There are so many great kids activities in Springfield, MO, for the whole family to enjoy. Whether you are looking to explore the outdoors or find indoor entertainment for your energetic kids, you will definitely find a few great options on this list.
The Best 42 Kids Activities in Springfield MO
1. Swimming in Springfield’s Top Places To Swim
Our kids LOVE swimming and are entertained for most of the day by visiting a fantastic pool. Check out this post to find the Top 11 Places to Swim in Springfield, MO, and Surrounding Areas.
2. Check out a Springfield, MO Swimming Hole
Check out a Springfield, MO Swimming Hole to jump in, go fishing, skip rocks, and have a picnic! Here is a list of the Top 5 Swimming Holes in Springfield MO
Dickerson Park Zoo is a great place to take kids. They can see 100s of different animals while getting exercise walking through the park. They have opportunities to feed some of the animals, a train ride, a playset, a splash pad (available seasonally), and a café for lunch or snacks during your visit. Check out HERE for more things to do with toddlers in Springfield MO
4. Springfield Conservation Nature Center
We love to walk through the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. We recently discovered you could check out a kid’s Discovery bag at the front desk of the nature center. It has activities for kids to do along the way. Our bag had bird calls, binoculars, crayons to discover leaf prints, and so much more! My kids thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. It doubled great as a homeschool field trip for us! They also have kids’ events throughout the year to teach them different things about nature throughout the seasons.
Fantastic Caverns is a ride-thru cave where families can ride Jeep-drawn trams while experiencing the magnitude, the stillness, and the beauty of all of the natural features in the Caverns.
Rutledge Wilson Park is a unique park that has a playset and a petting zoo as well! Rutledge is my daughter’s favorite park, and she begs to go at least 3x a week. She loves seeing all the animals and petting them too! All of the animals are so gentle and great for kids of any age.
7. Visit One of The Best Parks In Springfield, MO
We love to visit all of the local parks. It is an excellent place for the kids to run around, play on the playsets, make friends, go on walks, play frisbee, kick around a ball, practice sports and explore each of their unique natural features. Here is a list of the Top 7 Best Parks In Springfield MO
8. Walking Trails In Springfield, MO
Did you know Springfield, MO has over 140 MILES of walking trails? I was shocked to find we have so many excellent courses! Our family loves to go on walks, runs, biking, take our scooters and explore the trails as we get some fresh air. Here is a list of the 6 Best Walking Trails in Springfield, MO.
Jordan Valley Park is so fun because they not only has a splash fountain for families to enjoy, but it also has a playground and wide grass spots that are perfect for picnics, and it attaches a walking trail that connects to Springfield’s walking trail system.
Japanese Stroll Gardens is the oldest attraction at the Springfield Botanical Gardens. It is a 7.5-acre garden with a large koi lake, moon bridge, meditation garden, tea house, and traditional Japanese garden landscaping.
Kayaking can be a fun way to enjoy the outdoors while in Springfield. Go floating, throw a line out to fish, or just hang out with your family. Here is a list of places to Float in the Ozarks
12. Caving
Growing up, my friends and family always went caving often. Our version of caving is walking through caves, occasionally swimming through them, and exploring the unique adventure that comes through investigating the views of natural caves. Ritter Springs and Sequiota Park both offer caves that are available to the public.
13. Visit One of The Top Dog Park In Springfield, MO
Bring your family and fur babies to enjoy a leash-free park together.
14. Go Fishing
Living in a farming country, you have probably had your fair share of fishing, but it can be such a fun family activity! A few of our favorite public places to go are Fellows Lake, Valley Watermill, and McDaniel Lake.
One of Springfield, MO’s most popular attractions is Wonders of Wildlife. Looking at all the different kinds of fish, petting the stingrays, and swimming with the sharks, can not get more fun for the whole family. Wonders of Wildlife isn’t only fun to look out for; there is so much to learn about each animal. Wonder’s of Wildlife makes not only a fun family outing, but it also doubles as a learning field trip too!
16. Discovery Center of Springfield
Discovery Center is secretly one of my favorite things! Science centers are entertaining for not only the kids but parents too! Between walking on a human-sized hamster wheel, laying on a bed of nails, digging for dinosaurs, finding their shadow, and learning new things, we all had a blast. I started taking my kids at about one-year-old in their small kids’ area, and they loved it; and it has been fun for each of them up to me as their mom! Discovery Center is fun for a day out, but we also as a homeschool field trip.
Jump Mania is perfect for kids with lots of energy. It is full of bounce houses for your kids to run and play in. They have a designated section for the smaller kids so they don’t get intimidated by the older kids, but parents are encouraged to play with their kids in any of the bounce houses. They also have a concession stand you can eat snacks and lunch, a spot you can reserve for birthday parties, and a sign-up so you can come and go throughout the day.
Although I thought the Springfield Art Museum would be difficult with small kids, this is fun for all ages. I have taken kids as young as two, and they all enjoyed it. There were so many things for them to explore and a small play area at the end. There is so much art and culture to learn about; it makes the perfect learning and family outing.
19. Chesterfield Family Center
Our family LOVES getting the Chesterfield Family Center membership. We have gone throughout my kid’s life with their yearly membership as well as their day pass. There is so much to do! They have exercise classes, a gym, indoor and outdoor walking trails, a basketball court, a pool with slides, a lap pool, a hot tub, a workout gym for adults, ping pong tables, and a fun daycare for the kids. Typically my kids are not fans of public daycares and don’t last more than a few minutes, but at Chestfield, they are begging never to leave! We used to get the yearly membership and go daily, but now we take advantage of their day passes when we are ready to get out of the house and enjoy some family fun. You can check out a list of the most recommended fitness center in Springfield, MO, with Childcare HERE.
Our family also loves YMCA. It is very similar to Chesterfield in its offers but has additional amenities for your family to enjoy. They have a pool, hot tub, daycare, HUGE selection of guided workout classes, workout gym, walking trail, sauna, steam room, basketball court, and more! They offer flexible yearly passes as well as day passes for your family to enjoy.
21. Recreational Center Gym
Several recreational centers around Springfield have free access to their gyms. My kids love to check out a ball and throw it around, try to make baskets, and get so much energy out!
Our kids love going to Bass Pro Shops just to look at the fish. They have a variety of large fish tanks, turtles, alligators to look at, and various family events throughout the year. It is connected to Wonders of Wildlife and Hemingway’s for more family fun and great food.
We visited the jungle gym for a birthday party recently, and my kids had a blast! They never wanted to leave! The jungle gym is geared towards toddlers and young kids. It has a sandpit, indoor slide, swings, and many toys for the kids to play in.
Itty Bitty City is also geared towards toddlers and young kids. With indoor playsets and activities throughout.
25. Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
Urban Air is geared towards older kids. It is filled with trampolines, obstacle courses, and more. It is so much fun! They also have concessions for everyone to snack on while having fun.
26. Battlefield Mall Playground
Desperate times call for desperate measures. When becoming a mom, I never thought I would want to take young kids to the mall, but it is fun with the Battlefield Mall Playground! It is geared towards toddlers and young kids, but it has small climbing equipment for them to play and they can make a few friends too! Click HERE for more indoor playgrounds in Springfield MO
Chuck E. Cheese has been around for what seems like forever. They have so many games and fun for young kids, a few games for older kids, and an indoor playset and slide for them to climb in. BONUS, they have great pizza and prizes for playing too! I love how they guard invisible stamp ink on each child and parent’s hand and guard the entrance to give parents a little more peace of mind about letting the kids play without worrying as much that they will wander off.
Incredible pizza is fun for all ages. They have so much to do for toddlers, young kids, older kids, teenagers, and even adults. There are so many games, bumper cars, go-carts, movies to watch in their seating area, and unlimited food, soda, and dessert!
1984 brings you back to the “retro” arcades with 70-80 arcade video games and 15+ pinball machines popular in the 1970-1990s. It is enjoyable for the whole family while your kids try something new!
Zenith Climbing Center is equipped with Walltopia rock climbing walls and a yoga studio. There are walls for various difficulties so the whole family can get a workout in and practice their climbing skills. They also have equipment rentals for you to rent as you enjoy the sport.
Andy B has various fun activities for the whole family, including unlimited bowling, arcade, virtual reality games, laser tag, and more. They also offer a variety of food and drinks to enjoy while playing.
Jordan Valley Ice Park offers public skating, figure skating, and hockey to the public. They also have recreational and competitive ice teams for entertainment and lessons and leagues for all ages.
Springfield Skateland offers roller skating for kids and families. They have skate rentals for all ages.
Sunshine Lanes offers bowling to the whole family. They have shoe rentals and equipment for kids that make bowling available for all ages.
GloGolf is an indoor glow-in-the-dark mini-golf. My husband and I went with our three kids (under 5), and we all had a blast. All the kids, including my 2-year-old, had fun trying to put the ball.
Doling Family Center is a fitness center with fitness classes, daycare, a zero-entry pool, a gym, a basketball court, and walking trails. They offer daily passes as well as yearly family memberships.
The Library Station can be a fun and relaxing indoor activity in Springfield, MO. Snuggle up with a good book, browse the books shelves, and kids can play on their train, computer games, and events for kids throughout the month.
I absolutely love Ritter Spring Parks for how beautiful and spacious it is! It offers a variety of activities to do there as well! It is a 246-acre park with creeks to splash in, multiple play sets that are perfect for all ages, several walking trails for your family to enjoy, caves to explore, archery targets to practice, BBQ grills to have a picnic, and much more! Most of the park is shaded, making it the perfect playground to visit on hot summer days.
39. Lake Springfield Park and Boathouse
Lake Springfield is such a fun way for your kids to enjoy nature and connect with wildlife. Lake Springfield is a 153-acre park with lake views, bird watching, playground, trails, pavilion, picnic tables, and more! Families are welcome to fish, as well as rent canoes, paddleboards, and kayaks. My kid’s favorite part is that we always see so many animals in their natural habitat. It is beautiful! We always see deer, fish, geese, ducks, squirrels, and many more! Lake Springfield has charming scenery surrounded by the park, woodland scenery, and lookout views along the walking trails.
Phelps Grove is so fun if you are planning to have a picnic! They have all the necessities for a perfect family picnic park, including brick BBQs for public access, pavilions, a trail around the park, and playsets. It is such a beautiful shaded park! They also have a wading pool for kids, a water-wise garden, and a tennis court.
If you are looking for a country-style park Lost Hill Park is a gem! It is a 60-acre scenic park with a playground, trail, picnic tables, a creek to splash in, beautiful scenery, and even an old barn!
42. Outdoor Photography Adventure
As a photographer, I, of course, had to add this one. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to create a photography adventure. The best part is you can find someone else to do the planning for you! Families often come to me looking for an outdoor experience with their family but don’t want the stress. I find the most beautiful locations, help find the BEST outfits that you are comfortable in, and love and capture your family playing, exploring, and spending time together candidly. You not only get a fun time together, but you will also receive a beautiful gallery of photos you will cherish forever. You can find more information on what I offer HERE.
There are so many fun and entertaining kid’s activities in Springfield MO, for the whole family to enjoy! I hope this list helps you on your next adventure with your family.
Looking for more family-friendly things to do? Check out some of the most popular blogs for more ideas.
Top Toddler Activities In Springfield MO
