ARCADES
- Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston) - arcade, duckpin bowling, restaurant
- Dave and Buster's (West Des Moines) - restaurant, arcade
- Gameday (Des Moines) - restaurant, arcade, bowling
- Great Escape (Pleasant Hill) - bowling, laser tag, arcade, restaurant
- Monsterama Arcade (Des Moines) - pizza, admission fee, all games set to free play
- Old School Pinball & Arcade (Grimes) - admission fee, all games set to free play
- Operating Room (Ankeny) - kids welcome until 8 pm
- Operating Room (West Des Moines) - kids welcome until 7:30 pm
- Perfect Games (Ames) - bowling, arcade, indoor playground (mini golf outdoors)
- Pizza Ranch (Ankeny) - arcade
- Smash Park (West Des Moines) - pickleball, arcade, foosball, ping pong, restaurant
- Spare Time (West Des Moines) - bowling, arcade, restaurant
- Time Out (Ames) - kids welcome until 7 pm on weekends
- Uncle Buck's Fishbowl (Altoona) - bowling, arcade, restaurant
BOWLING
- Air Lanes (Des Moines) - bowling
- B&B Theaters (Ankeny) - arcade, bowling, movie theater with Screen Play
- Gameday (Des Moines) - restaurant, arcade, bowling
- Great Escape (Pleasant Hill) - bowling, laser tag, arcade, restaurant
- Perfect Games (Ames) - bowling, arcade, indoor playground (mini golf outdoors)
- Spare Time (West Des Moines) - bowling, arcade, restaurant
- Uncle Buck's Fishbowl (Altoona) - bowling, arcade, restaurant
- Warrior Lanes (Waukee) - bowling, glow bowling on Fri/Sat nights
CLIMB
- Climb Iowa (Grimes) - bouldering walls
- Jester Park (Granger) - bouldering wall
DUCKPIN BOWLING
- Backpocket Pin & Pixel (Johnston) - arcade, duckpin bowling, restaurant
- Inside Golf & Games (Ames) - duckpin bowling, golf simulator, axe throwing
- Putts & Pins (West Des Moines) - restaurant, mini golf, duckpin bowling, pinball
MINI GOLF
- Putts & Pins (West Des Moines) - restaurant, mini golf, duckpin bowling, pinball
MOVIES
- B&B Theaters (Ankeny) - arcade, bowling, Screen Play
- Flix Brewhouse (Des Moines) - Merle Hay Mall, discount Wednesdays
- Palms Theaters & IMAX (Waukee) - arcade, bargain Tuesdays
MISC
- Downtown Skywalks (Des Moines)
- ISU Drop In Crafts (Ames) - Monday-Friday from 2-9pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm
- Pole Position Raceway (Grimes) - go karts, minimum of 48 inches tall and at least 6 years old
- Selfie WRLD Iowa (West Des Moines) - Valley West Mall
- Splatter Room at Homespun Elegance (West Des Moines) - moving to Valley Junction
MUSEUMS
- Des Moines Art Center (Des Moines) - free admission
- Iowa Gold Star Military Museum (Johnston) - free admission
- Iowa State Capitol (Des Moines) - free admission, open Monday to Saturday
- Science Center of Iowa (Des Moines) - open Thursday to Sunday
- State Historical Museum of Iowa (Des Moines) - open Tuesday to Friday, free admission
NATURE CENTERS
- Jester Park (Granger) - open daily (except on Sundays from December to February)
- Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge - open Thursday to Saturday
PLAY
- Des Moines Children's Museum (West Des Moines) - Valley West Mall
- Get Air (Urbandale) - trampolines
- Hop-A-Lot (West Des Moines) - inflatables, across from Valley West Mall
- Kids Empire (Des Moines) - Merle Hay Mall, opened August 2023
- Kids Empire (West Des Moines) - near Jordan Creek, opened February 2023
- Ninja U (Ankeny) - better for kids 7 and up
- Playground for Kids (Ankeny) - inflatables, playground
- Pump It Up (Urbandale) - inflatables
- Rainbow of the Heartland (Grimes) - open play on weekdays, $10 per child
- Sky Zone (Grimes) - trampolines
- Urban Air (Ankeny)- ropes course, climbing walls, trampolines
SKATING
- ISU Ice Arena (Ames) - ice skating
- RecPlex (West Des Moines) - ice skating
- Skateland (Des Moines) - roller skating, arcade
SWIMMING