How to entertain a toddler in Central Iowa? Ideas ...

     

Myla at the bottom of a tall slide
at the Playground for Kids, Ankeny, Iowa.

The three-year-old at the
Science Center of Iowa, downtown Des Moines

The Disney princesses visited Des Moines!

    We have had a granddaughter in Central Iowa the past three years. 

    Hence, we now are pretty good about finding things to do with Miss Myla Rodewald and thought to share some ideas. College kids in the Quad-Cities often graduate and move to other places such as Des Moines. This is probably a situation faced by many grandparents.

    We've been able to branch out as she grows. In early January we met Myla's parents at the Science Center of Iowa, (https://www.sciowa.org ) and had a blast watching the three-year-old discover so many new activities. The "Bring Learning to Life" theme on the website is so true, especially in the case of the toddler set.

    The Blank Park Zoo (https://www.blankparkzoo.com) was a real favorite last summer; we gifted zoo passes to Kirstin and Gage Rodewald. This -- the only accredited zoo in the state -- provides unending fun. We also visited during Halloween 2021 when Myla was offered special treats and was able to meet the Disney princesses.

    Ankeny boasts The Playground for Kids (https://www.theplaygroundforkids.com), a large, indoor play space. It was absolutely packed on a recent Saturday. Visitors came from the metro area. A month ago, we took Myla on a weekday and there were only about a dozen kids indoors.

    This indoor facility has a number of big blow-up toys and bounce houses. One multi-slide rises about 20 feet off the ground; the kids climb up a ladder to get to the top and slide down. It's hilarious -- and a bit harrowing -- to see even small kids on this slide. 

    The Playground for Kids is also a center for birthday parties. On that recent Saturday, the center was open to the public only until noon, and private parties appeared to be scheduled all afternoon.

    West Des Moines is the home of the Des Moines Children's Museum (https://dsmchildrensmuseum.com) I understood this was founded by teachers. Its theme: "Building the Foundation of Lifelong Learning Through Play."

   This was a fun place for Myla at two-and-a-half years old. It features child-led activities, and she amused herself in the facility for more than an hour. (We watched from the sidelines.) The site is inside the Valley West Mall, and there are some big toys to play on at the mall entrance.  (It does not resemble the Children's Museum in Bettendorf, Iowa.)

    Of course, Central Iowa includes Adventureland (https://www.adventurelandresort.com). We have not been there in years but Myla's folks took her last summer and she enjoyed it. They went on a warm weekday, which means they avoided some of the crowd issues that arise during a weekend. Some eight "kiddie" rides are of interest to the little ones and there are family-friendly rides as well. Check out the carousel some time!   

    Daughter Kirstin was five years old when we introduced her to Adventureland.

    Many of the Des Moines suburbs have nice parks and pools like you find in many metro areas. There is a big one in Ankeny called Cascade Falls Aquatic Center (https://www.prairietrailankeny.com/parks-and-recreation/aquatic-center/). For Myla, there is a zero-depth area with play features. Many other toys are offered for older kids. This center was packed during the summer hours, but again, generally less busy on weekdays.

    These are a few ideas for entertaining younger children in Central Iowa. Just spending time with the toddlers is fun, too, of course!