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.
If you are a business or organization and would like to submit a directory listing, please click on Submit Business Listing.
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Grief support center in Windsor Heights, Iowa, Amanda the Panda offers the most comprehensive and ongoing services for children, teens, and adults.
We are an innovative visual arts organization providing gallery space for local artists and art classes for all ages. All exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public. We are dedicated to supporting local artists, providing educational development and a diverse art experience for people of all ages.
Welcome to Ankeny Community Schools' Community Education Department. Here you will find information about courses that are available to all community members, community outreach programs, and rental of district facilities. Serving all ages with lifelong learning.
Programs offered:
Dance Lessons beginning January 2015
Private and Group Piano Lessons
Violin and Viola Lessons
Voice Lessons
Musical Theater Class
Prepiano Series
Preschool Music
Guitar and Bass Lessons
Drum Lessons
Rock Band Classes
Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, Flute, and Clarinet
Aqua-Tots Swim School is now teaching swim lessons in West Des Moines, IA. We’re located in the Jordan Creek Town Center directly North of the Costco on Mills Civic Parkway. Our Swim School serves the entire Des Moines, IA area.
The Aqua-Tots Des Moines Swim Center offers a year round, monthly tuition based swim program. Once registered, your child will be enrolled in swim lessons unless we receive notice indicating otherwise.
Business Description: Since 2010, we’ve helped countless people just like you to find the piano and guitar lessons they need so their children can learn to play an instrument.
Our curriculum is fully accredited by the ACS WASC for grades 1-12 music education, both in-person and online programs, meaning you can trust our process. Every new student begins with a free trial lesson to get to know us and what to expect before signing up
Why do we utilize group lessons? Almost nothing else is learned alone—not sports, not the arts, not academics. Then why piano and guitar? We believe students quit piano and guitar too soon because they're isolated and unengaged. Our group lessons solve all that, bringing students together to challenge and inspire one another.
Outside of our standard guitar and piano lessons, we offer plenty of extra activities for our students and pack our summer calendar full of camps and other opportunities. We love watching our students grow and try new things all year long.
Barnum Equestrian Center was completed in May 2004 and is home to a thriving lessons program (currently serving about 25 riders weekly), Horses Helping People, and serves thousands of trail riders every year. In addition, many local and regional groups have enjoyed using Barnum Equestrian Center as their venue for shows, clinics, saddle club outings, and other special events. All of our staff are certified either through AAHS or Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), and are well-trained in leading guests in safe. educational, fun equine activities.
Bricks 4 Kidz offers fun, hands-on programs where kids ages 3-13+ can learn, build and play with LEGO® bricks. Our specially designed project kits and theme-based models provide the building blocks for the Bricks 4 Kidz approach to educational play.
Why Camp Brainiac?
Camp Brainiac is a summer day camp that welcomes elementary school age kids K-5! We focus on this age because a love for learning starts in early grade school.
Local Des Moines mom, Andrea Hansen, and local teacher, Eden Sexton, partnered to create Camp Brainiac with a mission to avoid the dreaded "summer backslide." The summer backslide is real! Research shows that kids lose academic ground over the summer. Even the best students are several weeks behind when they start back to school. Camp Brainiac will help combat all that!
Camp Brainiac gives kids a break from the classroom but not necessarily from learning. Brainiac campers will spend their days immersed in experiential learning designed around a different theme each week.
Camp Courageous is a year-round therapedic camp located in Monticello for Iowa-area people of all ages with various disabilities.