Saint Louis Science Center

Like a lot of parents, I struggle through the final weeks of winter. I’m done with the freezing temperatures, the inevitable flus and fevers, and the seemingly never-ending days spent entirely indoors with children in such desperate need of physical activity that they’ve taken to skydiving off my couch.

A trip to the movies is supposed to be a fun form of family entertainment, but finding a film that appeals to children and adults alike – and contains subject matter that is suitable for all ages – can be quite the challenge for today’s parents.

Throw in substandard sequels (I’m looking at you Ice Age 4) and Hollywood’s escalating penchant for using its family films as mere marketing vehicles (just see last year’s partnership between The Lorax and a certain Mazda SUV), and it’s difficult to know what kind of movies are right for family audiences.  

What Are We Supposed to Watch?

Don’t get me wrong – there’s a time and a place for those Hollywood films. Even shiny 3-D blockbusters with plots that don’t make sense (Cars 2 anyone?), outdated gender stereotypes (every Disney movie ever made), and massive marketing campaigns (think Happy Meal toys) can be good for a few laughs. I’m not ashamed to admit that Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is probably one of my favorite movies ever made.  

Stop judging. It’s that damn weasel, Buck. He gets me every time.

As a mom, though, I find myself wanting to also introduce my kids to films that, well, offer a bit more.

As a busy mom with a full-time job, I want to be able to access everything on my smartphone and other digital devices.

(It amazes me that I can't get grocery coupons for local chains delivered to my cell, like I can for Target, because the last thing you'll find me doing on a Sunday afternoon is clipping coupons. But I digress.)

So I was really excited this morning to find news of the new Saint Louis Science Center app in my inbox (on my phone, of course). The app was released today, and by 8 a.m. I had installed it on my iPhone via the app store (there's also a version for Andriod). Once I had explored the app, I learned It's easy to use, well organized, and that I can even follow the SLSC Twitter feed right from the app! (That last part may not appeal to everyone, but I think Mr. T. Rex's tweets are quite entertaining.)

The holiday season is upon us here in St. Louis, which means that many St. Louis families are busy, busy, busy with shopping, decorating, and holiday gatherings.

Caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Don’t forget that our city offers many wonderful holiday traditions for families to enjoy, so gather your kids and take advantage of these fun and festive ways to celebrate the true magic of the holidays:

Despite having lived most of their lives in St. Louis, my children had — up until this past weekend — never been to the Saint Louis Science Center. It’s a major mom fail, I know, ranking right up there with forgetting to pack the Gushers in last Friday’s lunchbox as promised.  I may never hear the end of that one.