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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The library's mission is to nurture the early learning experiences of young children and their families; support lifelong learning and enjoyment of all community members; and provide a comfortable and welcoming place for people to meet and grow.
The Board of Education and the staff are committed to continuing the Dallas Center-Grimes tradition of providing students with outstanding academic programs as well as opportunities to learn and participate in many high quality and award winning activities including the performing arts, athletics, and cheerleading, as well as many clubs and organizations.
The education of our children is one of the most important goals of our communities. The Dallas Center-Grimes School District is committed to providing our students with every opportunity that will help them be successful students and successful citizens. Our mission is "Empowering Students to Take Charge of Their Futures!" By working together we can ensure that our children have a bright future.
For over 100 years, Des Moines Public Schools has been educating the students of Iowa’s capital city. Today, we are the largest provider of public education in Iowa, with more than 30,000 students and nearly 5,000 teachers and staff at work in more than 60 schools throughout the community.
Des Moines is a vibrant, innovative and diverse city. In fact, Parenting magazine ranked Des Moines #5 on the list of the best cities in the nation to raise a family, in large part due to great schools and learning opportunities.
Those traits are reflected throughout our school district in the breadth of the programs we offer and the constituency we serve. Our students, parents, teachers and staff come from many different backgrounds, all of which contribute to the richness of a DMPS education. The wide range of opportunities in Des Moines meets the academic interests, abilities and goals of every student.
We boast the largest variety of educational programs – many of them nationally renowned – in Iowa. That includes the state’s only International Baccalaureate curriculum and the only public Montessori school. According to the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education, our Central Academy’s “record of excellence with Advanced Placement is an honor for the entire state of Iowa,” producing more National AP Scholars in one recent year than 13 entire states! The Downtown School is regarded as a national model. Several schools feature continuous calendars throughout the year, and our Career & Tech Institute delivers training in everything from culinary arts to aviation technology, a scope that is rare in districts with comparable profiles.
Over the last decade a comprehensive and ongoing capital improvements campaign has renovated and updated many of our schools, 53 of which have now earned the Energy Star designation. State of the art learning environments are outfitted with everything from the latest technology to air conditioning.
Community Education is an opportunity for local citizens and community schools, agencies and institutions to become active partners in addressing education and community concerns.
Many of our classes are Youth Friendly, meaning that children under 18 are encouraged to attend. Check our class descriptions under Youth Friendly for minimum ages.
Educational Toys and Games
The Drake Municipal Observatory is operated jointly by the City of Des Moines and Drake University. The observatory contains an eight and a half inch refracting telescope which was built in 1894 and donated to Drake University by Francis Marion Drake.
It is located on the grounds of Waveland Golf Course and is open to the public during Public Night series held each spring, summer and fall on successive Friday nights.
The East Side Library features a large collection of automotive repair manuals as well as databases that assist even shade tree mechanics. In addition to a wide array of books, we also have a cozy reading nook complete with fireplace. Public television viewers will appreciate our extensive British film and educational DVD collection.
We offer speech-language therapy, tutoring, and classroom programs for students struggling in school.
The Food Bank of Iowa is a private, charitable, not-for-profit organization committed to our mission of alleviating hunger through food distribution, partnership and education.
The Forest Avenue Library features an extensive Foreign Language collection, including materials in Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Karen. We also host a Language Learning Center where we provide computers to access Rosetta Stone, Pronunciator, and English Language Learning materials.
Children will be delighted with Rosie's Forest, our early literacy center, which includes artwork done by Sticks and a wide variety of early literacy stations where children can come to learn and play.