St. Louis Family Events

17 Free (and Almost Free) Ways to Entertain Your Kids in St. Louis This Summer

When kids are home for summer vacation, the cost of summertime fun can add up quickly. Fortunately for parents, St. Louis is an amazing city with much to offer – and more free events and activities than you probably realize.

Bug Buddies

Insect defenses and insects' role in our ecosystems will be explored in this fun, hands-on, workshop led by Mad Science. After learning about insects, children will use their new knowledge to make their own bug model to take home.

For ages 3-6. Free, but registration is required. This workshop will be held at the following branches of the St. Louis County Library:

View this event »

Play 60 Mini Mudder with the St. Louis Rams

7/16/15: UPDATE: Due to a scheduling conflict, the St. Louis Rams have cancelled this event.

Join the St. Louis Rams for the inaugural Play 60 Mini Mudder on July 18. This is an event for the whole family, with special guests the Rams cheerleaders, Rampage, the Rams Play 60 Bus and DJ Pru. Kids can participate in a one-mile muddy obstacle course. There will also be Rams inflatables and food trucks.

View this event »

R2 Builders Group at Alien Worlds and Androids

Joins the St. Louis R2 Builders Group at the Saint Louis Science Center and check out the droids they have built! This display is part of the Science Center's new exhibit Alien Worlds and Androids.

View this event »

Back to School Bash

Kids ages 3 to 12 can celebrate the beginning of another school year at the Back to School Bash at the Center of Clayton. Mad Science, Abra-Kid-Abra and Bricks 4 Kidz will provide games, hands-on workshops and entertainment.

All proceeds from the event benefit KidSmart, which provides school supplies to kids in need across the metro St. Louis area. Cost is $8 per child in advance or $10 at the door.

More information: backtoschoolbashstl.com

View this event »

Babaloo Performs at the Library

Don't miss a free performance from award-winning local children's musical act Babaloo. This high-energy, interactive show allows kids to get wild and wacky as they become part of the fun.

Babaloo performs free at the St. Louis County Library on the following dates and times:

Thursday, July 2, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Tesson Ferry Branch on Lin-Ferry Drive in South County.

View this event »

Evening Insect Adventure: Blacklighting

Explore the wonderful insects that fly at night at The Butterfly House during this special event to celebrate National Moth Week. Entomologists will set up black lights, which will attract night-flying insects from miles away. This one-of-a-kind experience will give you a chance to closely observe rarely seen nocturnal insects that come to the light. Sightings may include large moths, beetles, crickets and other fascinating insects.

View this event »

Pages

Things to Do

Water Waddlers Outdoor Drop-In Swim

Splash and play with your little one in this fun morning activity. No registration is necessary.

View this event »

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.

View this event »

Preschool Science Series at the Saint Louis Science Center

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Friday, June 5, 2026

Saturday, June 6, 2026

The Preschool Science Series is an open exploration learning lab for young scientists, ages 18 months to 5 years and their families. Activities are designed around research that shows children learn best through play, inquiry and shared experiences with their parents and caregivers.

View this event »

Discovery Club at the St. Louis County Library

Discovery Club is an exploration of all kinds of science! Kids ages 7-11 will navigate through the sciences with projects, experiments and activities at this free program. Themes include robots, roller coasters, potato batteries and more.

View this event »

Toddler Time at The Magic House

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Visit The Magic House for Toddler Time, a special early-morning program for toddlers. Children age 1-4 can take part in exhibits and exclusive interactive activities designed just for little ones. There are new themes every week!

View this event »

See All Things to Do

Want daily ideas of things to do? How about special offers & giveaways? Sign up and we’ll handle the rest.

Popular Stories

Kids Unleash Their Creativity at Hands-On Summer Art Camps

Your creative child may have numerous opportunities throughout the school year to express themselves through art projects and other hands-on art experiences, but what about summer? When the classroom is closed, what do you do? Send your child to an artistically engaging summer camp, of course!

Dinoroarus Comes Roaring Back at the Saint Louis Zoo

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

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.

Get Ready to Climb and Explore at These Free Big Truck Days

If your kids love to explore big trucks and vehicles, these upcoming Big Truck Days are a perfect weekend outing. They'll get to climb on and explore fire trucks, police vehicles, bulldozers, bucket trucks, ambulances and lots more.

You Might Also Like...

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 June and 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, June 5-July 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more detailed information on each day’s activities, visit the Museum’s website.

From Our Sponsors