Monarch butterflies are headed south for the winter, and the National Park Service and the city of St. Louis are celebrating the journey with the Great MonArch Migration event. Pollinator experts from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Department of Conservation will lead monarch-themed activities, like making milkweed seed balls and insect hotels, and will share monarch gardening tips.
Activities will take place in front of the new west entrance to the Gateway Arch as well as inside the Arch Visitors Center. Free refreshments, native plants and seed packets will be available while supplies last.
It's also the National Park Service Fee Free Day, in which the entrance fee to all NPS sites is waived. Visitors to the Gateway Arch can enjoy $3 off their adult tram ride ticket or documentary movie that day.
Saturday, September 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gateway Arch.
More information: gatewayarch.com
Kids can work on existing gym skills, learn new skills or just play around during Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym in Creve Coeur.
The Saint Louis Science Center has expanded its Preschool Science Series to include new offerings for different age groups of young scientists. Storybook STEM is for ages 3 to 5.
At Free Family Saturdays at Craft Alliance, families create together in each of the Craft Alliance studios, exploring clay, fiber, metals and graphic arts. These free workshops are led by professional artists and are for families with kids ages 5 and up. They are open to the public and all family structures are welcome. Please dress for a fun and sometimes messy art experience!
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Life Science Lab Classroom at the Saint Louis Science Center to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.
Valentine's Day workshops at Yucandu Art Studio allow kids to express their creativity and bring home amazing Valentine's Day projects! Workshops are for kids in kindergarten through grade 5.