Siouxland Families

Avast mateys! Ye be invited to the social event of the season: The Sioux City Art Center is hosting Pirates' Picnic for kids on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, from 11am to 12:30pm, and I'm so excited! In 2023, the art center tested out the concept of hosting a kids' event re-using the decor from their elaborate fundraising gala the night before with an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party, and it was a huge success, tickets sold out and attendees had a blast. And this year they are bringing it back, with a "Pirates' Picnic" to go with the Neverland theme for their fundraising gala (which is on Friday night.) So, here's what parents, grandparents, etc. should know about the Pirates' Picnic at the Sioux City Art Center: graphic courtesy of the Sioux City Art Center Where is the Sioux City Art Center's Pirate Picnic? The Sioux City Art Center's 20...

Kansas City is one of my favorite family trip destinations, and each time we visit, I've been trying to show my kids more of the amazing fun, history, culture, and adventure in KC. My family has lived in the Kansas City area since at least the 1880s and I lived in a KC suburb as a teen, so it's kind of my hometown, but it's also a big city several hours away from where we live now. I feel like this gives us kind of a unique perspective as sort-of-locals, sort-of-visitors to Kansas City. Every time we go, besides enjoying the wonderful company of family and friends, we find something new to enjoy. And I'd love to share more of that with you. So, here's my guide to visiting Kansas City with kids, and I'll keep updating it as I myself discover more of KC myself! Must-See Fun for Kids in Kansas City The National World War I Museum the world's largest collection of artifacts from World War I is right in the heart of Kansas City, and it's a must-se...

I love Taco John's and trying their new items and items that will only be available for a limited time, so I couldn't resist the brand new OMCheese Quesadilla Taco , which is available beginning January 6th, 2025.  The new OMCheese Quesadilla Taco from Taco John's is basically a taco made inside of a quesadilla. So instead of one tortilla on the outside of the taco, there are two soft flour tortillas, and there is a melted four-cheese blend in between them. I'm not sure whether prices vary, but at our Taco John's, it was about $4, which I felt was a fair price for how much food you get.  Inside the taco, there is meat (it's advertised as having grilled chicken, but in the Taco John's app you can also choose from ground beef or sirloin steak) topped with fiesta sauce, shredded lettuce, and pico de gallo.  The OMCheese Quesadilla Taco is available on its own, or as a combo with Potato Oles and pop or bundle with Potatoe Oles, pop, a Nacho Crunch Be...

Ready to plan your summer fun? Here are all the summer day camp opportunities I have found in the Sioux City area for this year, in alphabetical order. I'll put the basic info here and link to the host's website or Facebook page where you can find more details. This page will be updated throughout spring and summer 2025 as new day camps in the Sioux City area are announced, but I also encourage you to contact your favorite camp organizers directly for the most up-to-date information. *2025 update in progress!!* Summer Camps in Sioux City, Iowa Camp High Hopes Camp High Hopes offers all-day camp for all ages and abilities, 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. This inclusive camp is welcoming of kids with special needs and has high staff to camper ratios  and adaptive equipment on camp to let everyone participate in lots of classic summer camp activities like crafts, canoeing, campfires and swimming! Sleep-away camp sessions also available.  For more information, visit Ca...

Whether you're doing a "no spend" January, a whole "no spend" year, or you just want to be frugal in general/this weekend (really who doesn't love free fun?), there are plenty of great options in Sioux City for FREE fun with your family. In this post, I am only going to focus on places within Sioux City, Iowa. I'll work on another post about FREE venues in other Siouxland communities to post soon. So for just Sioux City, Iowa, here are some of my favorite places for free fun: Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center and Stone Park Learn more about Sioux City's natural environment at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center and Stone Park. The Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center includes fascinating exhibits inside and a nature playscape outside, along with hiking trails and other fun. The center is known for hosting great programming for all ages. Stone Park has even more hiking trails, along with camping cabins and tent camping areas, picnic areas, and a large shelter availa...

As part of the Shop Iowa Squad , I received from them several different gift ideas this past holiday season, including some treats from Purple Ribbon Beef, based in Britt, Iowa. I tried the beef summer sausage, and the cheese they sent me, and here is my full review: What is Purple Ribbon Beef? Purple Ribbon Beef is a family-owned beef farm in Britt, in north central Iowa. They have a Purple Ribbon Beef storefront on ShopIowa.com , they have their own physical farm store, and they sell at the Ames and Clear Lake farmers markets. They are known primarily for their delicious cuts of beef, but they also use many parts of the cattle to make innovative products, including beef tallow candles and soaps, and cowhide purses and bags. And they sell some fun items from other local producers, like cheese from WW Homestead and spices from Saltlickers, both on their Shop Iowa page and in their farm store. Beef Summer Sausage from Purple Ribbon Beef The star of the show from Purple Ribbon Beef was t...