Many St. Louis family attractions have re-opened 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

City Wide Trunk or Treat

The Second Annual City Wide Trunk or Treat is fun for the whole family! This free event includes lots of candy and prizes for kids, three bounce houses and an inflatable slide, costume contest, face painting, games, a coloring table, fire truck and a DJ. Everyone is welcome.

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Artscope Family Picnic and Fun Fair

Grab your family and friends, fill up your picnic basket and join Artscope for its Family Picnic and Fun Fair. There will be fun for all ages, including carnival-style games, art activities for kids to make and take with them, face painting, raffle, live music from Firedog and DJ 18 and Counting, popsicles from Poptimism, food for purchase from Harvest Food Truck, cotton candy and more.

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Ghosts of the Arch Grounds

Meet at the West Entrance Plaza at the Gateway Arch for Ghosts of the Arch Grounds. Visitors will learn about the various incarnations of the Arch Grounds as they evolved from French fur trading post to warehouse district to the present Gateway Arch National Park. Experience the ups and downs of historical figures like Pierre Laclede, Thomas Targee, James Eads and Percy Green.

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Trick or Track

Trick or Track is a family Halloween celebration featuring a costume parade and trick or treating around the museum.

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Mad Science Under Pressure Workshop for Kids

Kids will learn the science behind air pressure as they create a whirlwind with an Airzooka vortex generator and make pucks and balls levitate. They'll also launch foam rockets with the Air Blaster Kit.

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Pup Play with the Endangered Wolf Center

Learn about the fun pups have in the wild and some of the challenges they must overcome to grow up to become successful wolves. This free workshop for kids ages 4-7 also includes a craft to take home.

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Game-A-Thon at The Magic House @ MADE

Kids ages 14 and under are invited to join the team from Bloxels for The Magic House @ MADE's first ever Game-A-Thon.

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Things to Do

Virtual Program: Libraries Rock!

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Rock along with this family fun music concert featuring Jeanie B.

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Virtual Story Time for Kids Hosted by the St. Louis County Library

In-person story times are on hold, but children can still enjoy virtual story times from the expert storytellers at the St. Louis County Library!

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Science @ Home with the Saint Louis Science Center

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

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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City Museum on Air

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Make art. Go on a guided tour, DIY a time capsule. Peek behind the scenes. Watch the Cassily Crew at work. Help inspect the slides. All from home! Every Monday through Friday the staff, crew, artists and historians at City Museum are going LIVE on Facebook to share stories, offer free art classes, and entertain kids and families in all the ways they know how (read: mischief, mayhem and making).

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Explore Purina Farms: Trainer Tips

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Tuesday, August 18, 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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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.