Kansas City Experience Gifts for Kids
Is your home overflowing with toys, craft supplies, and kid STUFF? Consider gifting the kid in your life a special experience! Experience gifts are on the rise this year and families everywhere are looking for something special to experience with their kids. It could be a family day out, a year-long membership, or a special one-on-one activity. Whether you live in Kansas City or just visit on occasion, there are tons of ways to experience the city with kids. I love gifting a book with an experience gift so the recipient still has something tangible and we can use it to discuss the experience. I’ve shared my Experience Gift + Book Pairings throughout the guide!
Here are some of my top picks for Kansas City experience gifts for kids and families!
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Kansas City is fortunate to have the Pogo Pass available in our city! This special pass is your ticket to over 30 attractions throughout the Kansas City metro including Wonderscope Children’s Museum, RoKC, the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, Urban Air, Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter, Science City, and SO many more. Each person in the family needs a pass which will serve as your ticket into each venue on the Pogo Pass list.
You get one free admission to each location and your Pogo Pass expires one year after you redeem your pass. There is a simple and easy-to-use app to keep track of your passes and what attractions you have visited. This is one of my family’s favorite ways to explore a little bit of everything in Kansas City!
The Pogo Pass KC retails for $100 each, but you can use code KIDSINKC for 50% off your Pogo Passes! If you want to read more about Pogo Pass KC, I wrote a detailed blog answering everyone's most frequently asked questions.
Keep an eye out for Black Friday sales on the Pogo Pass where you can typically save an additional $5 per pass!
Book Pairings:
Santa is Coming to Kansas City - Steve Smallman
2. Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
If you live in Kansas City, visiting the zoo is a must each year! We like to plan at least one visit each season because the animals and nature look different throughout the year. A Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium membership allows you to visit the zoo and aquarium as many times as you like throughout the year! This works really well for our family because we can focus on visiting one section of the zoo each trip instead of trying to cram it all in every visit.
If you don’t live in Kansas City, consider gifting single-day tickets to the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium! The brand-new aquarium is stunning and is included in your admission. There are different tiers of memberships but I highly recommend getting at least the Premier Family membership for unlimited rides on the carousel, tram and trains each visit. A family gift of a zoo membership will delight everyone!
A single visit to the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is included in the Pogo Pass KC!
Book Pairings:
T-Rex and Tuck Explore the Zoo - Katie Marie (ages 4 - 8)
Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell (ages 1- 3)
Zoo Day - Anne Rockwell (ages 4 - 8)
The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids - Ginjer Clarke (ages 3 - 9)
3. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City
If you have a LEGO loving kid, tickets to LEGOLAND Discover Center in Kansas City are a must! Gifting tickets or a membership with a LEGO set at Christmas is the perfect way to gift a tangible item with an experience gift. Daily tickets start at $19.99 and memberships at $49.99! Getting a dual membership to SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND is a great way to experience both attractions throughout the year. They often have special events for holidays and a membership allows you to visit for free!
Book Pairings:
The LEGO Ideas Book - Simon Hugo (ages 6 - 9)
LEGO City 5-Minute Stories - Random House (ages 5 - 9)
What is LEGO? - Jim O’Connor (ages 8 - 12)
4. SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium
SEA LIFE in Kansas City is located in the Crown Center district making it an amazing destination for families. You can visit the aquarium then explore the shops at Crown Center or the free Show Place exhibits for kids, get creative at Kaleidoscope, and enjoy LEGOLAND for the perfect weekend in Kansas City!
The SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium usually takes our family anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour to explore. It’s a smaller aquarium so I recommend pairing it with another activity to get the most out of your time in the Crown Center district. My best tip is to visit SEA LIFE right when it opens, grab lunch at Crown Center, pack a picnic to eat on the terrace, and then spend the rest of the afternoon at LEGOLAND! Dual pass memberships to SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND are the best bargain but single-day or a dual pass day tickets make great gifts as well.
Book Pairings:
Weird But True: Ocean - National Geographic Kids (ages 8 - 12)
Clark the Shark - Bruce Hale (ages 3 - 6)
The Rainbow Fish - Marcus Pfister (ages 1 - 5)
5. Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter
My kids ask multiple times a week if we can visit Kanga’s. It is one of their favorite places in Kansas City! Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter in Independence features a giant indoor playcenter, a toddler section, a swinging boat ride, rock wall climbing, a bounce house, and plenty of space to play. If you have children from toddlers up to pre-teens, Kanga’s pleases everyone. One of the best gifts to give your wiggly kids is a multi-visit pass to Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter!
Passes and tickets are only available in person at their Independence location - 19700 E Jackson Drive Ste G Independence
A single visit to the Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter is included in the Pogo Pass KC!
Book Pairings:
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? - Eric Carle (ages 4 - 8)
That’s Not My Kangaroo - Fiona Watt (ages 1 -3)
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Kangaroo - Jennifer Bove (ages 4- 8)
6. Wonderscope Children’s Museum
Hands-on learning at Wonderscope Children’s Museum is a MUST in Kansas City! This children’s museum has it all: water play, dress-up, a covered wagon, outdoor play spaces, engineering, sports, and so much more. I specifically love that Wonderscope is fun for children as young as 6 months! The baby and toddler section features a gate, changing area, lots of floor and wall play, and even stroller parking. We’ve been visiting Wonderscope for years and a membership for our family of four pays for itself after just 3 visits! Give the gift of learning AND fun with Wonderscope Children’s Museum tickets or a membership.
Want more info on Wonderscope? Check out this blog I wrote about it!
A single visit to Wonderscope is included in the Pogo Pass KC!
Book Pairings:
Water WOW! - Melissa & Doug (ages 3 - 5)
National Geographic Kids Everything Sports - Eric Zweig (ages 8 - 12)
The Yellow Bus - Loren Long (ages 3 - 7)
7. Local Play Cafe Membership
Kansas City is home to multiple play cafes located all throughout the metro. A Play Cafe is a place for young children to explore, play, and socialize while parents enjoy time to connect with a friend over coffee or maybe even get a little work done! My kids love play cafes and exploring the new toys. It’s kind of like hosting a play group at your house but you aren’t destroying your home simultaneously. WIN!
Check out Inspired Play Cafe in Overland Park, MY Play Cafe (3 locations), Rough and Bumble in Bonner Springs, or Busy Bean Play Cafe in Liberty! Each have membership options, daily tickets or giftcards.
A single visit to MY Play Cafe is included in the Pogo Pass KC!
Book Pairings:
What Do People Do All Day? - Richard Scarry (ages 2 - 5)
Aesop’s Fables - Aesop (ages 3 - 8)
Hello, Baby Animals: Black and White Board Book for Babies - Duopress Labs (ages 0 - 2)
8. Rainbow of the Heartland
Picture this: an outdoor playset showroom where kids can play and test out the equipment. That’s Rainbow of the Heartland in Olathe, KS! This unique indoor playspot allows kids to explore and get out their energy on these high quality jungle gyms, play sets, trampolines, and basketball courts. My kids always love visiting Rainbow of the Heartland! I love the indoor play option especially on freezing or rainy days. They offer punchcards so you can save money on your visits! Grab one of these punchcards or a single day pass when you visit their Olathe location.
A single pass to Rainbow of the Heartland is included in the Pogo Pass KC!
Book Pairings:
Paint by Sticker Kids: Rainbows Everywhere! - Workman Publishing (ages 5 - 8)
Raindrops to Rainbow - John Micklos Jr. (ages 3 - 5)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Rainbow Colors - Eric Carle (ages 0 - 3)
9. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead
One of the most affordable memberships in this Kansas City experience gift guide for kids is one of our favorites: Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Open from April-October, we visit Deanna Rose multiple times a year. This was the first membership we bought when we moved to Kansas City and was especially great for having little ones. This is one of my top picks if you have babies or toddlers who like to roam! Daily tickets are only $5 each and a family membership for up to 5 children is only $50! Snag a membership now so you will be ready when the Farmstead opens in the spring.
Book Pairings:
Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder (ages 5 - 10)
Big Red Barn - Margaret Wise Brown (ages 1- 4)
The Three Billy Goats Gruff - Paul Galdone (ages 2 - 5)
10. Union Station Kansas City
The most iconic attraction in all of Kansas City has to be Union Station. It offers stunning architecture, history around every corner, a free mini-train exhibit, stunning national exhibits, and two excellent kid-friendly experiences.
Science City and the Planetarium are included in a Union Station membership. Visit each of these attractions all throughout the year for an excellent price. With a Union Station membership, you also save money on the Bank of American exhibits like the previous Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing! exhibit and current Disney 100 exhibit.. Union Station is also part of the ASTC network of national museums, so by having a Union Station membership you can get into tons of other museums for a discount or free!
Book Pairings:
Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids - Christina Shul (ages 5 - 9)
ABCs of Science - Chris Ferrie (ages 0 - 3)
Steam Train, Dream Train - Sherri Duskey Rinker (ages 2 - 5)
Experience gifts give you the gift of creating memories together. If you want to have incredible experiences with your children throughout the year, I highly recommend these Kansas City experience gifts and book pairings!
Looking for more fun in Kansas City? Check out my free A-Z Adventure Guide in Kansas City!
11/16/2023 - Gabrielle Isom
photographs are copyright of kidsinkc
