The kids are excited (and frankly, I am too!) for Spring Break — days off to relax and enjoy the warm weather.
But what to do, what to do? No worries – there’s a TON of fun things to enjoy during Spring Break in Kansas City without spending a penny. Here’s a list of FREE activities & attractions that will entertain the whole family:
St. Patrick’s Day Fun
Spring break holidays are kicked-off by the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Take the kids out to one of the parades — Brookside 32nd Annual Warm-up Parade is March 16th and the 39th Annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is March 17th.
You might also enjoy a visit to the Irish Center of Kansas City, located at Union Station where you can enjoy a children’s touch table, cultural books and some Irish music.
Nature & Animal Exploration
Burr Oak Woods Nature Center always has some wonderful workshops for the kids. You’ll also enjoy some great trail hikes, hands-on exhibits and see quite a few nature animals during your visit.
Grab some apples or carrots and head out to feed the bison & elk at the Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure in Fleming Park (kids really LOVE this activity)!
Ernie Miller Nature Center is another great place to spend some time during the break. They offer a hands-on activity room, great native animal exhibits, hiking trails and a fun scavenger hunt (pick it up in the main lobby). During Spring Break, they are also hosting nature workshops each day (a small fee applies for these sessions).
Play, Play, Play
Funville, the newest exhibit at Crown Center, entices kids to explore ‘what will I be when I grow up’! Kids ages 2 – 8 will enjoy surfing, riding and crawling their way through many interactive areas.
Kidscape at the Johnson County Museum is also a very popular choice. With a pint-size town, children are encouraged to play and create at the theater, park, farm, bookstore and more!
If you are looking for a more creative way to play, stop by Kaleidoscope for one of their family art sessions which are being held all week. Kids love to explore and make art during their visit.
Tour a Museum
We have some wonderful museums in Kansas City, all with free admission. Spend a day traveling through history at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. They have outstanding kids guides for some of their more popular exhibits.
See a million dollars and learn about money at the Federal Money Museum. Or play art critic at one of our contemporary museusm — the Kemper Museum in Kansas City or the Nerman Museum at JCCC.
Day Trips & Travel
If you’re planning to do some traveling over break, you’ll find lots of tips and tricks in our ABC’s of Family Field Trips series — ideas of places to visit, road trip tips and fun ways to explore with the kids.
We also have a few suggestions for some great adventures – tigers, dinosaurs, traveling through history – review 6 Edventures for less than $6 for some frugal day trip ideas.
And visit KCEdventures for detailed guides to many more Kansas City attractions.
This post is by my friend Jacquie Fisher who is the author and curator of KCEdventures. KC Edventures is an online resource that provides parents & grandparents with ideas to keep kids creative, curious and connected to the world around them. (In my speak, they give you ideas that combine hands-on, with books, and places to go in Kansas City.)