#KansasCity Crown Center Homeschool Week 2016

Get ready, because Crown Center Homeschool Week is coming and it's packed with fun stuff to do which is usually discounted. Keep in mind some of this stuff is already free, but you get a GIFT for going during Homeschool Week. No, we don't need more stuff in our house, but it's a good reason to get out and do something fun that's free and the gift might entice your kids to put down the Minecraft.

I do miss our Science City membership my dad and stepmom used to get for the kids, but I can't really justify $42 to go during homeschool week so we'll be avoiding that. We just went to SeaLife recently, but the Legoland pass is severely discounted ... still, for the price, all my five kids would want to do would be to ride the Harry Potter ride and watch the little movies over and over and I'm not sure it's worth it to our budget.

We went to the WWI museum recently enough that the kids are fine with not going. I am waiting for the WWII museum (not in the works, FYI). The Union Station exhibit is probably super cool but $11 per person means $66 to my family and we just can't swing it if we want to save to go to Florida next year.

We already have our Money Museum reservations because Friday is Sam's 7th birthday and he has been asking to go on a bank field trip so here ya go, kid. My kids also love Kaleidoscope no matter how old they get and we haven't done the Hallmark Visitors Center in a while.

THE COTERIE THEATRE
The Coterie is pleased to offer “One youth ticket free with the purchase of a full price adult
ticket” to any performance of The Nine Who Dared: Courage in Little Rock, a uniquely
interactive drama that asks audiences to become citizens of 1957 Little Rock, AR, and
participate in a "town hall" meeting about one of the defining moments of the Civil Rights
Movement. Live on stage September 20 – October 21, 2016. Perfect for ages 12 and older.
Limit of one free ticket per order. Cannot be combined with other offers or applied to
previous purchases, and is subject to ticket availability. Call 816-474-6552 and mention
District Homeschool Week to receive discount.

HALLMARK VISITORS CENTER
Travel through the Hallmark Visitors Center and be transported to a place where a storied
past and an exciting future come to life for one of the world’s premier creative companies.
The Hallmark Visitors Center is free. For more information contact us at 816-274-3613 or
visitorscenter@hallmark.com. Each homeschool family will receive a complimentary gift
(while supplies last).

KALEIDOSCOPE
Kaleidoscope nourishes the creative spirit. It is a place where children are invited to be
creative, have fun and feel good about their own special ideas. Kaleidoscope is a public
service of Hallmark Cards and is free. For information contact us at 816-274-8301 or
kaleidoscope@hallmark.com. Each homeschool family will receive a complimentary gift
(while supplies last).

LEGOLAND® DISCOVERY CENTER
All homeschool families will receive our special homeschool week rate of $7.00+tax per
student and $10.00+tax per adult. Monday through Friday only, our “What A Great
Experience” workshop will be offered with ticketed admission at the following times at no
extra charge:
1st Session 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm OR 2nd Session 1:45pm – 2:15 pm (weekdays only)
This offer is valid for walk-up admission only. LEGOLAND

MONEY MUSEUM AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF KANSAS CITY
We invite area homeschool students and families to join us for a special homeschool tour
series. All tours, regardless of age level, include a tour of our cash department where
students will look into the action of the cash operation and watch the millions of dollars that
are processed daily. Groups will be limited to the first 30 individuals that sign up in
advance. For reservations, visit kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum.
• Kindergarten – 2nd Grade Tours: Students learn about the value of coins and how
coins are made. Offered: October 3 - 5 at 10:30 AM.
• 3rd – 5th Grade Tours: Students learn the characteristics of money and use
museum iPads to take a close look at the different security features used on U.S.
currency to keep it safe from counterfeiting. Offered: October 3 and 4 at 2 PM
and October 6 at 10:30 AM.
• Family Tour: Families explore interactive exhibits that describe banking, how
people pay for things, and how monetary policy decisions impact a family's bottom
line. Offered: October 5 – 7 at 2 PM and October 7 at 10:30 AM.

NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
The National World War I Museum and Memorial is pleased to announce special activities
for Homeschool students visiting Tuesday – Friday (October 4 – 7; Closed Monday)
• A complimentary guided tour from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. each day of Homeschool
Week
• A discounted rate of $3/ticket that includes a trip in the Liberty Memorial Tower for
each group member
• A free National World War I Museum and Memorial Family Guide
Tour spaces are limited and RSVP is required. Please contact the Museum Learning
Coordinator at 816-888-8113 to RSVP for a tour. Without exception, a responsible adult
must be present with students at all times at the top of the Liberty Memorial Tower and as
students wait at the base of the Tower.

SEA LIFE KANSAS CITY AQUARIUM
All homeschool families will receive our special Homeschool Week rate of $7.00+tax per
student and $10.00+tax per adult.
Monday through Friday, our “Slip & Slime” free workshops will be offered with ticketed
admission at the following times at no extra charge:
1st Session 10:30 am – 11:00am OR 2nd Session 11:15am—11:45am
This offer is valid for walk-up admission only. SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium’s
Homeschool Week offer is valid September 26 – October 7, 2016.
https://www2.visitsealife.com/kansas-city/tickets/homeschool-tickets/

SCIENCE CITY AT UNION STATION
Tuesday, October 4 – Sunday, October 9
*Please note all attractions will be closed on Monday, October 3.
Science City & Daily Activities: $7/person
Science Demonstrations
Maker Studio Walk Up Workshops
Science on a Sphere Shows
Featured Spark!Lab Activities
*Daily activities are included with Science City admission.
Planetarium Showings: $4/person
Tuesday-Friday:
10:30am – One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
1pm – Stargaze Kansas City
2pm – Back to the Moon for Good
3pm – Earth, Moon and Sun
4pm – Stargaze Kansas City
Saturdays:
10:30am – Earth, Moon and Sun
12pm – One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
1pm – Stargaze Kansas City
2pm – Back to the Moon for Good
3pm – Stargaze Kansas City
4pm – Dinosaurs at Dusk
Sundays:
12pm – One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
1pm – Stargaze Kansas City
2pm – Back to the Moon for Good
3pm – Stargaze Kansas City
4pm – Dinosaurs at Dusk
*All showings last 25-45 minutes.
*Add our Model Rail Experience, Building a Monument and Union Station Stories
exhibits to any attraction for FREE!
*Please check our website for more details!

UNION STATION – KANSAS CITY
Monday, October 3-Sunday, October 9
*Please note the BODY WORLDS Exhibition, will be open Monday, October 3-
Sunday, October 9
BODY WORLDS: $11/person
10am-5pm: Self-led tours (Monday-Thursday)
10am-7pm: Self-led tours (Friday & Saturday)
12pm-5pm: Self-led tours (Sunday)
*Exhibition does not include tour guide.
*Add our Model Rail Experience, Building a Monument and Union Station Stories
exhibits to any attraction for FREE!
*Please check our website for more details!

Union Station's Science City in Kansas City, Missouri

We asked my dad and stepmom for a membership to Science City for Christmas and got it and we were so excited to go for the first time. The membership for a family of 8 (which means I can take 2 extra kids or Mr. Kerrie and 1 extra kid) is only $125, which means we go twice and it pays for itself! Coupled with the Kansas City Zoo membership my mom gets us every year for Christmas, and we are all set for amazing, educational activities! Here are some photos from today:

Yeah, I was pretty annoyed when we went and found out they were CLOSED.

So we went to the Plaza instead and gave them our money

Cheesecake Factory, to be specific

Then went to Daddy's work to give him some cheesecake, chowder and have a snowball fight!

Kansas City's Passport to Adventure

We made it! We went to 15 of the 26 sites on Kansas City's Passport to Adventure. We got our little passport books stamped at every site and had lots of fun. Here's where we went this year:

1. Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center
2. Beanstalk Children's Garden
3. Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center
4. Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
5. Ernie Miller Nature Center
6. George Owens Nature Park
7. Kemper Outdoor Education Center
8. Lakeside Nature Center
9. Legler Barn Museum
10. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site
11. Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden
12. Prairie Oak Nature Center
13. Oxford Schoolhouse
14. Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence, KS
15. Trailside Center

I have to say it was more relaxing this year than when we did it in 2009. Back then I was pregnant and got very sick toward the end of my pregnancy with Sam. Then Sam was was born on October 7, was in the NICU for a week and then we had until October 31 to hit several more passport places!

This year we cheated a little bit and mostly hit free places. By "cheated" I mean that at a couple of historic places we kind of ran in, gave our answer, maybe bought some tiny thing and left. We did not take any historic tours, that is for sure. Plenty of time for that when I am not chasing around an active toddler. We are totally doing this next year.

Now to sit back and wait for our prize packs ...

Our First Day of Homeschooling 2011-2012

Our first "official" day of homeschooling was yesterday. We honestly are learning and doing fun things and reading and more every single day. If I had to keep true records for the State of Kansas, it would not all fit in the confines of my Well-Planned Day planner because we just do too much, together and separately.

Our days are all different. Some days we do a lot of "book" stuff ... worksheets they like, reading, learning about crabs from a book we got at PetCo, etc. Some days are mostly "life" learning days. Some are "craft" days. Some days we combine all sorts of things into one day.

Yesterday we started with some reading from What Your First, Third and Fifth Grader Needs to Know. History, geography, art, music, literature, and some math stuff. We did a few chores and headed to a nature center, which also had a historic schoolhouse alongside it (photos to come!). They loved it. We came home and watched some Wild Kratts for science and Electric Company for English. We tore down tomato plants. We played. Their dad reads to them every night, currently from Swiss Family Robinson. I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff, too!

Today I read to them while Joel started on his project of making his own Pokemon stuffed animals, with his dad's help since I am hopeless at sewing. We had a hermit crab die, so we went to get another one, and Michael used his allowance to buy his own. We cleaned out the old cage and are having a crab funeral. Eva likes to color a lot, and Callie likes to do math worksheets and anything with princesses on it. Sam likes to try to throw a ball over the fence so I have to go get it. We're getting the boys ready to go fishing this weekend with family. We watch Pokemon, we play Pokemon, we read all sorts of books. We work on Scout stuff and Legos. We started a new video game on the computer today called World of Zoo, where the boys build their own zoo and take care of the animals. Right up their alley! Callie learned about the Ice Age and made her own cave drawings.

As time goes on I will log less of our days because I will be too busy living and learning along with my kids. I'll take lots of pictures, we'll make lots of stuff. I'm getting ready to start them on a lapbooking project and will let you know how that goes. There's a Lego unit study we want to try also. Callie got some new princess workbooks at Half Price Books on Monday. Eva loves Littlest Pet Shop and chases Sam around.

I can't wait for tomorrow.