101 Things to Do in Kansas City Over Winter Break

Winter break is long and there are lots of days to fill. If you’re like us, you want to squeeze in a few more holiday activities before Christmas and keep the kids busy for the week and a half after. We’ve pulled together a list of 101 activities to keep you as busy as you like this winter break. The first half are activities that cost money (or use a membership if you have one!) and the second half are free or very inexpensive activities. Have fun and don’t forget the hand sanitizer!

Mom pro tip: Want to enjoy local holiday attractions but hate the holiday crowds? Many are open the week between Christmas and New Years and there are no crowds!

1. Visit one of the area’s cat cafes and play with some adorable kittens. Admission is half price on Tuesdays at Melissa’s Second Cup Cat Cafe.
2. Have a family staycation at a hotel with a pool or Great Wolf Lodge.
3. Go see a Christmas movie on the Extreme Screen at Union Station.
4. Take a day trip to Topeka and visit the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center and Zoo Lights.
5. Go bowling at an old school bowling alley or a fancy new one that takes reservations.
6. Play among the dinosaurs at Prehistoric Putt indoor mini-golfing.
7. Pack a lunch and spend the day at Wonderscope.
8. Go swimming at a local community center. Most have day passes and open swim hours.
9. Visit the planetarium at Union Station. There are several shows to choose from.
10. Make a trip to Science City, they have exhibits for kids of all ages to enjoy, including toddlers.
11. Check out the discovery room and dinosaur bones at the Museum at Prairiefire.
12. Get energy out at a trampoline park like Get Air, Sky Zone, or Urban Air.
13. Relax a bit and let your kids play at Kidscape at the Johnson County Museum. The entire exhibit is enclosed in one room.
14. Reach new heights while indoor rock climbing at RoKC.
15. Take the whole family to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
16. Go to open gym to get the wiggles out at a nearby gymnastics studio.
17. Teach the kids how to roller skate at a local rink like Skate City or Winnwood Skate Center.
18. Visit Legoland and let your kids build to their heart’s content.
19. If you’re visiting Legoland your should also visit SeaLife since the combo tickets are a great deal!
20. Decide who makes the best hot chocolate in Kansas City.
21. Catch GloWild at the Zoo before it leaves on December 30.
22. Get crafty at one of Creative Culture’s two locations (and enjoy a fancy milkshake!)
23. Take your little ones to My Play Cafe, Rough and Bumble, Inspired Play Cafe, Nana’s Tiny Town, or Busy Bean Play Cafe.
24. Visit Enchant at Legends Field through December 31.
25. Paint your own ceramics at a local studio like Paint, Glaze, and Fire or Potter’s Haven Art Studio.
26. It might be too cold for the park but your kids can stay warm playing on the play sets at Rainbow of the Heartland.
27. Spend the day at Rush Funplex.
28. Enjoy the giant indoor playground and inflatables at Fun Run in Liberty.
29. Need to get some work done? Check out one of these spots where mom’s work while kid’s play.
30. Take your sports lover to the College Basketball Experience.
31. Bounce the wiggles out at Pump it Up.
32. Check out Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter in Independence.
33. Design your own donut at Donutology or Duck Donuts.
34. Visit the Museum of Illusions at Union Station.
35. Shop for inexpensive craft supplies at Scraps KC.
36. Enroll your kids in a parks and recreation winter camp or sports clinic.
37. Hit the road for a day trip to Lawrence (Up and Away Play is perfect for kids).
38. Take in a KC Mavericks hockey game.
39. Spend the day at Kids Empire. Your receipt lets you come and go all day!
40. Visit the Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
41. Go to one of the best arcades in KC.
42. See Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical at The Coterie at Crown Center.
43. Check out BRKTHROUGH, a social gaming place perfect for older kids and teens.
44. Go to Holiday Reflections at Union Station, kids under 48 inches can ride the mini train for an additional $5.
45. Hire a baby sitter and go on a much-needed date night!
46. Ring in the new year at a noon year’s eve event.
47. Spend a day skiing or tubing at Snow Creek in Weston.
48. Go ice skating at a local indoor or outdoor rink.
49. Visit Ya-Ya’s Alpaca Farm to enjoy the alpacas and the Christmas lights!
50. Learn to play pickleball at Chicken N Pickle or SERV.
51. Experience the Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens.
    

    Free/Cheap Activities

52. Have a movie night with movie theater style snacks.
53. Get a free picture with Santa at Crown Center, Bass Pro Shops, or Cabela’s.
54. Bundle up and take the family on a winter hike.
55. Take a picture with the giant Christmas tree inside Union Station.
56. Play on the holiday playground around the mayor’s Christmas tree at Crown Center.
57. Visit a library with a fun children’s section.
58. Make a homemade snow globe.
59. Explore one of the many nature centers in the metro.
60. Go to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park or the Olathe Community Center for their walk thru light displays.
61. Do one of our driving routes to see the best neighborhood lights.
62. Bundle up and visit a new park (just be aware most of them close their bathrooms in the winter!)
63. Play a new board game at Cardboard Cafe.
64. Make salt dough ornaments.
65. Check out the free indoor play areas at places like the Matt Ross Community Center, Scheels, Foundry Church, and Kaw Prairie Church.
66. Ride the KC Streetcar from the River Market to Union Station.
67. Make a reservation and visit Kaleidoscope to get your craft on.
68. Find your zen with Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube.
69. Plan a family game night.
70. Camp out in the living room and make s’mores in the microwave.
71. Keep your pajamas on all day and have a no screen limits day.
72. Bring your teen to game at The Zone at Indian Creek Library in Olathe.
73. Clean out your closets and donate your items to these KC organizations.
74. Let your kids use paint or markers and turn all those shipping boxes into train cars.
75. Use painter’s tape on your floor to create roads for your toy cars.
76. Let your kids play “the floor is lava.” The Netflix show by that name is also really good.
77. Visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
78. Challenge yourself with this list of 200+ Minute to Win It Games.
79. Build a blanket fort.
80. Bake bread from scratch.
81. Make a sensory bin with things you already have like rice or beans and measuring cups.
82. Set up a water play station for your kids in the sink or bathtub.
83. Introduce your kids to a favorite movie from your childhood.
84. Eat at Spin Pizza or Rock & Brews on a Sunday when kids eat free.
85. Have a screen free day.
86. Make some post-holiday decor by cutting out paper snowflakes to hang up.
87. Go through old family photos.
88. Play flashlight hide and seek.
89. Make a visit to the Money Museum.
90. Paint kindness rocks.
91. Clean out books your kids have outgrown and take them to a little free library.
92. Volunteer as a family.
93. Arrange a playdate swap with a friend.
94. Decorate a gingerbread house (you can often find them discounted after Christmas!)
95. Host a noon years eve party (Netflix has a ball drop video available).
96. Set up a hot chocolate bar.
97. Make a pinecone bird feeder.
98. Set up a card table with a puzzle to work on as a family. Or, set up two puzzles and designate teams and see who can finish theirs first!
99. Drive through Christmas in the Park AFTER the holiday when lines are significantly shorter.
100. Check out the Hallmark Visitors Center.
101. If we get the season’s first big snow, it’s time to check out the best sledding spots in KC!