Looking for a Kid Friendly Get Away

Grand Country Inn in Branson is great kid fun. The lazy river (I think it runs faster that at the outdoor water parks), hot tubs, tree house slides. I noticed some ads on tv the other night for winter escape packages.

I've been going to Branson for 30 years - since childhood. I always loved it. You will not run out of things to do.

I recommend the

Noah show
Kirby Van Birch Majic Show
Dixie Stampede

You need to research Silver Dollar city in Branson, MO and/or Great Wolfe Lodge in North Kansas City, Mo.

We love Branson! It's about 4 hours away and very kid-friendly. Last time we stayed at a hotel with an indoor water park(the Grand Country Inn)-pricey, but the kids loved the water park. Silver Dollar City is a must-do with little ones. It's a blast and lots of fun things for the younger ones. We've also done the Ride the Ducks boat trip-a great time for the kids.

I've heard that the GREAT WOLF LODGE in KCK is a lot of fun! I don't know that it would be enough activity for 4 days (never been there, but can't wait to go!) It is an indoor water park/hotel and it's surrounded by "Legends"...shopping and restaurants.
I've heard it's not too expensive too.
Worth checking out!

I have never been to Great Wolf Lodge, but me, mom and the kids (no men!!) regularly escape to Branson and love this. You can get a great rate for staying at a lavish resort, $99 for 4 days 3 nights I think it is at Westgate resorts, a 5-star place. Give them this reference # to qualify: ###-###-#### - for a promotional stay at ridiculous rates. All they ask is you sit thru a 90 minute sales pitch for their resort - well worth it!! You and your friend can book two units, and both stay there. They have indoor pool and an activity center for kids that has fun activities for kids on the hour each day. I enjoyed the resort so much, and the kids loved swimming almost every day. But Branson has scads of things to do for all ages, all interests. The night shows are expensive, but my kids enjoy the loads of other stuff; mini golf, IMAX theatre, Butterfly Place, Toy Museum, the craft malls and "the Landing" for shopping, complete with a playground for kids in the middle of it, etc. etc. Ya gotta go to Dicks 5 dime; We went to the fish hatchery and dam nearby, Titanic Museum, the Chinese Acrobat show/matinee was phenomenal. You ladies enjoy - MOMS deserve these getaways, we don't do it enough!!

I am also FT RN, single mom of 3 awesome boys, 9, 7 and 6. There is definitely "life after HIM"!!

Branson. They have a place that has and indoor water park, but I don't know the name of it. Plus the have the Dixie Stampeed which is lots of fun.

We took our children to the Great Wolf Lodge in KCKS. It was very nice. They have an indoor waterpark, storytime, crafts, etc. And, lots of nice restaurants nearby like TRex, and it is what it sounds like. There are activities in there as well, and good food. I really liked the coconut chicken. It is all very pricy, but they do have fridges in each room. And, the bigger rooms hold 8 people. They have an arcade and it is fun even for the grownups.

I saw someone else said this too, but Branson is a great place for kids. It's about a 5 hour drive and there is so much for kids to do. There is a waterpark and it's a hotel too. I've never been there, but my cousin takes her kids all the time (they live closer in Springfield) and love it. Hope you find somewhere good. Have fun!

Great wolf lodge iN kC IS AWESOME OR COCO-KEYS IN KC i HEAR IS FUN

I saw many posts regarding Great Wolf Lodge, which I've heard is excellent. However, Kansas City also has CoCo Key Water Park/Hotel. I've never been there, but just another indoor water park idea. If you travel south to Olathe, KS, the Mall of the Great Plans has an AWESOME indoor activity facility called, "Monkey Bizness". Lots of fun! Good luck!

Great Wolf Lodge is in KC in the Legends area out by the Speedway and I've noticed several responses to that...and there is certainly something to do for EVERYONE (zero gravity pools, waterslides for all sizes, Magic games, crafts, storyhours, spa, etc.). (Similarly, a new water park opened up by the stadiums in the Sheridan called CoCoKey but there aren't as many cool things to do out by the stadiums.) TRex is an awesome restaurant (and in the same neighborhood as GreatWolf) in the same genre as Rainforest Cafe (same makers) only it's one of 2 restaurants in US. They have a build-a-bear franchise inside that the kids can make their own dinosaurs. They also have a digging expedition that the kids can go on and dig up fossils and dinosaur bones. All of that is located in the Legends which is now a HUGE shopping area. There is a movie theater with some 21 screens as well as a Cabela's (you have to go in if you have never been just to see all the wildlife) and there is now a Bass Pro shop in Independence en route to your destination (again, you have to go in for the wildlife decorations...the kids would have a blast). Thre is also a Gymboree not too far from the Legends if you wanted to sign the kids up for a day class (for the dance prodigy) or do some art classes. KC Zoo is ok but unless you are REALLY big into African treks, overall not worth it...Omaha is MUCH better. There is also Crown Center with the Hallmark company. They have a great art center called Kaldeioscope and there is still ice skating going on at the Center. If you end up at Crown Center, plan on doing lunch at Fritz's and get there early (by 11:30). It's a unique restaurant that is train themed; you call in your order on a telephone and a train literally delivers your meal to your table. A MUST see, reasonably priced, and tons of fun for the kiddos! Across the street is Union Station and they always have neat exhibits and kids stuff going on over there. I know that there is a children's museum somewhere in KC but I have yet to have gone but have heard good things about it.

Another idea (and even closer) is to take them down to the Lake of the Ozarks. I believe Tan-Tar-A and or the Lodge of the Four Seasons has an indoor waterpark. When I was a kid the Lodge had an indoor bowling alley too. And Tan-Tar-A had ice skating and plays/musical theater. It's been a couple of years since I've been down there but there was a place called Miner Mikes that was across from the Outlet Mall and they had mazes the kids could crawl through and keep entertained for hours. Dogpatch still has the arcade that runs year round and although it is the slow season there should still be plenty of things to see and do...

Head to Omaha, Nebraska! The Henry Doorly Zoo is worth the trip and it's an easy drive. They have several indoor exhibits as well if the weather is still crazy. We stayed at a hotel with an indoor pool and that gave us something else fun to do with the kids in addition to going out to eat. Happy Trails!

I would look into the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, KS. I took my son there 4 years ago for his birthday and he had a blast. They have an indoor waterpark, arcade and activities for the kids. Also they have a spa there for the moms. www.greatwolflodge.com

Branson is fantastic, there is so much for the kids and great outlet shopping for the moms. I live half an hour from Branson and we go there most weekends. It is a beautiful part of the country with no shortage of indoor and outdoor activities.

You will LOVE Great Wolf Lodge in KC. It's a resort with an indoor waterpark. My kids love it and we are planning another trip back next month. Weekday rates are pretty affordable since they include your entertainment. The entire resort is smoke free and family friendly with kids' activities other than the water park. You and your friend should get a suite with a separate 'room' in it for the kids. They (and you) will have a blast. There's even a spa for Moms!

Hi C., I get the Family Fun magazine and in the February issue, they have several different places to visit.
If you can't find the magazine, I'll see if I can copy the page for you and mail it.
Good Luck,
Tracy

Good Morning C., What a wonderful plan. I love it.
How about Great Wolf Lodge in KC? or close to it. They have the indoor water park. I didn't do a complete tour of Lodge when we stopped in. But it looked fantastic.

God Bless and Happy Planning.
K. Nana of 5
PS C. where ever you decide you want to go, make sure they are open (entertainments etc) on the dates you want. Hubby and I wanted to go to Silver Dollar City on our Honeymoon in May 71. When we got there it wasn't open until the next weekend. :( We ended up trout fishing at the resort we stayed at.

I like all the ideas posted here, & can add one more: Lake of the Ozarks is closer than the others & also offers TanTara & Miner Mikes....along with the outlet mall & many specialty shops....& (weather-permitting) mini golf,etc. There's also HaHa Tonka State Park & many other things to see.

As far as Branson's Great Country Inn...it's OK, but very small in scale. BUT, there are tons of places to visit in Branson which more than makes up for the tiny indoor water park. Oh!!! There is another indoor water park currently being built in Branson....check out the tourism sites! We've done Dixie Stampede, Titanic, Ripleys, & many other venues....& Dixie Stampede is our favorite.

BUT, for all of this, if we could choose....we'd go back to the Great Wolf Lodge in a heartbeat. We had such an awesomely FUN time there that it's our #1 trip. (bearing in mind that we go to Branson at least 5 times each year... the season passes at Silver Dollar City are such a fantastic deal that we've been going there consistently for the past 20 years!)

We had a great time last year at Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. There's a fantastic indoor water park with things to do for kids of all ages. Your hotel price includes the water park, so if you're not going during spring break, the price should be very affordable.

We actually spent a couple days at the water park and a couple in downtown KC in the Plaza. We had a great time.

Hi C.! I live in the KC metro area and Great Wolf Lodge is awesome. Our kids LOVE it! And when you get tired of being wet, there is a ton of other things to do in the area right around the water park and even more if you want to venture out a little more. We have an ok zoo (I am kind of a zoo snob because I grew up in Omaha which has the best zoo ever!). Out south from GWL is a place called Deanna Rose Farmstead which the kids LOVE and it is free! So if it is nice when you are here, you could take one day and do that. We have a Pump it Up and a Power Play not too far from GWL too. And then there is Kaleidescope. There is a ton to do here and I would be happy to give you more details if you decide to come to KC.

All that being said, we have season passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson and the kids love that too. There is a ton to do there too, so you cant really go wrong either way.

Good luck and have fun!

Great Wolf Lodge in KC, KS is a great place. It's probably 4 hours from St. Louis at Hwy70 and 435. Look on line for coupons because it can be pricey. a room might be $280 for 1 night but unually less Sun-Thurs nights. You get 4 passes to the water park and I think 3 and under get in free. Rooms easily sleep 6 so you could take bed for baby and you'd be good.

Branson,Missouri would be a great place to go and take the kids. It is about a 5 hours drive from St. Louis. They have an indoor water park and 36 hole indoor mini golf and much much more. It is called Grand Country Inn. You can Google it and check it out, go to www.google.com and type in Grand Country Inn and it tells you all about it, from M..

My son and I went to Great Wolf Lodge in KC a few years ago and LOVED it! It is awesome, kid friendly rooms and lots of activities for the kiddos and a spa for Moms! I highly reccomend it. Have fun wherever you go!

I don't know how far away Branson is from St. Louis, but we love to go there. We don't do the shows but love to play in the parks and such. There is Silver Dollar City, and their is an indoor water park also. Similar to Great Wolf. There is mini golf and go carts and stuff like that. Then there are the different museums that kids love. The Dixie Stampede is a great place to go to also, kids love it. Hope you find somewhere fun to go. Good luck and God Bless.

We did the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, and we loved it. They have life jackets available for little ones. There is a big area for them to walk around and a couple of small slides only for little kids. My daughter was 18 months at the time. The water was a perfect depth for her to walk around on her own in most places. They keep the deeper water and the big water slides completely seperate. They also have different size rooms, several of them with fun themes for the kids.

Our kids loved the Great Wolf Lodge in K.C. They didn't want to leave. It is perfect for small children. You won't regret the trip.

My Grandkids loved the Great Wolf Lodge and they have asked to go back, they had so much fun! One thing to think about there, get a waterproof camera for pictures! The kids didn't think about it until they got there and they had to go find one, don't want to miss out on the pictures just because of the water!! Have fun!