Roaming Roanoke: Kids Square

January 14, 2021 | Angela Evans | Blog, Roaming Roanoke

Happy New Year! We are starting 2021 with a visit to a popular spot – Kids Square!

Now that it is January, there are not a lot of events. Add in the global pandemic and it can be hard to find indoor activities for families right now. However, several places are open with health and safety measures in place. One of those places in Kids Square in downtown Roanoke!

The Mobile Kids Square was our first Roaming Roanoke blog post, so it seems natural to start the new year with a post about the Kids Square location! Kids Square is one of the places EVERYONE told us to take the kids when we first moved here two years ago. They were right and our kids LOVED it. We had not been to Kids Square in nearly a year due to the Covid pandemic, but this past weekend, we needed somewhere fun for kids indoors and knew Kids Square was the place to go! Our kids loved their visit to Kids Square as always, plus, it was the first time our one-year-old could play there on her own. She had so much fun! I don’t think she wanted to ever leave!

If you’ve never been to Kids Square, it is a children’s museum designed for interactive play and learning. It includes a kid’s size town, with a grocery store, bank, hospital, daycare, veterinarian, dentist, etc. It has a forest area with a rock climbing area, slides, and tree forts. The museum also includes building areas, STEAM centers, and a sensory sensitive area. The KidsSquare website states, “The Don and Barbara Smith Children’s Museum exists to further Center in the Square’s mission to enhance education, economic development and quality of life. Kids Square offers interactive exploration opportunities for children and families in a playful environment, allowing children to learn through hands-on experience and pretend play.”

Needless to say, Kids Square has something for kids of all ages! My kids are ages 6, 5, and 1 and all three enjoyed it! Kids Square has implemented numerous measures for health during the Covid pandemic. Items like toy cars are cleaned after each child’s use. Each family has their own set of building toys, hot wheels, toy food, etc at respective exhibits and they are cleaned in between each family. The play money in the pretend bank is frequently changed out. Dolls and stuffed animals are removed and cleaned after each child’s use. There are many more measures that I am sure I have forgotten, but the employees there do all they can to keep families and children safe and healthy.

Kids Square is located in the Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke on the third floor. At this time, it is open on Thursdays-Sundays and closed Mondays-Wednesdays. Families can stay a maximum of two hours. You can reserve your tickets and time slot ahead of time or walk-in and stay for two hours. We did not reserve a time slot and had no trouble on Sunday walking-up and purchasing tickets at that time to play for two hours. Tickets are $9 for everyone age 1 and up (both adults and children need tickets for entry). Babies under 1 are free. You can buy tickets on the first floor of the Center in the Square or online at kidssquare.org or by phone at 540-224-1200.

Strollers must be kept outside of Kids Square main door on the third floor. Backpacks and diaper bags cannot be carried around the museum at this time but you can leave them at the entrance. There are restrooms and diaper changing tables inside. There are also areas if you need to nurse a baby.

Parking for Kids Square is available in any parking garage or lot downtown. However, you will have to pay for parking during the week which can range from $4 to $8. We usually park in the garage adjacent to the Center in the Square and it is free on the weekends. Please note, all entries must be on through the main door to Center in the Square and not the parking garage doors at this time.

As always, the Covid pandemic means changes can happen at any time, so always check the Kids Square website (kidssquare.org) or Facebook page for the most up to date information.

We loved our time at Kids Square and hope you do too! It is a warm place with endless play possibilities for kids of all ages!

If you have a place or event for Roaming Roanoke to visit, please let me know!

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Angela Evans

Angela Evans is a former tv reporter turned stay-at-home mom. She and her husband Cody have three children. They moved to Virginia in 2018. When she’s not Roaming Roanoke, she is probably drinking sweet tea, reading a book or dancing.