Day Trips with the Kids

A museum for all ages
The Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City, MO is probably one of the best places to spend your day with your kids. The museum recommends its collections to everyone over 5 years old who still like toys, but kids under 5 will be admitted for free. The admission fees are between $5 and $7 and everyone under 16 years old must come with an adult. The museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and all major holidays.

As a general rule, most of the exhibits date to the late 19th century and many of them are made by artists that are still alive.

Legoland Discovery Center is aimed at kids, but loved by everyone
Legoland Discovery Center is a place aimed for kids between 3 and 10 years old but anyone can visit daily between 10 AM and 8 PM (Sunday through Thursday) or till 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The last admission is accepted 2 hours before the closing times.

A typical visit lasts for 2-3 hours, but you can stay longer than this. The admission fee is $19 for adults and $15 for kids over 3 years old, however if you buy tickets online, you get a discount.

Visits during spring and autumn
Carolyn's Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch is a perfect day trip throughout October, for the whole family, especially those with kids. The pumpkin patch opens in mid-September and can be visited between 10am and 7pm and is easiest accessible to Kansas City's residents. The farm can be visited in spring as well.

There are different admission fees depending on your age, if you have a pass and so on. The lowest it can be is free and the most it can cost is $50 for a pass for the whole family, for the whole season.

See the magic of chocolate at work
Chip's Chocolate Factory must be a kid's dream place to spend the day at, or a part of it. Located in Kansas City Crown Center Area it's really easy to reach by anyone stopping and visiting the city. This chocolate factory is a good destination for the whole family young or old, school or elderly groups and more. Everyone visiting will learn about how chocolate comes to be and will even see it being made.

A visit lasts some 45 minutes and it's best to announce your arrival beforehand. The factory can be visited between 10:30 am and 5 pm and a $5 fee is applied to the groups that have at least 10 people.

No matter your age, learn a thing or two about peace
Teaching your child about peace can't be easy, but a day trip to the Children's Peace Pavilion can work wonders in this regard. This is a museum dedicated to children between the ages of 5 and 11. The museum is a non-profit organization and the admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

It can't be visited Saturdays through Mondays nor during major holidays. The method used to teach the notion of “peace” are non-traditional and everyone can benefit from a visit here.

Visit alone or with the family
The Adventure Oasis Water Park welcomes visitors from everywhere, but there are preferential entrance fees for the residence of Independence. The fees start at $6 for the elderly and under 13 years old residents and go up to $25 for a family of four, of non-residents. The residents can also buy a season pass that costs between $24 and $105.

The facility is open only during summer, usually starting at 11 am till 8 pm, or 6pm if it's a holiday. 

Explore a cave and learn more about it too
Many kids love the caves and the Talking Rock Cavern is the right place to take them to especially if they want to learn more about them.

The tickets cost $6 for students up to the 12th grade, $10 for adults while the accompanying teachers and bus driver enter for free. If you're not part of a group, the prices are $18 without tax for everyone over 13 years old, free for those under 3 years old and kids in-between will pay $10 with no tax. The caves can be visited daily between 9 am and 6 pm.

Various attractions and learning
There are many things to do and to see at the Grant's Farm like watching an animal show, feeding some goats or learn a little history as well. Whatever you might want to learn related to the animals, you will learn through an entertainment show. 

Each attraction has its own schedule and the admission fees depend on the attraction. For instance, a ride on the Grant's Farm carousel costs $2 per person. 

A science lovers' paradise
If your kid is interested in science, then he will love the Saint Louis Science Center and he won't want to leave the place. This is a museum with free admission that can be visited between 9:30AM and 5:30 PM with Sundays being opened at 11 AM. There are a few activities that will require a ticket though, such as the educational shows or family workshops.

Visitors will learn about dinosaurs, outer space and much more.