Illinois Metro East

4th of July Crafts at Edwardsville Children's Museum

Celebrate the July 4th holiday at the Edwardsville Children's Museum, where guests can make adorable July 4th-themed crafts and check out the amazing additions to the Discovery Garden.

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Discovery Garden Expansion + 3 New Outdoor Exhibits Open at Edwardsville Children's Museum

In its ongoing mission to educate and inspire curiosity in young learners, Edwardsville Children's Museum (ECM) is excited to celebrate the grand opening of its Discovery Garden Expansion. Following a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., the community is invited to explore three new exhibits that honor history, celebrate nature, and set the scene for non-stop fun.

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Fire Trucks and Fun

Come see fire trucks, meet firefighters, enjoy fire-station-themed crafts & games, visit dress-up and sensory stations, and more at the Fire Trucks & Fun event at the Edwardsville Children's Museum. There will also be time for face painting and playtime in the museum!

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Curious Kids Series Kids Fair at Eckerts

The Kids Fair/Curious Kids Series is back every Saturday at Eckerts Farm in Belleville. The Kids Fair is filled with all kinds of fun activities for children of all ages. From kids’ entertainment, games and hands on activities, your family will have a fun-filled day. Each Saturday will be a different theme to keep things exciting. Activities will be held indoors and are geared to kids ages 2-12.

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'Stories of the Nickel Plate' Opens at the Edwardsville Children's Museum with 'All Aboard' Train Event

The Edwardsville Children's Museum (ECM) invites the community to get their first look – and first listen – of “Stories of the Nickel Plate” during a special opening event from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The day includes free admission to ECM and Nickel Plate Station and children’s train rides around the ECM campus.

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Kids Day at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

This special day includes hands-on activities, crafts, storytelling, games, face painting and more for kids of all ages.

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Camp Splish Splash

Get ready to get wet at Camp Splish Splash! There will be sensory bins with water beads, bubbles, and lots of different types of water play.

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Things to Do

Budding Artists Preschool Art Program

At this free art program for ages 3-6 the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.

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Storytelling in the Museum from the Missouri History Museum

Storytelling in the Museum is an in-person storytelling event happening at 10:30 a.m. at the Missouri History Museum. This event, perfect for the preschool set, features engaging stories with themes like Shapes, Black Music Month, STEAM, Juneteenth, The River, and more.

Storytelling in the Museum is free.

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Potty Training 101

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Monday, July 20, 2026

Monday, August 24, 2026

Is it time to potty train your toddler? The St. Louis County Library is offering Potty Training 101 to parents of children ages 2-3. This free workshop for parent and child includes a potty-themed storytime, and parents & caregivers will receive information to get them started on the potty training process. Attendees will also receive a potty seat, step stool, training pants and a potty-themed board book.

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Baby Art Crawl

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Your baby can paint and scribble with other babies and create a big fun mess at the Baby Art Crawl. This free, one-hour event is sponsored by the St. Louis County Library.

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Popular Stories

Dinoroarus Comes Roaring Back at the Saint Louis Zoo

The Dinoroarus exhibit brings prehistoric fun back to the Saint Louis Zoo this summer with 20 lifelike dinosaur animatronics and sculptures on the Zoo's Historic Hill.

Festivals & Fireworks to Celebrate July 4th in St. Louis

It's time to celebrate Independence Day in St. Louis and our nation's 250th birthday! Check out these family-friendly celebrations that include carnivals, fantastic fireworks, drone shows, parades and lots more.

Travel Back in Time Every Friday at the Missouri History Museum’s Free Summer Family Fun Series

There comes a point every summer when all that “free time” isn’t so fun anymore. Your kids are bouncing off the walls, it’s too hot to hit the playground, and every activity seems to come with a big price tag. That’s when the screens come out, and parents find themselves counting down the minutes to bedtime. Thankfully, when Friday rolls around each week, your family can experience a mini summer getaway through history – no travel required.

Summer STEM Camps Create Hands-On Fun + Immersive Learning for Kids & Teens

Want your child to learn about subjects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and have fun doing it? Help them further understand the inner workings of what's all around them by enrolling them in a STEM-fueled summer camp. You may be surprised at the wide variety of highly-acclaimed summer camps in the St. Louis area that put new and exciting twists on STEM concepts, creating hands-on fun for kids with the benefit of introducing them to some of the latest technologies in AI, engineering, coding and more.

Your Guide to Free Outdoor Family Movies this Summer

Seeing a movie at the theater is a magical experience, but when summer rolls around, it’s time to get outside and enjoy free movies under the stars! Free family movie nights abound across the St. Louis area, so grab your kids, a blanket or lawn chairs, and get ready for some cinematic fun. Here's where to find them:

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One hour a week. It doesn't sound like much. But ask any Olympia parent, and they'll tell you - one hour a week has a way of changing everything. Maybe it's the moment your toddler sticks their first landing and looks up with that enormous grin. Maybe it's watching your school-age kid tackle something hard and realize they can do it. Maybe it's your teen finding a place where they truly belong.

Those moments add up, week after week. At Olympia Gymnastics, we've been creating those moments for St. Louis families for 47 years. Our coaches don't just teach skills, they show up for your kids. They get to know them, celebrate their wins, and cheer loudest on the hard days. One hour. Big Impact. Olympia Gymnastics + Ninja | 9 locations across the St. Louis area. LEARN MORE

Our Summer Camp Guide at stlcamps.com is the fastest and easiest way to find the perfect summer camps for your kids! We feature camps for ages 18 months to 18 years of age, and for every interest you can imagine. Our guide is searchable for your child's age, camp location, type of camp, camp dates, and even extended care availability. Whether your child is into sports, arts, robotics, coding, outdoor adventures, musical performance, climbing or just about anything else, you'll find it at stlcamps.com! Book your child's camp sessions now! GET STARTED

Visit the Missouri History Museum on Fridays in July for their Summer Family Fun Series! Enjoy a variety of free family activities, including crafts, performances, food, movement, and more! All activities are tied into Museum exhibits and St. Louis history, and focus on a different theme each week. This summer kids and families can learn about Juneteenth, celebrate America’s 250th birthday, explore Vietnamese culture in STL, and discover the wonders of the Mighty Mississippi!

Storytelling in the Museum programs are part of the fun this year, with themes that match the rest of the day’s activities. Don’t forget, the History Clubhouse is open for play and exploration! In this hands-on family gallery, kids can travel back in time to the World’s Fair, Cahokia and more as they learn about the history of the city they call home. Appropriate for ages 2–12. Fridays through July 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more detailed information on each day’s activities, visit the Museum’s website.

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