Lawrence Kids, Summer 2026

Lawrence Kids

Summer 2026

Open 7am - 2pm

Summer Days and Nights, by Wong Herbert Yee

This rhyming ode to summer follows a young girl and her parents from morning to night. Along the way, Yee’s text celebrates the sights and sounds of the season while his gauzy illustrations highlight natural wonders, from a barn owl caught in the beam of a father’s flashlight to the croaking of bullfrogs after dark.

Swimming Season, by Jaimie MacGibbon

Cool down with this picture book about a family road trip to the beach. The kids jump in, frolic, dive for seashells and dry off in the sun. It captures all the simple thrills of summer’s classic pastime.

Serafina Makes Waves, by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Robin Rosenthal

Not every kid loves the water, and here’s a book for those who aren’t quite ready to jump right in, especially if swimming lessons are involved. A comical cartoon cat named Serafina makes the journey from reluctant to enthusiastic swimmer, offering encouragement for water-resistant kids.

Our Lake, by Angie Kang

In this bittersweet Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, two brothers honor their father’s memory by diving into his favorite lake the way he taught them before his death. Kang’s beautiful illustrations and heartfelt text show how summer experiences create lasting memories and strengthen family connections.

All the Ice Cream in the Land, by Emmy Kastner

Here’s a fun fact every kid needs to know: July 19 is National Ice Cream Day. Celebrate with Emmy Kastner’s hilarious picture book, in which a princess who gets everything she wishes for ends up with more ice cream than she can handle.

The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy, by Angela Cervantes

Fresh off winning the William Allen White Children’s Book Award for The Cursed Moon, Kansas City’s own Angela Cervantes introduces sixth-grade detective Diez Espada, who must solve the mystery of the missing World Cup trophy. Packed with classic mystery elements including talking birds, blackouts and secret tunnels, it’s a perfect tie-in to World Cup excitement.

The Ultimate Unofficial World Cup Book, by Maria S. Barbo

Speaking of the World Cup, if you have a kid who can’t get

Season’s Readings

by Dan Coleman from the Lawrence Public Library

enough, this entertaining guide is packed with facts, photos, statistics and stories about this summer’s biggest sporting event.

The Stuffie Stand, by Maddie Frost

Summer lemonade stands often spark kids’ entrepreneurial spirit. This story about a moose who makes and sells his own stuffed animals is a fun pick for crafty kids who dream of turning a profit.

America Celebrates: The Most Incredible and Influential People, Places & Events of the Last 250 Years, by Aubre Andrus

America turns 250 only once. What better way to celebrate the nation’s milestone birthday than with a deep dive into the people, places and events that shaped its history? Organized chronologically and filled with colorful photos and illustrations, this book is an excellent introduction for kids who have discovered an interest in American history this summer.

Fireworks, by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Catia Chien

My favorite summer books follow a simple formula: A couple of kids spend a long, hot day making memories before falling asleep knowing they lived it to the fullest and that all is right in their world. This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book is among the very best. Burgess’ lyrical text celebrates the joys of an urban park, watermelon snacks and rooftop fireworks while Chien’s impressionistic illustrations steal the show. As the book concludes: “Ahhh, to be tucked in with summer on our skin, listening to the gentlest kaboom, kaboom, kaboom within.”

The Trummel’s

Seasonal Essentials

Dr. Kenny and Nina Trummel, with their crew Wynn (10), Goldie (8), Pepper (7) and Chip (5) don’t mess around with summer. The family make the most of the hottest time of the year by making memories all season long.

Neighborly Bonding

There’s nothing quite like summer evenings spent outside walking, riding bikes and scooters, or gathering in the cul-de-sac. We love lingering over long conversations with our neighbors while all the kids play together. Everyone still yells “Car!” when someone drives down the street. And nothing creates more excitement than hearing the ice cream truck, followed by the inevitable disappointment when the music keeps getting farther away.

Playdates, Old School Style

We installed a landline and created a phone book filled with our kids’ friends’ phone numbers, along with their parents’ numbers. They love calling to set up playdates on their own. Listening to them leave voicemail messages or nervously ask to speak with a friend is wonderfully nostalgic. We did learn one important lesson pretty quickly: there definitely needed to be a rule about how early they’re allowed to start making those calls.

Service!

Our kids spend a lot of their summer on the tennis court, taking lessons at Genesis Health Clubs and attending both sessions of Jayhawk Tennis Camp. Nina and I also play cardio tennis at Genesis every Thursday and Sunday. It’s a great way to burn calories, talk a little trash and have fun with our Lawrence tennis family.

Garden Goals

Every summer begins with a trip to Clinton Parkway Nursery to fill our garden with fresh vegetable plants. Nina pours her heart into that garden, cheering for every sprout and celebrating every ripe tomato. Then the squirrels, rabbits and bugs show up, turning it into a season-long rivalry. Some days she feels like a master gardener. Other days she’s plotting revenge. That’s gardening.

Matinee Magic

Rainy summer days are the perfect excuse to catch a matinee at Regal Southwind. Air conditioning, popcorn and two hours of family fun, with usually only two or three restroom breaks.

J&S Coffee: Community in a Cup

J&S Coffee is one of our favorite local spots. On any given morning, you’ll find neighbors catching up, students studying, friendly baristas serving regulars and longtime friends enthusiastically discussing the latest news. It’s the Lawrence community at its best. Owner Steve has a knack for spoiling the kids who stop in with their parents, so much so that ours regularly try to convince us we need another coffee run at 4 p.m.

Backyard Summer Nights

Some of our favorite summer evenings happen right in our backyard. The kids are climbing on the playground or splashing in our 20-foot pool while we fire up the grill with meats from Yoder Meats. Add a freezer full of ice pops and neighbors stopping by, and it’s hard to imagine a better way to spend a summer evening.

Flipping Into Summer

Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Lawrence Gymnastics Academy have become a summer lifesaver. We drop off all four kids for open gym, where they can run, flip, climb and burn off plenty of energy. It’s the perfect way for them to have fun and, honestly, a great way to earn their evening TV time.

Bedtime While the Sun Is Still Up

One of our favorite parenting moments every summer is announcing, “Time for bed!” while it’s still broad daylight outside. Since our family’s schedule doesn’t change during the summer, unfortunately for our kids, neither does their bedtime. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

BRACES LIFESTYLE to fit your

WHERE SUMMER COMES TO... PLAY!

KU Sports Camp blends sports, games and new friendships into a 40-year tradition of keeping Lawrence kids active.

For more than four decades, KU Sports Camps has been giving Lawrence kids a place to run, play, learn and make new friends. Hosted at the University of Kansas, the longtime summer tradition is built around one simple idea: helping children discover that being active can be fun.

“The camp has been going for over 40 years,” said Ken Murfay, Ph.D., Physical Education Plus Program Director. “I took it over five years ago. There was a break during Covid. I just finished my fifth camp.”

Keeping the camp affordable has always been a priority. Thanks to the generosity of the Shirk family, the program is able to keep registration costs lower than they otherwise would be, making it accessible to more local families.

“The camp started 40 years ago,” Murfay said. “We have a donor family, Shirk family, who covers any charges from the camp that we don’t make from registration. This allows us to keep the price of the camp lower than what it would need to be if we only had the registration fees. It has always been a camp to help children to be physically active.”

Each day gives campers a chance to try something new. Activities include traditional sports along with resistance training, agility exercises and games that keep kids moving while building confidence. Rather than focusing on competition, the camp encourages children to explore different ways to stay active and find activities they enjoy.

“My goals for the camp are for campers to experience and learn different ways to be physically active that include resistance training, agility training and different sports and games,” Murfay said. “I would love for every kid to leave camp with a new friend.”

To help those friendships happen, counselors lead icebreaker activities and regularly mix up partners and small groups so campers meet children from across Lawrence. Many campers return year after year, creating a familiar

environment where kids can reconnect with old friends while welcoming new ones into the group. For some children, the camp becomes a highlight of their summer and a place where they feel comfortable trying activities they may not have experienced before.

The camp’s instructors are KU students representing a variety of majors. Murfay provides training and lesson plans while also spending plenty of time working directly with campers. His own background includes eight years teaching K through 8 physical education followed by a decade teaching at the college level.

“The instructors are all college students,” he said. “They come from all different majors. I also help out and sometimes do some instructing at the camp.”

Like any summer program, KU Sports Camps has its challenges. Recruiting enough college counselors can be difficult and the historic gym still lacks air conditioning, making hot June afternoons a little warmer than anyone would prefer. Even so, the energy and excitement from campers quickly outweigh the obstacles.

For Murfay, the most rewarding moments come from seeing children smile, gain confidence and discover that exercise does not have to feel like work.

“The best part is seeing kids have fun participating in physical activity and getting to meet some new people,” he said. “I like to think we are growing some community bonds here since we are bringing in children from different parts of the city.”

That sense of community is what keeps the camp thriving after more than 40 years. Kids leave with new skills, new friendships and, hopefully, a lifelong appreciation for staying active. Whether they discover a new favorite sport, learn a new skill or simply enjoy spending time with other kids, campers leave with memories that last well beyond the final day of camp.

“The camp is also my way of giving back to the community I live in,” Murfay said. “I take a lot of pride in making it an enjoyable experience for all who attend.” LK

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CO S CH ISTI

Alumni

Giving Every Kid a Chance to Play

Lawrence Coaches Closet is helping families overcome the rising cost of sports.

Youth sports can get expensive in a hurry. Registration fees are just the beginning. Cleats, gloves, bats, helmets, shin guards and other equipment can quickly turn a season of fun into a financial challenge.

For Lawrence native Jason Parker, that reality became impossible to ignore.

As a volunteer coach for nearly a decade, Parker saw talented kids arrive without the gear they needed. Instead of accepting it as part of youth sports, he decided to do something about it.

That idea became Lawrence Coaches Closet, a community organization that collects gently used sports equipment and redistributes it to local families at no cost.

“Lawrence Coaches Closet is a local community organization that serves the youth of Lawrence and the surrounding area,” Parker said. “We collect used, outgrown and unwanted sports equipment and gear and redistribute it to help offset the cost for families so it’s more affordable for their kids to be involved in sports.”

Parker, a father of four, has coached youth sports for nearly 10 years.

“I’ve been around enough to know there is a need,” he said.

His first efforts were simple. He picked up inexpensive gloves, bats and other equipment at garage sales to keep on hand for kids on his teams. Before long he realized the need extended far beyond the players he coached.

“I kept telling myself that someone needed to start an athletes’ closet,” Parker said. “Paying the fee for a kid to play is only half the battle. Then comes the gear and equipment needed.”

The turning point came during an indoor soccer season with Lawrence Parks and Recreation. Parker coached 11 teams over two sessions and organized a meet-the-coach event with a small gear swap. By the end of the season, along with previous baseball efforts, nearly 100 kids had received equipment.

Then requests started arriving for softball and volleyball.

“That’s when I realized I was going to be the one to start an athletes’ closet,” he said.

He borrowed a church parking lot, posted collection requests on Facebook and invited people to donate equipment. A few weekends before spring seasons began, the same parking lot became a distribution event. Thanks to Lawrence Parks and Recreation and social media, families from across the area found the gear they needed.

When baseball and softball season started, Lawrence Coaches Closet had helped almost 120 kids.

The organization distributes gear through seasonal swap events and by matching donated equipment with families who contact the group directly.

“Parents have been elated,” Parker said. “We have ran into so many that are having trouble paying bills and putting food on the table but still want their kids involved. And the kids love picking stuff out.”

Lawrence Coaches Closet operates through volunteer time and community generosity. Businesses like Party America serve as drop-off locations, and another local organization provides storage space.

“The most rewarding part is getting to see a kid whose parents might not be able to afford anything outside of the basic participation fee get excited about finding what they need so they aren’t be left out and they properly participate with their own gear,” Parker said.

Parker hopes Lawrence Coaches Closet becomes selfsustaining with a steady flow of donated equipment. He also hopes to create a scholarship fund to help families cover registration fees.

The mission isn’t about bats, balls or cleats. It’s about making sure every child has the chance to experience the friendships, confidence and joy that come with being part of a team.

For more information, or to help, email Parker at fierce. bananas.sports@gmail.com. LK

When Every Minute Matters:

A Home for Youth Mental Health

Bert Nash’s new Judge Jean Shepherd Youth Recovery Center will give Douglas County families immediate, compassionate mental health care close to home when they need it most.

Every parent hopes they never face the moment when their child is in emotional or mental health crisis. But for many Douglas County families, that moment is becoming more common. When it happens, finding help is often anything but simple.

Instead of receiving immediate care close to home, families may spend hours calling hospitals, driving across Kansas or neighboring states, or waiting in emergency rooms that are not designed for behavioral health emergencies. Those delays can make an already frightening situation even more difficult.

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center hopes to change that with the new Judge Jean Shepherd Youth Recovery Center, a first-of-its-kind facility for Douglas County that will provide crisis stabilization, expanded outpatient services and a clear path to recovery for children and teens. The project is designed to ensure young people receive the right care at the right time, while allowing families to stay close and involved throughout the healing process.

“This center is about making sure no family has to wonder where to turn when their child needs immediate help,” said Emily Farley, Bert Nash’s chief advancement officer.

Today, children experiencing a behavioral health emergency often enter a fragmented system. Some are taken to hospital emergency departments. Others are transported hours away to inpatient psychiatric facilities if a bed is available. In some cases, families are simply sent home with instructions to wait for follow-up care.

The Youth Recovery Center is intended to fill that gap. The center will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and will function as a licensed Juvenile Crisis Intervention Center, providing immediate assessment, stabilization and short-term care for youth experiencing acute mental health or substance use crises.

The goal is not long-term hospitalization. Instead, the center will help children stabilize quickly, connect families with

appropriate services and return young people to their homes and communities with ongoing support.

Tamara Heishman, Bert Nash’s clinical director, says early intervention can make all the difference for a child in crisis.

“Children in crises need immediate care,” she said. “No one should have to get in a car and drive hours away to receive help. This will better help us serve Lawrence families.”

Beyond crisis care, the Youth Recovery Center will dramatically expand access to outpatient behavioral health services. Existing youth programs currently spread across multiple locations will move into the new building, creating a single destination for therapy, psychiatry, psychological assessments and family support.

The added space also means more children can receive care and families can feel hope of recovery.

The facility is being planned as a welcoming environment rather than an institutional one. Youth participating in Bert Nash summer groups even helped shape design elements by offering ideas about colors, artwork and gathering spaces. Their feedback is helping create a place where children can feel safe, respected and comfortable during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

The project has already received strong community support from schools, healthcare providers, public health leaders and nonprofit organizations who see the center as an important missing piece in the local behavioral health system. Community partners say the center will improve coordination between schools, first responders, physicians and mental health providers while helping more children receive care before problems become long-term crises.

Building the Youth Recovery Center requires significant community investment. Bert Nash is working to raise $12 million for renovations through a combination of private philanthropy, government funding, foundations and corporate support. Once open, the center’s services are expected to be financially sustainable through insurance, Medicaid and existing behavioral health funding sources.

Construction will transform the Clinton Place campus into a dedicated space focused entirely on children, teens and families. Every classroom converted, every therapy room completed and every bed prepared will represent another

step toward ensuring local youth receive compassionate care without leaving their community.

“This space is for our youth and their support networks,” Farley said. “It will be a place of calm and help.”

Mental health challenges are not new, but awareness has grown in recent years. Families, educators and healthcare professionals are recognizing that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Projects like the Youth Recovery Center reflect that changing mindset by treating behavioral health with the same urgency and compassion as any other medical emergency.

For Lawrence families, the center represents something simple but powerful: hope that when a child needs help, help will be waiting nearby.

Farley believes the project belongs to the entire community because every child deserves the opportunity to heal, grow and thrive.

“Protecting and supporting kids in Lawrence needs to be a

priority for our community,” she said. “The center will be a benefit for all of Lawrence.”

Community support extends well beyond fundraising. Lawrence Public Schools, LMH Health, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, Heartland Community Health Center, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County, O’Connell Children’s Shelter and The Chamber, Lawrence have all publicly endorsed the Youth Recovery Center. Together, they see the project as a critical addition to the county’s behavioral health system that will strengthen partnerships between schools, healthcare providers, first responders and community organizations while helping children receive care before a crisis becomes life-changing.

Once construction is complete, Bert Nash expects the center to be financially sustainable through existing reimbursement sources, including insurance, Medicaid and its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic designation. That means philanthropic dollars are funding the building itself, creating a lasting community resource that will serve Douglas County families for generations. LK