What do you ladies have planned with your kiddos this fall/winter? My son turns 1 on Friday and now that he is walking, I am going to have to keep him busy. I think it will be hard when the weather turns bad....so what are your tricks to keeping a toddler busy in Kansas City? We already belong to a playgroup, and try to get to the open gym times offered by some of the local community centers. I looked up Gymboree and MyGym, but they seem a little expensive. I am also interested to hear what ideas you have for when we are home too.
We always liked the Mission Com. Center open gym for babies. You can call to see the exact times. Not free but very reasonable.
How about story time at the library or book store. Granted he won't sit very well but take the stroller & some places do a craft so you can meet other moms too.
Not sure where in the area you are, but Shawnee and Lenexa's community centers do an open gym for toddlers a couple times a week. Lenexa's is 9-11am Monday and Wednesday ($1 addmission per child) and Shawnee's is 10-12pm Wednesday ($2 admission). They have bikes, balls, climbing equipment for ages 0-5. It's a great way to burn off some energy in the winter months!
The Great Mall of the Great Plains has a wonderful soft playland in the middle of the food court--in fact most malls these days have something similar. To save money, just pack your own snacks/lunch. My kids used to love going there, plus they just get antsy if they don't get out.
Congrats on his first birthday! I think that is such a big deal for the mom, too.
For out of the house activities I would take a music class. We did Music Together but were in a different state. The rec centers offer them, there are the Gant Sisters, and I know someone local offers Kindermusik. My children both loved it, it got us out of the house, and there are numerous studies that show the benefits of music for years to come.
Other than that I remember going to the mall a lot just to let them run around in the long hallways and play on the little mall playscapes. The library is a good place, too.
For in the house my kids loved playing with water either in the tub or in the kitchen sink. Make sure you have a good, safe bench for them to stand on at the sink. That easily could take an hour. They loved bubbles and using their own plastic plates, etc. They thought they were "helping" clean the dishes.
Cheers! LA
Wonderscope in Shawnee is a great way to keep kiddos busy. Daily rates are fairly inexpensive, but so is an annual pass! Our 2 yr old LOVES it!
We do Gymboree. It's totally worth it, in my opinion. We do a play class and we also go to the free play each week. She's grown so much since we started taking her there. She's developed her motor skills, inter-personal skills, she even sings the songs and does some of the activities at home, and has made friends with other kids her age. I highly recommend it! You can always go to their website and sign up for a free class to see if you like it.
We have playdates with friends and moms in my mom's club too. We go to Wonderscope, the JoCo Museum of History also offers a play time: http://www.jocomuseum.org/events.htm. Parkside Coffee House off of 87th & Lackman is also fun.
You should check out what is going on at your local library. At the Plaza Library they have great storytimes for kids of all ages. They are free and it is a fun space to hang out and be social with other moms and kids.
have you looked at MonkeyBizness in Olathe at the Great Mall? the Great Mall also has some good indoor play places for kids.
what about your local YMCA? you could do swim lessons with your son?
Funny...I JUST posted pretty much the same ad. Maybe we could meet up sometime?
Not sure where you live, but Wonderscope (in Shawnee) is WONDERFUL! A membership is very affordable (ranges from about $50-80, depending on what level you need) and pays for itself in just a few visits. They also have lots of special events that are usually free or really cheap (like $1-3 per kid) too. We saw Mr. Stinky Feet concert for $2 a few weeks ago! Web site is http://www.wonderscope.org/
Oh, and check out the local libraries - most offer storytimes for toddlers throughout the fall/winter months. Check out http://www.jocolibrary.org/ for the schedule. We've done Shawnee and Oak Park and loved them both. I am pretty sure libraries on the Missouri side offer them too. Free and fun! Good luck!
