The Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden reopens for the season at the Missouri Botanical Garden on March 28, 2026. The garden introduces youngsters at their most impressionable age to the significance of plants and nature in fun and innovative ways. Occupying nearly two acres west of the Climatron conservatory, the Children's Garden brings botany and 19th-century history to life through a variety of interactive themes that will appeal to both kids and adults.
Venture into a limestone cave, glide down Spelunker's Slide, explore the wetlands, board a steamboat, climb to new heights in the tree house, or visit a Midwestern prairie village.
The Children's Garden is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October.
Admission is free for ages 2 and under and free for ages 13 and up. Garden members age 3-12 are $3; Non-members ages 3-12 are $5. Garden members are free all day on Tuesdays.
Tickets are required to enter and are available at the entrance to the Children's Garden.
St. Louis City & County residents are free on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. All children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Children's Garden splash pad is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
More information: mobot.org
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.
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.
Wagon rides, live entertainment, great festival foods, a petting zoo and much more make this an apple pickin' good time for the whole family. There will be pony rides, a children's carnival, opportunities to feed goats and other farm animals, caramel apples, funnel cakes and more.
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.
LEGO Club at the St. Louis County Library is a free opportunity for kids to gather and have fun building with LEGO bricks. LEGOs are provided.