Latest news with #BlueSprings
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Springs kids play space, venue encourages creativity and connection
BLUE SPRING, Mo. — A new business in Blue Springs opened this week, filling a void its founder says she saw and felt. 'My mom was like, 'Who do you expect? How many people?' I was like, 'I don't know, maybe twenty? One hundred and twenty would be great,'' Samantha Shores shared about what she expected for The Paperback Playhouse's grand opening Sunday. 'Two hundred and thirty showed up in a span of four hours on Sunday.' Missouri making changes to temporary tag, vehicle registrations next month The Paperback Playhouse sits in a shopping center on Southwest Highway 40 in Blue Springs. 'The Paperback Playhouse is an educational play space and party venue focused on studio art, literacy, sensory exploration and dramatic play,' its social media page reads. 'This is something that people want and need in Blue Springs,' its owner, Samantha Shores, said. Shores shared with FOX4 what the first few days have been like since its opening. 'Yesterday morning, I had seven moms (and) seven kids in here and the entire session, the moms were mingling,' she said. 'I had a mom yesterday that spent an hour of the session sitting at the table coloring because she needed that rest and recharge.' It's not only a place for kids and young children, but also for parents and caregivers. 'I wanted somewhere that I could just sit and see them (her kids) at all times and feel like I'm safe and they are safe,' Shores shared on what she wanted and from a place she needed. Shores says, its design, with different play stations in mind, is as much for her two kids to enjoy as it is for herself too. 'After I had my youngest daughter, I had really bad postpartum depression, and a sense of community is something I desperately craved. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, and I needed to get out of the house. Combination of therapy, medication, and just great friends literally saved my life,' Shores shared. 'I had to have a place that I could go that I could that wasn't overstimulating, that I could meet people.' She's hopeful it's a place for others in similar seasons of life to connect and create, Paperback Playhouse is geared towards children eight years old and younger, with a targeted audience of ages one through six. 'I saw the 11-month-old check in. My kids are three and four. They are having just as much fun,' friend, and visitor of the space, Thomas Sims said Wednesday, on the variety of ages enjoying the play spaces. 'This one's cool and has a lot of different activities for kids to do.' Country Club Plaza joins list of property owners appealing 2025 valuation Shores says there are plenty of outdoor and recreational spaces for families in Blue Springs. Hers, though, is uniquely indoors.'A lot of places don't have the open arts and crafts, but I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and an almost five-year-old and I really wanted to meet the needs of both age groups,' she said. 'Blue Springs has great resources for physical enrichment (and) physical activity. This is more imaginative play, dramatic play, creative arts.'Parents at the space agree, it's a different place in the area. 'I have a three and a five-year-old and they have very different interests,' Megan Skinner, a mom, visiting the space Wednesday, said. 'We got one doing arts and crafts and the other one over there doing some dramatic play.' Shores hopes she, parents and caregivers who visit, along with children, make new friends while visiting every play session, areas and surfaces are wiped down, and there's a deep clean at the end of the day. There's a Mother's Room, along with a quiet room, a retail shop and more. The Paperback Playhouse is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Sessions are two hours long and are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday sessions are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Party rentals are slated for Sundays. You can see the pricing and additional information here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How One Little Girl Sold Enough Lemonade To Fulfill Her Space Camp Dream
A lemonade stand can be a sweet way for kids to earn a little money on a sunny day. But 11-year-old Ezri Henry from Blue Springs, Missouri did more than fill a few glasses with everyone's favorite refreshing summer beverage and call it an afternoon. In fact, over the past year, her mom Cidne Henry estimates her daughter has sold more than 1,000 glasses of lemonade (and hot chocolate in the winter), to make her dream of attending the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, a reality. Ezri first got interested in the solar system at age 5 because her parents, Cidne and Eric, are space enthusiasts. 'I'm just really fascinated by all that's going on,' Ezri tells Parents about her love of space and desire to become an astronaut. 'There are different planets, and planets beyond our solar system, and I want to experience that for myself.' Her first step in making that happen was to reach out to Research Astronaut Kellie Gerardi on Instagram, at the suggestion of her mom. Gerardi suggested Ezri go to Space Camp to immersive herself in all things space. Then, it was on to fundraising. Her mom shares that Ezri's school and local businesses also helped raise money for her, and the hopeful astronaut received donations from members of the community of up to $50 a pop."There are different planets, and planets beyond our solar system, and I want to experience that for myself."Ultimately, the 11-year-old ended up raising $1,800, and was able to attend Space Camp last June. She loved the experience so much she already plans to keep raising money to go back! 'It was really fun, and I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know,' she says. 'My favorite part was the simulated space mission,' Ezri shares. 'There were a ton of problems, but we got them fixed and we kept going.' She adds that her team had to work together rather than individually. But that's not all she took from the experience. 'My other favorite part was [learning] about the constellations and how people see patterns,' she tells Parents. The mother and daughter duo also shared their tips for helping other kids achieve their camp goals. The most important one? Don't get discouraged, advises Ezri. 'Even if it's hard, keep going because eventually you'll get to your goal,' she says. Here's how to make their dream summer camp a reality, according to Ezri and Cidne: Stay motivated. Ezri says her parents helped her not to give up. Meanwhile, Cidne shares this advice: 'If your child wants to go to Space Camp—or whichever camp they set their sight on—I would say to encourage them to find ways to earn it and work towards it, to always support them, always be behind them, and give them the courage to do so, because it's not going to be easy.' Support kids every step of the way. Cidne says supporting your child's goal is so important. 'If you keep pushing them along, they're going to make it, and they're going to do big things—and you're going to be there to support them through it,' she shares. Foster self-confidence and independence in your child. 'I want her to have the confidence that she can achieve anything her incredible imagination can come up with because she has a huge imagination,' Cidne shares."Even if it's hard, keep going because eventually you'll get to your goal,"As for future plans for Ezri—other than raising more money for Space Camp next year—she hopes to become the first woman on Mars. 'It's definitely going to take a lot of college and a lot of training—and definitely courage,' the inspiring little girl says. Ezri was especially buoyed to continue reaching for the stars by three-time space shuttle astronaut Dr. Jan Davis, who spoke to campers. 'I was just amazed, and it was just crazy seeing a real astronaut,' Ezri shares. 'She kept going and reached her goal.' Indeed, Cidne hopes her daughter's experience at Space Camp helped her begin to develop a mental picture of what her dreams can turn into. 'I hope she looks back at her entire experience and she believes in herself and understands big goals are built on small achievements, one after the other, and that she can reach those big goals.' Read the original article on Parents
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two injured in Blue Springs shooting on Memorial Day
A Memorial Day morning shooting at a Blue Springs townhouse complex left two people injured and police looking for the shooter and investigating the motive. Two adults arrived in personal vehicles at St. Mary's Medical Center with gunshot wounds at around noon on Monday, according to Blue Springs police Capt. Kyle Flowers. One person was shot in the lower legs and sustained significant, but not life threatening, injuries. The other person had been shot in the hand, Flowers said. The gunfire occurred on the 1400 block of SW Martin Avenue, a residential area close to Highway 7 and SW Clark Road. The Blue Springs Police Department has not identified a suspect, though Flowers said there is no ongoing threat to the public, as far as they know. Investigators are working to find what led to the shooting, according to Flowers. The police asked that anyone with information about the incident to call 816-228-0151.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Independence woman hit, killed by two cars while crossing I-70 in Blue Springs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Independence woman was killed after being hit by two cars on Interstate 70 in Blue Springs early Saturday morning. According to a crash log from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, just after 5 a.m., a 2021 Mazda CX-5 and a 2016 Dodge Ram were driving on I-70 — near the Adams Dairy Parkway exit — when a woman began crossing the interstate. Kansas City man seriously hurt after being ejected from car in southern MO crash The MSHP reported that the Mazda, driven by a 48-year-old Odessa man, was the first car to hit the woman, followed by the Dodge, driven by a 39-year-old Grain Valley man. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and neither driver was injured in the crash. The MSHP did report, however, that the Mazda faced 'extensive' damages and was towed, while the Dodge had no damage and drove from the scene. The name of the woman has not been released by law enforcement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
