CAN I BRING KIDS over age 7?
We dON’T recommend bringing kids over age 7 to the museum.
Please read this page if you are considering a Kidcity visit with an older child.
WHY NOT FOR OLDER KIDS?
Our mission at Kidcity is focused on the early childhood years and the space is designed and sized for “little kid” pretend play. In fact, most of our visitors are between one to four years old.
We’ve learned that Kidcity play can look different at each age:
Typical “Little Kid” play in our pretend grocery store:
A few apples in my basket…Push some buttons on the cash register…Look at me, I’m a worker!
It’s about loose parts and moving them around, usually with an imaginary goal in mind. Meanwhile the grown-up stays close and joins in the game of pretend (or at least pretends to!)
Typical “Big Kid” play in our pretend grocery store:
So many apples! Let’s see if I can collect them all and bring them to my special spot!
It’s about mastery: figure out how things work, invent a challenge and then solve it like a puzzle! Meanwhile the grown-up keeps an eye out but offers independence, ready to step in if there’s a problem.
In other words, even though older kids might enjoy visiting Kidcity, it's not designed for the way they typically play. It’s not a question of telling big kids to share or play nice….they are playing in a way that’s perfectly right for them! Yet when lots of big kids are at the museum, it can block the experience for little ones, and that’s who we are intended to serve.
That’s why we don’t recommend bringing older kids. However, we know there may be reasons to make a special exception.
ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS?
We know every family and every child is different and we trust you to make that call. It might be because your child has developed differently, or because you feel sure that you can supervise a big sibling to act as a helper rather than as a kid-visitor.
If you do visit Kidcity with an older child, please follow these guidelines:
Expect that you will have to be more engaged than is usual with your older child.
Interrupt their play if it tends towards collecting stuff or gets more active, even if it's just regular big-kid behavior.
Stay physically close to your older child for safety's sake, because most other visitors are toddlers and preschoolers...they are tiny!
Avoid bringing multiple kids over age seven. Among their peers, it’s harder for big kids to play in a way that’s best for little ones. We wish we could serve everyone, but if your plans include more than one child over age 7, then unfortunately, Kidcity is not the best choice for your day.
WHAT IF MY KID WANTS TO GO EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE OLDER?
If you're considering a visit because you have an older child who remembers Kidcity fondly and wants to see it again, send us an email to help you plan a brief "memory" visit (as our guests) to meet that need. We'd love to help you keep that memory sweet!