Des Moines Indoor Play for Kids!
Please note that many locations are closed are offering modified hours due to COVID-19. Please call and double-check before you go.
A giant list of Des Moines indoor play for kids to run, play and burn off energy during the winter months. Make sure to bookmark our free event calendar for even more events and activities being offered in the Des Moines area.
The Des Moines Parent Indoor Play Guide and printable schedules are sponsored by Rainbow of the Heartland. Learn more about Unplug N Play and their store below.
Rainbow of the Heartland | 2020 Sponsor
3300 SE Crossroads Drive, Grimes, Iowa
Monday – Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$10.00 per child for 2 hours of play
As America’s Most Trusted Brand Name, Rainbow Of The Heartland has been helping families raise Happy, Healthy kids for over 20 years. They are committed to helping families Unplug N Play with their well- built Swing Sets but also offer basketball hoops, trampolines, and athletic surfaces for Residential and Commercial applications.
Pay 2 Play is offered Monday- Friday 10-5. Tennis Shoes are required. Rainbow recommends printing and filling out the waiver to play from their website. The cost is $10 for any child that plays. Punch Cards are available for a reduced rate. Play on several Rainbow Swing Sets, a Trampoline, and a Basketball Court! As a bonus, if its nice out Rainbow lets you play on all their products outside as well! Birthday Parties are also very popular. Take your family to their new showroom and check this place out! Follow their Facebook page www.facebook.com/rainbowofiowa for specials, giveaways, special events, and more.
Adventureland Inn
3200 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Every day; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
FREE
Adventureland Inn is a great Des Moines indoor activity for kids, whether you are visiting Des Moines or staying. The play area is open to guests and the public every day.
Backyard Adventures
3135 99th St, Urbandale, IA 50322
Monday – Friday (No holidays); 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is $5.00 per child age 2 and over
The showroom and party room is another great option for a Des Moines indoor activity. They are open for children and their parents to come to enjoy the great playsets that we sell. Admission is $5 per child over the age of 2. Adults over 18 do not have to pay. You are welcome to play as long as you like during the open play hours.
Groups of 8 or more children please call in advance of coming to open play. There is NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED OUTSIDE THE PARTY ROOM. Footwear is encouraged to be worn by the children. Backyard Adventures provides their party room with tables and chairs for you to have snacks or lunch. Bottled water is included as well as the use of a full-size refrigerator and freezer for any food and drink items you bring. Plain paper plates, napkins, plastic forks, plastic spoons, and plastic cups are also provided.
Des Moines Children’s Museum
Valley West Mall, Lower Level
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$4.50 for children 1-10; Punch cards will be $20 for 5 admissions
No admission is required for children under 1 or adults, but donations are very much appreciated.
Do not miss the first location for the Des Moines Children’s Museum. This is a great place to come play, make-believe, explore and have fun. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for other fun activities including crafts, storytime, live music and more included with admission.
Get Air
3799 86th Street, Urbandale
Toddler Time: Tuesday & Thursday; 10 a.m. to Noon
One hour: $7.99; Two hours: $12.99
This is the perfect way for little jumpers under 46 inches to enjoy Get Air without the big kids. Get Air is open daily for Open Jump for all ages. Hours vary and prices vary.
Grimes Community Center
410 SE Main Street, Grimes Iowa
FREE
Family Open Gym: Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; Noon to 3 p.m.
Kids 10 and under must be directly supervised by an adult. Open to all families and no registration needed.
Bounce & Play: Monday, Wednesday & Friday; 9 a.m. to Noon; Monday & Wednesday; 4 to 7 p.m.
Going stir-crazy at home? Need a place to get out with the little ones? Well, here’s something for you! The Grimes Park and Recreation Department sponsors a weekly Bounce and Play Time for young children and their parent/guardian at the Grimes Community Complex. Families can go between Rooms 201, 203, and the gym. The bounce house is on during morning times only; 10 a.m. to Noon. Check out all the fun we had. All for free.
Hop-A-Lot Rentals Indoors
Merle Hay Mall next to the food court
Phone: 515-255-9620
Monday – Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; $6 per child
Friday- Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; $8.50 per child
Sunday; 12 to 5:30 p.m.
2 years and under (if playing) $5 per child
There will be one big open play area, one party space with two inflatables and another party space with three inflatables. Open play will be open all day and only be closed for large private outings. We had a blast when we visited during winter break.
Imagination Playschool
Pioneer Columbus Community Recreation Center; 2100 SE 5th St., Des Moines
Monday, Wednesday & Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
$1.50 per child
Imagination Playschool is for children age 7 and under to make new friends and play on indoor equipment during cold winter months. It starts in November through March 2020.
Indoor Play Date
Indianola Activity Center; 2204 W 2nd Ave., Indianola
Wednesday 10:30 a.m. to Noon; January 8, 2020 – March 11, 2020
It’s simple! We provide the fun (toys & equipment), you provide the child and supervision! This drop-in program is a perfect opportunity for the little ones to burn off some energy while parents have an opportunity to connect. No pre-registration needed. $1 per child per visit, adults free. For children ages 1 – 5. Note: Playground will be closed on days that Indianola Schools are closed due to inclement weather.
Jester Park Nature Center
12130 NW 128th Street, Granger
Monday – Friday; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday; Noon to 4 p.m.
Free
Explore nature indoors. The Jester Park Nature Center is filled with tons of hands-on activities, books, fish, turtles, puppet theater and more.
Kids Ninja Warrior Gym
10141 Hickman Road, Urbandale
Monday – Friday: Noon to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
$13.50 per hour
Hours listed above are for Open Gym hours. Kids Warrior Gym is for ages 4 to 12 years of age. No one under the age of 4 years is allowed in the gym.
Mid Iowa Gymnastics
3580 SW Brookside Dr, Grimes, IA 50111
Wednesday: Lunch Bunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drop your kids off from 11:00 am with a sack lunch and we’ll take care of the rest! We lead off with playtime in the gym with trampolines, the cargo net, mini balance beams, pre-school bars, obstacle course, and fun gymnastics games. Then we’ll break for lunch, read a story together, and have arts & crafts time before being picked up at 1:00 pm. $12 for members/ $15 for non-members.
Saturday: Open Gym. Preschool: 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. School Age 11 a.m. to Noon. This is a great way to start your Saturday! Open Gym is a chance for your child to have open playtime and be active and have fun. The children can use equipment in the gym including trampolines, bars, cargo climbing net, balance beams, tunnels, mats, and MORE! The hour is unstructured, but we will have staff and coaches present in the gym. $5 per member/ $8 per non-member.
Playground for Kids
2401 SE Tones Dr #7, Ankeny, IA 50021
Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
2-12 years old $8.99
Walkers up to 23 months $5.99
The Playground For Kids was created by local parents with active children. “As parents, we were always trying to find local places to take our children to play where we weren’t handing out quarters the whole time, we were running out of options, so we created The Playground For Kids”. Parents will enjoy watching their children smile as they bounce on our five inflatables and crawl in our enormous Treehouse structure with a triple lane rainbow slide, cork slide, Wacky Ballroom and much more. Check out when we visited.
Sapphire Gymnastics
11401 Meredith Drive, Urbandale
Open Gym: Saturday 1 to 2 p.m.
Open Gym is available for $5 members ages 5-18 and non-members $8 ages 5-14. All participants must have a waiver signed by his/her guardian on file.
During this semi-structured hour of fun, gems will have an opportunity to use the vault, bars, beam, and floor exercise equipment, as well as trampolines and tumble tracks. Staff is available to ensure the safety of participants and provide light spotting.
Preschool Play Date: Monday 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
During this hour of fun, gems will have an opportunity to play in the preschool gym and utilize all of our tot-sized equipment! $5 members; $8 non-members. Parents are required to stay to partner with our staff in keeping their children safe.
Lunch Bunch: Thursday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This is a two-hour drop-off program geared toward helping little ones become independent in a safe and FUN atmosphere. Aside from playing in the gym, we will also complete a craft, read a story, and- of course- eat lunch! $12 member/$15 non-members.
Science Center of Iowa
401 W Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Des Moines
Labor Day-Memorial Day
Sky Zone
1300 SE Gateway Drive, Suite 103, Grimes
Toddler Time: Wednesday & Friday: 10 a.m. to Noon; Saturday: 9 to 10 a.m.
$9 per child – Toddler Time
Toddler Time at Sky Zone is the perfect opportunity to have your children jump and play without the big kids. This is for ages 6 and under and price includes guardian admission. Sky Zone offers open jump times for all ages. Hours and prices vary.
State Historical Museum of Iowa
600 E Locust Street, Des Moines
Monday – Saturday; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
FREE
Discover Iowa’s rich heritage through a variety of exhibitions, tours, collections and unique programs and events throughout the year. The museum has more than 80,000 objects and about 1,500 objects are on exhibit at any given time. More objects are on display in the capitol building and other museums in Iowa. The museum has a great children’s area. Check out our visit.
Triad Gymnastics
2202 SE Creekview Drive, Ankeny
Lunch Bunch: Monday, Wednesday & Friday; 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. OR 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Ages 3-8; $10/students, $15/non-students; 1/2 price for Lunch Bunch 2 if doing both
Home School Open Gym: Tuesday & Thursday; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Ages 3+; $7/child
Parent & Tot: Tuesday & Thursday; 9 to 10 a.m. OR 12 to 1 p.m.
Ages 1-5; $6/student; $8/non-student
Urban Air Adventure Park
Urban Air in Ankeny, Iowa
Monday – Thursday; 4 to 10 p.m.
Friday – Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Various packages are available.
The perfect place to run and play for all ages! Sky glider, trampolines, obstacle courses, TV’s indoor playground, and more.
Jumperoo
Every Wednesday and Friday from 10 am – 12 pm!
Jumperoo is where we open select attractions just for the kiddos ages 5 & younger to play in the park and have FUN! It is $9.99 per child and parents play for free.
Urbandale Swimming Pool
7201 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale
Monday – Thursday: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday & Saturday: 1 to 4 p.m.
2 years and under free with paid adult. $5 for 3 years and older
Burn off some energy in the pool. This is the perfect opportunity for the entire family to enjoy an outdoor activity indoors.
Valley Community Center
4444 Fuller Road, West Des Moines, IA 50265
Monday – Friday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
FREE
The Valley Community Center has so much to offer for everyone! It truly is a warm and cozy place to bring your little ones when it’s cold outside. They have free wi-fi, a warm fireplace, Maplenol Cafe where you can purchase warm drinks and snacks, a large jungle gym where your children will spend hours playing! They also offer a variety of classes for a small fee of $5. Check out their schedule full of events and activities for all ages. You can also check out all the fun on our event calendar.
Waukee Tot Lot
Fox Creek Pavillion; 522 NE Westgate Drive, Waukee Iowa
Tuesday 5 to 7 p.m. and Wednesday 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
$1 per child per day
Head over to the Waukee at the Public Works Building for some indoor free fun for your little one. Let the kids run off steam and play where it’s warm.
Wells Fargo History Museum
666 Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa
Monday – Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on bank holidays)
First Saturday of every month; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
FREE
Explore some fun exhibits including a stagecoach, telegraph machine, drive-thru bank and more. Take a look at a review from when mom visited.
UPDATED: March 3, 2020
Thanks for the great ideas – I’d love to win!
Thanks for the great ideas!
Our favorite thing to do indoors in the winter is go to the mall. Thanks for the list, I think we need to expand our horizons a bit!
Favorite indoor activity is taking my three boys to Skyzone to burn off all their energy!!
We have fun trying out places we haven’t been to or have only been to a few times. We usually stick to places where they can burn off some energy if possible! The Playground for Kids was great when they were a little younger and now they really like SkyZone, especially in the winter!
We love the Valley Community Center. Can’t wait to check out some of these other ideas.
Sounds fun!
We love the science center in winter!
We love to go skating in the winter. But I’m excited to try some of these indoor choices too.
Have a toddler and have not had to look for toddler friendly activities in a long time! This is helpful!
Thank you for the list
I so appreciate these lists of things you do in central Iowa. Some days, you just gotta get out of the house, no matter the weather!
Fun! I have a 7 yr old and a 2 yr old who are both very active! We will definitely be using this list a lot!
Great options!! Thank you 🙂
Our favorite winter indoor activity is visiting the Urbandale library!
Can’t wait to check women of these out!
Meant to say can’t wait to check some of these out! Lol
Great list, thanks for putting together!
What a great list! Thank you for the suggestions!
What a great prize package!
So many fun ideas here! Thanks!
Great list of ideas!
One of my favorite things to do came from one of your ideas! Walking the skywalk! I found the idea at such a perfect time for our family and as simple as it was, it really rejuvenated me.
Triad Lunch Bunch is great!
Great List!
Our favorite thing is sledding at the big hill at the Ashley Oakland Star Playground on East Mckinley Avenue! 🙂
We love the science center in the winter.
Love these! Thank you so much
Thank you so much
Love the list! Great ideas and some new places
We love sledding and playing in the snow. But these are some great alternatives for indoor fun!!
We love to visit the West Des Moines library and the Science Center when it’s cold.
What a fun place to find out all the good stuff going on in Des moines !
What a great round up thank you
This is great! We will be trying the Children’s museum and the tot skate sometime this winter!
In the winter we like to go to Monkey Joe’s or other indoor inflatable places.
Being new to the area, our favorite thing to do so far in Winter is Pump It Up and Chuck E Cheese. SkyZone is on our bucket list 🙂 Thank you for this great website and activities list!