Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids

Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Urbandale

Breakout Games

Breakout Games

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Living History Farms

Living History Farms

Outdoor agricultural-history museum. Iowa farming-history exhibits on a 500-acre site with an 1875 village & educational programs.

Des Moines Children's Museum

Des Moines Children's Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Jordan House

Jordan House

Underground Railroad exhibits & history. Landmark Victorian home features guided tours, Underground Railroad history exhibits & artifacts.

Salisbury House & Gardens

Salisbury House & Gardens

Museum & concert venue in a 1920s manor. Furnished 1920s stone mansion housing an art museum, library, concert venue & botanical garden.

Raccoon River Park

Raccoon River Park

Spacious park, beach & sports complex. Large sports & recreation venue with athletic fields, a swimming beach, fishing pier & nature trail.

Des Moines Water Works Park

Des Moines Water Works Park

Daytime activities in open woodlands. Daytime spot with jogging & cycling trails, fishing, a picnic area with grills & sports fields.

Riverview Park

Riverview Park

Charming park with trails & lakes. Sprawling city park known for its green expanses, biking & walking paths & numerous bodies of water.

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Pedestrian space with public attractions. Park housing a sculpture garden, dedicated chess & picnic tables, the Central Library & more.

Gray's Lake Park

Gray's Lake Park

Park with a lakeside walking loop. 167-acre park featuring a 1.9-mi. lighted walking path around a lake with small boat rentals.

Birdland Park

Birdland Park

Public park with trails & a marina. Park on a lake with trails, a marina & a boat ramp, plus enclosed shelters to reserve in advance.

Cowles Commons

Cowles Commons

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Heritage Carousel of Des Moines

Heritage Carousel of Des Moines

Hand-carved & -painted wooden menagerie. Featuring 30 hand-carved & -painted animals, this replica carousel turns to band organ tunes.

Robert D. Ray Asian Garden

Robert D. Ray Asian Garden

Garden park with pagodas, a pond & more. Garden park featuring an Asian pavilion, stone pagodas, a pond, a series of waterfalls & more.

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Horticultural exhibits & art galleries. Seasonal blooms showcased outdoors & in a geodesic dome, plus educational programs & art shows.

Science Center of Iowa

Science Center of Iowa

Hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater & more. Science-focused interactive galleries & learning labs plus a planetarium & IMAX cinema.

Union Park

Union Park

Storied park with BBQs & nostalgic rides. Public park since 1892, with an old-fashioned carousel, water play area, BBQ grills & sports courts.

South Des Moines Sculpture Park

South Des Moines Sculpture Park

Quaint park featuring quirky sculptures. Small, offbeat attraction showcasing a jumbo archery target, an egg-shaped UFO & a giant clothespin.

Blank Park Zoo

Blank Park Zoo

Indoor/outdoor animal exhibits & more. Train rides, petting areas, carousel, concessions & more in a year-round zoo & conservation center.

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Discover more events and activities happening in the city.