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Get Buggy at the Saint Louis Science Center

Lots of kids love bugs, and if yours are fans of the crawling creatures, the Saint Louis Science Center has the buggy adventure for them, complete with thousands of live insects, bug cuisine (gulp), and a live insect petting zoo.

The Science Center will open its doors for an insect invasion this week with its new exhibit: Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! The exhibition is a multisensory experience that immerses visitors into the world of bugs by introducing them to thousands of live insects.

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You and Your Kids Can Bike Through St. Louis’ Haunted History

Love a good ghost story, but afraid of creeping out your kids? Just in time for Halloween, Trailnet is hosting “Ghosts of the Past” - kid-friendly bike tours of local graveyards that get your entire family up close and personal with the city’s spirit world as well as help you kill off a few calories on a six-mile bike ride.

“Trailnet has teamed up with historian extraordinaire - Harold Karabell – who will lead riders through Bellefontaine and Calvary cemeteries,” explained Josie McDonald, director of communications and marketing for Trailnet. “Riders will visit some of the most important ‘ghosts’ from the city’s past and learn about their roles in the history of both our city and our country – among others, Tennessee Williams and Dred Scott.”

Your family can choose from either “Ghosts of the Past” tour or participate in both for a well-rounded history lesson.

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You Are What You Drink

Gatorade is a thing of the past for my 10-year-old hockey player. At the first team meeting in September, his coach challenged the kids to nix sports drinks. In their place, he extolled water for hydration and praised chocolate milk’s nutritional merits. And all the while, he kept his eyes averted from the front row, where one of his skaters sat sipping a Mountain Dew at 9 a.m.

It got me wondering: How many coaches are taking a stand against the sports-drink marketing steamroller?

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Dirty Laundry: Parenting News and Gossip (Mostly Wrinkled)

When you’re busy helping your kids with their homework, pretending to go to Pilates, and skipping PTA because you have one more season of The League left to watch, catching up on news sites and watching Brian Williams gets pushed to the sidelines. (But why in the world would you ever neglect dreamy Brian Williams?)

So welcome to our weekly feature, Dirty Laundry, in which we've sorted through the enormous (and colorful) piles of parenting news and gossip so you don't have to. And we're throwing it in the spin cycle along with a little bit of snark and a whole lot of judgment.

I liked you very much. Just the way you were.

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Take Your Pick at these St. Louis area Pumpkin Patches

It's finally beginning to feel like fall. (Ok. not really, but if you step outside really early in the morning, before you've even had your coffee, there is a bit of a nip in the air.) But it is the time of year to start scouring for that perfect pumpkin. And in St. Louis, a trip to the pumpkin patch means you're in for a day of carnival rides, petting zoos, wagon rides, custard, funnel cakes and bounce houses along with the full fall harvest to load up into your minivan.

Here are a few popular pumpkin patches to put on your list.

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Picture Day

I used to think it was normal parenting behavior to spend every waking moment brainstorming horrific random things that could happen to your kids.

“So, what about being attacked by a family of jellyfish?” My friends stared at me like I had a tap dancing chimp on my head. “Sinkholes filled with alligators?” I asked hopefully.

You might say I'm a worrier. And I thought I had run through every possible emergency parenting scenario and how I would react – always emerging the hero, obviously – in my head, but that's the thing about being a parent. You're all ready to push your kid out from under a falling tree branch and then a runaway Shriner car jumps the curb and flies into the parade crowd.

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COCA Expands Its Theatre Series to Thrill the Entire Family

It’s hard to plan a night at the theater that everyone in the family can enjoy. There’s not enough slapstick for the kids, not enough action for dad, and not enough Justin Timberlake for mom.

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Dirty Laundry: Parenting News and Gossip (Mostly Wrinkled)

When you’re busy helping your kids with their homework, pretending to go to Pilates, and skipping PTA because you have one more season of The League left to watch, catching up on news sites and watching Brian Williams gets pushed to the sidelines. (But why in the world would you ever neglect dreamy Brian Williams?)

So welcome to our latest feature, Dirty Laundry, in which we've sorted through the enormous (and colorful) piles of parenting news and gossip so you don't have to. And we're throwing it in the spin cycle along with a little bit of snark and a whole lot of judgment.

Continue reading »
Meet the Real Music Stars at the STL Symphony Family Concerts

As much as our kids love their technology and pop music, we as parents can help introduce them to the first musical superstars.

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We've Moved 9 Times in 6 Years. Are We Home Yet?

Trying to explain the last few years of my life to people who don’t know me well is always a bit of a challenge.

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What I Learned From The Cleanse

This week I decided to try my first cleanse because, well, frankly jeans season intimidates me more than swimsuit season.

Hear me out.

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On My 10th Anniversary, Here's What I Want My Kids to Know

Last weekend, the husband and I spent our 10-year wedding anniversary doing something we frequently did before the little Plegges came along – enjoying a weekend music festival and making fun of that drunk girl.

Between making googly eyes at Brandon Flowers and mentally chastising the 20-somethings for some of their fashion choices (Honestly girls – you will never have a better butt than you do at age 21. To take it for granted with your ironic mom-jean shorts makes me weep.), I looked over at my husband and thought, man, I am lucky to have him. And also how ridiculous he would look in a hipster tank top and neon sunglasses.

In honor of our 10-year anniversary, I wanted to share with my own kids a few words of wisdom to follow when picking out a mate. I know, I know, I have no room to talk – 10 years is just a blip in the overall game of life, but by Hollywood standards, we’re celebrating our diamond anniversary, worthy of a surprise potluck and card shower in the church basement.

To my darling daughters:

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Join the Club!

The Foundry Art Centre kicks off its new Children's Book Club in October, offering kids a chance to mix reading and art. Kids ages 3-8 can join the club, which meets once each month, and explore the world of books through fairy tales, sharing opinons and themed art projects.

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Let's Kick it, St. Louis

On September 28, grab your cleats and head to Hermann Stadium at Saint Louis University for the third annual Great America SCORES Soccer Dribble. Your goal?

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Opening Oct. 4 at the OMNIMAX: Jerusalem

When a new movie premieres at the Saint Louis Science Center's OMINIMAX Theater, it's a big deal - literally.

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My Preschooler Has a Frenemy

Alexis and Krystle. Kelly and Brenda. Zach and Slater. If there’s anything 80’s TV has taught us is that everyone has a frenemy at one point or another. Yet, as any parent knows, the frenemy battles can start early in a child’s life.

While preschoolers may not be stealing each other’s boyfriends or shoving their enemies in the mud by their shoulder pads, hitting, name-calling and hair-pulling can become the norm when they’re trying to find their spot in the social hierarchy.

According to Chesterfield play therapist and registered clinician James Carroll, the main reason children argue at this young age is because of their level of development, which affects their ability to control their emotions and aggressive feelings.

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Breast is Best for Many. So Why Is There So Little Support for Breastfeeding Moms?

According to a report released earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breastfeeding rates are on the rise.

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Hurry Up and Wait

It was a beautiful summer morning, unseasonably cool for August. We didn't have anything on the calendar so I decided to take my girls on a leisurely stroll to pick up a few items at the grocery store, then swing by the dry cleaner for my husband's dress shirts on our way home.

My one-year-old happily chattered in her stroller pointing out birds and squirrels, craning her head upward to smile at me when I pointed out the same to her. My two and four-year-olds merrily skipped along the sidewalk in front of us shouting “die creatures die” every time they stomped on an ant. It was the perfect morning – the kind of morning I dreamed about having when I dreamed about being a stay-at-home Mom.

But by the time we arrived back home I was more anxious than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That little voice inside my head, you know the one – the one who tells you to do things, like pour bleach on your neighbor's stupid perfect flowers? (No? Just me? Nobody?) Well by the time we walked in our garage that little voice was screaming inside my head, “That took you over two hours. TWO. HOURS. Do you know how much more you could have accomplished today if you would have just driven?” I hurried the kids inside and dusted something.

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Camp In’ Under the Arch Opens Kids’ Eyes to Our National Parks

Camping is usually considered a summertime activity, but really there’s no better time to spend a few days living outdoors than now – when the summer heat transitions into autumn relief. No longer will you have to swelter on hikes, become a drinking fountain for mosquitos, or roast around the campfire – but instead soak up nature in cool comfort. To get your kids pumped up about the great outdoors, join them for a camping trial run at Camp In’ Under the Arch this weekend, a special event hosted by the National Park Service (NPS) in honor of Founders Day, its 97th birthday celebration.

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A Long-Ago Lesson in Compassion

Someone I know was arrested last week for drowning her newborn daughter. This is the kind of shocking act you hear from time to time on the news, about some anonymous mother far away. Not news you get by phone from a relative.

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Things to Do

Sea Lion Shows at the Saint Louis Zoo

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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Romeo & Zooliet at the Saint Louis Zoo
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Romeo & Zooliet is a wildly fun, family-friendly stage adaptation of Romeo & Juliet! It explores what would happen if animals at the Saint Louis Zoo put on their own Shakespearean performance after zookeepers go home for the night. The show stage and seating area is designed as an enchanting version of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre within the Zoo's Historic Hill area. "Romeo & Zooliet" is produced as a partnership of the Saint Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. The production features dazzling animal puppetry by world-renowned Michael Curry Design, known for its work on Broadway's "The Lion King" and "Frozen," as well as Olympic and Super Bowl ceremonies.

 

 

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Popular Stories

Festivals & Fireworks to Celebrate July 4th in St. Louis

It's time to celebrate Independence Day in St. Louis, and because this year July 4th falls on a Friday, your family can look forward to a full weekend of festivals and fireworks. Check out these family-friendly celebrations that include carnivals, fantastic fireworks and lots more.

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Why Summer Camp is Great for . . . Parents

Being able to focus on yourself, your partner, and other people in your life who mean a lot to you is no small matter. As parents, we’re used to being responsible providers and caregivers. However, there’s so much more to a person: we’re also partners and friends. These are important parts of our identities that we need to cultivate. Sending your kids to summer camp may bring out your more playful side that you haven’t shown for a while.

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7 Signs Your Kids Are Ready For Their First Sleepaway Camp

It’s time to decide whether to send your kids to sleepaway camp, but how do you know that's the right thing to do? How can you tell whether your kids are ready for their first extended stay away from home? Here are 7 important signs that experts say should inform your decision.

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Want Your Kids to Learn? Teach Them It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

It’s normal for parents to want to protect their children from failure. It’s also normal to want them to achieve, win, and do their best. But here’s the truth: We don’t learn anything new without making mistakes. I’ll say it again. Making mistakes is a crucial step in learning. If we’re fearful of making mistakes, learning comes to a screeching halt.

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10 Ways to Improve Your Child's Listening Skills

Focused listening is one of the most important skills your child will ever learn. Children with strong listening skills do better in school, sports, relationships and, eventually, in their careers. But many children lack this important skill and parents are rightly concerned. First, listening is much more than just hearing.

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