The Kids Castle Play Area
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
The Kids Castle Play Area is an absolutely free, indoor, extremely clean play area located conveniently inside a mall, supported by the Children's Hospital of NOLA. It offers well-organized, reservable 25-minute play sessions with strict hygiene protocols including hand washing and post-session cleaning, making it ideal for toddlers and young children (under ~51 inches) to burn energy. It's also noted as a great venue for toddler birthday parties, with the unique value proposition of food and cake delivery from the mall food court.
Key Highlights
- ✓Extremely clean facility, sanitized frequently and after each play session
- ✓Very friendly and kind staff, with specific mention of helpfulness for parties (e.g., Mitchell)
- ✓Well-organized booking system for play sessions and parties
- ✓Absolutely free admission, supported by the Children’s Hospital of NOLA
- ✓Offers 25-minute structured play sessions, allowing for focused play and consistent cleaning
- ✓Conveniently located inside a mall, closest to the food court entrance
Standout Features
- ⭐Free admission, making it a highly accessible and valuable family entertainment option
- ⭐Ability to order food and cake from the mall food court and have it delivered directly for birthday parties
- ⭐Strict and consistent cleaning protocols, with the play area cleaned after every 25-minute session
- ⭐Dedicated and helpful staff members
- ⭐Location inside a mall, providing other amenities nearby for parents
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →You must make an online reservation for your 25-minute play session in advance
- →You can book back-to-back 25-minute sessions if you desire longer play time
- →Bring socks for your children, as wearing socks on the play surface is strictly enforced
- →Ensure everyone washes their hands before entering the play area, as this is a strict protocol
- →Check current operating days and hours, as they were M-W-F at the time of review
- →Consider it for toddler birthday parties, as staff assistance and food delivery from the mall are highly praised
Things to Consider
- ⚠Kids must be shorter than approximately 51 inches (or similar number) to enter the castle play structure itself
- ⚠Limited operating hours, currently open only M-W-F (as per review date, may change)
- ⚠Requires mandatory online reservation for all play sessions, which are 25 minutes long
Price & Value
Absolutely free admission, making it an exceptional value. The support from the Children’s Hospital of NOLA allows this high-quality, clean, and organized venue to be accessible at no cost. There are no direct entry fees or hidden costs mentioned for regular play, but party-goers might incur costs for food/cake ordered from the mall.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Described as a 'safe' place for children to play.
- •No specific details on accessibility for special needs or accommodations were mentioned, beyond being supported by a Children's Hospital.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •For birthday parties, food and cake can be conveniently ordered from the mall food court and delivered directly to the party area. No specific policy mentioned for outside food/drinks during regular play sessions.
🚗Parking Info
- •Located inside a mall, closest to the food court entrance. Assumed to have standard mall parking availability, typically offering ample options.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Crowd levels are managed effectively through mandatory online reservations for 25-minute play sessions, which are followed by cleaning. This system suggests a controlled and likely less overwhelming environment compared to open-entry venues.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Extremely clean environment with frequent sanitization and cleaning after every play session
- •Strict protocol requiring everyone to wash hands before entering the play area
- •Strict enforcement of wearing socks on the play surface
- •Described by parents as a 'safe' place for children to play
- •Height restriction for the castle itself (approx. 51 inches) potentially implemented for safety reasons
⏰When to Avoid
- • If your child is taller than approximately 51 inches and intends to play in the main castle structure, as they may be restricted
- • If you are looking for an activity on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or weekends (based on current M-W-F operating hours)
- • If you prefer a less structured, open-ended play experience without timed sessions
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Private Birthday Party
$385Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Private birthday party package at The Kids’ Castle for up to 20 children.
Includes:
- •Up to 20 children
- •1 hour of private play time in the Kids’ Castle
- •30 minutes of private party time in the Party Area
- •Two 17” pizzas with up to 5 toppings from Reginelli’s Pizzeria
- •A refillable pitcher of drink from Reginelli’s Pizzeria
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Mini Monet Art Class
October (specific dates not provided)
Booking required; price not specified on provided content.
Focuses on creativity and hands-on activities designed to bring out the artist in every child.
Sensory Adventures Play Activities
October (specific dates not provided)
Booking required; price not specified on provided content.
Engages your child’s senses in a way that facilitates exploration.
Kids’ Club
Ongoing
Free to join
Membership for fun activities & exclusive events at Lakeside Shopping Center.
🍎Food Policy
- • **For Kids' Castle Birthday Parties:** No outside food allowed. The party package includes two 17” pizzas and a refillable drink. Ice cream is not provided but can be ordered from Haagen-Dazs in the Food Court. Guests must supply their own themed paper products, utensils, knife, and lighter for the cake.
- • **For general mall common area birthday parties (not Kids' Castle specific):** No outside food or drinks allowed. All food and beverages, including birthday cakes, must be purchased from a restaurant in the Food Court or on Lakeside property. Guests are allowed to bring their own plates, cups, and napkins for food/beverages purchased on property.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • All children must be under 51” tall to play.
- • Socks are required for all guests (including adults) to enter the play area.
- • The play area closes for a deep cleaning each day from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm.
- • Lighting candles is strictly prohibited in the mall.
📅Booking Policy
- • Free playtime sessions must be booked online through Eventbrite.
- • Upon arrival for playtime, guests must check in with a staff member at the entrance.
- • Maximum of two back-to-back playtime slots and no more than four total slots per day per guest/child.
- • It is not permitted to reserve all 15 spots of a general play session.
- • Schools/Daycares must contact The Kids’ Castle at least 2 weeks prior to attending.
- • Kids’ Castle Birthday Parties require full payment via PayPal at the time of booking.
- • No outside entertainment (e.g., face painters) is permitted for Kids' Castle birthday parties.
- • Birthday Parties are not allowed in the Food Court unless booked through The Kids’ Castle.
- • For general mall common area birthday parties (not Kids' Castle specific): Food Court tables cannot be reserved. Guests attempting to reserve tables in the Food Court will be asked to move to the tables in the Dillard’s wing of the mall, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. At least half of the party must be seated to hold tables in the Dillard’s wing. No reservation signs can be used to hold tables; signs will be removed. A 60-minute time limit applies to table usage for birthday parties in mall common areas. Lakeside employees are not responsible for reserving tables in mall common areas.
🚗Parking Information
- • Convenient lot parking is located around the Lakeside Shopping Center property.
- • Three parking garages are located adjacent to Macy's, Dillard's, and JCPenney.
- • For Kids' Castle, the JCPenney Parking Garage located near the Food Court Entrance is recommended.
What People Say
What's Great
- Clean and well-maintained facilities (mentioned in 3 reviews)
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 5 reviews)
- Great for birthday parties (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Sabrina Culotta
3 months agoWe had my daughter’s birthday here and had a wonderful experience! The kids had a great time, and it was so nice to have everything taken care of. The castle is precious, extremely clean, and the staff that helped us, especially Mitchell, made it all so easy. We loved being able to order food and cake from the food court and it being delivered right to the party. It’s a great venue for a toddler birthday party!
Greg Wilde
a year agoThis is an indoor play area where it’s a great place to bring kids. In order to go into the castle itself I believe kids have to be shorter than 51 inches or some number like that.
Broch Bell
7 months agoVery friendly staff and a great area for our child. We were visiting from NC and wanted somewhere safe for our child to play. We thoroughly enjoyed the amenities offered here. I liked how it is well organized with bookings and is absolutely free. The Children’s hospital of NOLA contributes to this and I appreciate what they do. I wish our towns in NC had more of these!
Mitchell Waksman
3 years agoLocated inside the mall and closest to the food courts entrance Kids Castle is great for kiddies. You must make a reservation and they sanitize frequently. Currently, they are open M-W-F, but hopefully they open this up more. It’s a great spot for your child(s) to run out excess energy. People working are very kind and it’s very clean!
Faith Broussard
3 years agoI’ve been coming here with my daughter since it opened. We missed it while it was closed during covid. Now you have to reserve your 25 minute play session online. You can book back to back sessions. My 3 year old loves it and I love it because it’s very clean. They are very strict about wearing socks on the play surface. And everyone has to wash their hands before entering. After each session they clean it. That has been the protocol since it opened.