The Directory
Kid friendly businesses, organizations and services in the Des Moines area.
Whether you live in Ankeny, Altoona, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines or beyond, find the local resources your family needs in in the dsm4kids Directory!
While all submissions are considered, inclusion in the Directory is based on relevance. Businesses or organizations outside of Central Iowa or primarily geared toward adults may not be listed.
Since 1972, Gateway Dance Theatre (GDT) has been moving to the rhythms of the world, fusing African American, Caribbean, Asian and Indian music and movement into a multimedia experience for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Gateway Dance Theatre’s vision is to advance a diverse art movement for all ages, broaden arts outreach, increase cultural sensitivity, and champion social justice.
Preschool
Girls Rock! Des Moines’ Summer Rock Camp is a two-week-long empowering music program that offers band formation and rehearsal, individual instrument instruction, educational workshops and classes, visiting artist performances, and an exciting showcase at the end of camp.
Our program is open to any cis-girl, gender-expansive, nonbinary, or trans youth between the ages of 8-18 / No musical experience needed / Financial support is always available!
It’s never too early to start your children in the pool, and Goldfish Swim School – Urbandale offers swim lessons tailored to helping infants, toddlers, and children build their comfort in the water. Swimming can be scary for newcomers—but The Science of SwimPlay® focuses on building feelings of safety and joy so students of all levels progress faster under the guidance of our trained instructors. We make learning so fun your child won’t want to leave!
We rely on empathy and incremental processes to ensure everyone receives the peace of mind they need to thrive during our swim lessons!
Greenfields is fundamentally different from traditional schools because students are in control of their own learning. How Greenfields is different:
Student-driven, self-paced learning
Real-world projects and apprenticeships
Multi-age/grade classes
Student self-governance
Exploration and assessment of skill levels, learning styles, aptitudes, personality traits, and interests
Guides rather than teachers
Socratic discussions rather than lectures
Mastery learning and student portfolios of achievements rather than grades
No homework
No teaching to the test
Open-air market that features farm fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade items, flowers and plants and more.
Guitar Center is a musical instruments retailer.
Guitar Center offers music instruction for players of all skill levels—beginner to pro—with a courteous, knowledgeable staff teaching world-class curriculum for guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals and recording. They offer private instruction, group lessons, workshops, rock show and summer camps.
Family-owned chain that buys & sells secondhand books as well as movies & music in various formats.
Aronia berry and raw, unfiltered Honey farm
Offers free workshops for parents, couples, singles, and job seekers.