winter fun in St. Louis

Winterfest Ice Rink Opens at Kiener Plaza

Grab your skates and head to opening day at the Winterfest Ice Rink in the heart of Kiener Plaza where there will be free admission and free skate rental. You can also catch the Ameren Missouri Festival of Lights from 4 to 8 p.m.

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The Grinch's Candy Cane Hunt

Santa's reindeer have been busy dropping candy canes on the A.B. Green Park lawn and some have special prizes attached to them! Kids are invited to snatch the candy canes before the Grinch can get them.

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Skate with Santa at the Brentwood Ice Rink

Santa is taking a break and relaxing with a cool skating session, and your kids are invited to skate alongside him. Selfies with Santa are welcome!

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Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at the O'Fallon Family YMCA

Kids are welcome to wear their Christmas pajamas to have cookies and take photos with Santa at this fun holiday celebration. Families can also enjoy cookie decorating, Christmas crafts and games, a cookie and cocoa bar and letters to Santa.

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Santa Visits the Library

Kids can enjoy stories and songs during a visit with Santa! Parents should bring their cameras for photos with jolly ole' Saint Nick.

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Holiday Cookies and Cards Workshop for Kids

Bring your family to the Brentwood Recreation Complex to bake and decorate sugar cookies and make some festive holiday cards. All supplies will be provided and you won't have to clean up the mess!

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Winter Carnival with Santa at the St. Charles County YMCA

Families will enjoy photos with Santa, cookie decorating, Christmas crafts & games, letters to Santa and a bounce house.

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Things to Do

Festival of Nations

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Festival of Nations is St. Louis' biggest multicultural celebration. Enjoy a wide variety of live music, international fare, and gift booths featuring fair trade gifts and handmade crafts. Guests can also enjoy children's activities.

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Wee Weekend at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Preschoolers can learn, play, explore and grow at the Saint Louis Art Museum's Wee Weekend program for its youngest visitors. Join in on the adventure as your little one discovers new ways of interacting with art and each other.

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Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

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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Preschool Science Series at the Saint Louis Science Center

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

The Preschool Science Series is an open exploration learning lab for young scientists - ages 18 months to 5 years - and their families. Activities are designed around research that shows children learn best through play, inquiry and shared experiences with their parents and caregivers.

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On-Stage Performance Series at The Magic House

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Saturday, September 26, 2026

From dance to drama to musical performances, The Magic House presents the On-Stage Performance Series for kids of all ages. Designed to inspire a love of the arts and dramatic play, monthly performances take place at the Story Time Theater or Whitaker Theater inside The Magic House. On-Stage Performances are included with Magic House admission.

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Popular Stories

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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Make the most of the rest of summer at Upper Limits Rock Climbing Summer Camp! Our 5-day camps run Monday through Friday and are packed with climbing, games, water days, challenges, and new friendships. Choose the schedule that works best for your family with half-day and full-day camp options available. We're conveniently located in Maryland Heights and Chesterfield, making it easy to find an adventure near you! Save $10 on camp registration with promo code CLIMBINGCAMP2026. Come spend the rest of your summer reaching new heights at Upper Limits! LEARN MORE

Great Rivers Greenway has teamed up with the Saint Louis Zoo for the fifth annual free greenway scavenger hunt. Community members are invited to look for the many varieties of native bees that you can see buzzing around greenways and search for special hidden souvenirs you can take home! Starting August 1, BEE on the lookout for hand-painted bee rocks along all 140+ miles of greenways. Saint Louis Zoo ALIVE (Active Leaders in Volunteer Education) teen volunteers hand-painted hundreds of rocks like three different species of bees found along the greenways: American bumblebee, brown-belted bumblebee and two-spotted bumblebee, plus a few of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. If you find a painted rock, you can take it with you. Be sure to log your rock at www.GreenwayQuest.com for a chance to win prizes from both organizations, including Saint Louis Zoo Adventure Passes! Rocks are along edges of greenways or at trailheads, never far away from the path and never on private property. LEARN MORE AND GET STARTED!

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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