Don't Miss These May Events Your Family Will Love

May is the perfect time for your family to get out and enjoy the (sometimes) perfect St. Louis weather. Have some fun as a family at these delightful outdoor events before the summer heat takes hold. 

Animals Aglow at the Saint Louis Zoo

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. Don't wait: Animals Aglow is open nightly just through May 11 (and makes a perfect Mother's Day treat). Your family will enjoy more than 60 glowing displays, nightly cultural performances and specialty food and beverages available for purchase. Get tickets at stlzoo.org.

Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo

 

Strawberry Festival at Eckert Farms

There are more than strawberries (but plenty of those too) at this festival! Kids can enjoy carnival rides, a petting farm, pony rides, the children's play area and lots more. Admission is free but there is a fee for some activities, such as unlimited carnival rides for $10 per child. The Strawberry Festival is happening at Eckert's in Belleville May 10, 11, 17 & 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Learn more at eckerts.com.

Photo courtesy of Eckert Farms

 

Art Fair at Laumeier Sculpture Park

The nationally acclaimed Laumeier Sculpture Park Art Fair is a three-day, outdoor event held annually on Mother's Day weekend and features local, regional and national artists plus hands-on, creative art experiences for all ages. Pop in to the Creation Location and you'll find hands-on art activities, play stations and interactive entertainment designed just for kids. Stroll the beautiful grounds to see amazing art, enjoy local food and drinks, art demonstrations and live music. The Laumeier Sculpture Park Art Fair is happening May 9-11. Learn more at laumeier.org.

Photo courtesy of Laumeier Sculpture Park

 

Suson Park Farm Fridays

Suson Park in South County is a family favorite in St. Louis because there is so much to see and do. Farm Fridays hayrides, fishing, farm games, candle making, barn tours, horse petting, Kona ice, balloon creations and more. The next Farm Friday is coming up May 16. Learn more at stlouisco.com (click on Programs and Activities) or call 314-615-8822.

Photo courtesy of St. Louis County Parks and Recreation

Kick Off to Summer in Forest Park

Hosted by Forest Park Forever, The Magic House, St. Louis Public Library and the St. Louis County Library, Kick Off to Summer is a day of free family-friendly activities in our city's crown jewel of parks. Enjoy outdoor fun with The Bubble Bus, and activity stations sponsored by each organization. Kick Off to Summer will be held in Forest Park in the Visitor's Center parking lot on Saturday, May 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of The Magic House

For more family fun every day see our Things To Do calendar and sign up for our Family Fun newsletter.

Main photo: Stock.

Share This Story
Our Daily Things to Do email is the easiest way to plan your day.
Follow Us
 
Things to Do

Discovery Club at the St. Louis County Library
Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Discovery Club is an exploration of all kinds of science! Kids ages 7-11 will navigate through the sciences with projects, experiments and activities at this free program. Themes include robots, roller coasters, potato batteries and more. 

 

View this event »
Little Explorers at Ballwin Parks
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Explore Ballwin's parks with your toddler or preschooler with the Little Explorers program, held twice a month. Each Little Explorers outdoor class includes a craft, snack, and lots of activities to get you and your toddler moving and exploring!

 

 

View this event »
Toddler Time at The Magic House

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!

 

 

View this event »
Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym in Cottleville

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.

 

 

View this event »
Gateway to Reading
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026

The Gateway to Reading program is a parent-child workshop that focuses on strengthening reading skills while engaging in fun, literacy-based activities. Participants will receive a free toolkit of materials to help children in their reading journey.

 

View this event »
Want daily ideas of things to do? How about special offers & giveaways? Sign up and we’ll handle the rest.
Popular Stories

Kids Unleash Their Creativity at Hands-On Summer Art Camps

Your creative child may have numerous opportunities throughout the school year to express themselves through art projects and other hands-on art experiences, but what about summer? When the classroom is closed, what do you do? Send your child to an artistically engaging summer camp, of course! 

Continue reading »
Travel Back in Time Every Friday at the Missouri History Museum’s Free Summer Family Fun Series

There comes a point every summer when all that “free time” isn’t so fun anymore. Your kids are bouncing off the walls, it’s too hot to hit the playground, and every activity seems to come with a big price tag. That’s when the screens come out, and parents find themselves counting down the minutes to bedtime. Thankfully, when Friday rolls around each week, your family can experience a mini summer getaway through history – no travel required. 

Continue reading »
Summer STEM Camps Create Hands-On Fun + Immersive Learning for Kids & Teens

Want your child to learn about subjects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and have fun doing it? Help them further understand the inner workings of what's all around them by enrolling them in a STEM-fueled summer camp. You may be surprised at the wide variety of highly-acclaimed summer camps in the St. Louis area that put new and exciting twists on STEM concepts, creating hands-on fun for kids with the benefit of introducing them to some of the latest technologies in AI, engineering, coding and more.

Continue reading »
Get Ready to Climb and Explore at These Free Big Truck Days

If your kids love to explore big trucks and vehicles, these upcoming Big Truck Days are a perfect weekend outing. They'll get to climb on and explore fire trucks, police vehicles, bulldozers, bucket trucks, ambulances and lots more.

Continue reading »
Miriam Celebrates Neurodiversity, Supports Unique Learners

At Miriam School, students with complex learning differences are supported and celebrated as they grow academically, socially and emotionally. Miriam provides a tailored educational experience for learners in grades K-12 who have not found success in traditional classroom settings. Students’ challenges may stem from specific learning disabilities (i.e. dyslexia or dysgraphia), ADHD, level 1 autism, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or speech and language disorders.

Continue reading »
You Might Also Like...

From Our Sponsors
Follow Us