Winter Fun for Everyone!
Indoor Fun:
1. Willston Fitness Center in Mtka - 14509 Minnetonka Drive in Minnetonka. Phone: 952-939-8370. Cost is $5 for non-members. The indoor play area is for children 12 and under. Children must wear socks to play in the treehouse. There is also a great pool and splash pad!
http://www.eminnetonka.com/recreation/facilities/williston_fitness_center.cfm
2. Edinborough Park, Edina 7700 York Ave S in Edina. Phone: 952-833-9540. Hours are 9am-9pm Monday through Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sundays. Cost is $6. Children under 1 are free and parents are admitted free with paid child. Socks are required for everyone. The “peak” is a 44x44x37 foot high climbing, low crawling, slip sliding Northwoods adventure. Climb into the 30 foot tall oak tree, slide down one of the four giant tube slides or wash down the triple wave slide. Check our their calendar for Tuesday and Thursday events!
https://www.facebook.com/EdinboroughPark?ref=ts&fref=ts
3. Minnesota SeaLife Aquarium at Mall of America, 8100 24th Avenue South in Bloomington. Phone: 866-823-9317. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10am-7:30pm, Friday 10am-8:30pm, Saturday 9am-8:30pm and Sunday 10am-6:30pm. Cost is free for 2 and under, $14.99 kids 3-12, and $19.99 for 13+. The all new SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium brings you closer than ever before to more than 10,000 sea creatures including sharks, sea turtles, rays, jellyfish, seahorses and more!
https://www.facebook.com/SEALIFEMN?ref=ts&fref=ts
4. Toddler Tuesday - Mall of America
http://www.mallofamerica.com/events/feature/toddler-tuesdays
5. Minnesota Children's Museum 10 West 7th Street in St. Paul. Phone: 651-225-6000. Hours are Monday through Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-8pm, and Sunday 9am-5pm. Admission is $8.95 per person for ages 1-101. 3 hour parking is $4. At the Children’s Museum, kids will have a blast discovering an exciting, immersive world that arouses their curiosity, increases their understanding, and ignites an appreciation for learning. www.mcm.org
https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaChildrensMuseum?ref=ts&fref=ts
6. Skyzone (Offering Toddler Time on Tuesday and Friday) 13310 Industrial Park Blvd., Suite 160 in Plymouth. Phone: 763-331-3511. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 3-8pm, Friday 12-9pm, Friday Sky Mania (ages 11-15) 9-11pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, Sky Jam (16+) 10pm-12am, and Sunday 11am-7pm. Closed Mondays. Cost is $8 for 30 minutes, $12 for 1 hr, $16 for 90 minutes and $20 for 120 minutes. During open jump time there is a special court for children 5 and under. Walk-ins welcome, but to guarantee your jump time, pre-purchase tickets online at http://minneapolis.skyzonesports.com. Additional $1 per ticket reservation fee applies.
https://www.facebook.com/skyzonempls?ref=ts&fref=ts
7. Minnesota's Science Museum 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. in St. Paul. Phone: 651-221-9444. Hours are 9:30am-9:30pm seven days a week. Cost is $11 for adults and $8.50 for children 4-12 and seniors (museum admission only). www.smm.org
8. Indoor Play Castle at the Chaska Community Center, 1661 Park Ridge Drive in Chaska. Phone: 952-448-5633. Hours are Monday 9am-6pm, Tuesday through Sunday 9am-9pm. Cost for the Play Castle is $1 for members and $2 for non-members. Parents are free. www.chaskacommunitycenter.com
9. Indoor Play Structure at the Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Road in Eden Prairie. Phone: 952-949-8470. Hours are Monday through Sunday 8am-8pm. Closed daily from 9:30-10:30am for cleaning. Cost is $3.50 for 18 mos.-4 years, $4.50 for 5 years and up, 18 mos. and younger is free. Half price Mon-Fri after 1pm and weekends after 4pm. Kids can climb, jump and crawl at the indoor play structure. Additionally there is a special area for infants and toddlers to explore as well as a mini rock climbing wall. www.edenprairie.org
10. The Atrium at Playworks, 2200 Trail of Dreams in Prior Lake. Phone: 952-445-7529. Hours are 8am-7pm Monday through Friday and 9am-7pm Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $7.50 for ages 3-12, $4.50 1-2 years, and under 1 is free. Parents are free when accompanied by a child. Playworks Atrium is a one-of-a-kind destination for children and families who love spending time together. The Atrium has a multi-level playstructure, interactive dancefloor, NEOS, Wii, PS3, computer games, the Arcade, and video monitors for watching that Sunday afternoon football game. The Toddler area is a popular destination for families with younger children. www.playworksfun.com
11. The Blast at the Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway in Eagan. Phone: 651-675-5550. Hours are Monday through Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday 10am-8pm. Cost is $5.00 for youth 18 months-15 years. Under 18 months and over 16 years old are free. After 5pm Sunday through Friday is $2.50. The Blast features loads of play opportunities and interstellar delights. Try climbing through the Space Shuttle Tower and Rocket Launch Pads, ascending through two Apollo Rocket Propulsion Launchers, flying the Intergalactic Space Fight Jet, exploring the Milky Way tunnel and more! Socks are required. Outside food and beverages are not permitted. An on-site concession (limited hours) stand and vending machines are available. www.cityofeagan.com
12. Maple Maze Indoor Playground, 12951 Weaver Lake Road in Maple Grove. Phone: 763-494-6500. Hours are 9am-8pm Monday through Saturday and 10am-6pm on Sundays. Cost is $5 for kids 1-12, under 1 free (non-resident) and $4 for kids 1-12, under 1 free (residents). Kids 12 and under will find it amazing to glide down the tube slide, swirl down the double slide or crawl through four climbing levels in the ceiling high playhouse or rock climbing wall. There’s a special play area for toddlers, 3 and under, with a small ball pit, toddler slide and climbing structure. www.ci.maple-grove.mn.us
13. Lookout Ridge Indoor Playground, 8595 Central Park Place in Woodbury. Phone: 651-714-3500. Hours are 10am-5pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10am-8pm Tuesday and Thursday, and closed Sundays May through August. Closed for maintenance June 27, July 25, Sept. 6-9, Oct. 24 and Nov. 28. Lookout Ridge is a state-of-the-art playground designed for children 12 and under. A themed, life-like design and sound effects accompany slides, forests, a tree house and even a cave. Kids are able to climb inside cliffs imitating the St. Croix River Valley, then zoom down a mountain spiral slide emerging from a cave. www.ci.woodbury.mn.us
14. Eagle’s Nest Indoor Playground at The Family Center, 400 10th St. NW in New Brighton. Phone: 651-638-2130. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday 11am-5pm. Cost is $5 for children 1-12, $3 after 6pm Monday through Friday only. There is no charge for adults. Imaginations run wild as children leap into the ball pit, scale the 8 foot climbing wall, zoom down the triple slide and find their way through the wiggle waggles and the foam forest! There is a special area for tykes 3 and under with its own colorful ball pit, challenging climbing structure, reading corner and other activities geared toward toddlers. www.ci.new-brighton.mn.us
15. Tropical Adventure Indoor Playground at the Shoreview Community Center, 4580 Victoria St N in Shoreview. Phone: 651-490-4700. Hours are Monday through Saturday 8am-8pm and Sundays 8am-6pm. Cost is $4.50 for children 1-12. Members are free. Socks are required. Children 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Come crawl through the caves, swing through the jungle, slip down the waterfall slide and scream down the five level spiral slide! The playground is designed for children 12 and under. www.shoreviewcommunitycenter.com
16. Terry Time Adventure Park, 14200 Lincoln Street NE, Suite 500 in Ham Lake. Phone: 763-331-0265. Summer hours are Tuesday through Friday 9:30am-4:30pm, Saturdays 9:30-5:30pm and Sundays 12-5pm. Admission is $6.00 per child ages 1-12. Bring the jungle to life with a two-story tree house, giant mural, slides, suspended bridges, arcade and more! www.adventureparkmn.com
17. Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, 8100 24th Avenue South in Bloomington. Phone: 952-883-8800. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10am-9:30pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm, and 10:30am-7:30pm on Sunday. An unlimited ride wristband can be purchased for $29.95. Various other points packages are available. Nickelodeon Universe features 7 acres of unique attractions and entertainment. Meet the Nick characters, experience spine-tingling rides and more! www.mallofamerica.com
18. Jumps and Downs Inflatable Play Center, 1155 Shakopee Town Square in Shakopee. Phone: 952-405-8354. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm (limited jump time on June 10 & June 22). Cost is $7 per child plus tax. Children under 1 are free. Parents are free too. Jumps and Downs is an indoor inflatable play and party center for active kids who love to jump, bounce, slide, and simply have fun with their friends. www.jumpsanddowns.com
19. Take the kids bowling at Brunswick Zone, 12200 Singletree Lane, in Eden Prairie. Phone: 952-941-0445. Opens at 9am daily. www.bowlbrunswick.com
20. Play a round of mini golf at Golf Zone, 825 Flying Cloud Drive in Chaska. Phone: 952-445-1500. Hours are 10am-10pm Monday, 8am-10pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 8am – 9pm on Sunday (June 1-August 31). Cost is $7.50 for adults and $6.50 for kids. Whether you play Big Bear Mini Putt indoor course or Boulder Creek Mini Golf outdoor course, your family is sure to have a good time. www.yourgolfzone.com
21. The Works, 9740 Grand Ave S, in Bloomington. Phone: 952-888-4262. Hours are Monday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. Cost is $6 per person for ages 3 and up. The Works is a “hands-on, minds-on” museum that makes learning about science and engineering interesting, understandable and fun. www.theworks.org
22. Open Studio Time at Kiddywampus, 4400 Excelsior Blvd in St. Louis Park. Phone: 952-926-7871. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm. Cost is $8 per hour. For ages 18 months-10 years. From painting on the wall to inventing paint colors to creating sculptures of your dreams, Open Studio 2 is an inspired creative experience. This is a special place to create with your child. www.kiddywampus.com
23. Bowling at Pinstrips - Edina Daily 10am-12pm Kids bowl for $5 & moms bowl free (12 & under) Pinstripes is upscale bowling at its best & a great place to take the kids for mom & tot bowling! The kids’ shoes have velcro, the bumpers come up automatically by player and there are televisions above the lanes playing cartoons or a movie which gives the kids something to do while waiting for their turn. www.pinstripes.com
24. Pump It Up - http://www.pumpitupparty.com/ Check their schedule for Pop in Times. Locations throughout the Twin Cities - Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie, Ham Lake and Oakdale
25. Hennepin County Library - Storytime! https://www.facebook.com/hclib?ref=ts&fref=ts and http://www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/StorytimesAction.cfm?Which=Family
26. Wild Rumpus - an independent children's bookstore in Minneapolis with a penchant for Manx cats and chickens (as well as many other interesting creatures living at our store). https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Rumpus-Books-for-Young-Readers/9195534681?ref=ts&sk=info
17. Choo Choo Bob's in St. Paul http://choochoobobs.com/ Choo Choo Bob's has become a landmark in St. Paul, and a destination for people from all over the Twin Cities area. Moms and Dads, children and grandparents, all find the experience at Choo Choo Bob's to be rewarding and fun.
Open Gyms:
1. North Shore Gym - Maple Plain
https://www.facebook.com/NorthShoreGymnastics?ref=ts&fref=ts
2. Mini-hops Gym - Minnetonka
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Hops-Gymnastics/253511201368987?ref=ts&fref=ts
3. St Louis Park Rec Center - SLP (Tues, Wed and Friday from 9:30-11:30
http://www.stlouispark.org/youth-activities/little-tot-playtime.html
4. Plymouth Fieldhouse Dome 14800 34th Ave. N, Plymouth, MN 55447 Phone: 763-509-5280 Hours: M,W,F 10:30-1:30 (Nov.-Mar.) Preschool Open Play: Balls, bouncers, open field. Cost: $2 for Plymouth Residents; $3 non-residents
Indoor Water Parks
1. Water Park of America, 1700 American Blvd E in Bloomington. Phone: 952-698-8888. Open 10am-10pm seven days a week in June. Cost varies from $14.95 to $24.95 depending on day and number of hours. Surf on Minnesota’s only Flow Rider Surf Simulator, catch a wave in the Lake Superior wave pool or challenge your fears in America’s longest indoor family raft ride at 10 stories tall and over a mile long! The water park also offers a spa, two restaurants, and a 5,800 sq foot arcade and much more! www.waterparkofamerica.com
2. Chaska Aquatic Center at the Chaska Community Center, 1661 Park Ridge Drive in Chaska. Phone: 952-448-5633. The pool schedule varies by day. Check schedule available at website. Daily admission is $6.25 adults, $5.00 youth and seniors, $18.50 family (residents) and $8.00 adults, $6.75 youth and seniors. The Aquatic Center has a 4 lane lap pool with giant water slide, rope swing and diving platform, a leisure pool with zero depth entry featuring a caterpillar slide and interactive water features, a warm spa for children and a hot spa for adults in addition to sauna and steam rooms. www.chaskacommunitycenter.com
3. Waterpark at The Depot, 225 South 3rd Avenue in Minneapolis. Phone: 612-758-7854. Hours vary by month. In June the water park is open Friday through Sunday. On Friday the park is open 12pm-10pm, Saturday 9am-10pm, Sunday 9am-3pm. Cost for non-hotel guests is $20 per person. Children under 2 swim free with paying adult. The Depot has a three-story indoor/outdoor water slide, secluded north woods whirlpool area, zero depth pool with interactive water features, four pools, splash fountain, arcade games and snack bar.
4. Safari Island Community Center - Waconia, MN Float into fun at Safari Island! Bring your favorite floatie, catch some good times with a friend, and grab a root beer float on your way out for just fifty cents! If you don’t have a floatie, you can use our pool noodles or aqua joggers. Your floatie must be a clean, single person flotation device. No rubberized rafts are allowed and floaties cannot be tied together. Life jackets must be Coast Guard approved.
5. Tropics Indoor Waterpark at the Shoreview Community Center, 4580 Victoria St N in Shoreview. Phone: 651-490-4700. Hours are Monday & Wednesday 12-8:30pm, Tuesday & Thursday 12-9pm, Friday 12-9:45pm, Saturday 12-7:45pm and Sunday 12-6pm. Cost is $30/day for family, $8.30 for adult and $7.50 for child 1-17 (non-residents) or $24/day for family, $7.00 for adult and $6.00 for child 1-17 (residents). This water park features a tike size paradise at Shipwreck Beach including interactive water features and a boat slide. In the main pool you can play water volleyball or slam-dunk the basketball in the palm tree hoop. You can also climb aboard one of our giant floating sea creatures and more! www.shoreviewcommunitycenter.com
Open Ice Skating
1. Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Road. Phone: 952-949-8470. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-12:30pm, Friday 6-7:30pm, Saturday 2:15-4:15pm, Sunday 1-3pm. TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY.
2. Minnetonka Ice Arena, 3401 Williston Road in Minnetonka. Phone: 952-939-8310. Through April 27: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 11:30am-1pm, Friday 7:30-9pm (ends April 13), Sunday 2:30-4:30 (ends April 15). No skating March 4, 13, 18. TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY.
3. Hopkins Pavilion, 11000 Excelsior Blvd. in Hopkins. Phone: 952-9391410. Through February 19: Sundays 1-2:30pm. Cost is $4 for adults and $3 for youth under 18. Children under 4 are free. Hopkins Pavilion does not have skate rental or sharpening. Helmets are required for skaters under 18.
4. Victoria Recreation Center, 8475 Kochia Lane in Victoria. Phone: 952-443-4255. Through April 30: Every day from 10:45-11:45am. Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for youth (residents) and $9 for adults, $5 for youth (non-residents).
Skiing/Sledding
1. Buck Hill, Burnsville https://www.facebook.com/buckhillmn?ref=ts&fref=ts
2. Hyland Ski, Bloomington https://www.facebook.com/HylandSki?ref=ts&fref=ts
3. Elm Creek, Maple Grove https://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Rivers-Elm-Creek-SnowSports-Academy/181241035304097 or http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/elm-creek-park/winter-recreation-area.aspx
4. Trollhaugen https://www.facebook.com/trollhaugen?ref=ts&fref=ts
5. Theodore Wire Park, Golden Valley http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=255
Other Events/Activities
1. IMax Theater at MN Zoo http://www.imax.com/oo/great-clips-imax-minnesota-zoo/
2. Free Movie Saturday at Mall of America (10:00 am) The entire family can enjoy select movies for FREE every Saturday! First-come, first-served as seating is limited to the theatre capacity. Nov. 17 – The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Nov. 24 – Real Steel, Dec. 1 – The Adventures of Tin Tin, Dec. 8 – The Lorax, Dec. 15 – Elf, Dec. 22 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dec. 29 – The Polar Express. www.theatresmoa.com/events-promotions
