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Ultimate Winter Break Activity Guide for Lansing Families
Staying home for winter break? Try these activity ideas to keep you busy.
55+ Indoor Kids Play Places in Lansing for Year-Round Fun
Where to Play Inside in Lansing All Year Round
Rain or shine, summer or winter, no matter what mood you’re in, Lansing has indoor kids play places galore.
Some places like Impression 5 and the Michigan History Museum have been around for decades and continue to stay on our favorites list, but these days there are tons of fun and new options popping up all the time.
We’ve narrowed it down to our 55+ favorite indoor play options in the Lansing area. The hardest part? Deciding where to go first.
Top Indoor Kid Play Places Around Lansing
Play comes in many forms – from laid-back fun to bouncing off the walls.
These inside options for kid play places are tested and proven to be a great time. If we haven’t been to them ourselves, we’ve gotten close friend approval that these are up to par.
So…..drum roll please! Here are our best places to play indoors around Lansing:
Abrams Planetarium
755 Science Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824
Learn about astronomy and space science right in the heart of MSU’s campus. Public shows are offered Friday nights, Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons.
Al!ve Charlotte
800 W Lawrence Ave
Charlotte, MI 48813
An experienced-based health park open to the public with no entry fees or membership requirements. They have GROW, an enrichment area for kids. Rates apply to some children’s activities.
All Skate Fun Center
1313 W North St
Jackson, MI 49202
Roller skating, laser tag, fun shop counter, and more await at this rink that’s about 35 minutes from Lansing. Bonus: All Sake Fun Center participates in the Kids Skate Free program.
Biggby Coffee Ice Cube East Lansing
2810 Hannah Blvd
East Lansing, MI 48824
Public skating times are offered throughout the year and it’s always a cool time!
Castaway Play Cafe
1800 N Burkhart Rd
Howell, MI 48855
Indoor play structures, bounce houses, laser tag, arcade, toddler play area, “Create-a-Pal” stuffed animal maker, and The Challenge Zone (a ninja-style warrior course).
Chuck E Cheese
5451 W Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917
“Where a kid can be a kid.” Arcade, games, prizes, food, and performances. It’s always a treat to go for a birthday party, but you can play here anytime.
City Limits (two locations)
2120 E Saginaw Hwy
East Lansing, MI 48823
801 N Cedar St
Mason, MI 48854
Bowling, cosmic bowling, and food make for a fun day out.
Community Centers
Allen Neighborhood Center
1611 E Kalamazoo St
Lansing, MI 48912
Foster Community Center
200 N Foster Ave
Lansing, MI 48912
Gier Community Center
2400 Hall St
Lansing, MI 48906
Letts Community Center
1220 W Kalamazoo St
Lansing, MI 48915
Schmidt Community Center
5825 Wise Rd
Lansing, MI 48911
Lansing offers these great community centers that offer indoor activities and programs throughout the year including greenhouse workshops, theater plays, meet-ups, swimming, sports, resources, and plenty more each unique to the center.
Don’t skip over the E.L. Hannah Community Center in East Lansing which offers a swimming pool, gyms, and programs.
Curwood Castle
224 Curwood Castle Dr
Owosso, MI 48867
Built by author James Oliver Curwood, Curwood Castle is a small castle that is now also a museum.
Edru Skate
1891 N Cedar St
Holt, MI 48842
Lace up those skates for a day of fun and exercise! Wear out the kids and then take a break at the snack counter. They offer laser tag, an arcade, and an ice cream shop.
FunCity Adventure Park
5801 W Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917
Brand new to the Lansing area your kids are going to love FunCity! This awesome Adventure Park has arcade machines, trampoline courts, a battle beam, foam pit, rock climbing walls, bumper carts, Ninja Warrior Course, and more to get out all those wintertime wiggles.
Glitter & Fade Kids Salon & Social Suite
6810 South Cedar Street Ste 1C
Lansing, MI 48910
$3 for 30 minutes or $5 for 60 minutes of play. No appointment needed or book Our Suite Deal for just $28 which includes 30 minutes of play, a juice and a snack.
GymKind Academy
1982 W Grand River Rd Ste 420
Okemos, MI 48864
Open gym with self-guided learning available on select dates for children in grades 1 – 9. Play & Learn Explorative Open Play Time is for Walkers to Kindergarten along with a special adult. (Adult participation is required).
High Caliber Karting & Entertainment
1982 W Grand River Rd Ste 800
Okemos, MI 48864
High-speed kart racing, combat karting, handi-capable go-karting, axe throwing, rage rooms, games, food, and more.
Imagine Planet
730 Tomlinson St
Jackson, MI 49203
A safe and welcoming place to explore science through animals and hands-on activities. Admission is FREE and there’s fun for all ages.
Impression 5 Science Center
200 Museum Dr
Lansing, MI 48933
I-5 has it all! Fun and interactive exhibits for all ages to challenge their understanding of science. My kids never want to leave.
IQ Hub at AgroLiquid
1130 S DeWitt Rd
St. Johns, MI 48879
Th IQ Hub celebrates agriculture history, innovation, and exploration and is open to the public for FREE!
Jaxon’s Playhouse
2151 Ferguson Rd
Jackson, MI 49203
Jaxon’s Playhouse provides children an outlet to have fun in a safe indoor setting. They can climb and slide on the indoor play structure and make believe they’re a firefighter, teacher, or veterinarian in the “village.”
Kiki’s Gymnastics
1161 E Clark Rd Ste 330
DeWitt, MI 48820
Blow off some steam and try new tricks at open gym! Please note that a parent must remain onsite, but coaches will be on floor to assist.
Lansing Shuffle
325 Riverfront Dr
Lansing, MI 48912
Looking for ways to entertain your big kids? Rent out a shuffleboard court at Lansing Shuffle! Make an afternoon of it and eat at one of the delicious restaurants inside as well.
Launch Trampoline Park
1982 W Grand River Ave
Okemos, MI 48864
Located in the Meridian Mall near the JCPenney wing, Launch provides hours of entertainment for the whole family. Trampolines, arcade, ninja course, Launch Escape, laser tag, dodgeball, battle pit, slackline, basketball, launch pad, tumble tracks, food, and more.
Libraries
Read the day away, play in the play areas, catch a story time, put on a puppet show, have craft time, and much more at your local library. Check what our local libraries have to offer:
– Capital Area District Libraries (CADL) with 13 locations
– Delta District Library
– Grand Ledge Area District Library
– East Lansing Public Library
– DeWitt District Library
– Portland District Library
– Briggs District Library (St. Johns)
– Ionia Community Library
– Jackson District Library
– Howell Carnegie District Library
Mall Play Area
Meridian Mall
1982 W Grand River Ave
Okemos, MI 48864
Lansing Mall
5330 W Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917
Both malls have a public, open-air play area for little kids and they’re FREE. This is a great place to meet up with a friend for a quick chat or let your kiddo blow off some steam before naptime.
McDonald’s Play Place
2530 E Jolly Rd
Lansing, MI 48911
You can eat lunch or sip coffee while the kids play in this casual environment.
Michigan History Museum
702 W Kalamazoo St
Lansing, MI 48915
Learn Michigan history and experience cool, hands-on exhibits geared toward kids at the Michigan History Museum. There’s a dedicated kid center and Sundays are FREE!
MSU Broad Art Museum
547 E Circle Dr
East Lansing, MI 48824
That unique-looking structure on the corner of Grand River and Farm Lane in East Lansing? That’s the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum!
Get connected with art with a permanent collection of 10,000+ works. There’s a kids area on the lower level, and the first Saturday of the month is Family Day which is FREE.
MSU Bug House
288 Farm Ln
East Lansing, MI 48824
Get up close and personal with live insects and arachnids. Watch for their monthly open houses and other special events.
MSU Museum
409 West Circle Dr
East Lansing, MI 48824
It’s a Creative Collaboratory! The MSU Museum is a place to come to “openly explore, express, and experiment with ideas across disciplines and interests, and indulge their natural curiosity about the world.”
Munn Ice Arena
509 Birch Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824
Come skate on the same ice as the MSU hockey team! On the beautiful campus of Michigan State University, Munn offers public skating throughout the year.
Nature Centers
Fenner Nature Center
2020 E Mt Hope Ave
Lansing, MI 48910
Harris Nature Center
3998 Van Atta Rd
Okemos, MI 48864
Woldumar Nature Center
5739 Old Lansing Rd
Lansing, MI 48917
Howell Nature Center
1005 Triangle Lake Rd
Howell, MI 48843
Play, learn, and explore indoors with interactive science and nature learning stations at these local nature centers.
Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center
5153 Marsh Rd
Okemos, MI 48864
The Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center is dedicated to the preservation of history, arts, culture, and language of the Anishinaabe people (Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations). Come learn and experience the programs, exhibitions, and special events.
They offer programs like poetry reading, language, ribbon skirt/shirt making, drum making, drum instruction, firekeepers, and medicine planting.
Preuss Pets
1127 N Cedar St
Lansing, MI 48906
Stroll through this iconic Lansing pet store and see lizards, snakes, reptiles, birds, fish, mice, rats, bunnies, ferrets, gerbils, hedgehogs, and much more! Walk on the bridge over the in-store river and even feed the koi fish!
You can keep the kids entertained for quite a while just perusing this pet emporium.
REACH Studio Art Center
1804 S Washington Ave
Lansing, MI 48910
This non-profit community art center offers all sorts of art experiences for all ages and economic levels.
Royal Scot
4722 W Grand River Ave
Lansing, MI 48906
60-lane bowling center with bumper bowling available, cosmic bowling, neon balls, a full bar and grill, escape rooms and indoor golf simulators, too.
SkyZone
820 S Waverly Rd
Lansing, MI 48917
Formerly known as DEFY, this trampoline park offers a basketball court, extreme dodgeball, battle beams, a ninja course, a dedicated little kid areas, and of course tons of trampolines. Check out their memberships which can be totally worth it after just a couple visits.
Spare Time Entertainment
3101 E Grand River Rd
Lansing, MI 48912
Bowling, arcade, axe throwing, escapology rooms, bumper cars, and volleyball. Located near Frandor.
NOTE: As of 05.04.25 – Spare Time Entertainment is temporarily closed following smoke damage from a nearby fire.
Swimming
Goldfish Swim School
5135 Times Square Dr Ste B
Okemos, MI 48864
Schmidt Community Center
5825 Wise Rd
Lansing, MI 48911
E. L. Hannah Community Center
819 Abbot Rd
East Lansing, MI 48823
Swim year round at these indoor swimming places around Lansing.
Taggart’s Playground
9466 Cutler Rd
Portland, MI 48875
Have loads of fun at this indoor playground that was designed to replicate the city of Portland! It’s located inside of Portland Church of the Nazarene.
Take a Tour
Michigan State Capitol
100 N Capitol Ave
Lansing, MI 48933
Michigan Hall of Justice
925 W Ottawa St
Lansing, MI 48915
Beaumont Tower on MSU’s Campus
375 W Circle Dr
East Lansing, MI 48824
Try these out-of-the-box ideas for spending a day indoors. Check their websites for tour times.
The Emerging Parent
6500 Mercantile #3
Lansing, MI 48911
The Emerging Parent is play hub including open play and small group play. This newer studio is designed for babies 0-4 and their caregivers. Classes and private events are also available.
The TreeHouse in Chelsea
1101 S Main St
Chelsea, MI 48118
The TreeHouse in Chelsea is about a 50-minute drive from Lansing. This 9,000 square feet facility has a huge climbing and playing structure, five slides, a baby and toddler area, swinging bridges, basketball hoops, and of course a huge treehouse.
Tinkrlab
2650 E Grand River Ave Ste A
East Lansing, MI 48823
Tinkrlab is a kid-focused maker space that focuses on teaching kids how to make and create things. Creativity and curiosity are encouraged in a safe environment, with hands-on teaching.
While you’re there, be sure to check out the newly opened SandPITZ. This immersive sand play environment full of construction trucks, tools, tracks & building challenges. It’s a fun and creative, no sunscreen required.
Wagon Wheel American Grill
7888 E Grand River Ave
Portland, MI 48875
A Portland local favorite restaurant, Wagon Wheel also has classic bowling and a small arcade room. Wagon Wheel also participates in the Kids Bowl Free Program.
Water Parks
Soaring Eagle Water Park in Mt. Pleasant
Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Grand Rapids
Holland Aquatic Center in Holland
Zehnder’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth
Bavarian Blast in Frankenmuth
Plan a visit one these indoor waterparks less than two hours from Lansing. Want even more waterparks? Check out this big list of Michigan indoor waterparks.
Zap Zone XL
5220 W Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917
Laser tag, glo golf, bumper cars, arcade games, trampoline park, and a bear factory will fill your day with fun.
Happy Playing!
Are there other favorite kids play places that we should add to our list? Let us know!
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