Kid Zone

Kid Zone is a FREE childcare service for Y members. Drop off your children to enjoy healthy activities, games, arts and crafts while you exercise at the YMCA.

Kid Zone is for children ages 6 weeks - 12 years. Child must be a listed Y member. See complete guidelines below.

Kid Zone is available at our Wellness Centers

Parents' Morning/Night Out

In addition to free childcare while you work out, the Y is proud to offer additional family services to our members. These paid programs allow parents to leave the YMCA while kids ages 5 - 12 stay on-site in the Kid Zone for longer periods of time. Registration required. Learn More: Parents' Morning Out | Parents' Night Out

Kid Zone Guidelines

• Kid Zone Guidelines by Age:
  • Open to children ages 6 weeks - 12 years old. Child must be a listed YMCA Member.
  • The Playscape at Jim & Heather Gills YMCA is open to children ages 3 - 7 only.
  • The Playground at Speer YMCA is open to children ages 2 -12. However, children are only permitted to use age-appropriate equipment as marked. The large play structure is restricted to ages 3 - 12. 
  • Infant areas are restricted to a maximum of 8 infants at any given time. 
• Signing In/Out: 
  • Children must be signed in and out by a parent/guardian (18 & up).
  • A member ID card or photo ID is required to drop off and pick up children.
  • In the event the adult who drops off is not the adult who picks up, the adult who signs the child in must leave the name of the person who will be picking up the child and they will be required to show ID.
• Parents must remain in the facility while their children are in the Kid Zone (with the exception of Parents’ Morning Out or Parents’ Night Out). 
• Children may be signed in for a maximum of 2 hours at a time, up to 4 hours per day. There must be a 2-hour break between visits. (See Parents’ Morning/Night Out for additional options.)
• Food is not permitted (except during Parents’ Morning/Night Out). Water and baby bottles are allowed. No glass bottles.
• Please label all personal belongings (diaper bags, bottles, etc.). For safety reasons, glass bottles are not allowed.
• Diapering is not allowed by staff. Parents will be notified for diaper changes.
• Sleeping Children:
  • For the safety and well-being of your child, when they are brought into our care while sleeping, we will need to gently wake them to ensure proper supervision and attention. This is an important precaution to maintain their safety during their time with us.  
• Car seats and strollers are not permitted inside. If an infant arrives asleep in a car seat or stroller, our staff will ask that the child be transferred into our equipment.
• Behavior & Discipline:
  • Parents are asked and encouraged to share information about their child that may be valuable to staff who care for the child (e.g., temperament, favorite toys or games, etc.).
  • Parents will be notified for severe disciplinary infractions or if the child is crying for more than 15 minutes.
  • If a child’s behavior threatens safety or is consistently an issue, they may be suspended from Kid Zone.
• YMCA Staff may not administer medication. Any medication required should be administered by a parent.
• Sick children are not permitted. 
  • If a child doesn’t attend school due to illness, they are not permitted to use Kid Zone that day. 
  • If a child shows any signs of illness while in our care, the parent will be asked to remove their child from the area immediately.
  • In some cases, if a child needs to be seen by a doctor, the parent may be required to submit a signed release from their doctor before the child can return. This is to ensure that a child does not return when they may risk exposing others to an illness.
  • Illnesses/symptoms that exclude a child from care include (but are not limited to):
    • Fever (100 degrees or higher)
    • Difficult or rapid breathing or severe coughing
    • Diarrhea (48 hours symptom-free before return)
    • Vomiting (48 hours symptom-free before return)
    • Eye/nose drainage (thick mucus or pus)
    • Sore throat
    • Rashes or infected sores (ringworm, chicken pox, etc.)
    • Persistent itching or scratching (scabies, lice)
    • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
    • Impetigo
    • Scarlet Fever
    • Hepatitis A, B, or C
• Sanitation Policies:
  • Kid Zone is cleaned and disinfected after each shift.
  • Toys and equipment are cleaned daily, and all broken or inoperable toys are removed.