COCA Center of Creative Arts St. Louis

Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in Seussical JR., a fantastical musical extravaganza from Tony-winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. See it live on stage at COCA.

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Kaleidoscope Crown at COCA

Kaleidoscope Crown, written by playwright Ashleigh Akilah Rucker, tells the inspiring story of a young girl who awakens to a shocking new ability: with every new emotion, her hair transforms into vibrant, multicolor tresses. This extraordinary change disrupts the uniformity and peace of her small traditional village, prompting both her and those around her to confront their perceptions of beauty and individuality. This live performance at COCA is for ages 6 and up.

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Free Sample Class: COCA's Early Childhood Movement Class

Get a taste of COCA's Early Childhood Movement curriculum at this free virtual sample class. Little ones ages 3-6 can experience a movement class before the semester officially begins.

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Auditions for COCA Summer Musical: Into the Woods

The Brothers Grimm hit the stage with an epic fairy tale about wishes, family, and the choices we make. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, and relevent musical.

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Things to Do

Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo

Delight in brilliant, colorful light displays with spectacular photo opportunities throughout the Zoo during Wild Lights. Walk through two tunnels with dazzling lights, and enjoy themed displays featuring snowflakes, candy canes, gumdrops, penguins, polar bears, tigers, giraffes and much more at this St. Louis family-favorite holiday tradition. New this year: Visits with Santa!

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Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park

Experience the holiday lights at Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park, where you'll find two million beautiful holiday lights and animated displays.

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Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden

More than a million lights will illuminate some of the Missouri Botanical Garden's most iconic locations, walkways will be transformed into sensory light tunnels providing an explosion of visual magic, and traditional candlelight village displays, festive drinks, s'mores and great photo opportunities will delight crowds of all ages.

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Museum Babies Storytelling

Bring your babies and toddlers to this free story time at the Missouri History Museum.

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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 Juneteenth, Sweet Treats, Summer and more. Storytelling in the Museum is free.

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Popular Stories

The St. Louis Children’s Choirs Give Every Singer the Chance to Shine on Stage

Something beautiful happens every time a child performs their favorite song. Even if they stumble over a lyric or tumble off key, the joy they find in exploring their musical journey can be felt by those lucky enough to listen. When hundreds of these young voices come together on one stage, that’s when something truly magical happens.

Your Guide to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's New Season of Concerts for Kids and Families

Whether kids are exploring the savannahs of Simba’s kingdom or traveling through the Marvel Universe, their adventures are set to an incredible live soundtrack that inspires a lifelong love of music. Here is your guide to the 2025-26 St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concerts for kids and families (and teens!).

The Missouri History Museum Winter Getaway: Four Days of Free Fun and Learning for Your Family

This year’s annual Winter Getaway event is packed with free kid-friendly activities, performances, arts and crafts, and workshops that tie in with the Museum’s current collections and celebrate our city’s rich culture and holiday heritage.

Miriam Celebrates Neurodiversity, Supports Unique Learners

At Miriam School, students with complex learning differences are supported and celebrated as they grow academically, socially and emotionally. Miriam provides a tailored educational experience for learners in grades K-12 who have not found success in traditional classroom settings. Students’ challenges may stem from specific learning disabilities (i.e. dyslexia or dysgraphia), ADHD, level 1 autism, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or speech and language disorders.

7 Signs Your Kids Are Ready For Their First Sleepaway Camp

It’s time to decide whether to send your kids to sleepaway camp, but how do you know that's the right thing to do? How can you tell whether your kids are ready for their first extended stay away from home? Here are 7 important signs that experts say should inform your decision.

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Families seeking festive fun over winter break are invited to join the Missouri History Museum for its annual Winter Getaway. Celebrate with make-and-take crafts, musical performances and wintery storytelling themes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Ring in the New Year with little ones at the Noon Year’s Eve Celebration. For a complete daily schedule, visit the Museum’s website.

December 27 | Wild Winter. Explore the history and importance of animals in our region with touchable artifacts, storytelling, interactive workshops and crafts.

December 28 | All Dressed Up. Learn about all things clothing, fashion, and design, from kids to adults. Drape mannequins, design sneakers, watch a fashion show, and make your own paper dolls.

December 30 | Christmas across Europe. Discover how European Christmas traditions became part of American celebrations. Enjoy Christmas carols in a variety of languages, make ornaments and play pretend winter market.

December 31 | Noon Year’s Eve. A family celebration of the new year that ends at noon, with TWO giant balloon drops, live music, crafts and storytelling.

Step into 36,000 sq ft of tropical, action-packed fun - built for kids and grown-ups! Climb through a massive 3-story jungle gym, race down the towering volcano slide, bounce on trampolines, dive into foam pits, and explore a toddler area made just for little adventurers. Hungry? Their in-house cafe has everything you need to fuel the fun: pizza, wings, mac & cheese, funnel fries, a coffee bar, and more!

Planning a birthday? Celebrate big in epic themed party rooms like the Princess, Space, Jungle & more! Ditch the screens - plan your ultimate indoor adventure! LEARN MORE

Plan your child's summer at the biggest Summer Camp Expo in the St. Louis area, featuring 60+ local and regional summer camps offering day- and sleep-away camp experiences all across the St. Louis region and beyond. Bring your kids to Summer Expo 2026 and learn about a wide variety of summer learning and summer camp opportunities for kids of all ages. The Summer Expo is presented by Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed, sponsored by STL Parent and STL Camps, and is open to all families from any school district across the St. Louis metro area. Admission is free! 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Parkway West High School. Stop by the STL Camps booth at the entrance and enter to win a free week of camp!

Learn more at summerexpostl,com

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