This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

METAIRIE, La.(WGNO)— Starting July 19th, the play area inside the Lakeside Shopping Center will reopen to the public.

After sixteen months, Lakeside Shopping Center in partnership with Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Touro Infirmary will reopen the Kids’ Castle Play Area located in the Food Court of the shopping center.

For the first 30 days, the Kids’ Castle will be open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

After a 30-day period, the Kids’ Castle will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The play area is for children 51” in height and under.

Socks are required for all guests entering the play area.

Play area admission is free for guests but advance online reservations for 25-minute timed play
sessions are required to regulate the Kids’ Castle capacity and ensure a quality visit for all guests.

Capacity will be limited to 15 children per 25-minute play session. Between each play session, the
play area will be sanitized with a deep cleaning occurring every day from 3 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Guests will be asked to wash their hands in the hand washing stations before entering the play area. Nonvaccinated adults and children over the age of three will be encouraged to wear masks. Guests will
be asked to keep a physical distance of six feet while playing.

“We are thrilled to welcome families back to the Kids’ Castle Play Area. The Kids’ Castle offers a safe,
dependable space for our children to enjoy. We’ve missed seeing their smiling faces and are delighted
to reopen the play area giving families an additional resource to include in their daily routines,” said Erin
Graham, Marketing Director, Lakeside Shopping Center.

Along with the play area, in August, the Kids’ Castle will offer private art classes for guests to utilize. The art class will focus on creativity and hands-on activities every Wednesday.

Every Friday sensory play activities will take place. The sensory play activities will center around engaging your child’s senses in a way that facilitates exploration and encourages children to play, create, investigate, and explore.

The Parenting Center of Children’s Hospital New Orleans will also begin monthly parenting classes that
will cover parenting questions and challenges from typical issues like eating and sleep to the effects of the stay-at-home order on children and family.

Class schedules will be updated at the beginning of each month. Parents are encouraged to visit
the website to learn more about the classes being offered.