Those of us who can't stay awake until midnight can join the Missouri History Museum for a New Year's Eve countdown with two balloon drops! Visitors will enjoy making celebratory crafts, a super-sized story time where you'll learn about food traditions like Hoppin' John, the 12 grapes and more, followed by two giant balloon drops at 11 a.m. and noon.
The Noon Year's Eve Celebration at the Missouri History Museum is free and part of the Winter Getaway at the museum. Reservations are not required.
December 31, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More information: mohistory.org
Join in on First Art, a free art program for toddlers where the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!
Explore the Saint Louis Zoo in the evenings at the Chinese lantern festival Animals Aglow! Animals Aglow returns to illuminate the Saint Louis Zoo for the second year with dozens of new, towering lanterns and light displays.
Visit The Magic House for Toddler Time, a special early-morning program for toddlers. Children age 1-4 can take part in exhibits and exclusive interactive activities designed just for little ones. There are new themes every week!
Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym is an opportunity for any child to have supervised free play in the gym. They can work on existing skills, try something new, or simply play around. It is completely up to them! Open Gym is open to both members and non-members ages 12 and under.
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.