camp (Ages 7+): Gives kids the chance to practice and perform as part of a real rock band! Glee Club Camp (Ages 7+): Helps students become stronger singers — no matter their existing skill level! DJ Camp – Beat Making Camp (Ages 8+): Gives beginner DJs the chance to craft their own beats and introduces young musicians to the world of mixing, engineering, and producing!
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Journey to the magical land of Oz in this enchanting stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ in collaboration with PigPen Theatre Co. Join Dorothy, Toto, and her unforgettable companions—the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion—as they travel down the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Wizard and a way back home.
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Free and open to the public, 5:30-7pm while supplies last. Third Friday each month. From Glenn Hendren Drive, turn onto Rush Creek Parkway. Follow signs to go behind the hospital. Please avoid using the hospital main entrances.
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As Kansas City welcomes the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, football (soccer) fans from every corner of the globe will discover The Beautiful Game, an extraordinary exhibition revealing the profound connections between the world's most beloved sport and the Great War.
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Looking for the perfect way to kick off your weekend? Join us every Friday from 10AM–6PM for a full day of laughs, friendly competition, and unplugged family fun! Stay for a quick round… or make a whole day of it—we’re open until MIDNIGHT, so you can keep the fun going as long as you’d like!
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- Free Arts & Crafts Day on the Farm | Hometown Olathe Family Farm - Hometown Olathe Family Farm, 11000 S Woodland St, Olathe, KS 66061, Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Sunday, May 17, 2026, 2 pm - 4:30 pm
- Lenexa Farmers Market 2026 - Lenexa Farmers Market, West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS, Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Sunday, May 17, 2026, Saturdays 8 am - 12 pm | Tuesdays 9 am - 1 pm
- Turkey Creek Festival 2026 - Antioch Park, Antioch Road, Merriam, KS, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10 am - 4 pm
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - KC - Shoott, Kansas City, MO, Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Sunday, May 17,
2026, See link for times
- Outdoor Concert Series: Pure Sweetness Entertainment at Sar Ko Par Trails Park - Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, Lackman Road, Lenexa, KS, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 5 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Kansas City area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more.
Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the KC area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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