Some St. Louis family attractions are re-opening with limited capacity and enhanced safety protocols for visitors and staff. Read more about family attraction re-openings and safety guidelines here. We invite our readers to enjoy virtual events and socially distanced events highlighted in our Things To Do calendar. Public health experts recommend that when you go out, follow public health guidelines: wear masks (required in St. Louis City and County), practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently. To learn why social distancing is important and effective in lessening the spread of COVID-19, hear from Dr. Alexis Elward, Chief Medical Officer at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

free things to do in St. Louis with kids

COCAcooks: The Perfect Cookie

Kids ages 8-10 can join the quest to make the perfect cookie! They'll explore at least two cookie styles, such as bar, drop, or shaped; and a range of ingredients, such as cocoa, chocolate chips, oatmeal, lemon or peppermint. Along with way, participants will learn the basics of baking and a dash of personal preference and creativity.

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The Reptile Experience at Play Street Museum

Hop, crawl or slither over to Play Street Museum for a visit with Serengeti Steve and The Reptile Experience. Kids will have play time in the museum as well as a fun, interactive show featuring live reptiles.

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Calling All Future Veterinarians

In this veterinary-themed program, students will assume the role of a veterinarian and learn how to perform a nose-to-tail exam, the importance of proper nutrition, perform a tick check, and identify animal body language.

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Spidey Senses

Kids can learn about their friendly, neighborhood spiders and their amazing senses. Then they'll paint spider webs using their own sense of touch, just like spiders. Spidey Senses is a free workshops for kids ages 6 to 11 presented by The Butterfly House. Registration is required.

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Merry and Bright Gingerbread Party at Play Street Museum

It's the season to make gingerbread houses, and at this Merry and Bright Gingerbread Party, kiddos will have a blast decorating gingerbread houses* and gingerbread men with icing, candy, marshmallows and sprinkles.

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Polar Slime Winter Experience at Play Street Museum

Polar bears and penguins don't mix, but your kiddos' batch of polar slime will at this fun winter sensory experience at Play Street Museum. Kids will learn about the arctic, make slime, and then enjoy playtime in the museum.

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Block Friday

Come play on Block Friday at Play Street Museum! Block play is an open-ended play that offers children the freedom to create structures, take them apart, and put them together again.

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Things to Do

Zoom with Saint Louis Zoo Educators

Enjoy the Saint Louis Zoo online! Zoom with Saint Louis Zoo educators is a live, free presentation that allows families to learn more about animals and how amazing they are. Themes vary, and registration in advance is required. After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email letting you know how to join.

If you can't join the live presentation, the recordings are available on the zoo's web site at stlzoo.org/STLZOOms

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Teaching in Room 9 from The Nine Network

The Nine Network is producing two hours of literacy and math instruction for prekindergarten through fourth grade weekdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The grade-appropriate instruction is taught by local educators at home, and is available on your St. Louis PBS station, channel 9.

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Explore Purina Farms: Amazing Canines

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Purina Farms is bringing the best of the farm to your home every week! You can virtually explore Purina Farms through videos featuring the animals, dog trainers and others who work there, as well as the pets who work and play at Purina Farms every day. Each day of the week features videos on a variety of topics including animal connections, training tips and responsible pet care advice for kids.

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Magic At Home with The Magic House

The Magic House is bringing innovative, hands-on learning to you at home with its #MagicAtHome series of interactive, instructional online presentations. The Magic At Home series of activities includes lots of fun projects that you can make at home with common materials. The easy-to-follow directions mean your kids can make paper sculpture, do shaving cream marble painting, create make-your-own flowers, go "fishin," make TP roll animals, make salad spin art and more.

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Science @ Home with the Saint Louis Science Center

The Science Louis Science Center is continuing to ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning through its online Science @ Home series! Visit the Science Center's web site or social media channels for DIY science experiments that can be done at home, Amazing Science Demonstrations from the Science Center's Energy Stage team, connections to local scientists, astronomy updates from the McDonnell Planetarium, live chats and more. Content is designed for all ages.

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Parenting During the Pandemic: Overwhelmed and Exhausted

No, last Saturday I didn’t plant a victory garden or make a sourdough starter. I wasn’t the mom who created movie tickets and set up a concession stand in my house for movie night (seriously, WHICH ONE OF YOU DID THIS and how did word get back to my kids?). I stayed on the couch all day and hissed at anyone who invaded my territory. Like millions of other parents juggling homeschooling and working from home, I’m beat.

The Magic House, Made for Kids, Sandcastle Beach Will Reopen to the Public, Including Summer Camps

The Magic House has announced it will reopen to the public on June 15, open its St. Louis city satellite location – MADE for Kids – on June 9, and summer camps are proceeding as planned.

St. Louis Area Summer Camps, Some Family Attractions to Open In June with New Safety Guidelines

Summer camps in the St. Louis area that have announced they will hold in-person summer sessions are enacting strict safety protocols to help ensure the health of their campers. In addition to limiting enrollment, camps are cancelling field trips, enacting strict cleaning protocols, taking daily temperature and symptom checks, and installilng measures that allow for social distancing.

Saint Louis Zoo Announces Opening Date for Summer 2020; New Safety Protocols

The Saint Louis Zoo has announced it will reopen Saturday, June 13 with new protocols for visitors, including requiring timed reservations and face masks, and limiting attendance to better allow for social distancing. All Zoo staff will wear face masks and all guests over the age of 9 will be required to wear face masks/face coverings while visiting.

Coming Soon: Why the Forest Park Playscape, Opening This Year, Will Be Much More Than a Playground

Since breaking ground on the child-inspired Nature Playscape in Forest Park last summer, Forest Park Forever, the City of St. Louis and their team of partners have been pushing forward on this much-anticipated project at full speed, constructing eight activity areas where your kids will soon splash, climb, build, and learn. Already halfway completed, this one-of-a-kind play area in the heart of the park is destined to grow children’s interest in the natural world around them.