Missouri History Museum

When it comes to taking your kids out for some family fun, what's better than free?

Our go-to free destination is the Saint Louis Zoo, but it's not on this list.  Don't get me wrong – we love the Zoo with a passion. We are members and go so much we're actually on a first name basis with the anteaters. But the Zoo's reputation proceeds it; everyone knows it's awesome.

So here are the first five of my top ten list of my favorite kid-friendly, free gems of the city. Minus the Zoo, but it's implied.

My husband doesn't get many days off, so on the rare occasion we're hanging out at home all day together it sort of reminds me of when I was in sales and the district manager would pop into town and see what I'd been up to.

Which, on a good day, was blowing off my clients and taking five hour lunches at Lion's Choice with my co-workers. And, on a bad day, was blowing off my clients and sleeping off the night before in the back seat of my Mitsubishi Mirage in a mall parking lot.

I didn't really like sales all that much.

Let me be clear – for the most part Nick is so exhausted on his days off that he mostly just lays on the couch and mumbles incoherently every once in a while for some water. But being the praise-crazed (and starved) person I am, I find myself narrating my every move, giving him the “look what an awesome stay-at-home Mom I am” play-by-play of our daily routine.

Bring your preschool-age children to see the Missouri History Museum’s The 1904 World’s Fair exhibit and participate in hands-on activities, including crafts, dress-up and more that incorporate touch, movement, smell, sound and art. Parent and Me Programs are held at the Missouri History Museum each Friday in April from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are $7 per class ($5 per class for members), or $20 for the four-class series per family ($15 for members). Activities are appropriate for children ages 2-5.