
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.
Hosted by Harry, a Chinese praying mantis, and his insect friends, Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! takes visitors on a unique journey through the habitats, sights, sounds and social structures of some of nature’s smallest, yet most important, contributors.
“We are so excited to host Harry’s Big Adventure,” said Jackie Mollet, Senior Director of Exhibits at the Saint Louis Science Center. “The hands-on nature of the exhibition, coupled with thousands of live bugs, makes this fun and educational for all of our visitors.”
On weekends, the exhibit will include a live insect petting zoo, cricket spitting competitions, roach races and a Bug Chef making – you guessed it – treats made of the creepy-crawlers.
Visitors will also go on an educational journey around the world through six distinct zones to see how insects impact their surroundings, the environment and, ultimately, human lives.
Harry's Big Adventure: My Bug World opens on Satruday. For more information, visit www.slsc.org
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.