Hi,

We will be taking our 4-year-old son to Branson in about a week (July 16-23) and have tickets for the Dixie Stampede, Darren Romeo magic show, and Tall Timbers Lumberjack show. Are there any othe suggestions of where to take our 4-year-old son when we are there? Someone already has suggested the toy museum. Also, if anyone has seen the Darren Romeo magic show let us know how it is. From the website it looks fantastic. Thanks.

Your son should enjoy Darren Romeo. I just saw his show last time I was in Branson and it was very good. Not only is he a wonderful magician, but he sings very well too. You get two shows in one: music and magic. I definitely recommend Darren's show.

You might also consider taking your son to Celebration City (mostly rides) or Silver Dollar City (more variety).

A great show for your 4-year old would be Gregory Popovich's Comedy Pet Theater at the Grand Country Mall. He does a "Moscow Circus"-type show with 15 cats and 8 dogs that he rescued and trained to do amazing things! I believe it's usually a morning 10 AM show: http://www.grandcountry.com/s_popovich.asp.

www.missouribargains.com has vouchers in pairs for $30.00 for 2 people.

Thanks to those who replied. We will keep those things in mind when we go. I can't wait to go on vacation and get out of Wisconsin.

Ah yes. Popoviche's Pet Theatre would be perfect for a younger child. Thanks for reminding me of that show!

There is a small amusement area along the Strip called Kids Kountry. It's located by the entrance of the Tanger (Blue Roof) Outlet Mall. You can't miss it. It has rides that are geared for smaller children - Swinger, Tea Cups, Ferris Wheel, Go-Karts, Bumper Boats, Train Ride. There is also a mini golf course at this location. You can view this attraction and costs at www.bransontracks.com.

My daughter is 5 years old, and she has been to Kids Kountry several times in the past few years. It's always a hi-lite of her vacation. She is excited that we are going to Branson in August, and this is on her list of things to do.

We prefer to do this in the evening when the sun has gone down, and the weather is more bearable. Also, I think my daughter likes it at night when the rides are lit up.

He might also enjoy Ride the Ducks. It's a nice scenic tour of Branson and Table Rock Lake. When the Duck is on the lake, the Captain allows the children on board to take a turn driving the Duck. When the Duck arrives back at the dock, a certificate can be printed that your child drove the duck, and signed by the Duck Captain.

There is also an IMAX theater in Branson. My daughter likes the IMAX movies. You can check out the schedule at www.bransonimax.com. There is probably something that would capture his attention.

You won't have any problems finding things to do with a 4-year old. Be sure to check out the discount coupons available in various publications that should be available in your motel/hotel lobby. There are usually discounts available for all of these attractions in those publications.

Labpup89 - thank you so much for the information for what to do with a 4 year old in Branson. I appreciate. Thanks, Cindy

You also might want to go to the fish hatchery to feed the fish. It is free to go there but I think you pay a quarter to get a handful of food. We took our parents one year, they enjoyed it and we did too!

You mentioned going to Kids Kountry and riding the kiddie rides...Several years ago, our family had a VERY bad experience there...We were waiting in line to ride one of the rides and a small child, probably 3 or 4, fell out of one of the rides...The harness or safety strap broke and the child was badly injured...Hit his head and it was bleeding profusely...Had to call the ambulance! Very scary situation!!!!

To me, the employees that supervised the rides were not very credible looking....I hate to be judgmental...but they all looked a bit "shady"....and after that happened we inspected some of the other rides and they didn't look to be in the best of condition...Hopefully, they have upgraded the rides and equipment....and hired better employees....

Just wanted to let you know....

Something fun and free is the fish hatchery. My daughter loved to feed the fish and watch them when she was small. Take some quarters and a cup to put the feed in so you don't lose any, also your hands won't smell so fishy.

We also enjoyed the Butterfly House. The butterflies actually land on or near you. It was great. They keep it hot so someone suggested that it is great in the winter, spring or fall.

One summer my daughter begged to go to Waltzing Waters (behind the $5or$1 shop. Very touristy. We saw it without the piano player but did get to see the last song of his act. He is a great performer. During the show we saw, the kids could go push some of the buttons to make the water spray.