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Five nature programs featuring live animals are being offered for groups by the Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 North Kansas-7 Highway, Olathe, or at your location in Kansas. The programs are called Wildlife Who's Who, Wildlife Webs, Snakes Alive, Birds of Prey, and Whooo Are The Owls. These programs are presented by Johnson County Park and Recreation District outdoor education staff members.
To find these programs in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under youth and then under nature & outdoors. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “wildlife presentations.”
Each program lasts approximately 45 minutes and can be presented at the Ernie Miller Nature Center or at another Kansas location.
Birds of Prey is for grades four and older. This program will feature live examples of these majestic raptors. Participants will get a close-up look at the special adaptations that make birds of prey some of nature's best hunters.
Cost for presentation of any of these programs for your group at the Ernie Miller Nature Center for one to 15 people is $40 for Johnson County residents or $44 for nonresidents. For 16 to 35 people, the cost is $47 for Johnson County residents or $51 for nonresidents. Cost for any presentation at your location for one to 35 people is $65 for Johnson County residents or $70 for nonresidents. The center's live animal programs are available in Kansas only. For more information or to schedule a program, call the Ernie Miller Nature Center at (913) 826-2800.
A fun-filled camp for female gymnasts of all skill levels is being offered during winter break by the gymnastics department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
Called simply Winter Camp, this program is for girls ages six to 12. Each day will begin with exciting warmup games and end with obstacle challenges.
Winter Camp will take place beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Friday, Jan. 3, at the JCPRD Gymnastics Center, located inside the Mill Creek Activity Center, 6518 Vista Dr., Shawnee. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under youth then under gymnastics. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “gymnastics special event.”
The cost for two three-and-one-half -hour sessions is $80 per person for Johnson County residents or $88 per person for nonresidents. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 22357.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Kids' need a break too! Children ages five to 12 are invited to enjoy fun activities during a Kids' Day Out program planned for the Thursday and Friday after New Year’s Day at the Johnson County Park and Recreation District's Mill Creek Activity Center in Shawnee.
The idea behind this two-day special event is that kids can have fun with games, sports, science experiments, crafts, gymnastics, and more, while under the supervision of JCPRD staff. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under youth then under special events. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “special event.”
The Kids’ Day Out event will take place beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Friday, Jan. 3, at the Mill Creek Activity Center, located at 6518 Vista Drive, Shawnee. The cost for two six-hour sessions is $80 for Johnson County residents or $88 for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 23170.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Your little critter will enjoy two hours of fun and education on the first Thursday of each month as you enjoy some personal time during a program being offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s Outdoor Education Department.
Little Critters Day Out is the name of this program for ages three through five, which will take place at the Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 N. Kansas 7 Highway, Olathe. Activities will vary but participants will have a snack, make a craft, play games, and see an animal visitor each day. Each month's program has a theme. For the Jan. 2 session, the theme is "Snowmen Bundle Up" (course ID 28347). Other themes this season are: "Fairytales & Fables" on Feb. 6 (course ID 28348), "Who Sings in Spring?" on March 5 (course ID 28349), "Ice Age Exploration" on April 2 (course ID 28350), and "Bug Hunt!" on May 7 (course ID 28351). All sessions take place beginning at 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday.
To find these program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under preschool and then under nature & outdoors. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “nature & outdoors.”
The cost per two-hour session is $14 per person for Johnson County residents, or $16 per person for nonresidents. Participants must be potty trained. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a search for any of the course ID codes listed above. For more information about this program, contact the nature center at (913) 826-2800.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Celebrate the New Year at noon during a returning special event being offered by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
The event is called Noon Year’s Eve and is meant to show that you don’t have to stay up late or pack into a crowded restaurant to ring in 2020. Participants will enjoy a catered lunch, followed by a musical performance, and six games of bingo. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under 50 Plus and then under special events. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “social event.”
Noon Year’s Eve will take place beginning at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Dr., Roeland Park. The cost for this two-and-one-half-hour event is $15 per person for Johnson County residents or $17 per person for nonresidents until Dec. 24, when the price increases to $18 per person for Johnson County residents or $19 per person for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 23553.
While the 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 (913) 826-2975, and if space is available without forfeiting the place of a person over 50, their registration can be taken.
Printed copies of the My JCPRD Activities catalog are available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Kids can enjoy all the festivities of New Year’s Eve at noon during a new special event being presented on the last day of 2019 by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
This program is called Kids' Countdown, and is for ages six to 12. Participants will celebrate the occasion as we ring in the New Year with games and activities. Lunch is included. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under youth and then special events. In the printed catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keyword “holiday.”
Kids' Countdown will take place beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village. The cost for one two-hour event, including lunch, is $13 per person for Johnson County residents or $15 per person for nonresidents. For more information or to register by phone, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 24083.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Prepare for upcoming theater auditions during an Audition Lab winter break camp being offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District on the three days following Christmas.
This program is for ages 12 to 18. With the help of a professional teaching artist, students will choose audition monologues that match their age, personality, and individual audition needs. Students will prepare a monologue, develop successful strategies for cold readings, and learn how to create a professional resume.
To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog, browse first under youth then under camps. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keyword “theater.”
Audition Lab will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26, through Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. The cost for three seven-hour sessions is $189 per person for Johnson County residents or $210 per person for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 23986.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog, with information and a registration form, is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
A new holiday-related special event being offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District lets participants drop in anytime during a five-hour window on the Saturday before Christmas to create their own graham cracker house.
This Family Fun Graham Cracker House Workshop is for all ages. Pre-registration for the event guarantees a supply kit.
To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under fun for all then under special events. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “seasonal event.”
The This Family Fun Graham Cracker House Workshop will take place between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Dr., Roeland Park. The cost for this event is $10 per person creating a graham cracker house for Johnson County residents or $11 per person for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 23719.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Monologues, dialogue between characters, and evoking emotion as actors are just a few things young would-be thespians will learn during an Intro to Acting winter break camp being offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District during Christmas week.
This program is for ages eight to 12. This camp will end with a student showcase for family and friends. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog, browse first under youth then under camps. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keyword “theater.”
Intro to Acting Camp will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23 through Saturday, Dec. 28, with no camp on Christmas day, Wednesday, Dec. 25. All sessions take place at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. The cost for five eight-hour sessions is $275 per person for Johnson County residents or $300 per person for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359. To register online at www.jcprd.com, click on “Register for Activities,” and complete a course ID search for 23987.
The My JCPRD Activities catalog, with information and a registration form, is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.
Post-holiday contributions of discarded natural Christmas trees will be accepted at four Johnson County Park and Recreation District park locations from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31.
The tree collection sites are: the Sunflower access point of Big Bull Creek Park at 20245 Sunflower Road in Edgerton; the Theatre in the Park parking lot in Shawnee Mission Park with an entrance at 7710 Renner Road, Shawnee (separate from the park’s main entrance); the Heritage Park Marina parking lot, 16050 Pflumm Road, Olathe; and the north side of the parking lot at the marina at Kill Creek Park, 11670 Homestead Lane, Olathe.
Trees will be collected during regular winter park hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., except at Shawnee Mission Park, which opens at 6 a.m.
In 2018, between 4,000 and 5,000 trees were "recycled." Some of the trees are mulched for use on trails and in landscaping while others are used to improve fish habitat in district lakes.
No yard waste will be accepted - only Christmas trees. Wrappers should be removed from the discarded trees as well as any remaining decorations; particularly "icicles" and decorations made from mylar, shiny plastic, or aluminum.
There is no charge for the disposal of trees, and these tree disposal sites are open to anyone regardless of residency. For additional information, call Visitor Services at the JCPRD Administration Building in Shawnee Mission Park at (913) 888-4713.
Explore more than 40,000 historical photographs documenting the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas from the 19th century to the present!
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