Lawrence Kids

10/01/2024

The 2024 Youth of the Year event will be held on 01/25 at the . Today we’re honored to feature La’Ron Williams­­­.

La’Ron Williams is a senior at Free State High School and the son of Contressa Woodson and Jermell Taylor. La’Ron is an everyday face at the Center for Great Futures (CGF)—you can find him participating in any number of activities at CGF, but he shines brightest as a member of the Ball 4 All basketball league and is also one of the leaders of Keystone Club, a very active community service group. La’Ron is a gifted writer with a natural speaking presence. He hopes to become a writer or a public speaker after earning a journalism degree from the University of Kansas.

📸:

05/01/2024

Snow? SNOW! 🤞

Reminder: Our annual “Best Sledding Spots in Lawrence” is featured in the winter issue…

04/01/2024

The Kirkland crew (Matt, Erika, Felix & Trudy) might be the most creative family in Lawrence.

“We had been thinking about a penny press for a year or two and we had a good amount saved in our art project slush fund, so we decided to make it happen,” explains Erika.

The result is Local Crush, a Lawrence-centric souvenir penny press that travels to local shops monthly and generates cash donations for charities. Each month the Kirkland crew designs a unique press for a Lawrence shop (this month our friends at Raven Book Store are hosting) and all proceeds benefit the charity selected by the host shop.

Read more in our Winter issue.

03/01/2024

The 2024 Youth of the Year event will be held on 01/25 at the . We’re honored to feature the three candidates in the winter issue, starting with Abby Benally­­­.

Abby is a freshman at Free State High School and the daughter of Peggie and Daniel Benally. Her bright smile and infectious laugh are welcoming to anyone who attends the Center for Great Futures. She does an excellent job of getting involved with her Firebird family, including the marching band, theater, and the pre-med club. Her musical talent is undeniable—Abby plays clarinet in the Lawrence Youth Symphony and the John Philip Sousa Junior Honor Band. At the Club, Abby is a dedicated member of the Keystone Club, which focuses on community service. She would like to attend Baker University or the University of Kansas to become a nurse.

📸:

03/01/2024

Tre Overstake and Reesa Allee, with sons Dawit and Natnael, spend much of the season hoping to celebrate a fresh snowfall. Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the family of four still makes the most of the season. See their Seasonal Essentials in our Winter issue.



📸:

22/12/2023

We’re excited to share our Winter issue, linked below. Hard copies ASAP!

https://issuu.com/fourbirdsmedia/docs/lk.winter.23.online?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

20/12/2023

Our Winter issue will be out tomorrow, naturally, in the first day of the season… ❄️☃️❄️



📸:

23/11/2023

We’re thankful for you, Lawrence.

15/11/2023

In Raven Harper’s first- and second-grade class at students learn to knit and continue to practice knitting in the early grades.

“Knitting is a fundamental class given in Waldorf schools around the world,” Harper explains. “The children develop their fine motor dexterity while creating fun and useful items for themselves and others.”

07/11/2023

As part of Tyler Gill’s third-grade science standards at Hillcrest Elementary, students must generate and compare possible solutions to problems.

“During this lesson, students worked in small groups to design and create a device to move a ping pong ball from one space to another,” Gill explains. “The materials provided were intentionally limited, to require collaborative and innovative designs that students then tested and revised.”

31/10/2023

Some families spend the lazy days of summer reading novels on a beach or gazing at mountains from a cabin lodge. The Prô family spent their summer vacation in medical tents serving the people of Kenya.

At some point in March of 2023, Dr. Stephan Prô, an orthopedic surgeon at LMH Health, heard talk at work of a possible service trip to Kenya and asked a few questions.

“I was just wondering if it would be something we could do with our kids,” Dr. Prô explains. “We’ve always talked about a trip to Africa and being able to do work to help others while we were there. When I heard there was an opportunity, I signed us up.”

And just like that, Dr. Prô, his wife Joni and two daughters (Isabelle, 18 and Vivenne, 14) started planning for a medical mission trip to Africa.

“I can’t begin to explain how proud of them we are,” Stephan says. “Joni and I were both a little nervous about how they would handle some situations, but they were so great. They stepped up when asked and took charge of situations when they could. We are so proud of them.”

Full story linked in bio.

📸: .photos.isa

26/10/2023

Krista Hoy’s Langston Hughes Elementary kindergarten class built structures to protect monsters from the sun.

“It was an INQUIRY day, which means the kids do most of the work alone or together, and investigate, try, fail, retry, etc.,” Hoy says. “I guide them through the process, but really they take the wheel. In this case they had to figure out how to build something that would shelter their little monsters from the excess heat. We had previously learned about structures, weather, and shelter.”

25/10/2023

Read all about Schaake's Pumpkin Patch - The First Family of Fall - here...
https://issuu.com/fourbirdsmedia/docs/lk.fall.23.online

25/10/2023

In 1975 Scott Schaake wanted to win the blue ribbon for the biggest pumpkin at the Douglas County Fair.

There was a slight problem: the Schaake family didn’t grow pumpkins on any of the eighty acres they farmed east of Lawrence.

“Well, I told Scott if he wants to tend to it, we can plant a small section of pumpkins,” explains Scott’s dad, Larry Schaake. “I never could have imagined it would have turned into this.”

Since the first patch was planted in 1975, the farm has been run by the family. All of the family. Larry and Janet have worked with all four of their kids, two sons-in-law, a daughter-in-law, ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Schaake's Pumpkin Patch

23/10/2023

For obvious reasons, the world of Travis and Nancy Goff, and their three kids (Ellie, Carly, and Graham), often revolves around KU athletics. Between school and games, the crew squeezes in as much seasonal fun as they can. Lucky for them, KU games top the list.

Find their entire list of Seasonal Essentials in our Fall, ‘23 issue.

📸: Angilo Allen /

23/10/2023

In the Fall, '23 issue of Lawrence Kids we visit local schools, meet the First Family of Fall, and get some seasonal tips from the Kansas Jayhawks' biggest fans!

Celebrating the best of family life in Lawrence, Kansas.

19/10/2023

Scenes from the season: Fall’23.

📸: #2 - Angilo Allen
📸: #4 - .photos.isa

18/10/2023

The weather seems to be saying the season has changed. So…Fall issue out this week!

11/10/2023

The madness of youth sports seasons starts with a simple announcement: Registration for baseball/soccer/basketball… is now open. The benign message sent to thousands of parents in Lawrence is the soft opening to the busiest part of the busiest season for Alex Husbenet, Lawrence Parks and Rec Sports Supervisor.

“We open registration for sports months in advance,” Husbenet explains. “But, of course, most registrations don’t come in until the last day of registration. We probably get a third or more of all registrations on the last day. Or a day or two after the last day.”

More in bio.

10/10/2023

Kids in Lawrence might not know it, but Mark Hecker is a pretty big deal. As Lawrence Parks and Recreation’s Assistant Director for Parks, he is, after all, in charge of all thirty-eight of the city’s parks.

“I don’t how big of a deal I am, but we work hard to have parks safe and fun for families,” Hecker says with a laugh.

When the city develops a new park or existing play equipment is damaged or begins to show wear after years of action from little hands and feet, Hecker is the person tasked with fixing, or replacing, the equipment.

“Well, it’s not as exciting as it might sound,” Hecker explains. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to design the most fun new playgrounds I can think of and tell somebody to build them. That would be great, though.”

06/10/2023

Get to and check out the BEST ART SHOW IN TOWN. Bravo, students!

24/08/2023

“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” — Denise Levertov

17/08/2023

Hey Parents of Lawrence, it’s time to welcome a whole new crop of kids to town…

03/08/2023

It’s *basically* the weekend. Go make it as epic as ’s pic of ’ conquering hero.

31/07/2023

During the pandemic, Lawrence music teacher Emily Boedeker, her husband Mark, and daughter Adelaide decided to act on a long-held desire and bought a pop-up camper.

“It had already been restored and was ready for the road,” Boedeker explains. “We thought that if we used it for one big trip, it would pay for itself. It didn’t take long for Adelaide to decide the camper needed a name. We decided on Dorothy, ‘cause, well... we’re from Kansas.”

Their first big trip was a three-week jaunt through national parks in Wyoming and Montana. That trip was topped the following year with a five-week trip down the West Coast, hitting national parks along the way. This summer the mom and daughter took on the American Northeast.

“We’ve got Dorothy right behind us, so we know we have a bed ready. Adelaide has learned a lot about what it takes to set up and take down the camper so her level of responsibility increases with each trip. We love knowing that we have Dorothy ready for any adventure we want and these trips are a beautiful way to get me and Adelaide out of our comfort zones and experience new people and places.”

Follow their adventures at:

25/07/2023

The Carver-Allmond playhouse in north central Lawrence is the product of a fulfilled promise. Dad Blaine designed and constructed the playhouse during the pandemic with input from Knox and Bette. One demand: “It has to have a slanted roof!”



📸:

21/07/2023

Every kid needs to spend a summer night sleeping under the stars of the great big Kansas sky. Our friends at offer tips to make your family campout a success, like: “This is Kansas, so be prepared for unexpected wind and rain. It’s always a good idea to pack an extra blanket, too.” And “Bring lanterns and string lights to add a really fun and unexpected twinkle to your campsite.”

20/07/2023

Tasha Keathley-Helms had the idea to take a tour of America’s national parks only days before hitting the road… After thirty-five days, fifteen states, twenty-two national parks, and seven cities, Tasha and her kids had visited every contiguous state west of Kansas and driven more than 3,500 miles.

“I wanted to take our children on a great adventure before activities and part-time jobs made it impossible,” Keathley-Helms explains. “I simply let the parks guide our route. We spent the days exploring then loaded up the minivan and drove as far as I could manage before we found a place to spend the night.”

The road trip combined hiking through national parks and swimming in secluded lakes with days spent in museums and exploring major cities.

“I wanted my children to appreciate how vast America is and to learn that if they want to do something big, the most important step is starting.”
More linked in bio.



📸:

12/07/2023

Hannah Hurst’s dad built a pirate ship playhouse fifteen years ago. Now that her kids have grown, the ship in Old West Lawrence has been claimed by neighborhood marauders like Lena Saltmarsh, who command the seas.

12/07/2023

Caitlin and Anthony DeFilippo’s grand adventure took them—and their three kids (Malcolm, 6; Pete, 4; Millie, 1)—across the Atlantic Ocean.

“We thought there was no time like now to do it,” Caitlin DeFilippo says. “We want our kids to be open to adventures and the only way to make kids comfortable with adventure is to go.”

The family toured London and Italy and stayed with old friends in Spain. From playing outside Westminster Abbey to imagining gladiators battling in the Colosseum of Rome, DeFilippo says the young kids were troupers.

“We want our kids to experience the world and experience different cultures and build a wonder and empathy for things that are different from their everyday lives.”