free things to do with kids in St. Louis

The Summer Reading Road Trip is a reading festival for kids ages 0 to 12 and their families that includes author signings, crafts, and photo opps with your kids' favorite costume characters. 

Really Big Coloring Books is celebrating 30 years with a fun, free, family event with lots of giveaways, musical entertainment and activities for kids, drawings, and prizes, including lots of coloring books!

Visit the Missouri History Museum this summer for all kinds of family fun that's free! On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, children will enjoy art, storytelling, special entertaining guests, musical workshops, crafts, performances by St. Louis favorites like the Muny Kids, Celia and Friends, and lots more.

Celebrate National Donut Day at this family friendly event that includes performances by Cirus Harmony, a petting zoo, face painting, cariacatures, a balloon roof, Bulldog Rescue dogs, live music, lots of donuts, food from local restaurants, local brews and refreshments.

Treasure Island is a fast-paced, pirate-filled adventurous adaptation of a literary classic performed live on stage by the Hempstead Stage Company. This free performance is designed for the whole family and is focused on the shorter attention spans of young children.

Kids of all ages can learn about gardening and horticulture at this free outdoor gardening workshop. Participants will begin a gardening project that they can take home and grow themselves.

The festival features authentic food and drinks, live music, a kids area with hands-on art projects, bounce houses, water games, face painting, performance artists and more.