free family events in St. Louis

Cuentos En El Museo - Storytelling at the Museum in Spanish

Saturday, September 12, 2026

Friday, September 25, 2026

Hear stories in Spanish read by native Spanish-speaking storytellers at the Missouri History Museum's Cuentos En El Museo - Storytelling in the Museum in Spanish. In these free storytelling sessions, the museum's youngest visitors explore traditional and contemporary storybooks and do hands-on crafts.

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Birthday Block Party at NINE PBS

Join NINE PBS for its free Block Party celebrating its 70th birthday! All are welcome to this grand celebration featuring kids' activities, food, music, visits from PBS characters and an opportunity to meet "Maria" from Sesame Street, PBS icon Sonia Manzano.

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Storytelling at the Museum in Spanish

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Citygarden's 10th Birthday Celebration with the Bubble Bus

Celebrate Citygarden's 10th birthday at a free celebration. Kids will have a blast with the Bubble Bus, and DJ Nune will be on hand to provide fun tunes. Don't forget to dress the kids to enjoy Citygarden's many water features including the splash pad.

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Family Workshop: Earth Day Art Making with Perennial

Celebrate Earth Day at the Saint Louis Art Museum by creating your own work of art out of recyclable materials at this free family workshop.

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Storytelling in the Museum: Ready for Bed

Preschoolers are invited to wear their pajamas and hear stories about bedtime.

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Storytelling in the Museum: Thanks for Thanksgiving

Preschoolers are invited hear stories about things we are thankful for.

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Things to Do

Festival of Nations

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Festival of Nations is St. Louis' biggest multicultural celebration. Enjoy a wide variety of live music, international fare, and gift booths featuring fair trade gifts and handmade crafts. Guests can also enjoy children's activities.

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Wee Weekend at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Preschoolers can learn, play, explore and grow at the Saint Louis Art Museum's Wee Weekend program for its youngest visitors. Join in on the adventure as your little one discovers new ways of interacting with art and each other.

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 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

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 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.

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On-Stage Performance Series at The Magic House

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Saturday, September 26, 2026

From dance to drama to musical performances, The Magic House presents the On-Stage Performance Series for kids of all ages. Designed to inspire a love of the arts and dramatic play, monthly performances take place at the Story Time Theater or Whitaker Theater inside The Magic House. On-Stage Performances are included with Magic House admission.

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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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