Find Indoor Fun for Preschoolers at These St. Louis Gems

There’s a character in the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Mayor of Halloweentown, who has the ability to switch faces depending on his emotion. When he’s happy he’s a smiling, rosy cheeked critter. But put him in a bad mood and that little head swivles around to reveal a pale, frowny faced pointy teethed sad face.

The frowny Mayor of Halloweentown is all of us from January until it’s warm enough to legally lock our kids out of the house.

For example, last weekend I heard banging coming from the basement. This went on for a little while until it sounded like the walls were about to come down and I decided it was time to investigate. I walked down and my kids had rearranged the couch, ping pong table and TV stand to form a square around them as they wrestled in the middle of the room.

My children were cage fighting.

And I have all girls so you know things were about to get rough. My head immediately swiveled around to frowny face Mayor.

Knowing where to go for some indoor kid fun is imperative this time of year and fortunately, St. Louis has tons of options for a variety of ages and interests that don’t involve a trip to urgent care, or your neighbors calling the authorities.

Here are a few of our favorites, specifically for preschool aged kiddos:

St. Louis Art Museum – We love simply wandering around and letting our kids pick out their favorite painting, sculpture or artifact, but if you’re looking for something more structured you can check out Wee Wednesdays and Family Sundays.

Contemporary Art Museum – CAM offers fabulous stroller tours for kids ages 0-2, and morning play dates for kids ages 2-5. Funny story – once we went to a CAM Morning Play Date and there was an exhibit titled ‘Garbage.’ Basically some trash strategically strewn around a platform in an artistic way. My super helpful daughter decided she would put all of the pieces into the trash can while my back was turned. Everyone was very nice, but to this day she says my reaction was the reason she refuses to clean her room.

The Magic House – A St. Louis classic; you can’t go wrong spending a day here. And their new “Wonder Why?” Early Childhood Learning Lab focused on sensory play gives parents and caregivers take-home resources to continue educational experiences at home (note: NOT cage fighting). The Wonder Why exhibit also hosts a special Magical Story Time weekdays at 11 a.m.  Be sure to see the Curious George exhibit before it closes April 19. And the new Magic House, MADE for Kids is a kids' makerspace that's a don't-miss. Kids get free reign to paint, sculpt, build robots, launch a rocket and lots more. Want a sure hit for your preschooler? Try Toddler Tinker Time at 11 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

^{The new Wonder Why? Early Childhood Learning Lab at The Magic House.}

Play Street Museum – We all know the power of play in our little ones’ brain development, and Play Street Museum has a super extensive imaginative indoor kids play area. They offer open play times especially for preschool aged kids, (Pint-Sized Play Time is for ages 3 and under) as well as lots of special events like slime-making sessions and reptile experiences. Story Time is held Mondays at 10 a.m. Reservations are needed for weekend play.

Saint Louis Science Center – In addition to the many interactive exhibits, the Science Center offers a Preschool Science Series – a great way to introduce kiddos to the fun of hands-on science. Sessions include: Storybook STEM for ages 3 to 5,  Small Scientists for ages 6 months to 17 months, and Science Tots for ages 18 to 36 months. Registration is required for all sessions. Pro tip: parking by the planetarium is free!

Miss Kelly’s Gym – Give kids what they really want – to release that pent up winter energy. Open gym time (free for members) at Miss Kelly’s Gym in Creve Coeur is the next best thing to going to the playground! You can also check out winter classes. Jesus take the wheel and just give my kids a safe place to do ten thousand summersaults.

^{Miss Kelly's Gym in Creve Coeur offers Open Gym, winter & summer classes, Parent's Night Out, and summer camps.} 

Butterfly House – Stepping into The Butterfly House (Faust Park, Chesterfield) is like stepping into a warm, tropical rain forest – you can totally forget you’re in the dead of a Midwest winter. My kids LOVE identifying different varieties of butterflies, watching butterflies and moths hatch at the cocoon/chrysalis window and the interactive play area.

Museum of Transportation – I try not to be biased, but the Creation Station at the Museum of Transportation is one of our favorite spots. It’s all in one big safe room, so kids can have play autonomy (that’s a fancy way of saying you can sit in a rocking chair and read a book while they play) before hitting the mini train. The train is outdoors so it can be a little brisk in the winter months.

Laumeier Sculpture Park – Laumeier, in South County, offers lots of super cool family workshops for kids starting at age 4. Projects include family memory boxes, bird houses, clay sculpting and more throughout the year. And what kid doesn’t love a giant eyeball? 

Missouri History Museum – The History Museum offers story hours in its History Clubhouse – Museum Babies (under 2) and Storytelling in the Museum (ages 2-5) and Storytelling at the Museum in Spanish (ages 2-5). The clubhouse also offers a variety of fun, interactive hands on experiences including a riverboat, a World’s Fair café and a play house in the ancient city of Cahokia.

^{Storytelling in the Museum at the Missouri History Museum.}

Sweetology - Sweetplay Happy Hour is weekdays from 10-1 (except school holidays) and allows your preschooler to get creative with cookie decorating and playtime at a sprinkle table. Perfect for a playdate – parents can enjoy a coffee while their kids flex their culinary skills (and best of all – you don’t have to clean up)!

Bottom line: warmer weather is coming, folks! In the meantime, stay strong and keep those smiley faces forward by visiting these great indoor play spaces.

For a calendar of fun kid-friendly events, check out our Things to do Calendar! You can also sign up for our daily email, Today's Picks for Family Fun, and get daily ideas of where to take your kids, plus a quick-to-read list of the day's special events.

_{Photos: Saint Louis Science Center Preschool Science Series: Storybook STEM.  The Wonder Why? Early Childhood Learning Lab at The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum, Miss Kelly's Gym.}