family fun in St. Louis

Discover Nature Families: Wild About Water

Missouri Master Naturalist volunteers will teach your family about the importance of aquatic food chains and wetlands and how to care for them using hands-on, interactive activities.

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The Discovery of King Tut Opens at the Saint Louis Science Center

Experience what the tomb of King Tutankhamun was like at the moment of discovery in 1922. This exhibition allows visitors to experience the background of this historic discovery, and to get to know the most important artifacts through stunning and scientifically produced reconstructions.

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Dairy Month Celebration and Fun at the Saint Louis Science Center

Come out to the GROW exhibit at the Saint Louis Science Center to celebrate June as Dairy Month, where kids can try butter churning, participate in scavenger hunts, meet a dairy cow and learn about the dairy making process.

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Friday Night Free-For-All

There will be art projects, art demonstrations of hot glass and metal work, hands-on projects with clay, paper and fiber, a red-hot Raku pull and more.

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The Gala Goes Family-Friendly with Metro Theater Company’s Toy Fest

With A PLAYful Celebration: Toy Fest, Metro Theater Company (MTC), which creates professional theater for kids, has put to rest snooze-fest fundraisers and created a gala straight out of our wildest imaginations. With Toy Fest, parents and kids alike can enjoy non-stop fun from dinner through dancing, and best of all, help support award-winning programs that treat kids to the best in children’s theater.

Gardenland Express

Enjoy a St. Louis family tradition at Gardenland Express, the Holiday Flower and Train Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Visitors will see G-scale trains of many eras traveling through a miniature holiday landscape made up of festive decorations and thousands of fresh plants, poinsettias and flowers.

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Family Day: Audubon and Beyond

Learn about weather, how to identify animal tracks or make your own nature art at the St. Louis Mercantile Library's Audubon and Beyond Family Day.

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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.

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

Monday, August 10, 2026

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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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Preschool Science Series at the Saint Louis Science Center

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.

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Storytime in Forest Park: Storytime in the Meadow

Monday, August 10, 2026

Monday, August 17, 2026

Meet up in Forest Park for a fun storytime followed by nature adventures! These free story times are open to children of all ages and their caregivers.

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Baby Bookworms Storytime with the St. Louis Public Library

Bring your little ones, 0-18 months, to Baby Bookworms Storytime to enjoy songs, stories and more.

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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.

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 or weeknight outing. They'll get to climb on and explore fire trucks, police vehicles, bulldozers, bucket trucks, ambulances 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.

City Museum's Stuff the Bus Campaign Provides School Supplies for 160 St. Louis Schools

Visit City Museum August 3-31, bring school supplies to donate, and get discounted admission! That's the idea behind City Museum's Stuff the Bus campaign.

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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Make the most of the rest of summer at Upper Limits Rock Climbing Summer Camp! Our 5-day camps run Monday through Friday and are packed with climbing, games, water days, challenges, and new friendships. Choose the schedule that works best for your family with half-day and full-day camp options available. We're conveniently located in Maryland Heights and Chesterfield, making it easy to find an adventure near you! Save $10 on camp registration with promo code CLIMBINGCAMP2026. Come spend the rest of your summer reaching new heights at Upper Limits! LEARN MORE

Great Rivers Greenway has teamed up with the Saint Louis Zoo for the fifth annual free greenway scavenger hunt. Community members are invited to look for the many varieties of native bees that you can see buzzing around greenways and search for special hidden souvenirs you can take home! Starting August 1, BEE on the lookout for hand-painted bee rocks along all 140+ miles of greenways. Saint Louis Zoo ALIVE (Active Leaders in Volunteer Education) teen volunteers hand-painted hundreds of rocks like three different species of bees found along the greenways: American bumblebee, brown-belted bumblebee and two-spotted bumblebee, plus a few of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. If you find a painted rock, you can take it with you. Be sure to log your rock at www.GreenwayQuest.com for a chance to win prizes from both organizations, including Saint Louis Zoo Adventure Passes! Rocks are along edges of greenways or at trailheads, never far away from the path and never on private property. LEARN MORE AND GET STARTED!

See the Purina Incredible Dog Team perform extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill right here in St. Louis at Union Station this summer! Featuring some of the most talented canines in the country, the Purina Incredible Dog Team consists of more than 20 remarkably gifted dogs and two trainers who entertain audiences with extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill. Spectators can watch the team demonstrate a variety of canine sports while dogs of different breeds fly through the air to catch a flying disc, leap over a high jump, and maneuver through a series of obstacles in an agility course. Free performances are happening Thursdays through Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Union Station's Performance Plaza in front of the St. Louis Wheel. Learn more at purina.com/purinafarms.

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