St. Louis Storytelling Festival

Join storyteller Sherry Norfolk for a free, exciting story time focused on places far, far away.

The St. Louis Storytelling Festival Brings Tales to Life for Families

From May 2-5, the 39^th annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival, the largest free storytelling festival in the world, will bring together locally and nationally-renowned storytellers for a series of events that honor and celebrate the ancient art of storytelling. Through folklore, poetry and humor, artists will not only entertain festivalgoers, but also educate them about life around the world and throughout the ages.

Sun, Moon and Stars Storytime

Storyteller Sherry Norfolk leads families through and interactive. global exploration of folktales about the sun, moon and stars.

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7 Ways to Celebrate Children's Book Week in St. Louis

This week marks the beginning of our country’s longest-running literacy program, Children’s Book Week. It is an annual celebration with a simple and powerful message: Books change lives, so let’s share them with our kids. Started in 1919 by the librarian of the Boy Scouts, who sought to improve the standards of children’s books, Children's Book Week is now administered by Every Child a Reader.

Children’s books hold a particularly special place in our culture. In fact, I probably enjoy them more than most of the adult books I read. They are deceptively simple, and the memorable ones tickle our imagination. They are full of the play and discovery characteristic not just of being a child but, well, of being human. And the element of illustration adds a whole other dimension to storytelling.

Here are some activities you can do with your child to celebrate this week.

31st Annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival

I love to read. But perhaps even more than this, I love being read to. Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of my dad reading bedtime stories every weekend. Whole summers I would spend listening to recordings of Shel Silverstein or Marlo Thomas and Friends. These days, I attend poetry readings or author events or festivals. But I also find myself turning down the radio or folding laundry in the hallway to better hear my husband reading to our children. Whether it's Redwall to his teenage son, or Misty of Chincoteague to our 6-year-old daughter, I am entranced.

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Things to Do

Strawberry Festival at Eckerts

There are more than strawberries (but plenty of those too) at this festival! Kids can enjoy pony rides, carnival rides, a petting farm, wagon rides, inflatables and lots more.

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Sandcastle Beach at The Magic House

Sunday, May 28, 2023

With the help of ten truckloads of sand, The Magic House's backyard will be transformed once again into a beachfront park for the popular Sandcastle Beach exhibit. Sandcastle Beach opens May 26 with a Kick Off to Summer event that includes ice cream, the Bubble Bus and a dance party!

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Omnimax Movies at the Saint Louis Science Center

Catch a movie or two at the Saint Louis Science Center's OMNIMAX Theater, where films are shown featuring the IMAX with Laser. This state-of-the-art theater provides the sharpest images, unmatched sound quality and 40% greater color range than traditional theaters. The five-story, 80-foot-diameter dome will fill your entire field of vision providing a truly immersive experience. Opening May 24: The Little Mermaid: The IMAX Experience.

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Planetarium Shows at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park

Visit the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park and see a star show to experience the largest artificial sky in the Western Hemisphere. Star shows are lead LIVE by one of the Planetarium's educators, creating a new and tailored experience for every audience.

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

Sunday, May 28, 2023

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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See All Things to Do

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Unleashing Potential’s summer enrichment programs provide learners with endless opportunities for discovery in a fun, safe, and nurturing environment! Our programs deliver learning experiences that are hands-on, innovative, and challenge children mentally and physically. For scholars entering 1-5 grades, each week will highlight characteristics from other parts of our world while focusing on Character Development, geospatial content, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). Older scholars, children in grades 6-8, will work with technology, such as Microbits and Raspberry Pi, geospatial content with Story Mapping, and Project-Based Learning to impact our community through Design for Change. Students will discover their superpowers through the use of creative play. Programs are $100 per week and scholarships are available! LEARN MORE

Stretch your legs at the Purina Farms outdoor show fields on Saturday, June 17 or Sunday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day for Dog Day Out. Try out a variety of canine sports, games, and activities designed to challenge your dog mentally and physically. There's something for dogs of every size and energy level to enjoy with over 10 stations to explore including Flying Disc, Lure Coursing, Canine Obstacle Course, Furbol Futbol, Dock Diving and more! Advance registration is required. No walk-up registration will be allowed for this event. Cost for the first dog is $20. Additional dogs are $15 each. Maximum of four dogs per registration. Additionally, $1 of each pup's registration fee will be donated to Five Acres Animal Shelter. There is no charge for parking. People are free. Register at purinafarms.com

Play all day and have fun at work! Working at Vetta Sports is more than a job – it's an opportunity for teamwork and leadership development in a positive, people-focused environment. Vetta Sports is unique in ways that allow our employees to be active and are hired to have fun with customers. Your high school or college student can work as a camp counselor, coach, instructor, front desk attendant, concessions, referee and more! We offer:

A Creative & Positive Environment
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