34 Kids Play Places – Indoor Play for Lansing Families

Indoor Kids Play Places for Lansing Families

Rain or shine, winter or summer, no matter the mood, Lansing has indoor kids play places and options of all sorts.

Some of these places we’ve been going to since we were kids like Impression 5, the Historic Museum, and touring the Capitol. While others are new ideas and places popping up as our awesome city continues to grow like Al!ve, the MSU Art Lab, and Launch Trampoline Trampoline Park!

Play comes in many forms – from chill to bouncing off of the walls.

These ideas are tested and proven to be a good time. If I haven’t been to them myself, I’ve gotten close friend approval that these are up to par.

So, drum roll please, here are 34 places to play indoors around Lansing and mid-Michigan:

Your Top Ideas for Fun Indoor Kid Play Places

Indoor fun awaits at these fun kid play places:

1) Al!ve

Kids play and have a blast while you do – whatever you want! From working out to relaxing with a drink, the possibilities are endless.

2) Bowling

• MSU Union Building This is a family favorite. Bowling is always fun, but a stroll through campus makes it even better. Don’t forget to stop at the MSU Dairy Store located in the same building!
• Spare Time Lansing There are many other options for indoor fun here, too. Laser Tag, Arcade, and more.
• Royal Scot is another family favorite on Lansing’s west side.
• City Limits on the east side of Lansing and also in Mason.

3) CADL (Capital Area District Libraries) 

Check one of 13 locations for indoor fun.

4) Castaway Play Cafe

Indoor play structures and bounce houses are such a great idea for those long winter months or to get out of the heat. 

5) Community Centers

Indoor activities throughout the year including greenhouse workshops and more!

• Allen Neighborhood Center 
• Foster Community Center
• Hannah Community Center East Lansing 
• Letts Community Center
• Schmidt Community Center
• Valley Farms Community Center

6) Edru Skate

Blast from the past?! This is still alive and kickin’. Have so much fun bonding with your kids while you remember back to when you were hoping to hold the hand of a cute boy or girl.

7) Eli & Edyth Broad Art Museum

Enjoy their kid’s area in the lower level and a coffee bar with snacks and treats. They also have a First Saturday monthly Family Day.

8) Extreme Fun

Have extreme fun in Okemos and Lansing

9) Nature Centers

Fenner Nature Center: Play indoors with many different interactive science and nature learning stations. Our family loves it here and it’s home to the Apple Butter Festival in the fall and the Maple Syrup Festival in the spring.

Woldumar Nature Center: We absolutely love this place. They have storytimes and areas to learn about nature in their welcome center. Read, color, explore! Then, head outside for a great hike or play in their natural playground.

Harris Nature Center, Howell Nature Center, and Michigan Wildlife Conservancy are also wonderful places to visit with indoor activities and adventures. Read more about these nature centers here.

10) Gymnastics

Flip, flop, jump, the energy out at open gym times. At some of these locations, parents, you can join in, too (I felt like a kid again during a birthday party at Red Cedar Gymnastics)!

• Red Cedar Gymnastics (South Lansing)
• Twistars (Dimondale)
• Kiki’s (DeWitt)

11) Ice Skating/Open Skate

• Munn Ice Arena
• Suburban Ice
• The Summit

12) Impression 5

Catch their FREE story and playtime with your CADL card. I’ll warn you, once you go you’ll want to get that membership. It will pay for itself within 2-3 visits. You can even bring guests!

13) Jump the Day Away

• Launch
• DEFY (formerly District Five)
• Jumpin Jax
• Springz
• Zap Zone

14) Lansing Indoor Sports Arena

Drop-in for soccer and kids play dates.

15) Library

Play games, puzzles, do a puppet show, crafts, and more at any of these local libraries:

• Delta District Library. (Story Times all week and tons of options for the older kiddos)
• CADL Downtown Lansing Library
• Okemos
• Grand Ledge
• East Lansing
• DeWitt District Library
• Portland District Library
• Briggs District Library (SJ)
• Ionia Community Library
• Jackson District Library

16) The Mall

Talk with friends as your kids play at the play areas in Lansing and Okemos. 

17) McDonald’s Play Place

Take all aged kids to the renovated play area. Located on Jolly and Dunkel. 2530 E Jolly Rd, Lansing, MI 48911

18) Michigan Historic Center/Museum/Library

Your whole family will love it here. You know the saying that’s an “Old Faithful”? That’s the term I love to use for this place. I loved it when I was 5 and I love it now. Companies even have their work parties here. It’s a GUARANTEED great time.

19) Michigan Justice Building

Ever think about going here? Me either until I heard you can take a guided or self-guided tour.

20) Michigan State Capitol

Take a guided or self-guided tour in our beautiful Capitol Building.

21) MSU Children’s Garden Center/Horticulture Center and Butterfly House

Here you’ll enjoy indoor storytimes and their activity center all year long. Stroll through the greenhouses, too. Our family loves to go in the summer, but surprisingly in the winter as well! The warm greenhouses feel so nice in the cold weather months and there’s always something new to see.

22) MSU Museum

See the dinos and learn about Michigan’s wildlife. Their permanent exhibits never tire and they always have something new to discover. There are lots of options for young and scavenger hunts for the older kiddos.

23) See a Family Movie Matinee each month on Saturday morning.

24) play.

Parents like play. because it’s an all-in-one spot. Plus, play. continues to schedule fun events for kids and families.

25) Preuss Pets

Feed the koi fish and visit all of the animals.

26) REACH Art Studio

Get creative and learn different art styles on Wednesday afternoons/evenings.

27) The Summit Sports and Ice

Here you’ll enjoy both Ice skating and basketball!

28) Swim no matter the weather at:

• Schmidt Southside Community Center’s 
• Goldfish Swim School offers open family swim times.
• Foster Community Center
• IM Circle Pool on MSU Campus.
• Hannah Community Center East Lansing

29) Taggart’s Place Playground

This amazing indoor playground at the Portland Church of the Nazarene is a favorite (and FREE) indoor play spot of mid-Michigan parents!

30) TimeOut Play Cafe

Drink coffee and let the kids play.

31) Take a Kid-Friendly Tour

If a tour doesn’t automatically sound like something you’d like to take your kids too – I totally get that!

However, these two places are actually super fun for kids. The Capitol Building tour and the Beaumont Tower tour aren’t technically indoor play places but they make this list because of how mesmerized the kids become when they visit. They love the way these buildings look, that they can lay on the ground in the Capitol, and explore places that almost feel like they should be off-limits.

They love climbing the stairs of the Beaumont tower and getting a chance to see the massive bells in action.

32) Tree House

Play, Play, Play in Chelsea, MI

33) Waterparks are so fun!

Visit one of several indoor waterparks less than two hours from Lansing.

• Mt. Pleasant: Soaring Eagle Waterpark, 1 hour from Lansing
• Grand Rapids/Lakeshore Area – Holiday Inn Express South, Holland Aquatic Center ($6 per person!), Kroc Center, 45  min to 1 hour from Lansing
• Ann Arbor, Splash Universe, 1 h 21 m drive from Lansing
• Windsor: Adventure Bay Waterpark, Do you have an enhanced driver’s license or passport and your kids’ birth certificates? 1 h 35 min drive from Lansing
• Zehender’s Splash Village, 1 h 15 min from Lansing

34) Zap Zone

Glow golfing, laser tagging, and arcade fun.

Does your family have favorite indoor kids play places or ideas? Comment below and let us know where we should visit next.