As my family walked into the new InspireU Children’s Discovery Center in downtown St. Joseph, I watched as both my daughter’s eyes widened with excitement. The two-story playground complete with tunnels, slides and interactive areas immediately caught their attention followed by a scarf launcher and basketball court for all ages.
Tiny Town Fun at InspireU Children's Discovery Center
After playing for a while, we realized there was much more to explore. The girls led me upstairs where they found the messy room. They enjoyed painting on the large windows and drawing on the walls with markers. Around the corner was an infant and toddler play area complete with murals and even a small library.
Play pretend veterinary at the InspireU Tiny Town
Then we made our way to the next level, an entire floor of interactive exhibits themed like a small town. We spent the next hour and a half going through the Tiny Town exhibits featuring a veterinary clinic, ambulance, quilt shop, hospital and even an adorable lemonade stand. There was also a creation station stocked full of art supplies for your children to make their own masterpiece. KC Parent Pro Tip: I suggest visiting here first so their artwork can dry before you leave.
An exhibit that impressed me most was the theatre modeled after St. Joseph’s historic Missouri Theatre. The kids were able to use their imaginations on stage with props and costumes, open and close the curtain, and even run the lighting and sound effects while their parents watch in the audience.
We continued exploring through the tiny town complete with a café where the kids can cook and serve pizzas, a grocery store where children shop and scan to see if the foods are “all-the-time’ or “once-in-a-while” foods, a farm complete with a barn for caring for animals, a tractor, a grain elevator and a farmer’s market to sell the fruits and vegetables they pick on the farm.
My 10-year-old enjoyed the television station the most. She loved reporting the news with a green screen and camera, while seeing herself on a real newscast on-screen. I thought the camping area was adorable. The kids can sit around a campfire and choose campfire songs, climb in a tent and even kayak down a river.
Then we made it to a Missouri River themed interactive water table. Children can build a boat and send it through the water table. This area is fun for all ages. There are even places for infants to sit so they can be near the water and splash.
Unfortunately, the weather was too cold to explore the rooftop, but I can’t wait to take the girls back to explore the riverboat-themed playground when the weather warms up. I’ve been told you can see the Missouri River from the rooftop!
My children had a wonderful time exploring InspireU. They had a day full of discovery and imaginative play, and I am so thankful to have such an educational and fun place in my hometown of St. Joseph.
Details:
InspireU is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm.
Tickets are $10 if you purchase online, $12 on-site and $9 for seniors over 65.
Infants under 1 year are free.
Annual memberships are available. KC Parent Pro tip: They will apply Daily admission tickets purchased in the last 30 days towards the cost of a membership!
Snacks are available for purchase in the gift shop area, but no food and drink are allowed inside the exhibit. The exhibits are ADA accessible. There are also quiet rooms and nursing rooms throughout the facility. The space is available for birthday parties and even adult-only events.
For more information, visit www.inspireu.com