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Great Skate in St. Peters is hosting daytime and nighttime Star Wars New Year's Eve celebrations so you can make sure the force is with you in 2016.

Midnight is just too late for the littlest partiers to stay up! At this special celebration for preschoolers, there will be story time, snacks, a countdown to the hour (noon), and each child will make their own party kit.

Skate in the new year at the Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park, the oldest and largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Midwest.

Who says New Year's Eve parties are just for adults? Under adult supervision kids ages 8-13 can spend the holiday swimming, ice skating and participating in other specially planned activities at the St. Peter's Rec Plex.

Waddle into fun with Penguin Tales, a night at the library your whole family can enjoy. You'll hear stories about penguins from around the world, play games and make colorful penguin crafts.

Award-winning naturalist Mark Glenshaw has been studying great horned owls in Forest Park since 2005. At this free presentation for all ages, Glenshaw will discuss the amazing hunting and feeding behaviors of these owls with pictures and videos to illustrate these behaviors. 

Free. 7 p.m. at the St. Louis County Library, Daniel Boone Branch. Registration requested.

This free, three-day event during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend will feature scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals showing off cutting-edge research and awesome new inventions, many of which originated right here in St. Louis. 

Exhibits feature tabletop activities and prizes, and amazing performances and demonstrations will take place throughout the day. 11 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 and Monday, Jan. 18, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17.

Did your child’s school miss out on a Maple Sugar School Field Trip? No problem. Learn the history of maple sugaring, visit the sugar bush to collect sap, and learn to boil it down into syrup. Dress for the weather as the entire program is outdoors and part of the trail is not stroller accessible.

Free. 4-5:30 p.m. at Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood. 

More information and reservations: www.mdc.mo.gov

Join the naturalists at Rockwoods Reservation for a story time around the sugar bush. Little ones will learn about maple trees and how sugar is made,

Everyone will get a taste of pure Rockwoods maple syrup. This storytime will hopefully be held outside, so dress for the weather. 

For ages 3-5 with a caregiver. 11 a.m. to noon. Free. At Rockwoods Reservation. 

More information and reservations: mdc.mo.gov

Celebrate New Year's Day on the ice at the Meadows of Lake Saint Louis, and wear your ugliest sweater for a chance to win prizes.

This family friendly skating party will be happening from noon to 10 p.m. at the ice rink. There will be music, hot chocolate and other refreshments. Prizes include Beats headphones and Meadows gift certificates. 

More information: themeadowsatlsl.com

Looking at a skeleton can give you a key to what the animal is and how it lived. Did it swim, fly, walk or slither? What did it eat? At this nature workshop, kids will take a mystery mammal skull through a special question and answer maze and "key it out" to find out what animal it is.

For ages 7 and up. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood. Call 314-301-1500 for reservations.

More information: mdc.mo.gov

Step into the nocturnal world of owls at the Owl Prowl at Powder Valley. Discover what owls eat and the unique adaptations that owls possess for life at night.

You'll also learn about the different species of owls that frequent Missouri and what makes them special. Explore the night forest as you search for these amazing creatures during an evening of owling. Please dress for the weather.

Free. For families with kids ages 7 and up. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center.

View eagles as they soar over the Confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers at the Eagle Days/Winter Wonders event at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Learn what brings these magnificent birds here and how they stay warm.

Scopes will be set up to zoom in on these phenomenal fliers and there will be a warming tent and short walks. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. No reservations are needed. Free. 

More information: mdc.org 

The Eagle Days Festival is a unique opportunity for families to watch eagles fishing, riding ice floes, soaring overhead and roosting in nearby trees.

Look out 007 - the Mad Science spy academy is in session! From decoding messages to metal detectors and night vision, kids will have the opportunity to check out spy equipment and even create their own edible messages. They will use the Secret Code Breaker to communicate in code just like real spies. 

With the Undercover Observer, children step into the shoes of spies in action. What looks like an ordinary camera is actually a sneaky surveilance device that lets children spy on the side.

Discover the endless possibilities of found objects as you collaborate and create a one-of-a-kind sculpture that expresses your family's unique style.

The workshop at Laumeier Sculpture Park is for kids ages 4-12 with an adult.

1 to 3:30 p.m. For more information and to register online, go to laumeier.org

Come and explore the newest tennis and racquet sports facility in St. Charles, offering classes, clinics and leagues for all ages. The Open House at Vetta Racquet Sports West will be held Saturday. Jan. 9. You can check out the newly resurfaced courts, free food and refreshments, games, and free clinics for kids and adults.

Wonder Works is an exhibit area created especially for young children, and takes curious minds and busy bodies on a fun, learning adventure filled with hands-on, feet-on activities. 

Kids get to jump into the world of classic arcade video games during this fun winter break camp from Bricks 4 Kidz.

Kids will practice engineering as they build the courageous turtles and their wise Japanese rat sensei, Master Splinter. Let's build and play, Ninja Turtle style!