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Family Friendly Attractions

While Overland Park was named the “Number One Kid-Friendly City” by Zero Population Group in 2001, the entire Kansas City metropolitan area has plenty of wonderful opportunities for children to learn, play and grow through educational attractions, hands-on experiences and family fun.  From seasonal attractions like Worlds of Fun and Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead to live theater geared specifically for kids to unique attractions like Kaleidoscope, everyone can find options to engage their children in entertaining family activities.

The metropolitan area has much to offer fun-loving families no matter what the season. In summer head to the Missouri side in order to visit two amazing amusement parks; Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun. Located on adjacent properties approximately 10 minutes from Downtown Kansas City, visitors can easily spend the entire day at one or both parks. Or stay in Kansas to experience Kansas City’s newest amusement park which opened in 2009.  Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, located in Kansas City (KS), is a 40-acre world-class water park with attractions for the smallest of children to the most daring of adults.

Overland Park has one of the region’s most popular seasonal attractions. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead was named the “Best Kansas City Place for Family Bonding” by Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect in 2008 and is a favorite of adults and kids alike.  Opening in 1976, this turn-of-the-century farm is home to over 200 animals and features a petting zoo, gardens, a one-room schoolhouse, Kwanza Indian Encampment, a mining exhibit, fishing pond, pony rides and horse-drawn hayrides, a new interactive dairy barn and a playground.  The park is open daily from April 1^st to October 31^st and hosts several events throughout the year.

Autumn brings even more unique family-style fun.  Open weekends from Labor Day through Columbus Day, the Kansas City Renaissance Festival has over 500 costumed actors and musicians roaming the grounds, interacting with visitors and transporting you to another time and place.  Watch performances of barbarian battles, sword fights, and jousting or browse through more than 160 shops in this medieval village. The Children’s Realm features a petting zoo, elephant and camel rides, games, rides and daily Knightings by the King.  Or for more traditional fun, visit the Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg (KS).  For over 30 years, a visit here during the fall season has become a tradition for many families. Bring your own family out to experience the fun including a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay castle, petting zoo, fishing hole and more.  And don’t forget the delicious cider!

Even winter has something to offer the adventurous looking for family fun.  Snow Creek, located near Weston (MO), is a series of man-made ski and snowboarding slopes and snow tubing hills with special areas for children and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.  Located in Downtown Kansas City, the Crown Center Ice Terrace is open November through March and is a hometown favorite.  The outdoor rink is open daily so lace up your skates and enjoy. Park Place in Leawood (KS) also has outdoor ice rink. Let the kids skate after lunch or while mom shops in this new entertainment district across from Town Center.

Exciting family activities can be found year-round. You don’t have to limit yourself to the seasons. PowerPlay, located in Shawnee (KS), is an 80,000 square-foot indoor entertainment center featuring go-karts, mini-golf, laser tag, arcade games, bowling, bumper cars and more. In Overland Park, Incred-A-Bowl features a 65,000 square-foot family fun center that includes a miniature golf course and laser tag, in addition to bowling.   Dave & Busters, located at the Legends at Village West in Bonner Springs (KS), is an arcade lovers’ dream featuring over 200 games, from classic to interactive, that will keep you busy for hours before everyone meets for a meal at their on-site restaurant.  Visitors with a need for speed might want to check out Sadlers Indoor Racing which boasts the ultimate go-kart racing experience.  Their indoor tracks are feature high-performance go-karts that reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.

Families who enjoy the theatre will find numerous opportunities in the Kansas City metro area for live performances.   The Theater for Young America has developed dozens of new plays and musicals based on classic children's literature, historical figures and current social issues. The Coterie Theatre, located in Crown Center, was named “One of the Five Best Theatres For Young Audiences in the U.S.” by Time. Their season consists of six productions, half of which are for older kids and adults and the other half for small children and families.  Rainbow’s End Theatre, located at the Gem Theatre, is a multi-cultural theatre group which aims to educate and entertain by shedding light on contemporary issues in today’s society.  Take a step back in time and experience some old-fashioned vaudeville at the Martin City Melodrama in Overland Park.  All productions at the Melodrama are family friendly and bring to life a by-gone art form.  There are also shows produced specifically for children from the Martin City, Jr. Children’s Theatre.  Finally, for something a little different, take in a puppet show at the Puppetry Arts Institute in Independence (MO).  The Institute features a new puppet show every month and also features a puppet museum and puppet making workshops.

For those kids craving something unique, release some creativity at Kaleidoscope located near Crown Center.  Kids ages 5-12 are encouraged to dream big and create whatever their imaginations desire using melted crayons, paper, glue, markers, ribbons, paint and other materials.  At Moon Marble in Bonner Springs (KS), kids get a chance to play with toys their parents or grandparents loved.  The primary focus, however, is marbles.  Watch marbles being made in daily demonstrations and challenge the owner to a game.  Those future farmers in your household might love a trip to Shatto Milk Company in Osborn (MO).  Shatto is a family-run dairy farm, which offers tours of the farm and samples of the delicious products they make.  Children can also learn through hands-on interactive experiences at Wonderscope Children’s Museum in Shawnee (KS).   Wonderscope’s mission is “to spark a lifelong love of learning in children through the power of play.”  They provide fun, dynamic exhibits and programs that integrate the arts, sciences and literature for children 10 and under. 

The Kansas City metropolitan area has many family-friendly options for fun year round depending on your interests and budget. No matter what time of year, everyone is sure to find something to entertain and delight.