We have two animal lovers on our hands and nothing could make me happier. Both girls have shown so much sweetness and interest in learning more about animals so we try to incorporate outings that include animals as often as we can. We also love learning about them so we pick up books on different animals on our garage sale outings and watch Discovery and Animal Planet whenever we need to relax.
We are fortunate to live in an area that offers tons of animal interaction activities and museums filled with hands on activities and animal information. Our favorites include the Kansas City Zoo, The Museum at Prairie Fire, Union Station Exhibits – currently Dinosaurs Revealed, Cedar Cove and Sea Life. We have memberships to several that cut down on costs, but we also like to look at inexpensive or free activities so we don’t break the bank. Here are a few of our local favorites and some free and inexpensive options if you are looking to please the animal lover in your life.
Kansas City Zoo
We have loved going to the zoo even before the kids were born and the Kansas City Zoo is a beautiful zoo with excellent exhibits. From the kangaroos lounging in the open Australia exhibit to the expansive Africa territory there is truly something for every animal lover. We love to watch the polar bears playing with their water toys, waddle with the penguins in the beautiful Helzberg exhibit and catch a a sea lion show.
But the new exhibit they just added has to be the girls all-time favorite – Stingray Bay! It’s an indoor bay where you can touch the stingrays and sharks. We could stay in there for hours with Bailey. She is so patient waiting for the stingrays to come to her, making sure that she keeps her two fingers in the water and to not splash. Each time she touches one, her face lights up and she squeals in delight. A few have even mistaken her fingers for food but she just laughs it off and gets ready for the next one. We had several older kids and their parents watch and comment on her bravery.
Sienna was a little weary at first but she has touched several and loves to watch them through the glass side they have set up. She doesn’t have the patience her sister does and would rather be running freely outside from exhibit to exhibit.
If you haven’t been, you need to go. Bring a change of clothes for the kids as they tend to get a little soaked and the t-shirt pop up isn’t always open – plus you can only have so many I Touched a Sting Ray shirts.
Deanna Rose Farmstead
A regular haunt for us is Deanna Rose Farmstead. We are members but this is super affordable ($2 per person) and after 2:00 pm it’s free. The girls love going to the Farmstead because there is always something new to see. Bailey loves feeding the baby goats, riding the ponies, fishing and walking through the Enchanted Forest. Sienna loves watching the chickens, visiting the cow barn, splashing in the water and giving as many hugs and kisses to all the animals she can reach.
Deanna Rose has a ton of activities throughout the season. We had a blast at Bug Ball dressing up and dancing with princess, building in the Home Depot section, making dirt & worms and ants on a log and watching the science experiment show. Pumpkin Hollow is coming up and we look forward to picking out pumpkins, playing in the corn, sliding down the hay bales and riding the wagon. We also hope to make it out to one of their movies or music nights soon and maybe Mom and Dad can have a date night at Moonshine on the Farm – ha, we don’t have date nights sans kiddos anymore!
County Fairs
We took the girls and Dad out to their first fair this week and for animal lovers, this is the perfect summer evening out. There were horses, sheep, goats, cows, pigs and so much more. We went to the Johnson County Fair and got up close and personal with several animals, watched some of the judging and got to play with some baby animals. The girls had a blast and then we hit up the carnival and the girls got to ride a few rides. The girls are already begging to go back so we may be heading back out to Gardner this weekend.
Dog Parks
Whether you have a pup or not, a dog park is a great place to get your child comfortable with other dogs and giggle over all the puppy antics. This is one of our favorite park dates because we get to share it with our dog, Tequila, and it’s free and encourages a lot of energy release (for both the pups and kiddos).
We are fortunate to have several dog parks near us that offer a variety of activities. Our favorites include:
- Stoll Dog Park – they have expanded the park, added a sidewalk throughout and doesn’t have a pond or lake so we don’t leave looking like Pig Pen every time we go.
- Heritage Park – this park is larger than Stoll and has a water feature, but it’s still easy to walk around with littles and it doesn’t seem to get as crowded as some of the other parks.
- Shawnee Mission Dog Park – the biggest in our area, there are lots of trails to follow, a nice lake for the dogs to play in and shaded areas to walk along. We haven’t been in awhile since Tequila has had some ear issues and can’t resist the water, plus there have been some snake incidents and the girls are a little too curious and fast for my comfort. Tequila and I have had a lot of fun at this park over the years including a lost episode, a few cliff jumps, an ice rescue (or two) and tons of great memories. I hope to get the girls out there soon…with some additional helpers, of course!
- Leawoof Dog Park – this is a little farther away but there is an agility course and an area for small dogs that is perfect for little ones that may be intimidated by larger dogs.
Pet Stores
When it’s hot out and we need a break from some of our usual haunts, we will head to one of our local pet stores to visit with the animals. The girls love getting a chance to see the occasional hedge hog, snake, bird and even a monkey and the staff at the stores are great answering questions. Our youngest, Sienna, just went on a Daddy-Daughter date to the pet store and had a blast listening to the parrots talk and the hamsters and gerbils run around their cages.
When we get a little too excited, we head to the fish section of the store and watch all the different fish swim around. It’s really calming and peaceful in that area and we love learning about all the different varieties.
It may be tempting to add a new friend to our family, especially with pleas from our little ones. We try and explain that these pets are meant for a good home that will love them and it’s more fun to visit them at the store. So far our will power is stronger than there’s and if there’s more of a struggle we offer to let them pick something out for Tequila which makes them super happy.
Animal Shelter
If you call or go visit your local animal shelter you can check on volunteer opportunities. They will often let you walk the dogs and get them out to play. Brian took Sienna up to one of our local shelters as part two of their date and she had the best time. Plus they were able to show some much needed love to some animals that needed it. I have a much harder time walking away empty handed so this will probably be a Dad thing for the time being. Tequila is a single dog-family dog and we don’t want to stress him anymore than he already is with a house full of girls.
We are very fortunate to have two little girls who love animals as much as we do and are very gentle and loving with them. However we constantly work with them on how to approach and pet animals. They are very good about asking to touch an animal before going up to one and we are always next to them when they are interacting with them.
Tequila has been an excellent teacher and when the girls get a little too touchy, he will move away or give a little growl so they back away. It’s important to constantly remind kids that all animals, even pets, have their own likes and dislikes. You have to teach them to be cautious when approaching them. We’ve seen too many kids play rough and get snapped at, so we turn those into teaching moments for them.
I hope their love of animals continues throughout their lives and I can’t wait to discover more animal adventures in our future with our little animal lovers!
