THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN MINNEAPOLIS & ST PAUL WITH YOUR KIDS!
This guide covers Twin Cities family activities for the week of February 6-10, 2023. If you are in search of things to do with your family this weekend, jump over to our WEEKEND FAMILY GUIDE.
For more winter inspiration you can check our FEBRUARY FAMILY GUIDE, ULTIMATE TWIN CITIES WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE or our FAMILY FUN CALENDAR for more fun ideas on what to do this week in the Twin Cities with your kids – satisfaction guaranteed (or close to it!)
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES ON MONDAY, February 6, 2023
TOT TIME OPEN GYMS ON MONDAY:
Let them bounce off someone else’s walls! Our list covers open gyms for tots across the Twin Cities where they can work their wiggles off during colder weather either FREE or at a low cost to you.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF TWIN CITIES TOT TIME OPEN GYMS THIS WINTER!
- ANDOVER COMMUNITY CENTER (9:30-11:30am, $5/child ages 5 & under)
- APPLE VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER (9-11am, $15/membership pass or drop in option)
- MAPLE GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER (9-10:30am, $3/child)
- MINNEAPOLIS PARKS & REC (Type “family indoor playground” into the search box to see schedule for locations, FREE)
- PLYMOUTH FIELD HOUSE (Open Play, 10:30am-1:30pm, ages 12 & under, $5-$7/child)
- SHAKOPEE COMMUNITY CENTER (Kids Playtime, 9:30-11am, $3/child)
- ST PAUL RECREATION CENTERS (See schedule for locations, FREE)
MONDAY FEATURED TOT TIME! PLYMOUTH FIELDHOUSE OPEN PLAY
When the temps dip, field house opens up for kids who need to run and scoot around indoors. Balls and objects for free play are provided.The fieldhouse is heated to 55 degrees so dress accordingly. Februray 6, 2023, 10:30am to 1:30pm, ages 12 & under, $5-$6/pp. 14800 34th Ave., Plymouth, MN 55447-1482.
TWIN CITIES STORYTIMES ON MONDAY:
- CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Victoria & Chanhassen library branches.
- DAKOTA COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Apple Valley Galaxie library.
- HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Champlin, Eden Prairie, Linden Hills, Plymouth, Rockford Road & Westonka library branches.
- RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Roseville, Shoreview & White Bear Lake library branches.
- SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Elko New Market & New Prague library branches have storytime events.
- ST PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: Rondo library branch.
- WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: Mahtomedi Wildwood, Oakdale & Woodbury library branches.
MONDAY FEATURED STORYTIME! FREE STORY & ART TIME AT EDEN PRAIRIE ART CENTER
7650 Equitable Drive, Eden Prairie, MN
Drop in for storytime & an art project. Dress to get creative. No registration required. February 6, 2023, 10-11:30am.
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
TOT TIME OPEN GYMS ON TUESDAY:
Tot Time open gyms across the Twin Cities are absolutely a saving grace for parents of squirrelly kids when it’s too cold or sloppy to be outdoors:
- APPLE VALLEY – MILLZ HOUSE (Open play 9am-4pm, $6/pp)
- EAGAN COMMUNITY CENTER (Blast & Play Tot Time, 9am-12pm. $5/child.)
- LINO LAKES ROOKERY (Tot Time, 9am-12pm, ages 1-10, $4)
- MINNEAPOLIS PARKS & REC (Type “family indoor playground” into the search box to see schedule for locations, FREE)
- SAVAGE SPORTS CENTER (Tot Time, 9-11:30am, $3/child)
- ST LOUIS PARK (Little Tot Playtime, 9:30-11:30am, ages 1-5, $3/child)
- ST PAUL RECREATION CENTERS (See schedule for locations, FREE)
TUESDAY FEATURED TOT TIME! THE ROOKERY ACTIVITY CENTER IN LINO LAKES
Rookery Activity Center, 7690 Village Drive, Lino Lakes, MN 55014
A special Tot Time held in the gym for ages 1-10. Make sure your little ones wear socks for the bounce house! February 7, 2023, 9am-12pm, $4/child.
TWIN CITIES STORYTIMES ON TUESDAY:
- CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY: Chanhassen, Chaska, Norwood Young America & Waconia library branches.
- DAKOTA COUNTY LIBRARY: Burnhaven (Burnsville), Galaxie (Apple Valley), Heritage (Lakeville), Pleasant Hill (Hastings), South St Paul & Wescott (Eagan) library branches.
- HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY: Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Minneapolis Central & Northeast, Nokomis & Rogers library branches.
- RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY STORYTIMES: New Brighton & Roseville library branches.
- SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY: New Prague branch library.
- ST PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: Arlington Hills, Highland Park, Merriam Park & St Anthony Park branch libraries.
- WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY: Forest Lake Hardwood Creek & Woodbury RH Stafford library branches.
TUESDAY FEATURED STORYTIME! FAMILY STORYTIME AT COTTAGE GROVE RAVINE REGIONAL PARK
9653 Keats Ave S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016
A special outdoor storytime at the park that coincides with Free First Tuesday in Washington County Parks. Indoor craft or activity to follow. Dress for the elements, however in the case of extreme weather, stories will be inside Ravine Landing. February 7, 2023, 10:30am. FREE.
MORE FAMILY FUN IDEAS FOR TUESDAY: TRY SOME INDOOR SPORTS!
BASE CAMP OPEN CLIMB & ARCHERY
6202 Bloomington Rd, St Paul, MN 55111
Base Camp is a place to try out exciting physical activities like open rock climbing and archery. Ages 5+ are invited to try scaling the indoor engineered rock walls on the first Tuesday of the month. Please pre-register. February 7, 2023, 6-9pm. $10/climber.
TWIN CITIES BALLET “DANCE WITH ME” EVENT
Lakeville Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Avenue, Lakeville MN 55044
A fun-filled and highly interactive mini-show, where kids can dance alongside TCB’s professionals, and watch them perform in full costume. February 7, 2023, 10:30am. $6/pp, reserve your tickets.
Tuesday night fun: Stargazing
Star Party with Como Planetarium
Historic Como Streetcar Station, 1224 Lexington Pkwy N, St Paul, MN 55117
Outdoors, peer through a telescope and see stars, the comet C/2022 E3, and other night sky sights. In the streetcar station are astronomy-themed activities and crafts. February 7, 2023, 6-8pm. FREE.
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023
TOT TIME OPEN GYMS ON WEDNESDAY:
- APPLE VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER (9-10:30am, $15/membership pass or drop in option)
- APPLE VALLEY – MILLZ HOUSE (Open play 9am-12pm, $6/pp)
- CRYSTAL COMMUNITY CENTER (Preschool Playtime, 10-11:30am, $3/child)
- MINNEAPOLIS PARKS & REC (See schedule for locations, FREE)
- NEW BRIGHTON COMMUNITY CENTER (Preschool Playtime, 12=3pm, $7/child includes admission to Eagles Nest Indoor Playground)
- PLYMOUTH FIELD HOUSE (Open Play, 10:30am-1:30pm, ages 12 & under, $5-$6/child)
- SHAKOPEE COMMUNITY CENTER (Kids Playtime, 9:30-11am, $3/child)
- ST PAUL RECREATION CENTERS (See schedule for locations, FREE)
WEDNESDAY FEATURED OPEN GYM! Tot Times at St Paul Recreation Centers
It’s fun, unstructured, nearly always free and a total sanity-saver during our cold months. I used it routinely when my firstborn was a toddler. He thrived on the small bikes, balls, tumbling mats and other provided equipment for free physical play. The following St Paul recreation centers have tot times on Wednesday mornings this winter:
- DAYTON’S BLUFF REC CENTER, 800 Conway St, St Paul, MN 55106 (10am-12pm)
- EDGCUMBE REC CENTER, 320 Griggs St S, St Paul, MN 55105 (9:30am-noon)
- LINWOOD RECREATION CENTER, 860 St Clair Ave, St Paul, MN 55105 (11am-1pm)
- NORTH DALE REC CENTER, 1414 St Albans St N, St Paul, MN 55117 (9am-noon)
TWIN CITIES STORYTIMES ON WEDNESDAY
- CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY: Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Waconia & Watertown library branches.
- DAKOTA COUNTY LIBRARY: Burnhaven, Heritage (Lakeville), South St Paul & Wentworth branch libraries.
- HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY: Brookdale, Champlin, Linden Hills, Minneapolis North Regional & Washburn, Minnetonka, Rogers & St Anthony library branches.
- RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY: Mounds View & North St Paul library branches.
- ST PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: Rondo library branch.
- WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY: Cottage Grove Park Grove, Stillwater & Woodbury RH Stafford library branches.
WEDNESDAY FEATURED STORYTIME: STORYTIME AT KIDDYWAMPUS
1023 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343
Interactive stories, songs & rhymes for kids ages 2-5 at one of the coolest independent toy shops in the Twin Cities. No registration required. February 8, 2023, 10:30am. FREE.
More family fun ideas for wednesday: outdoor winter activities
Kicksled Open Rink – or regular old sledding
Lowry Nature Center, 7025 Nature Center Dr, Victoria, MN 55386
Equal parts sledding, skating and skiing, that’s how I’d try to describe this activity. My own kids have enjoyed it (see pic) on a frozen lake. Try one out at LOWRY NATURE CENTER. February 8, 2023, 2:30-4:30pm, $6/pp, reservations required.
If registration is full, Lowry loans out FREE sleds to use on hills within CARVER PARK RESERVE we have included as some of the BEST SLEDDING HILLS IN THE TWIN CITIES AREA. Plus, warm up inside the nature center and explore the indoor exhibits. Full and fun afternoon! Jump over for more Twin Cities-area nature centers – ideas for indoor play and learning.
EVER TRIED SNOWSHOEING?
It’s really just a winter hike made much easier by strapping on special gear to keep you (theoretically) on top of the snow instead of getting swallowed up by the drifts. And many parks offer groomed trails just for this purpose. We recommend starting with our list of nature centers and county parks that maintain trails and rent snowshoes for $5-$6 a pop. Pictured below are snowshoes rented at MAPLEWOOD NATURE CENTER.
TAKE A SPIN: OUTDOOR ICE SKATING RINKS
We’re the metro area of 10,000 rinks in the wintertime. From frozen puddles at the local park to beautiful, refrigerated outdoor rinks, we catalog as many as possible in our TWIN CITIES ICE RINK-FINDER (most of them featuring FREE opportunities to skate).
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023
TOT TIME OPEN GYM ON THURSDAYS:
- ANDOVER COMMUNITY CENTER (9:30-11:30am, $5/child ages 5 & under)
- APPLE VALLEY – MILLZ HOUSE (Open play 9am-4pm, $6/pp)
- EAGAN COMMUNITY CENTER (Blast & Play, 9am-12pm, $5/child)
- MINNEAPOLIS PARKS & REC (See schedule for locations, FREE)
- SAVAGE SPORTS CENTER (Tot Time, 9-11:30am, $3/child)
- ST PAUL RECREATION CENTERS (See schedule for locations, FREE)
THURSDAY FEATURED OPEN GYM! TCO SPORTS GARDEN TODDLER THURSDAYS
Little ones with energy to spare: Come to Field 2 for indoor activities such as a bouncy house, kicking around soccer balls and open field time with room to run. The fieldhouse is kept at 55 degrees so dress with this in mind. February 9, 2023, 9:30-11:30am. FREE!
TWIN CITIES STORYTIMES ON THURSDAY:
- CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY: Chanhassen, Waconia & Watertown library branches.
- DAKOTA COUNTY LIBRARY: Farmington, Hastings Pleasant Hill, Inver Glen, Robert Trail & Wentworth branch libraries.
- HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY: Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minneapolis Augsburg Park, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Oxboro, Plymouth, Southdale & Wayzata library branches.
- RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY: New Brighton, Roseville & Shoreview library branches.
- SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY: Prior Lake & Shakopee library branches.
- ST PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: George Latimer (St Paul) & Sun Ray library branches.
- WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY: Cottage Grove, Hardwood Creek & Woodbury RH Stafford library branches.
THURSDAY FEATURED STORYTIME! STORYTIME AT RED BALLOON BOOKSHOP
891 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105.
Storyteller Angela hosts a read-aloud storytime at the charming bookshop perfect for 3s & under (but all welcome) each Thursday. February 9, 2023, 10:30am.
More family fun ideas for Thursday: Cozy Indoor Parks
Keep it balmy at indoor Woodbury Central Park
8595 Central Park Pl, Woodbury, MN 55125
Thoughts of winter and snow will melt away in Woodbury’s CENTRAL PARK as you stroll around the landscaped rocks and tricking water fountains. Under one roof, kids can cozy up with books at a branch of the WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY (Toddler Storytime, February 9, 10:30am) and work off the wiggles at LOOKOUT RIDGE INDOOR PLAYGROUND.
Outdoors brought in at Good Times Park
3265 Northwood Cir #100, Eagan, MN 55121
We love GOOD TIMES PARK in Eagan for its indoors-but-outdoor feel: soccer turf, multi-level basketball hoops, huge jumping pillow, play equipment and ability to entertain a wide range of ages. Open daily, 7am-9:30pm, $11/pp ages 1-17. Admission is bought online in advance, space may be limited.
Twin Cities Valentine’s Day Family Events
VALENTINE’S LOVE BUG WITH KIDCREATE STUDIO
El Rio Vista Recreation Center, 179 Robie St E., Saint Paul, MN 55107
Kids ages 18 months to 7 years with caregivers will sculpt, paint and decorate a ladybug with heart-shaped wings. Perfect to give as a homemade gift. Limited openings. February 9, 2023; 10am-11am. $10/child.
VALENTINE CRAFTS at Waite Park
1810 34th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
The arts and crafts room is stocked with materials for homemade valentine cards. Bring your kids ages 6-12 years to get creative. February 9, 2023, 6-7:30pm. $5/pp.
See our roundup of Valentine’s Day activities for families in the Twin Cities for more DIY Craft Ideas.
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023
TOT TIME OPEN GYMS ON FRIDAY:
- APPLE VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER (9-11am, $15/membership pass or drop in option)
- APPLE VALLEY – MILLZ HOUSE (Open play 9am-4pm, $6/pp)
- BURNSVILLE IGM GYMNASTICS (Preschool Open Gym, 9:30-11:30am, $10/child or $15/family.)
- PLYMOUTH FIELDHOUSE (Youth Open Play, 10:30am to 1:30pm, $5-$6/pp)
- ST PAUL RECREATION CENTERS (See schedule for locations, FREE)
FRIDAY FEATURED OPEN GYM! GLEASON’S GYMNASTICS OPEN GYMS
2015 Silver Bell Rd #180, Eagan, MN 55122
So flipping fun! This used to be a family go-to when the cold set in and my kids needed to get their wiggles out. Yours will love the opportunity to bounce on trampolines, scoot through obstacle courses, and play on the gym equipment. Register in advance for a discount. And hey, teens and tweens! There’s an open gym for you, too. February 10, 2023. Preschool open gym: Wednesdays & Fridays: 9:30 – 11:30am. Pre-register: $10/child; $15/family ($13/$20 at the door).
TWIN CITIES STORYTIMES ON FRIDAY:
- CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY: Fantastic Friday at Norwood Young America library & storytime at Waconia branch.
- DAKOTA COUNTY LIBRARY: Farmington, Inver Glen & Wescott (Eagan) library branches.
- HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY: Maple Plain, Minneapolis East Lake & Walker, Eden Prairie & Ridgedale branch libraries.
- RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY: White Bear Lake branch library.
- ST PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: Riverview, Merriam Park & Hamline Midway branch libraries.
- WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY: Cottage Grove Park Grove & Lake Elmo library branches.
Friday featured storytime! Storytime with Auntie Beverly at Eagan Wescott Library
1340 Wescott Road, Eagan MN 55123-1029
An interactive storytime with multicultural tales. Aimed at ages 2-6. Stay to explore the large children’s area of the library with scavenger hunt murals. February 10, 2023, 10:30am.
More family fun ideas for friday: indoor activities!
Littles can splash the winter blues away at special TOT OPEN SWIMS reserved just for them. Here’s a couple indoor pools in the Twin Cities metro area that offer tot swims on Friday mornings (please tip us off if you know of others):
- EDEN PRAIRIE COMMUNITY CENTER POOL (Ages 5 & under, 9-11:50am, $5.75-$8/pp)
SHAKOPEE INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER (Ages 6 & under, 9-10:30am, $5/child and caregivers FREE)
FIND MORE TWIN CITIES INDOOR POOLS AND WATERPARKS FOR A WINTER SWIM!
Movie Night at Edinborough Park Amphitheater
7700 York Ave S, Edina, MN 55435
EDINBOROUGH PARK in Edina stays balmy and green, even through the winter! The indoor park is free to stroll through and a free movie night is offered once a month at the amphitheater. $9/pp plus tax will get the young ones into the giant ADVENTURE PEAK play structure where they’ll be busy climbing for hours and includes admission to Minions: The Rise of Gru. 5:30pm. February 10, 2023.
Explore more indoor playgrounds this winter on our giant list!
Twin cities Valentine’s Day Family Events
VALENTINE’S SPLASH
Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Enjoy a family-friendly open swim with a Valentine theme. Bring a non-perishable item to receive a mini Valentine rubber duck. All ages. February 10, 2023; 5pm-7:50pm. Open Swim fees apply. Family of Five $25.50.
FUN THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN THE TWIN CITIES, FEBRUARY 11-12, 2023
Too many fun things to list here, I’ll tell you that. So we publish a separate guide each weekend with up-to-the-last-minute ideas for spending family time together.
FIND TONS MORE KID-FRIENDLY EVENTS ON OUR TWIN CITIES FAMILY FUN CALENDAR!