Finding things to do for teens during Kansas City’s winter months can be difficult sometimes, as it seems most activities are geared toward toddler and elementary aged children. But, KC actually offers a multitude of entertainment and options for teens and pre-teens.
This guide will help your teen look up from the phone, cure some winter boredom and have fun all at once! Parents might even receive a few cool points for organizing an out-of-the-box mode of entertainment, although don’t expect your teen to admit it out loud.
Entertaining Your Teen During the Winter in Kansas City
Play Games
Book a round of indoor mini golf and dinner at Sinkers Lounge or Puttery. Kids are welcome!
Spend a few hours at Main Event or Dave & Buster’s to enjoy arcade games, laser tag or bowling. With several locations around the metro, there is sure to be one close enough for a fun afternoon.
BRKTHROUGH and Activate are the newest versions of escape rooms that blend brain puzzles with physical activity. It is fun for the whole family!
Cardboard Corner is a board game cafe that also serves delicious treats while you play. Win-win!
Blade & Timber Axe Throwing provides an experience your teen won’t soon forget.
Have a glow in the dark outing during Xtreme Bowl at Summit Lanes.
For only $7 enjoy unlimited classic arcade games at Draftcade in Zona Rosa.
Escape to an alternate reality at Flipswitch VR in the Crossroads, Double Tap KC or Sandbox VR in Leawood.
Grab a group of teens or organize a family outing for wholesome fun at Game Show Battle Rooms.
Designed with kids in mind, Tick Tock Escape Rooms is the perfect winter activity. Nothing scary, only mysterious puzzles can be found in the multiple rooms available.
Although outside, the generous heaters at Top Golf make this a year-round destination, especially for teen outings.
Enjoy a more upscale bowling and bocce experience at Pinstripes.
K1 Speed Go Karts has a teen league where racers can fulfill their need for speed!
Star Wars fans, the Galactic Saber League will be your new KC headquarters! Offering classes and leagues where teens can participate in choreographed lightsaber classes, duels or take on others in strategic tabletop games, this is a one-of-a-kind destination.
The Rush Funplex in the Northland provides rock climbing, go carts, pool, bumper cars and a ton of other activities where teens can run wild.
Similarly, Power Play has many of the same attractions as well as indoor carnival rides, axe throwing and a laser maze.
Go Outside
YaYa’s Alpaca Farm is the perfect place for animal lovers to see a working agribusiness.
Spend a day at Snow Creek in Weston, Missouri skiing, snowboarding and tubing.
The Penguin March at the Kansas City Zoo is the perfect excuse to watch adorable penguins waddle through the zoo during select weekends.
Take a winter hike through Burr Oak Woods, Parkville Nature Sanctuary or the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens on a nice day to connect with nature. Bonus, many areas are pretty enough for the ‘gram (translation for the old folks: Instagram).
Visit the Ice at Park Place for skating, followed by a little shopping at Pink Antlers and some hot chocolate from Outta the Blue.
Head to Bar K with your four-legged friends for some socialization and play time.
Get Moving
RoKC Climbing Gym will definitely expend some energy. It has two locations, one in North Kansas City and the other in Olathe. Rendzvous Climbing Gym is another great way to learn bouldering and release endorphins.
The College Basketball Experience is an interactive exhibit where ballers can shoot hoops and learn a little about the history of the game.
Chicken N Pickle provides an entire day’s worth of fun, including pickleball, yard games, ping pong tables, a temporary skating rink and great food! SERV is another alternative for a round of pickleball.
Watch them take flight at iFLY, where they will learn gravity defying tricks.
Sign up for a teen specific aerial acrobatic class at Learning to Fly.
Glow events at Sky Zone locations in Shawnee or Lee’s Summit are perfect for teens to feel like the can act like a kid but in a more teen-centered setting.
Release some tension and have fun smashing stuff at Rage! KC.
Visit an indoor ice skating rink at Line Creek Community Center.
Book a round of laser tag at Jaeger’s Paintball and Laser Tag.
Learn Something
Explore the WWI Museum in the heart of the city. Afterward, ride the streetcar after to Buffalo State Pizza Company for a few slices.
Visit the Negro League’s Baseball Museum to learn an important part of history.
Take a pottery class. Learn to spin a pot or craft a ceramic masterpiece at Driftwood Ceramics.
Create a custom candle at Embers Candle Bar.
Sign up for a “Kids in the Kitchen Class” at the Culinary Center of Kansas City in Overland Park.
Take a Hallmark Cards Tour. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the card-making process and then head to Halls for some fancy shopping.
Learn to make sushi or decorate beautiful cookies during a class at Taste Buds Kitchen.
Book a tour of Chips Chocolate Factory in Crown Center. It also comes with ample tastings!
Blow their minds with fascinating optical illusions at the Museum of Illusions.
Learn the sport of curling at the Kansas City Curling Club.
Buy tickets to a show at the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station.
Take advantage of the equipment in the Johnson County Library’s MakerSpace. Items like 3D printers, laser cutters and sound equipment are just a few of the things open to use for free!
The Olathe Public Library also has an entire section dedicated to teens where they can game, find age appropriate reading materials and hang out with others their age.
Enjoy the Arts
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts often plays popular films while the orchestra plays the movie’s score live. Black Panther, Star Wars, Princess Bride and Indian Jones are examples of movies previously shown and performed.
Walk in to Creative Culture for a workshop, a creative project and most importantly an over-the-top indulgent milkshake.
Reserve a ticket to browse the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Enjoy modern art at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art with a stop at Oil on Lemon for lunch or brunch.
Give Back
Volunteer at Wayside Waifs or KC Pet Project to make a difference.
Find one of the many Harvester’s volunteer opportunities, and give back to those in need.
Organize a group of teens to make “Happy Kits’ for Children’s Mercy patients.
Check out a more extensive list of places to volunteer here.
Eat Somewhere Special
Satisfy everyone’s specific palette at Parlor or Strang Hall, then hang in the common areas to enjoy the chef-driven food.
Donutology in Westport is always a unique spot where their imagination and taste buds can run wild. Take home one of their DIY Donut kids for fun at home afterward!
The Melting Pot at the Country Club Plaza provides a fun and interactive experience the whole family will love.
Fat Sully’s in Westport is a great place to grab a NY style slice, and hop over to Frozen Gold afterward for a sweet treat.
Something Only Teens Could Understand
A self-described interactive art location, Selfie Wrld Kansas City, is where Gen Zer’s can pose with friends amongst the coolest of Instagrammable backgrounds. Equipped with a bluetooth remote to help snap those pics, tickets are for one hour, and teens can snap as many photos as their hearts desire.
Share your favorite places in KC in the comments, and let’s collectively cure the winter boredom for our teens and pre-teens!
