Missouri Botanical Garden

Garden Buds Summer Saturdays: Search for Secrets

Discover the amazing world of plants with your preschooler during the Garden Buds Summer Saturdays series at the Missouri Botanical Garden. These fun, hands-on classes are for children ages 4 to 6 with a parent.

During this class, kids will discover why birds find the Garden such a wonderful place to live, then make a bird feeder to take home and help attract birds to their own yard.

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The Top 7 Essential Events for St. Louis Families this June

June often brings beautiful weather to St.

Family Night Hike

Enjoy Shaw Nature Reserve at night with your family. On this guided hike, you'll use your five senses to observe the surroundings and uncover the secrets of the darkness.

Activities will focus on the brain's ability to be fooled by the night and ways to improve night vision.

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Little Nature Explorers: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Little ones ages 3 to 5 will explore all kinds of weather while they interact with other children at the Shaw Nature Reserve. Little Nature Explorers classes are a great way to prepare your child for kindergarten. Classes include multiple hands-on indoor and outdoor activities designed to strengthen your child's connection to the world around them.

9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit.

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One Final, Finn-tastic Adventure Awaits in the Children's Garden

Celebrate the seasonal closing of the beloved Children's Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden with a weekend of fun activities that inspire children to be adventurous in the great outdoors.

Meet LEGO Artist Sean Kenney at MOBOT on July 12

Playing with LEGOs all day doesn’t exactly sound like work.

Family Classes at Missouri Botanical Garden Grow Your Child's Love of Learning

Just like the variety of plants and flowers that blanket the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the kids that walk through the Garden’s gates need sunshine and fresh air to blo

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Things to Do

Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Monday, September 7, 2026

Celebrating the history, culture, and people of Japan, the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest festivals of its kind in the United States. Your family can enjoy guided walking tours, bonsai, cooking, martial arts and origami demonstrations, sumo wrestling, and special activities for kids.

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

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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Purina Incredible Dog Team at St. Louis Union Station

See the Purina Incredible Dog Team perform extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill right here in St. Louis at Union Station this summer! 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.

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Budding Artists Preschool Art Program

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

At this free art program for ages 3-6 the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!

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Museum Babies Storytelling

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Bring your babies and toddlers to this free story time at the Missouri History Museum.

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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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Lace up and leash up for a great cause! You and your dog are invited to run, jog, or walk in the Purple Leash 5K & Fun Run at Purina Farms. Compete for top dog in the 5K race or take it easy in the 1-mile fun run. Put your paws to the pavement and then head over to the TAILgate after party for food, drinks, music and more all while raising awareness for the Purple Leash Project. All purple outfits and purple dog gear are highly encouraged! The Purple Leash Project was born out of the Purina mission to bring and keep pets and people together and the RedRover® mission to bring people and their pets from crisis to care. Your support of the Purple Leash Project assists domestic violence shelters on their journey to welcome family pets by funding pet-friendly renovations. Sunday, October 11. FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER

The Missouri History Museum celebrates education and family learning with History Exploration Days! One Friday per month from September to May, homeschool families with kids of all ages can explore a different historical topic—together! All activities are FREE. Explore St. Louis history in new and exciting ways through interactive guided gallery tours, hands-on workshops, and community performances that align with each month’s theme, encouraging investigation, exploration, and creative fun. Activities are offered at various times throughout the day and are customized for specific grade-level groups.

Storytelling takes place in the morning, and all ages are welcome. Visit the craft room for fun learning experiences, with museum educators available to help learners participate in meaningful ways. Topics this school year include colonial St. Louis, baseball, Black history, and wildlife. Detailed schedules for each day will be posted to the Museum’s website. The program is offered on September 11, October 9, November 13, December 11, January 15, February 19, March 19, April 9, and May 14. LEARN MORE

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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