Kansas City, Missouri Fills the Summer with Fun Free Activities

In Kansas City, MO, keeping the kids and yourself entertained during those long summer days does not have to be a costly pursuit. Kansas City is full of fun free activities suitable for the whole family. From the historic City Market downtown to the neighborhood parks dotting the city, a summer of fun, educational activities is easy to plan.

For people in search of great family friendly entertainment, Crown Center hosts several activities to keep natives and visitors entertained. From June 2-August 19, the interactive science exhibit, Fun 2, 3, 4: All About A Number of Things, will show visitors how to apply math to everyday activities. The weekend of June 23-24 brings the Crown Center Antique Festival. If you're looking for a movie outing, grab a blanket and some snacks, then head down to the Crown to watch a movie under the stars on a huge outdoor screen. The films run each Friday from June 29-July 27. A puppet show series during Saturdays in July and Clown Day on August 4th round out the summer schedule. Don't forget to visit Kaleidoscope, a hands-on art workshop for children ages 5-12, maintained by Hallmark Cards, Inc. and afterward, take a tour of the Hallmark Cards Visitors Center.

If it happens to be a rainy summer day, visit one of the Kansas City Public Library's many branches. Each library provides fun free activities. KCPL offers classes, traditional story hours, arts and crafts workshops and visiting lecturers free of charge to its patrons. The Plaza Library Branch holds a family fun night each Friday featuring an activity suited to the current month's theme.

The City Market celebrates 150 years of commerce in the heart of downtown Kansas City this year. A stroll through the Market's broad variety of gift shops, ethnic grocers and restaurants will stir your senses. One of the Midwest's largest farmer's markets runs here from March to October. Featuring over 170 farmers' and vendors' stalls, the market is held on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Although admission is free, you'll want to bring some spending change and partake of this wide array of fresh and tasty fruits, vegetables, baked goods and more.

Kansas City is home to several museums. The Nelson Atkins Museum and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art are free and open to the public. The Nelson-Atkins Museum collection consists of over 34, 500 works of art. The grounds also include an outdoor sculpture garden of over 30 pieces. The Kemper hosts special exhibitions, workshops and lectures for visitors.

Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
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Visit one of the city's many parks. Many of the parks have built in amenities, playgrounds, barbecue pits, and covered picnic areas.
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Take a walking tour of the fountains on the Country Club Plaza. Stop by the visitors' kiosk at Union Station and pick up "The Plaza Art & Architecture Guide" brochure. It gives a brief history of the Plaza, descriptions of the fountains and describes their origins.
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Several major Civil War battles took place within the boundaries of our city. Blue markers dot the city, highlighting these sites. Each marker also displays a brief summary of the events, which occurred at that location.

These are just a few of the opportunities Kansas City provides for visitors and natives to get some sun and summer fun at great savings. The "City of Fountains" simply overflows with fun free activities and hospitality. Call the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association for more information (800) 767-7700 or visit their website, www.visitkc.com.