Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our community, Johnson County Park and Recreation District offers year-round program, activities, and special events for all ages!

For more information or to register online for the programs listed here, visit JCPRD.com/Register and complete a search for any of the activity numbers listed below. To register by phone, call 913-831-3359.

A reminder that while JCPRD’s 50 Plus programs are primarily for people who are age 50 or older, interested parties who have not yet reached that magic age may still be able to attend. Persons 18 and older who are interested in a 50 Plus class are invited to call the 50 Plus Department at 913-826-2975 for space availability.

Here’s a sampling of programs JCPRD has coming up for the week of July 14-20:

July 15 - Special Interest: AARP Smart Driver Course (Ages 50 and Older)

• Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pay with check at the door made out to AARP - $20, $25 non-AARP members - Keep driving skills sharp and lower insurance rates at the same time! Completing an AARP Smart Driver Course can mean a discount with some insurance companies. No tests given, please bring your AARP membership card. Reserve your spot, space is limited!  Activity number 39092.

July 15-19 - Amazing Adventures Camp (Ages 13 and 14)

• TimberRidge Adventure Center, 12300 S. Homestead Lane, Olathe, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 5 sessions, $225 per person, $250 nonresidents - Survival skills, archery, BB guns, boating, climbing, fishing… it all sounds so good! No need to choose just one. At the Amazing Adventures Camp, you will do a little bit of everything! With an extra day, we’ve added extra fun, including a cookout every Friday! We are sure you will enjoy spending time this summer experiencing the many amazing camp activities TimberRidge Adventure Center (TRAC) has to offer. Camp drop-off and pick-up are at the Whispering Pines Shelter at TimberRidge Adventure Center, and campers will stay at TimberRidge Adventure Center during camp. There is no before and after care provided for this camp. Camp forms will be completed in ePACT and each participant will need a health and liability form signed by a parent or guardian. For more information call 913-826-2800. Activity number 34552.

July 15-19 - Discovery: Mad Science© - Eureka Inventor's Camp (Ages 7-12)

• New Century Fieldhouse, 551 New Century Pkwy., near Gardner, 9 a.m. to Noon, 5 sessions, $170 per person, $187 nonresidents - Creative Contraption Warning! This is a camp designed by you-the Inventor! Each day you'll be given a series of challenges which must be overcome using basic materials, simple machines, tips from world famous inventors and the most important thing of all: your mind. Activity number 34380. 

July 15-19 (2 separate programs) - Games: The Knight School Chess Camp (Ages 6-12)

• Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Dr., Roeland Park, 9 a.m. to Noon or 1 to 4 p.m., five sessions, $160 per person, $175 nonresidents - The Knight School is a chess party that give your child the gift of amazing chess friends, undeniable academic confidence, self-identity as a smart kid, and a dose of childhood joy that is the highlight of their summer! Beginners and experienced players welcome in this kid-centered classroom environment that teaches cool tricks, strategies, openings, and tactics. Session from 9 a.m. to noon, activity number 34624. Session from 1 to 4 p.m., activity number 34625.

July 15-19 - Theatre: Shakespeare Explorations - A Comedy of Errors (Ages 8-12)

• Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5 sessions, $275 per person, $302 nonresidents - Dive into the realm of Shakespearean drama as you learn to perform scenes from this timeless classic. Discover the art of Shakespearean acting, explore the intricacies of his language, and bring these iconic characters to life on stage. The camp concludes with a special sharing of the show, where you'll proudly present your hard work and dedication to friends and family. It's an opportunity to shine in the spotlight, celebrate your love for the Bard, and create lasting memories in the world of Shakespearean theater. Join us for a week of creativity, camaraderie, and the magic of Shakespeare! Activity number 33831.

July 15-19 - TIP Mainstage: Technical Theatre Specialty - Scenic Design (Ages 14-18) 

• Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5 sessions, $275 per person, $302 nonresidents - This camp will focus on the scenic design elements that create the physical space of a show and explore the scenic designer’s role on the directing team. Participants will dive deep into the design process for a show chosen by the group from options provided by the teaching artists. Participants will have an opportunity to share their design with TIP staff in a mock design presentation. Activity number 34688.

July 16 - Movies in the Park: “How to Train Your Dragon” (Rated PG) 

• Theatre in the Park in Shawnee Mission Park with a separate entrance at 7710 Renner Road, Shawnee, Gates and Box Office open at 8 p.m., movie starts between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m., depending on sunset, $1 per person - 4th of 5 through July 30 - A misfit Viking teen befriends a dragon, despite his tribe's tradition of dragon slaying, in this adaptation of the children's fantasy book by Cressida Cowell. Learn more about 2024 Movies in the Park offerings. 

July 16, 18 (2 separate programs) - Open Water Swim Training (Ages 18 and Older)

• Shawnee Mission Park Beach, 7900 Renner Road, Shawnee & Lenexa, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m., $10 per person, $12 nonresidents - Looking to train for an upcoming triathlon or to change up your swim workout? JCPRD offers open water swim training on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Shawnee Mission Park Beach. All swimmers should be able to swim 500 meters freestyle and have endurance to swim in open water conditions and must bring and wear their tow buoy float at all times while in the water. Lifeguard will be on duty. All participants must be pre-registered by 10 a.m. on the day of the training. A minimum number of participants must be registered or the practice will be canceled. If a participant is registered for a canceled practice date, a full refund will be given. July 16 session activity number 35168 and July 18 session activity number 35169.

July 17 - Gardening: Native Plant Walk (Ages 50 and Older) 

• Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, 9 to 10 a.m., $5 per person, $6 nonresidents - Come experience the colors of summer on a walk throughout Meadowbrook Park’s native gardens with our Landscape Specialist. With her wide variety of knowledge about our native plants, you will be sure to take home some new information and admire beautiful plants and native grasses along the way! Activity number 39000.

July 18 (3 separate sessions) - Private Group Experience: Scandal in the Schoolhouse - A Historic Escape Room (Ages 10 and Older – at least one member of the party must be 18 or older)

• Lanesfield Historic Site, 18745 S. Dillie Road, Edgerton, times vary, $80 per group of up to 8, $64 for museum members - Solve the mystery of the missing schoolmarm at this escape-room style adventure! Begin in the visitor center with a costumed schoolteacher and head off to an actual 1904 schoolhouse to solve the mystery. You will learn about the local history of Lanesfield along the way. Available sessions on July 18:  9:30 to 11 a.m., activity number 38912; Noon to 1:30, activity number 38913; and 2:30 to 4 p.m., activity number 38914 - FULL. 

July 18 - Museum: Free to Be... The Psychedelic Revolution of the 1960s (Ages 16 and Older)

• Johnson County Museum at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, 6 to 7 p.m., $8 per person or $6.40 for museum members - In 1943, a Swiss Biochemist named Albert Hoffman discovered a new drug, LSD, which he described as inducing a temporary state of psychosis. Physicians were fascinated by the potential of LSD to treat psychiatric disorders, in part because it appeared along with a whole host of other promising drugs, such as the antidepressants that are commonly used today. Medical research into LSD flourished in the 1950s, but in the 1960s, it escaped the laboratory and clinic to become a popular recreational drug, especially for affluent, middle-class, white college students. This new drug culture produced strikingly new forms of music, fashion, literature, and lifestyles, which are still in evidence today. The spread of hallucinogenic drugs and the culture they inspired provoked a dramatic backlash from American politicians, who outlawed the drug in 1968 and embarked on a decades-long war on drugs. Nevertheless, LSD marked a revolution in recreational drug consumption that had profound consequences for American society and culture, and in recent years, hallucinogenic drugs are once again being used for psychiatric treatments. The presenter for this program is Dr. Matthew Warner Osborn, an Associate Professor of History at UMKC. He teaches a range of undergraduate courses on colonial America, the American Revolution, and the early American republic, as well as introductory courses in alcohol and drug studies.  This program ties into the museum’s current special exhibit, “Free to Be... A 1960s Fashion Revolution.” This groovy exhibition takes visitors on a captivating journey through the vibrant world of 1960s women's fashion via four distinct themes that symbolize the era's spirit of self-expression and cultural transformation. Activity number 39574.

July 19 - Games: Puzzle Palooza (Ages 50 and Older)

• Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., $10 per person, $11 nonresidents - NEW! Are you a puzzle enthusiast? Get ready to puzzle your way to victory! Race against the clock with your team to complete a 500-piece puzzle. The team with the quickest time wins a prize. Enjoy light refreshments as you strategize your next move. Activity number 39193.

July 20 (2 separate programs) - Art: Petite Picassos (Ages 3-7 with an Adult)

• Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. or 11 to 11:45 a.m., $20 per child, $22 nonresidents - Let’s paint like Picasso! During this pint-sized art class, we’ll learn about painting with watercolors, tempera, chalk, and more. Students will need an adult to attend class with them. Session from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., activity number 34914. Session from 11 to 11:45 a.m., activity number 34915.