101 Things to Do in Kansas City Over Spring Break

Spring break in Kansas City is fast approaching and you are probably looking for ways to keep your kids occupied! Never fear, we’ve pulled together 101 ideas for your family from cat cafes to new indoor play spaces and fun spots for a last minute day trip. Scroll down to items 57-101 for lots of free and inexpensive ideas that won’t break the bank. Get out there and explore all that Kansas City has to offer and make some great memories with your kids!

  1. Meet Captain Careless and help recover the pirate treasure at SEA LIFE! While on your hunt for the Captain’s treasure, learn all about our treasures of the ocean along the way! Don’t miss the all-new event, now through April 1.
  2. Become a Spinjitzu master with powered-up activities, experiences and LEGO builds during the all-new LEGO NINJAGO Dragon’s Rising Event at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City! Find Your Dragon Power now through April 1.
  3. Visit one of the area’s cat cafes like Sugar Kittens, Whiskers, or Melissa’s Second Cup Cat Cafe and play with some adorable, adoptable cats. Admission is half price on Tuesdays at Melissa’s and kids 5 and under get in free every day. 
  4. Have a family staycation at a hotel with a pool or Great Wolf Lodge.
  5. Take a day trip to Topeka. Spring is an excellent time to visit Gage Park.
  6. Go bowling at an old school bowling alley or a fancy new one that takes reservations.
  7. Play among the dinosaurs at Prehistoric Putt indoor mini-golfing.
  8. Plan a last minute day (or two) trip to one of these 20 family vacation spots within 5 hours of KC.
  9. Pack a lunch and spend the day at Wonderscope
  10. Go swimming at a local community center. Most have day passes and open swim hours. Great Wolf Lodge even offers a day pass
  11. Visit the planetarium at Union Station. There are several shows to choose from.
  12. Make a trip to Science City, they have exhibits for kids of all ages to enjoy, including toddlers.
  13. Check out the discovery room and dinosaur bones at the Museum at Prairiefire.
  14. Get energy out at a trampoline park like Get Air, Sky Zone, or Urban Air.
  15. Relax a bit and let your kids play at Kidscape at the Johnson County Museum. The entire exhibit is enclosed in one room. Admission is free on March 14!
  16. Reach new heights while indoor rock climbing at RoKC.
  17. Take the whole family to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
  18. Go to open gym to get the wiggles out at a nearby gymnastics studio.
  19. Teach the kids how to roller skate at a local rink like Skate City or Winnwood Skate Center.
  20. Visit the new indoor play place Club Run and Jump in Olathe. They open on March 14.
  21. If you’re visiting Legoland your should also visit SeaLife since the combo tickets are a great deal! Check out SeaLife’s new Pirate Treasure Hunt.
  22. Get crafty at one of Creative Culture’s two locations (and enjoy a fancy milkshake!)
  23. Take your little ones to one of the many play cafes in the metro.
  24. Paint your own ceramics at a local studio like Paint, Glaze, and Fire or Potter’s Haven Art Studio.
  25. It might still be too cold for the park but your kids can stay warm playing on the play sets at Rainbow of the Heartland.
  26. Let the kids fight safely with their siblings at Get Nerfed Battle Arena.
  27. Enjoy the giant indoor playground and inflatables at Fun Run in Liberty or Blue Springs.
  28. Visit a local arcade.
  29. Take your sports lover to the College Basketball Experience.
  30. Bounce the wiggles out at Pump it Up.
  31. Check out Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter in Independence.
  32. Design your own donut at Donutology or Duck Donuts.
  33. Shop for inexpensive craft supplies at Scraps KC.
  34. See The Life and Times of the Three Little Pigs on the stage at Theatre for Young America.
  35. Hit the road for a day trip to Lawrence (Up and Away Play is perfect for kids). The KU Natural History Museum has free admission.
  36. Visit the Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
  37. Attend Planet Comicon from March 8-10. On Friday and Saturday, children ages 7 and under are free. Sunday is Family Day and kids 12 and under are free!
  38. Visit Ya-Ya’s Alpaca Farm in Garden City, MO.
  39. Take a day trip to Springfield, Missouri.
  40. Visit the Kansas City Zoo.
  41. Make a day trip to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Museum in Topeka for their XOXO: Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness.
  42. Need to get some work done? Check out one of these spots where mom’s work while kid’s play
  43. If you have a kid that loves trains, visit one of the best places for train lovers in Kansas City.
  44. Check out BRKTHROUGH, a social gaming place perfect for older kids and teens.
  45. Visit Powell Gardens or the Overland Park Arboretum and look for early signs of spring.
  46. Try a new pizza place, donut shop, or ice cream parlor.
  47. Introduce your kids to the rich history of Kansas City.
  48. Do a cooking camp or workshop at Tastebuds Kitchen.
  49. Get your kids enrolled in swimming lessons. Many places even offer jump start lessons over spring break!
  50. Spend the day at Kids Empire. Your receipt lets you come and go all day!
  51. Step into the past at Mahaffie Stagecoach Shop and Farm Historic Site for their Spring Break Living History event on Thursday, March 14.
  52. Spend a day in Downtown Overland Park
  53. Visit the Louisburg Cider Mill. You can get fresh cider and donuts year-round!
  54. Have a blast at Superkidz Club in Shawnee.
  55. Take your kids for a “mom and me” pedicure at one of these local salons.
  56. Have a movie night with movie theater style snacks.
  57. Take your family on a hike at one of the many local trails
  58.  Visit a library with a fun children’s section.
  59. Explore one of the many nature centers in the metro.
  60. Visit a new park. The inclusive playgrounds are great for toddlers.
  61. Play a board game at Cardboard Cafe or Pawn and Pint.
  62. Check out the free indoor play areas at Foundry Church and Kaw Prairie Church.
  63. Make a reservation and visit Kaleidoscope to get your craft on.
  64. Plan a family game night.
  65. Camp out in the living room and make s’mores in the microwave.
  66. Keep your pajamas on all day and have a no screen limits day.
  67. Bring your teen to game at The Zone at Indian Creek Library in Olathe.
  68. Use painter’s tape on your floor to create roads for your toy cars.
  69. Let your kids play “the floor is lava.” The Netflix show by that name is also really good.
  70. Visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
  71. Challenge yourself with this list of 200+ Minute to Win It Games.
  72. Build a blanket fort.
  73. Make a sensory bin with things you already have like rice or beans and measuring cups.
  74. Set up a water play station for your kids in the sink or bathtub.
  75. Introduce your kids to a favorite movie from your childhood.
  76. Eat at a restaurant when kids eat free.
  77. Have a screen free day.
  78. Go through old family photos.
  79. Make a visit to the Money Museum.
  80. Paint kindness rocks and hide them in a nearby park.
  81. Have a dance party.
  82. Arrange a playdate swap with a friend.
  83. Check out the Hallmark Visitors Center.
  84. Have an indoor Easter egg hunt. Take a it up a notch by making it a flashlight game.
  85. Get a jump on some spring cleaning.
  86. Attend one of the area St. Patrick’s Day parades.
  87. Try an easy origami project.
  88. Check out Journey to Oz, the new free exhibit at Crown Center.
  89. Explore the Parkville Nature Sanctuary. And check out our suggestions for spending a day in Parkville.
  90. Visit the Native Hooved Animal Enclosure in Lee’s Summit.
  91. Ride the KC Streetcar. Some fun free stops would be the model train gallery at Union Station and the Central Library. 
  92. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these 5 free printable and digital activities.
  93. Enjoy these screen free indoor activities for toddlers.
  94. Plan out a garden to plant later this spring.
  95. Check out the murals in the Crossroads district.
  96. Make and donate some Happy Kits for Children’s Mercy.
  97. Find your zen with Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. 
  98. Visit Chicken N Pickle in the Northland or Overland Park and enjoy their yard games including cornhole, ping pong, bocce, battleship, and Jenga.
  99. Bake cookies or muffins and deliver them to friends and neighbors.
  100. Try one of these 20 baking soda experiments for kids.
  101. Visit Scheels in Overland Park. They have $1 mini-bowling and ferris wheel rides as well as an indoor play area and a candy store.
Julia Willhite
I'm Julia and I live in Olathe with my husband of 18 years, my 12 and 8 year old daughters, and our rescue pug Mabel. I’m a social worker turned SAHM and love Dr. Pepper, thunderstorms, and talking to other adults. I hate coffee, diet culture, and washing dishes. I'll talk your ear off about the best local parks and which restaurants have wronged me by changing their long-standing menu items. I try to walk the line between knowing a lot of stuff and not being a know-it-all. Some days I'm better than others.