
Your kids will provide the imagination and the library will provide the toys at Construction Junction. Kids have been playing with building toys since the library was founded 150 years ago. At this free event, they'll get to play and build wit the toys of today as well as the toys of our grandparent's generation.
There will be LEGO bricks, K'Nex, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Erector sets and even Play-Doh.
11 a.m.. to noon at the Central Library branch of the St. Louis Public Library. Free.
Join a discussion of the musculoskeletal system offered by the Athletic Training Education program of Saint Louis University's College of Health Science. You'll learn about proper warm-up, stretching and conditioning techniques, along with common sports injuries and how to avoid them. At the Saint Louis Science Center.
10 a.m. to noon. $12 for Science Center members per person; $14 for non-members. Recommended for kids 5th grade and older and families. Reservations required.
More information: slsc.org
Celebrate the arrival of Spring and with it, new growth at the Waldorf School of St. Louis Mayfest in Tower Grove Park. This fun-filled community celebration is free and open to all. You can bring a picnic lunch, or create your own picnic, because the Tower Grove Farmers Market will be in full swing at the park.
Join the TripleThreats of STAGES Performing Arts Academy in Chesterfield for their production of Honk, a musical based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling.
Saturday, May 9 at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 10 at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 per person for general admission seating.
At STAGES Performing Arts Academy in Chesterfield.
Enjoy Shaw Nature Reserve at night with your family. On this guided hike, you'll use your five senses to observe the surroundings and uncover the secrets of the darkness.
Activities will focus on the brain's ability to be fooled by the night and ways to improve night vision.
Little ones ages 3 to 5 will explore all kinds of weather while they interact with other children at the Shaw Nature Reserve. Little Nature Explorers classes are a great way to prepare your child for kindergarten. Classes include multiple hands-on indoor and outdoor activities designed to strengthen your child's connection to the world around them.
9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit.
You and your little princess or prince charming are invited to the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles for a magical day of music, dancing, art activities and photos. You'll be treated to kid-friendly hors d'oeuvres and desert too.
Tickets are $25 per couple or $10 for an individual. Discounts for members. 1-3 p.m.
More information and tickets: foundryartcentre.org
The Fox Park Neighborhood Association will hold its annual Health Festival on April 25. This free community festival is open to all and features:
Stop in to the Grand Opening celebration at Learn Thru Play for lots of fun kids' activities and a chance to learn more about Learn Thru Play's hourly, drop-in child care services.
Children will enjoy face painting, balloon animals, a petting zoo, sno-cones, popcorn and free books from the Van Go bookmobile. The first 50 children in attendance will also receive a free giveaway.
Enjoy a day out while your kids are having fun at Learn Thru Play, the hourly drop-in child care center. During Parents Day Out, you'll enjoy reduced rates ($5/hour per child; $3/hour per additional sibling), while your kids have fun with other kids playing games, doing projects and eating pizza. Kids can also bring their own meal(s). For ages 2-12.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Pizza is served at 5:30 p.m.
Reservations are required.
Ballpark Village will host free crossfit classes this spring and summer on the Busch II infield. Classes will be led by local crossfit instructors and will be held on select Saturdays at 10 a.m.
More information: stlballparkvillage.com
Life in the west in the 19th century offered the promise of a new life, if you were willing to leave everything you knew behind and take the road to the unknown.
Visitors are encouraged to step back into the 19th century at this interactive family event. You'll imagine being a family that has just arrived in Missouri to settle here, or a family traveling west to uncharted territory. What arrangements need to be made and what supplies will be needed? You'll trade, barter and interact with other families to prepare for your trip.
ROOKie Readers is a literacy program designed for children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Each week. little ones can enjoy a different story and a variety of games and activities. Each session lasts approximately one hour.
Cost is $5 per adult/child pair. Free for members of the World Chess Hall of Fame. One adult per child required. There is a limit of 12 adult/child pairs per session.
10 a.m. At the World Chess Hall of Fame in the Central West End.
Bring your child, ages birth through 2, to Breakfast with Baby, designed to foster your child's early understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. Each session includes light refreshments, socializing, and an activity led by an early childhood educator. Each session focuses on a different area of creative and cognitive development.
Science Tots is designed for children ages 18 to 36 months. The class provides opportunities to support brain development and learning. Toddlers and their grown-ups will explore STEM topics through songs, stories, hands-on exploration and play.
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.
Free outdoor concerts are back at the Missouri History Museum. The Spring series of concerts features favorite bands, food trucks, and exhibits inside the museum that are open to the public until 8 p.m. on concert nights. Concerts are held from 6-8 p.m.
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. Now open nightly through May 11!
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!