The temps are dropping and fall has commenced with our Fall Equinox Celebration! On September 22nd, we had our first equinox firepit celebration with over 75 AnySchoolers adults, teens and children. What a fantastic start to the season! Kansas City loves fall. Our cider, fireplaces, Chiefs games, a couple more Royals home games, love-hate relationship with pumpkin spice, and alllllll the school kids go back to school, so our favorite daytime hangout spots aren't crowded! Don't forget to do these 12 things this season!
1. See a show! Check out any of the theaters that KC is known for...
AnySchooler's group buy on Sunday, October 16th at 2pm to Akeelah and the Bee at The Coterie Theater
AnySchooler's group buy on Sunday, December 11th at 2pm to A Charlie Brown Christmas at The Coterie
Starlight and the Nelson-Atkins are bringing Monet to life. Take the kids for an art lesson on Impressionism at Monet and Friends Alive
Theater for Young America at Union Station is bringing Dolores Huerta, Curse of the Werewolf, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Not in Kansas City, but still following AnySchoolers? Look for teachable theater in your city! AnySchoolers is a new nonprofit launching nationally and based in Kansas City. Grow with us!
2. While the wind blows the leaves from the tree branches, fly a kite. We're huge fans of this Phoenix kite because of our 2022-2023 Slow Burn Curriculum theme Phoenix Rising, which will release October 1. This Dragon kite is pretty rad too.
3. Go camping! The crisp fall weather is perfect for tents and fires and marshmallows. Find an awesome spot for your family on HipCamp. And join AnySchooler's for a Halloween Weekend Campout, Fri-Sun, Oct 28-30th in Paola, KS.
4. Swim or splash at least one more time. Meet up with a group of friends (or your AnySchoolers social pod) for an indoor swim or group lessons.
5. Light up a fire pit. Teach fire safety, oxygenation, how to spark a fire with flint and steel (here’s an inexpensive one), nitrogen cycles in ashes feeding your garden, and how to toast a marshmallow to perfection. Add a twist to your s’mores: try peanut butter, bananas, strawberries, dark chocolate, Nutell, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
6. Pick some apples and carve some pumpkins! AnySchoolers KC will be picking apples on October 6th and visiting a pumpkin farm on October 20th.
7. Go GloWild with us (or another day)! The KC Zoo has an incredible lantern festival, and AnySchoolers will be there together with a group discount on October 4th!
8. Visit someone who needs help. Lonely seniors love company and smiles. Animal shelters needs help with cleaning and laundry and playing with animals. Food and clothing resource centers need sorters for donations. Show civic engagement by signing up to work an election with your teen. Teach generosity and kindness by doing a family service gig! Giving brings joy and perspective to the giver. Here’s a list of local KC volunteer service ideas. AnySchoolers does periodic volunteering together, so check the Calendar tag "Volunteer Service".
9. Run a hot chocolate stand = teach economics! Here’s a quick shopping list from Scholastic Books, and the book Ava & Mae Own a Lemonade Stand by Brittney Dias, who is a Racial Equity Advisor researching and implementing strategies that dismantle barriers for Black entrepreneurs, focusing on barriers that affect Black youth.
10. Hang out with librarians. As the weather chills and leaves blow around, fill up your library bag and make sure you have an Educator Card at the KC Library system to avoid late fees and get extended check out times. AnySchoolers has an extensive list of local libraries.
11. Make pressed leaves artwork to hang up forever! Put the beauty of fall between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and press inside of a book for a few days. Once it is flat, put your leaves in a picture frame like this one and enjoy!
12. Save all the seeds. Collect your cucumbers, tomatoes, zinnias, marigolds, beans and anything else you've grown this year and prep them for the spring! KC Farm School will take your excess seeds and store them for others to use in the city - share the love. Here's their instructions for the seed library!
Happy Fall!