Lulu’s Last Day of Summer

Lulu spent most of the summer attending a “day camp” at her old preschool. Tate now goes to daycare at the same facility, so it just made sense to keep them together instead of sending Lu to a different place, adding in two pick ups and drop offs per day. And while I think she had a great time (there were swim lessons and splash days and her best friend from preschool was there) I knew she was aching for some summer fun, just the two of us. So on the last Friday before school started, I told her I was taking the day off and we could do whatever she wanted. Weirdly, after a summer of 100+ temperatures, it was in the mid 80s, which actually felt a bit too cool to swim (I think we’ve adjusted too well to the ridiculous heat), so she decided to skip the pool. Her first choice was Legoland, which is new in Kansas City this year, but when I checked online Thursday, tickets were already sold out for Friday. Boo. (Seriously, Legoland…boo!) So we improvised! Here is what Lulu chose to do:

1. Trip to The Learning Tree – This is a local toy store that is total perfection for the 10 and under set. The whole place is filled with educational, fun toys you can’t find at your Target or Toys R Us. Plus, the lovely people behind the counter are always knowledgeable and let the kids play for hours (literally). There are two of these in Kansas City, and we can’t recommend them more for gifts or just a fun afternoon trip. We spent about an hour looking through every Playmobil and science kit until Lulu finally made a choice. We also put on a little puppet show staring an octopus and a raccoon in a trashcan. We got a few gifts for friends, which was perfect since the lovely ladies behind the counter will expertly wrap your gift for free. (Note: Their stuff is a bit pricier than your big box stores, but it’s so worth it! Support local businesses!)

2. Lunch at BRGR – Since it was so perfect outside, we decided to walk down the block from The Learning Tree and have a girls lunch at BRGR. They have a great patio, and it was cooler than it’s been all year, so we were pumped….until the patio was full and we were seated inside. Bummer. But Lulu was so happy with her giant chocolate milkshake, I think all was forgiven.

3. Afternoon at Science City at Union Station – While Lu was sad about missing Legoland, she was still pretty pumped to hit up Science City at Union Station. Lu’s favorite activities are digging for dinosaur bones, playing (very competitive) chess/checkers and hanging out in the tree house. She’s also a huge fan of the music playground and sewer system slide. Her favorite, and most time consuming, activity at Science City has always been the simple, but fun, marble maze. There is a whiteboard magnet wall and you create a path for marbles to go through…she always spends tons of time here, creating complex mazes and watching the marbles drop. It’s fascinating to watch her create.

After Science City, we wandered around Union Station (first photo in this post) for a while before deciding to try and head over to Crown Center. We had a time limit, as we had to pick up Tate from daycare, but Lu wanted to do a bit more. We walked the “link” which is an above ground walking bridge from Union Station to Crown Center. Lu loved standing on top of the busy streets and gazing at our city.

4. Shaved Ice at the Crown Center Fountains – In the past, you might remember posts about running through the Crown Center fountains…sadly, that all changed this year. With the addition of Legoland and the Aquarium to Crown Center, the area became too busy and they had to close down the fountains because of health issues. I’m so glad we took Tate last year so we have a few memories of our entire family hanging out in the fountains. Regardless, when Lulu saw the shaved ice truck, we knew we’d be stopping for a treat. We sat safely behind the ropes, watching the fountains as we cooled off.

5. Kaleidoscope – This was our last stop of the day, and was a last minute addition. Kaleidoscope is a kids craft zone on the main campus of Hallmark Cards, which is right off Crown Center. Several times per day, crowds of kids are permitted to enter Kaleidoscope and go crazy with scraps from the Hallmark factory. There is a room that is entirely blacklit, with all sorts of things to decorate, painters areas, coloring, scrap paper, yarn….pretty much anything you can imagine. Kids love the place. Lu actually went for a field trip there in Kindergarten. And the best part? It’s totally free! (Note: If you plan on visiting, check their times online so you don’t miss your opening.)

After our big day, we were all exhausted. We picked up Tate and had a family dinner, then settled down for Friday movie night. Since it was Lulu’s day, she got to choose the movie, and she chose “We Bought a Zoo,” which is now her favorite movie ever. (Spoiler alert: They buy a zoo! Shocking!) I won’t say who cried during said movie, but let’s just say her name rhymes with Regan….ahem.

All in all, a pretty fantastic end to summer! Come on school year, we’re ready for you!