
St. Louis is a wonderful place to live, but there are a few drawbacks to living in the middle of the country. Like no beach. But you don’t need to go all the way to Florida to enjoy a little sun and sand. The Magic House is making all our dreams come true with Sandcastle Beach! Ten truckloads of sand are transforming the backyard of The Magic House into a beachfront park. Take a stroll along the boardwalk, cool off under an ocean mister or relax under a beach umbrella while the little ones search for hidden shells. A world-champion sand sculptor is building a gigantic 75-ton sandcastle along the beach’s shore. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Sandcastle Beach runs daily from May 20 to June 27. Admission is $8.75 for ages 1 and above and includes all the exhibits in The Magic House. Members are free. For more information, call 314-822-8900.
P.S. – Want to save some money? Become a fan of The Magic House on Facebook. For the month of May, you’ll receive one free child admission with a paying adult. This offer is for Facebook fans only, so befriend them today by clicking here.
P.P.S. – While you're on Facebook, become a fan of St. Louis Kids Magazine too, if you haven't already!
By Andrea Wilson, Events Blogger for SmartParenting
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.
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.
See the Purina Incredible Dog Team perform extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill right here in St. Louis at Union Station this summer and early fall. Performances are free and take place at the Purina Performance Plaza in front of the St. Louis Wheel Thursdays through Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.