Joining a club and participating in fun and engaging group activities can promote skills in communication, sharing, problem-solving, and creativity. When you and your family join these clubs, you can meet new families, introduce your children to new activities, and have fun making friends. There are many community organizations and institutions around the Leawood, Kansas, area that provide children’s clubs and family activities. Check out these five clubs in and around Leawood that your children can enroll in, and learn how you can get involved with them, too.

Johnson County 4-H Club

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The 4-H Club is an organization that hosts educational events and experiences for children and teens through public universities. When your children join your local 4-H Club, they get access to activities that improve leadership, citizenship, and life skills. These clubs consist of children ages 7 through 18, youth leaders who lead the meetings, and adult mentors that oversee the club and facilitate programs. They may discuss community service projects, fundraising opportunities, and social events.

You can register your children for a Johnson County 4-H Club for $15 per year. They can meet new friends, learn new skills, and participate in community service, public speaking, camps, and even club member exchanges. Johnson County allows you and your children to visit multiple local clubs to find the right one for your kids. You can also enroll children 5 and 6 years old in the Cloverbud program that prepares younger children for full 4-H club participation.

And, 4-H Club encourages parent participation in supporting their children’s 4-H projects and activities and volunteering their time with the club, so it truly is a family club.

Educational Programs at Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center

Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center is best known for awesome hiking trails, night-time educational programs, and the family scavenger hunt, where you and your children travel through the whole park looking for some of the area’s features, like water, animal tracks, and specific types of insects, spiders, plants, and animals. In addition, the Ernie Miller Nature Center also features plenty of educational programs that bring small groups of kids together to learn new skills and explore nature.

Your children can complete challenge courses with other kids and develop their collaboration and problem-solving skills while having fun. They can also take regular lessons in archery, develop survival and navigation skills, and get up close and personal with a variety of animals. Plus, there are group camping excursions and nature walks where the whole family can tag along to have fun in nature with other local families.

Though not a club in a traditional sense, regularly enrolling your children in these programs can instill a feeling of community with other families who frequent the center.

Johnson County Youth Sports Leagues

If you’ve got an active kid, consider registering them in a community sports league through the Johnson County Parks and Recreation. Kids can play soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball, flag football, and T-ball with certain sports only available during specific seasons. League practice, games, and skills clinics for specific sports are held at Heritage Soccer Park, New Century Fieldhouse, Okun Fieldhouse, and Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park. Register as soon as possible before spots fill up.

Parents may be able to get involved by supporting the league through volunteer coaching or providing snacks and drinks for the kids. You can even get the whole family involved by bringing everyone to the games to cheer on who’s playing.

Youth Art Courses at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center

Let your kid become a regular artist-in-training at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center. This local community institution hosts numerous weeks-long workshops in various types of art, including ceramics, painting, sewing, and even puppet-making. Certain classes are best for certain age groups, but you can find a course for children as young as 6 years old.

Going to every session of the class allows your child to build upon their skills in the craft, develop qualities like discipline and dedication, and make strong friendships with their fellow artists. And the whole family can get involved in the arts by taking a private workshop together or having parents volunteer at the center.

In addition to art, children can take lessons and attend camps for performing arts, music, and dance, too.

Kids Book Club at Leawood Pioneer Library

Your local library is a fantastic source of community and learning activities for children of all ages. From in-person to virtual storytime to special events like arts and crafts and author visits, the Leawood Pioneer Library offers a great opportunity for children and parents to make friends, share interests, and learn new skills.

Consider signing your child up for the Kids Book Club, which is best for students in 1st through 3rd grades. Every month, they read a new book picked by the librarian and meet, either in-person or virtually, to discuss the book. This club is a great way to get children excited about reading and enhance their skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, and creativity. In addition to children’s book clubs, the library has adult book clubs, too.

And if you want to read along with your children, you can join in events like Walk and Read at Riverfest Park. This special event involves walking through the park and reading a story bit-by-bit. And when you finish one story, you turn right back around and read the other story that’s posted along the other side of the path. Get some fresh air, exercise, and quality family time when you show up for Walk and Read.Now that you know which clubs exist in your area for children of all ages and your own family, you get to decide which club your kids should try out first. Let us know which one is your favorite. Did we miss a local club that you and your family love? Contact Crème de la Crème of Leawood, and we’ll be sure to add it to our list!