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Indoor Inspiration this Winter

Family Fun All Winter Long … no matter WHAT you LOVE to do!

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Winter weather often means a family epidemic of cabin fever. Fortunately, many of Kansas City’s family-friendly attractions offer wonderful indoor options to make memories with the kids all season long!

If you love ANIMALS…

Kansas City Zoo (6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, MO, 816.595.1234). Yes, you read that right … visit the zoo! Many families think of the zoo as an outdoor attraction, but it is open year-round, and the indoor exhibits are fantastic. Best of all, winter is less crowded, and many animals perk up in the cold. We love watching the polar bears play when it snows! Our favorite indoor exhibits include Polar Bear Passage, Helzberg Penguin Plaza, the Discovery Barn, the Tropics and Stingray Bay. Tip: Buy a FOTZ membership and enjoy free admission all year long!

Sea Life Kansas City (2475 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 816.471.4386). Sea Life Aquarium transports guests into an amazing underwater world with up-close views of more than 5,000 sea creatures! Walk through the 180-degree underwater tunnel, come face to fin with sharks and rescued sea turtles and explore more than 12 breathtaking exhibits. Stingray Bay, Sea Turtle Rescue Center and Doodle Reef, an interactive exhibit where kids design their own fish, are favorites.

If you love ADVENTURE…

ROKC Olathe, photos by Kristina Light

RoKC Olathe (654 N. Central St., Olathe, 913.318.3600). This indoor rock wall climbing facility features 35- to 50-foot walls for all skill levels from beginner to expert, 15-foot bouldering walls, fitness equipment available for ages 14+, cardio equipment, elliptical equipment, Jacob's Ladders and facilities for Advanced Climbing Training (for those with a year of experience). RoKC features three types of climbing walls: lead, top rope and auto belay. The lead and top rope walls do require passing certification, but auto belay is open to beginners. The site even has a speed climbing wall where you can time your speed or race friends (the current record is 8 seconds!). The attraction is great for single-day visits (purchase a day pass or multiple visit punch card), memberships and parties. For parents who want to climb, they even provide on-site childcare in a play lounge included with admission. If you are interested in hosting a party, the private event room features 20 of the site's 32 auto belays.

Urban Air Trampoline Park (two locations: 8554 Maurer Rd., Lenexa, and 14401 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com) is one of our favorite places to play! Offering much more than trampolines, this is a great place to spend a day! Urban Air gives a generous helping of frenetic fun with attractions like Kidzone and Urban Air Warrior Course. The Sky Rider is an amazing indoor ride where passengers zip across the park in a harness. The ropes course, climbing walls, virtual reality games and tunnel play areas are all great additions to the classic trampoline attractions. Tip: Save on admissions with a membership package (choose from several levels, including a meal-included option).

If you love to LEARN...

Kristina Light, KCParent.com

Science City at Union Station (30 W. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.460.2000) is a favorite place to spend a day as a family. Kansas City’s largest, most interactive science museum offers something for visitors of all ages. Little ones especially love three experiential, hands-on exhibitions: Let’s Play! is designed especially for babies, crawlers and toddlers with multiple sensory and role-playing activities, Creative Corner is where art meets science in a whole new way with cool interactive activities, and All Aboard celebrates Union Station’s rail history, allowing families to discover how steam engines work as they play and explore throughout the exhibit that encourages problem-solving and creativity. Kids also love the classic exhibits that include dinosaurs, water, the human brain, energy and more.

National World War I Museum and Memorial (2 Memorial Dr., Kansas City, MO, 816.888.8100) is not only a Kansas City landmark, but an American landmark. The museum tells the story of the Great War through interactive displays, thought-provoking films and eyewitness testimonies. The museum houses one of the largest collections of WWI artifacts in the world. With family guides and hands-on exhibits, the museum is an educational attraction for all ages.

If you love to PLAY…

KidScape at the Johnson County Museum (8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, JoCoMuseum.org) is a whimsical, hands-on, child-sized city. Children time travel to different periods and communities from the region's past. They enjoy pretend play as they work on the farm, perform at the theater or the puppet show, teach in the school, deliver the mail, care for patients at the hospital and fry up some burgers at the diner. This exhibit is a favorite for early education.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures (5235 Oak St., Kansas City, MO, 816.235.8000) is one of the most fun and engaging museums in town. The first impression is incredible: A giant rotating spiral of backlit toys greets visitors who delight in finding their own favorites and discovering new ones on the animated real-life collage. Exhibits include a Grandma’s Attic display showcasing toys and presenting their individual stories as treasures to be discovered. Visitors enjoy the interactive exhibits, learning more about the process of making both miniatures and toys.

If you love to MAKE THINGS…

Ceramic Cafe (9510 Nall Ave., Overland Park) is a paint-your-own pottery studio offering clay building, ceramic painting and glass fusing. Enjoy Creative Story Time for little ones, special classes or their walk-in programs to make gifts and holiday decorations.

Legoland Discovery Center (2475 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 816.471.4386). Legoland Discovery Center is Kansas City’s ultimate indoor Lego playground! Kids love the variety of play spaces at this indoor attraction and enjoy making Lego creations at the many different stations. The Train Station Adventure is where children climb, slide, jump and roll around train obstacles. Lego 4D cinema features exciting Lego movies with additional wind, rain and snow effects to really bring the film to life, and Duplo Village lets little ones build a colorful Duplo flower for the garden or wiggle and slide around the cottage and play with the special big, soft bricks.

Kristina Light enjoys the coziness of winter and the chance to enjoy many wonderful local attractions when they are less crowded and more peaceful.

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