Spring break for Wichita Public Schools is March 20-24, 2017. Need ideas for where to go and things to do on the cheap with the kids? I’ve made this huge list of Wichita spring break activities, but if you see something I’ve missed let me know and I’ll add it! (You might want to bookmark this page and come back to it occasionally.)
Do keep scrolling! There are a lot of spring break activities listed here. When you see links in blue, click on them for more information.
p.s. In every post I link to more information or give a phone number you can call. Please double-check all the details before you head out.
We’ve divided the list into sections to make it easier to find what you’re looking for:
Special Spring Break Programs | Spring Break Events | Spring Break Camps | Outdoor Activities | Indoor Activities | Spring Break Deals
Special Spring Break Programs in Wichita
The Great Plains Nature Center is a great bargain all year long with free exhibits and special activities. But during spring break, the Nature Center will have a full week of fun and FREE spring break activities.
Museum of World Treasures offers a “Week of Heroes” March 20 to March 24 with family activities during spring break, including touch-a-truck in the plaza outside the museum.
The Wichita Art Museum will be open for spring break Artcation March 21 to March 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Youngsters, high school, and college students (with student ID) pay only $1 admission and enjoy artful activities!
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum offers free activities and programs for kids and families 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 21 to March 23. Tours and activities are in English and Spanish. Reservations recommended, 316-265-9314.
The Wichita Public Library offers fun spring break activities for kids and teens at different branches. Examples in 2017 include performances, art projects, puppet show and story time events. Events are free, but some, including mystery box games, require registration. Highlights include Cowpoke Festival for ages 4 and older 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 20 at Central Library. A historical performance is 2:30 p.m. March 20 for ages 8 and older at Alford Branch Library. 316-261-8500
Exploration Place has a week full of activities centering on the Vietnamese Tet Festival exhibit. All activities are included with admission unless otherwise noted.
Events During Spring Break
Sedgwick County Extension is offering a Youth Lawn Mowing Clinic for those budding entrepreneurs who want to make a little pocket money this summer. The clinics for fifth- to ninth-graders are March 22. The fee for registration by March 10 is $10. After that, the fee is $15. Registration is accepted to March 20, or before that if all spaces are reserved. Kids who participate even get free business cards to hand out!
The Downtown Pop-up Park at 121 E. East Douglas Avenue is open Monday through Friday with Wichita food trucks parked there from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I’m thinking spring break is the perfect time to enjoy lunch outside in downtown Wichita! Of course, you’ll want to bring money to cover lunch (and maybe a special treat for dessert), but there’s no fee to enjoy the park. Facebook for ICT Pop Up Urban Park.
Sonic Drive In will be starting spring break off with a delicious deal: 50-cent corndogs on March 18.
Dairy Queen is celebrating its anniversary with Free Cone Day and a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network on March 20.
Wichita Thunder has a few home games during spring break, March 22 and March 24. So far no deals are offered. 316-264-4625
Wichita Art Museum always has free admission on Saturdays, including spring break week. Be sure to check out the special spring break Artcation deal above.
Botanica opens Tulips, Fairies and Forts at Botanica Saturday, March 25. They’ll have lots of kids activities, live music, food, and other spring entertainment throughout the gardens. Regular admission applies.
Wichita Force Family night, March 25 at INTRUST Bank Arena. For that event, a family four-pack deal is $55 and includes four tickets, four drinks and four hot dogs. Tickets are sold at selectaseat.com, 855-755-7328 and the arena box office. 316-425-3009
Check out the Wichita Free or Cheap Events listing for more events during spring break.
Indoor Activities (in case of rain or cold weather during Spring Break)
Visit a Museum (or all of them) Pick up a Wichita Explore Card and get $2 off admission per person at 11 Wichita museums and attractions. You can pick up a card for FREE at the Visit Wichita office, or pay for admission at one of the participating attractions and ask for the Explore Card. You’ll be able to get the discount at any other participating attraction through the end of the year. If you pick it up in person at Visit Wichita, the discounts start right away. The office is at 515 S. Main St., Suite 115, 316-265-2800.
Take in a Movie You have lots of options for taking the kids to the movies “on the cheap” during spring break! Check out our full list of discount movies in Wichita.
Go to School The McCormick School Museum is open Sunday afternoons and Wednesday mornings and admission is by donation. (School is always more fun when you don’t have to go! 🙂 ) The 100 year old school houses the history of USD 259.
Karg Art Glass It’s free to go in and watch the artists blow glass Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and noon, and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. You may want to call first to be sure artists are working. The gallery is at 111 N. Oliver, Kechi 67067, and you can call to confirm their hours at 316-744-2442.
Find more museums and attractions in Wichita.
Outdoor Activities for Spring Break
Take a hike during spring break! Explore miles of urban or natural trails in Wichita – whichever sounds like the most fun to you. Bring a camera along to document your discoveries along the way. I’ve gathered all of my family’s favorite places to walk – and a few walks we have yet to try – here: Where to Walk in Wichita
The Wichita WATER Center is an interactive and FREE educational center that adjoins Hermann Hill Park. Visit the museum and aquariums and then take a hike on the nature trail that follows a man-made creek to the Arkansas River. (Trail guide pamphlets are located at the trail head.) The park also has a disc golf course.
Find a playground by visiting GoPlay Kansas, a website where you can search for parks in Wichita (or anywhere in Kansas). It’s like an adventure — the kids love trying out different playgrounds and things to do — and it’s free!
Sedgwick County Zoo Get the most from your membership (or the cost of admission) by timing your visit to take in a Keeper Talk or animal feeding time. Check the Daily Schedule and Planning Your Visit pages, and see how a zoo membership can save you a ton of money.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park reopens on Friday, March 17 and will be open daily during Spring Break from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a terrific place to go if you can. From March 1-14, 2017, you can purchase a season pass for $19.99 (the price of only one visit). If you missed that deal, you can still save $2 per admission with the Wichita Explore Card. 316-794-8954
Spring Break Deals for Wichita
Wichita Ice Center has $2 ice skating during spring break week. Admission is $2 per person and skate rental adds another $3. Phone to find out what times $2 skating is offered, 316-337-9199.
Carousel Skate Center offers a week full of fun skating specials. They include $2 Tuesday March 21. Banana Split Skate is March 22. Bring a banana and they provide ice cream and toppings for free. Tiny Tot Skate is March 23 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for ages 5 and younger The fee for Tiny Tot Skate is $6 for kids and free for parents. 316-942-4505
The Alley Indoor Entertainment offers Spring Break specials. For select times March 20 to March 23, $21.99 per person for unlimited bowling, go karts, laser maze and a $5 arcade card. For select times March 17 to March 19 and March 24 to March 26, $25.99 per person for unlimited bowling, go karts, laser maze and a $5 arcade card. 316-618-1000
All Star Sports (in West Wichita) is offering a promotion for three hours of unlimited go karts, laser tag, mini golf and climbing wall. Price is $24.99 for kids and adults 56 inches tall and taller, and $19.99 for youngsters less than 56 inches tall. For $3 more, uprade to an all day pass. The promotion is offered March 18-26. Some attractions feature height and safety requirements. 316-722-7529
All Star Adventures (East Wichita) offers 3 hours of unlimited go karts, mini golf and bumper cars. $19.99 for children below 56 inches tall and $24.99 for children and adults 56 inches tall and above. For $3 more, upgrade to an all day pass. The promotion runs March 18-26. Some attractions feature height and safety requirements. Note, promotion doesn’t include amusement rides. 316-682-3700
Starlite Drive In Wichita has first-run movies on Friday and Saturday nights. The popular outdoor theater opened on March 3, 2017 with special discounted pricing for the early season!
Glowgolf Groupon ($8 for 3 rounds)
50% off Dart Warz indoor foam dart battlefield. 🙂
Wichita Spring Break Camps
Sedgwick County Zoo Wonders of Wildlife Spring Fling March 20 to March 24 for youngsters in first to fifth grades. Includes indoor experiments and field lessons at the zoo. 316-660-9453
Kids Konnection camps, operated through the City of Wichita Department of Park & Recreation, are day-camps provided during in-service days. Available at Edgemoor, Linwood, and Orchard Recreation Centers. Check with them to see if they still have openings available for Spring Break week. 2017 dates are March 17, March 20, March 21, March 22, March 23, March 24. Fee: $18 per day. 316-688-9392 for Edgemoor, 316-337-9191 for Linwood and 316-337-9244 for Orchard
Kansas Humane Society Critter Camps are offered March 20 to March 24 for ages 5 to 12. Camps are $25 for each half-day session, $35 for each full-day session or $125 for a week of half-day sessions. Scholarships available. 316-220-8709
Exploration Place Spring Break Edventures is offered March 20 to March 24. For kindergarteners to fifth graders, the program is Discover The Ice Age, with different topics each day. For youngsters and teenagers in fifth grade to ninth grades, the program is TinkerTech Spring Edventures: Games Galore. 316-660-0600
YMCA Spring Break Fun Club is a licensed day camp for kids from kindergarten to 12 years old. Offered March 20 to March 24 at four locations, Andover YMCA, North YMCA, South YMCA and Northwest YMCA. Kids participate in a variety of fun, educational, and physical activities, field trips and swimming. Space is limited. Fee is $60 for one to three days or $100 for four or five days. www.ymcawichita.org/childcare, 316-942-5511
For more ideas, also see: Wichita Attractions on the Cheap, 25 Free Things to Do in Wichita Kansas, Movies on the Cheap in Wichita, and the Event Listing here at Wichita on the Cheap.
What are YOUR ideas for Spring Break on the Cheap? You can let me know in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter.
Note: I’ve provided links to the various websites or phone numbers so that you can double-check the times, dates, and prices. The information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but if things change I don’t always hear about it. You can use this as a general guide, but it would be smart to check the links or call before you head out.
Special Spring Break Programs | Spring Break Events | Spring Break Camps | Outdoor Activities | Indoor Activities | Spring Break Deals
I saw a commercial on T.V. that Tanganyika is offering 1/2 price child admission with a paid adult admission for spring break.
Going to add a link to your blog from mine! Thanks for the ideas! http://mylittlebitoflife.com/?p=1024
You can actually get a Buy one adult admission, get one child admission free, through Recyclebank.
Hi!
On spring break? Don’t forget the Wichita Public Library! There are always lots of programs and fun things to do at the Central downtown library, and all of the branch libraries. Most are free! http://www.wichita.lib.ks.us/Calendar.htm?date=3-17-2011 is the website that will take you to the calendar.
Also, the Central library has a wonderful used bookstore that is run by the Friends of the Wichita Public Library. They have the best buys on used books in town. Most are .50 and $1 for gently used books. Lots of kids books too! And the best part is, the money goes right back to the library for the programs and more books. 🙂
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me.
Gail Fisher
President
Friends of the Wichita Public Library
316-683-4420