free things to do in St. Louis with kids

Halloween Family Day at the Contemporary Art Museum

'Tis the season to be spooky! Dress up your kids in their best costumes and head to the Contemporary Art Museum for a haunted dance party, ghoulish art projects, face painting, a kids' costume contest, and special guests, including Louie from the St. Louis Blues. Registration is requested for this free event.

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Halloween Wild Walk

Dress up your kids in their favorite costumes and go trick-or-treating at businesses in the Wildwood Town Center! In addition to lots of treats, trick-or-treaters will enjoy free hot dogs, a costume contest, and giveaways. Free.

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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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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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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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Heritage and Freedom Fest

Saturday, July 5, 2025

The city of O’Fallon, Mo., throws a fantastic, family-friendly celebration at the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex over the 4th of July holiday weekend.

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Webster Groves Community Days and Fourth of July Celebration

Year after year, Webster Groves Community Days continues to be one of the largest Independence Day community celebrations in the area, including one of the most popular 4th of July parades.

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WOW! Amazing Animal Show at the World Bird Sanctuary

Take your family to watch birds of prey fly right over your head, macaws speak the English language and much more at the WOW! Amazing Animal Show at the World Bird Sanctuary. Every program showcases different animals so each day is a new experience.

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St. Charles Riverfest

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Riverfest 2025 features fireworks over the river, a carnival, live music, craft and food vendors, and lots of fun kids activities.

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Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym in Creve Coeur

Kids can work on existing gym skills, learn new skills or just play around during Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym in Creve Coeur.

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Festivals & Fireworks to Celebrate July 4th in St. Louis

It's time to celebrate Independence Day in St. Louis, and because this year July 4th falls on a Friday, your family can look forward to a full weekend of festivals and fireworks. Check out these family-friendly celebrations that include carnivals, fantastic fireworks and lots more.

Why Summer Camp is Great for . . . Parents

Being able to focus on yourself, your partner, and other people in your life who mean a lot to you is no small matter. As parents, we’re used to being responsible providers and caregivers. However, there’s so much more to a person: we’re also partners and friends. These are important parts of our identities that we need to cultivate. Sending your kids to summer camp may bring out your more playful side that you haven’t shown for a while.

7 Signs Your Kids Are Ready For Their First Sleepaway Camp

It’s time to decide whether to send your kids to sleepaway camp, but how do you know that's the right thing to do? How can you tell whether your kids are ready for their first extended stay away from home? Here are 7 important signs that experts say should inform your decision.

Want Your Kids to Learn? Teach Them It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

It’s normal for parents to want to protect their children from failure. It’s also normal to want them to achieve, win, and do their best. But here’s the truth: We don’t learn anything new without making mistakes. I’ll say it again. Making mistakes is a crucial step in learning. If we’re fearful of making mistakes, learning comes to a screeching halt.

10 Ways to Improve Your Child's Listening Skills

Focused listening is one of the most important skills your child will ever learn. Children with strong listening skills do better in school, sports, relationships and, eventually, in their careers. But many children lack this important skill and parents are rightly concerned. First, listening is much more than just hearing.

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Visit the Missouri History Museum on Wednesdays and Fridays in June and July for their Summer Family Fun Series! On Wednesdays, enjoy a variety of free family activities, including crafts, performances, and scavenger hunts, all are tied into Museum exhibits and centered on a different theme each week. Learn about Caribbean, Latin American, and German cultures in STL, discover Missouri’s trains, planes and other forms of transportation innovation, celebrate the 10th anniversary of the History Clubhouse, and more! Fridays feature Storytelling in the Museum and Cuentos en el Museo programs followed by a drop-in craft workshop. Hear classic American folktales, stories about Juneteenth, sweet treats and the 1904 World’s Fair, as well as other topics that families will love. The series is appropriate for children ages 2–12. For more detailed information on each day’s activities, visit the Museum’s website. Please note there is no program on Wednesday, July 2.

Vetta Sports Spring Break and Summer Camps are where every kid wants to be! Give your kids a full week of sports, activities and friends during their school's Spring Break or all summer long at Vetta Sports. Enrollment is open for kids ages 5-12 for camps in a fun, active, creative environment full of sports, games, friends and special activities. LEARN MORE AND ENROLL TODAY!

From arts, to STEM, to nature, sports and beyond, you'll find the best summer adventures for your kids in our Summer Camp Guide. Enroll now and plan your family's best summer yet. Our Summer Camp Guide is searchable for your child's interests, age, your location, whether you need before and after-care, and even for specific weeks. You'll find exciting opportunities for kids ages 3 to teenagers. Check our Summer Camp Guide now to get started!

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