THINGS TO DO WITH TODDLERS AND KIDS IN THE KANSAS CITY, OVERLAND PARK, AND OLATHE AREA With all the many fun filled activities that are awaiting you and your family in Kansas City, "The Gateway to the West" is also the "Gateway to Family Entertainment". Family friendly Kansas City has created a wealth of educational and fun opportunities to enrich your child's life and experience. Memories are created with each special occasion, memories that deepen family bounds and further each child's growth and development. Living in Kansas City means never being at a loss for exciting things to do. Historic Benjamin Ranch Hop on your horse and mosey on over to the Historic Benjamin Ranch where kids can experience a cowboy's life. With pony rides, a petting farm, western crafts, horse drawn hayrides and a cow milking machine, Benjamin Ranch has it all! Kids can ride on a stagecoach, learn how to rope a cow or sit by the campfire and listen to the tales of the Old West. The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead has just about any animal you can find on a farm - cows, goats, sheep, ponies, draft horses, miniature horses, donkeys, chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. In addition many wild animals call the surrounding habitat home and it is not uncommon to catch a glimpse of prairie dogs, bobcats or several birds of prey. The Farmstead also includes vegetable and flower gardens, a one-room country schoolhouse an old time fishing pond, horse drawn wagon rides and pony rides. Kansas City Zoo The Kansas City Zoo sits on 202 acres of rolling hills in the middle of Swope Park, the second largest urban park in the United States. Home to almost 900 animals from six continents around the world the zoo has been engaging children for over 95 years. The zoo's newest feature is the IMAX cinema where you can experience out of world phenomena as life at zero gravity on the Space Station. The Arabia Steamboat Museum The Arabia Steamboat Museum features one of the largest collections of pre-Civil War era goods in the country. The steamboat originally sank to the bottom of the Missouri River in 1856. Over a century later, a portion of the ship and the majority of its 200 tons of cargo were recovered. Today visitors can see for themselves the unbelievable treasures that have been hidden underwater for over 132 years! The Children's Museum of Kansas Come explore a museum that invites children to touch everything. Exhibits are designed to stimulate the imagination and creativity of children ages two through eight. Kansas City Museum Located within a fabulous mansion, The Kansas City Museum reflects the evolution of the city from a tiny cluster of trading posts to a thriving modern day metropolis. In addition, the museum also features a planetarium, natural history dioramas and exclusive special exhibits. Wonderscope Children's Museum Wonderscope Children's Museum provides an enjoyable hands-on, interactive environment for children and their families to explore science, technology, the arts, and humanities. Exhibits and programs are designed to allow children, ages six months through 12 years to experience the wonder of learning and while friends and family participate in the adventure together. Science City Science City is a specially designed center of learning where play and education go hand-in-hand. Part of Kansas City's historic Union Station, Science City features more than 50 interactive areas, providing some real hands-on fun -- all in the name of science. From digging for fossils to landing a space shuttle in a NASA-style simulator, Science City serves up so much fun kids will enjoy the process of learning. Monster Mountain Learn the fundamentals of rock climbing at Monster Mountain, one of Kansas City's largest indoor rock walls. Over 5,000 square feet of vertical and horizontal climbing on Monster Mountain will give you the thrill of a lifetime. With over 16 different top rope areas, 3 caves and a crack wall, once you have tackled Monster Mountain you are ready for the real thing! Jeepers Jeepers! is a wholesome family destination where members can enjoy spending time with each other in a playful, fun-filled atmosphere. The park provides a broad variety of entertainment activities including amusement park rides, soft play areas and skill games, plus comfortable family dining -all in an indoor setting. INCRED-A-BOWL INCRED-A-BOWL offers a unique brand of exciting entertainment called Cosmic Bowling. This out-of-this-world bowling experience features black lights, fog, a fantastic light show, glow-in-the-dark bowling balls and lively back round music. Fun for the whole family, INCRED-A-BOWL is quickly becoming a local favorite. Oceans of Fun Oceans of Fun is one of the largest water parks in the Midwest. The park offers a wide variety of attractions for guests of all ages, including Paradise Falls, a four-story interactive water extravaganza that features water cannons, water slides and a 1,000-gallon bucket that empties every five minutes on guests below; the Typhoon, one of the world's longest water speed slides; a giant wave pool; Hurricane Falls, a large water slide raft ride; and several children's activity areas. Worlds of Fun Worlds of Fun is a traditional amusement park themed around Jules Verne's adventure book "Around the World in Eighty Days". The park offers its guests more than 50 rides and attractions including Thunder Hawk, a six-story-tall spinning thrill ride; Boomerang, a 12-story-tall steel roller coaster; Mamba, one of the tallest and fastest coasters in the world; the 200-foot tall Detonator; and Timber Wolf, a world-class wooden roller coaster. Bump City Bump City is an exceptional indoor play area for children. It consists of in-ground trampolines, rope swings (one is over a foam-filled pit), a 12-foot rock-climbing wall, zip line, a maze, tunnel, slides, and plenty of obstacle courses. At Bump City your child can have fun in a safe, protected environment. Advanced Laser Tag Part sport, part game, and a good measure of fantasy role-playing, all rolled into one, laser tag is great interactive entertainment. Advanced Laser Tag includes a family-friendly arcade, on-site pizza kitchen, and large party area great for family occasions. Prairie Center Park The rich natural history of Kansas has been preserved within the 300 acres of native tall grass prairie, woodlands and creeks that comprise Prairie Center. Over 6 miles of trails wander throughout this peaceful setting while the 5-acre lake is a fisherman's dream. Explore this beautiful countryside with your family or while away the hours with a picnic under the trees. The Overland Park Botanical Gardens The Botanical Gardens offer a succession of colorful displays. The gardens are designed around several thematic concepts and form distinctive outdoor "rooms". Some related to buildings are architectural in character. Others are more freely and expansively laid out as meadows and still others belong to the enveloping woodlands. The delightful Children's Discovery Garden welcomes children to explore the Mulberry Woods, visit the residents at frog pond or listen to a tale at the story tree. Whitaker Flower Farm Since 1997, Whittaker Flower Farm has filled the world with flowers, over 125 varieties to be exact. Perfect for a family outing, Whittaker Farm will enchant you with field upon field of glorious floral displays. Included on the 38-acre expanse are a tranquil pond, perennial gardens and walking trails that wind throughout the dense woodlands. Ernie Miller Nature Center Enjoy 113 acres of tall grass prairie land, expansive meadows, dense woodlands and bubbling streams, all made convenient through paved hiking trails. The Nature Center also includes an education center and an outdoor amphitheater. Hike one of three trails, study an owl or hawk undergoing rehabilitation, marvel at the work of an indoor/outdoor beehive, or browse the many unique items at the nature center gift shop. Kansas City YMCA The Kansas City YMCA continues in the tradition of thoughtful and supportive care of children of all ages. Providing a format for friendship, growth and recreation, the YMCA offers a variety of classes and workshops such as Yoga, Story Time and Kids Night Out which enhance a child's self esteem and independence. Amazing Productions A visit from Terry the magician is every child's dream come true. Terry's traveling magic show is full of wonder, laughter and mystery as children become enchanted by his magical powers. For a truly unforgettable birthday party, Terry will "levitate" your child in mid air giving you a Kodak moment you will never forget! Kansas Machine Shed Restaurant The Machine Shed Restaurant is a tribute to the hard-working American Farmer and the pioneer spirit. The homemade food continues to win numerous awards while the colorful country decor and surrounding antique farm implements add to its charming ambiance. Family friendly, the Machine Shed Restaurant makes eating out a fun experience. Kaleidoscope Kaleidoscope's imaginative worlds inspire each child's creativity. Children explore exciting environments as they discover the joy of creativity by making their own amazing art from Hallmark scrap materials. Kaleidoscope gives children a unique opportunity to express themselves in a supportive, encouraging environment. These are just a few of the many activities you and your family will want to explore in this exciting city. Kansas City has many unique and wonderful attractions found nowhere else in the country. With so much to do, life in Kansas City promises to be a wonderful adventure for you and your family.