Get Lost

9/27-9/28

Children lost inside this 16-acre maze can’t see it from behind the 10-foot-high walls of corn, but from above, the 3 miles of twisting, turning trails running through the Sacry family’s cornfield take the shape of a giant pair of hands holding the Earth. The One World Maze‘s pathways not only trace the continents and oceans but also include illustrations appropriate to each land mass (a lion for Africa, an elephant for India). The maze’s creators say the correct route can be finished in less than thirty minutes, but most visitors will require twice that long to navigate the corn labyrinth. The Sacry family’s farm (located off Highway 20, 5 miles east of Higginsville) is open to the public on weekends until October 26. For directions, call 660-394-2288 or see cornfieldmaze.com.— Michael Vennard

Sit In

Kids learn about peace.

MON 9/29

If the Reverend Scott Myers, who’s holding a kids’ class called Exploring the Middle East for Secrets to Peace, knows such secrets, we hope he plans on widening his audience. Along with Marjorie Taggart and Marian Thomas, Myers has taught kids about ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, early America, and Europe during the Middle Ages. But this is his first plunge into highly charged current events. In nine sessions (beginning Monday), children explore how peace might be created in the Middle East by studying the heritages of different peoples living in the region. The stories of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament, the writings of Sufi poets and 1,001 Arabian Nights lead into Middle Eastern dances, crafts, music and calligraphy. Not that calligraphy alone will stop generations of fighting, but we’re hoping a little cultural awareness might go a long way by the time these tykes are in charge.— Gina Kaufmann

Boo

FRI 9/26

Even the bravest among us is no match for carnivorous clowns. HalloWeekends, beginning this Friday at Worlds of Fun (East Loop I-435, 816-454-4545), offer haunted houses, mutant carnivals and voodoo-infested Africa, complete with a severed head that taunts people. But fear not — HalloWeekends keep kids in the spirit without freaking them out. Snoopy’s Haunted Campground is dedicated to the Peanuts gang and boasts a pumpkin patch that’s home to the Great Pumpkin. Meanwhile, Trick-or-Treat Town offers the twelve-and-under set plenty of candy and assorted goodies. So, while parents are losing it in the 3-D mazes, they can rest easy knowing their kids might suffer nothing more than upset stomachs.— Christopher Sebela