Lil' Monkeys @ My Gym!!!

Last week, we held our inaugural private playgroup at My Gym Wichita.

From My Gym's website:

My Gym has developed an extraordinary program and facility devised to help children 6 weeks thru 13 years of age develop physically, cognitively and emotionally. We have over 200 locations in more than 25 countries offering structured, age-appropriate, weekly classes that incorporate music, dance, relays, games, special rides, gymnastics, sports and more. Children have loads of fun as they gain strength, balance, coordination, agility and flexibility while developing social skills, confidence and self-esteem.

My Gym affords us a great opportunity to let our children explore their physical capabilities withing the boundaries of safety. We are thankful for the chance to offer My Gym open play time to our PAT families!

Take a look at some of the fun things our PAT "students" had the chance to try:









We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a Mulvane PAT My Gym playtime the third Tuesday of the month from 5:15-6:15 throughout the remainder of the summer! We hope you all will be able to join us next month!

For more information about My Gym Wichita, and for a schedule of the classes they offer, please visit the My Gym Wichita website or call 316.260.9122. My Gym also offers neat birthday party packages!

Lunch Bunch @ Island Park- Winfield

Overcast skies wouldn't hold us back! Mulvane PAT joined for our 2nd Lunch Bunch gathering this summer at Island Park in Winfield, KS.

Island Park Playground was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the existing park in 2008. It's a beautiful playground, complete with its own "Tot Lot" for the under 5 crowd! Our kids had a fabulous time exploring the park...













Stay tuned for our Lunch Bunch destinations for July... now taking suggestions. :)

Summer Happenings...

I've had several requests to compile a list of local activities, classes, workshops, programs, and places to see/visit over the summer. I will try to exhaust the possibilities in time, so if there is something that I leave out, please leave a comment, email, or call, and I will get it added. Thanks!

{Anytime you see purple text, you can click on it to link to the resource!}

Summer Workshops/Classes/Offerings:

Botanica
Exploration Place
Great Plains Nature Center
Kindermusik Derby
Kindermusik Wichita
Monart @ The Art Park
My Gym Wichita
Sedgwick County Zoo
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
The Wichita Art Museum
Wichita Center for the Arts
Wichita Children’s Theater & Dance Company
Wichita Water Center

Summer Reading Programs/ Library Classes:

Mulvane Public Library- 316.777.1211
Wichita Public Library
Derby Public Library
Andover Public Library
Borders Bookstore
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

Discount Summer Movies/ Movie Deals:

Dickinson Northrock 14 Summer Movie Series
Derby Plaza Theater Summer Movies
Palace West Wichita
Morningstar Community Church FREE Family Movie Nights
Dickinson Northrock 14 Family Value Sundays- Admission to all shows before 6:00 PM- $5.50. Concessions- 2 large drinks and large popcorn for $4.50 during this time period on Sundays.

Water Fun:

Mulvane Community Pool
Rock River Rapids
Winfield Aquatic Center
YMCA Aquatics
Wichita Interactive Fountain Parks

Recreation:

Mulvane Rec
Derby Rec
Wichita Area YMCA
Wichita Ice Center
KidsBowlFree.com

Parks:

Mulvane Parks
Derby Parks
Wichita Parks
Andover Parks
Winfield Parks
Rose Hill Parks
Augusta Parks
Maize Parks
Bel Aire Parks

Kansas Festivals and Fares:

Kansas Festivals & Fares Association
Compilation by Month

A Few More Favorites:

All Star Sports
Crown Uptown Children's Series
Great Plains Transportation Museum
Intrust Bank Arena
Keeper of the Plains
Old Cowtown Museum
The Donut Whole
Wichita Historical Museum
Wichita Wingnuts

Additional resources for finding things to do:

Wichita Searchable Summer Activities Database
Wichita on the Cheap Entertainment Section
Go Wichita
Eagle Entertainment Section
360 Wichita
Eagle article: Fun Things to do in Kansas this Summer!
"Top 10" Wichita Experiences

Lunch Bunch @ Great Plains Nature Center...

We met at Great Plains Nature Center this morning for some PAT fun!

GPNC is a great local resource for families! There is an indoor museum, several live animals to view, a 2,200 gallon aquarium, a beautiful observation room that looks out over a great natural setting with plenty of wildlife, and a series of outdoor trails that range from 0.5 to 1.7 miles long.

We began inside. The kids made binoculars for our animal adventure. We walked through the indoor museum, visited the fish tank, and explored various sounds, sights, and textures in the many interactive displays.





Next, we headed towards the quail trail, where we saw a variety of plants, trees, flowers, birds, turtles, and bugs!





When we were finished with our trail, we headed to a shady spot under some trees for our picnic lunch. The kids had a great time and us parents were able to talk, share some ideas for summer and outdoor fun, and enjoy the breeze under the shade!



The best part about GPNC... it's a completely FREE place to visit with your family! They are open Monday-Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Check online or call 316.683.5499 for information about upcoming events, classes, and FREE story times!