Nothing screams summer like a luscious scoop of ice cream. In honor of this classic warm-weather treat as well as Edy's Grand Ice Cream's 75th birthday, official Edy's taster John Harrison comes to town this week. He'll be at Sun Fresh Market (4001 Mill Street) from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, August 13, inviting kids to come up with ice cream flavors that pay tribute to the "outstanding qualities" of their home state. We'd like to suggest: Sweet Wheat (wheat-flavored ice cream for Kansas with yummy chunks of barley) and Flat as a Pancake, which would include bits of golden flapjacks with a ribbon of syrup. Or, to honor Missouri, how about Rib-Stickin' Rave, barbecue-flavored ice cream? Harrison will also demonstrate why he gets paid to taste ice cream for a living. His technique includes taking in a mouthful, swirling it around, then spitting it out -- which really answers the question of whether to spit or swallow.-- Jen Chen
Highest Heights
SAT 8/9
A person's first plane ride can be a magical float above the clouds or a fingernail-digging nightmare. Grown-ups on their maiden voyages battle powerful neuroses. So, as with foreign languages and healthy eating habits, flyers should start young. And with the free airplane rides at the Air Expo Saturday, there's no reason not to. Anyone between ages eight and seventeen can ride from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, 300 Richards Road. This Young Eagles program requires a signed parental consent form, which can be found at www.kcairshow.com. For more information, call 816-795-1922.-- Sarah Smarsh
E-I-E-I-O
DAILY
We think every child should have a set of grandparents residing on a farm about an hour outside of town. Alas, this is not possible. But young'uns craving a down-home romp can visit the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, where kids enjoy the charms of farm life without the early-morning chores required during a summer at Ma and Pa's. The 12-acre park offers close encounters with Old McDonald's closest friends as well as peacocks, a buffalo, bobcats and birds of prey. Kids can also cast for catfish, ride in a horse-drawn wagon, chase butterflies in the flower beds and slide around in the play barn. Hidden educational opportunities exist in an old schoolhouse, a Kansa Indian encampment and a nature trail with labeled foliage. The farmstead, at 138th Street and Switzer, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For prices and information, call 913-897-2360.-- Smarsh
