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Stop in to the Grand Opening celebration at Learn Thru Play for lots of fun kids' activities and a chance to learn more about Learn Thru Play's hourly, drop-in child care services.

Children will enjoy face painting, balloon animals, a petting zoo, sno-cones, popcorn and free books from the Van Go bookmobile. The first 50 children in attendance will also receive a free giveaway. 

Enjoy a day out while your kids are having fun at Learn Thru Play, the hourly drop-in child care center. During Parents Day Out, you'll enjoy reduced rates ($5/hour per child; $3/hour per additional sibling), while your kids have fun with other kids playing games, doing projects and eating pizza. Kids can also bring their own meal(s). For ages 2-12.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Pizza is served at 5:30 p.m.

Reservations are required.

Ballpark Village will host free crossfit classes this spring and summer on the Busch II infield. Classes will be led by local crossfit instructors and will be held on select Saturdays at 10 a.m.

More information: stlballparkvillage.com

Life in the west in the 19th century offered the promise of a new life, if you were willing to leave everything you knew behind and take the road to the unknown.

Visitors are encouraged to step back into the 19th century at this interactive family event. You'll imagine being a family that has just arrived in Missouri to settle here, or a family traveling west to uncharted territory. What arrangements need to be made and what supplies will be needed? You'll trade, barter and interact with other families to prepare for your trip.

ROOKie Readers is a literacy program designed for children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Each week. little ones can enjoy a different story and a variety of games and activities. Each session lasts approximately one hour.

Cost is $5 per adult/child pair. Free for members of the World Chess Hall of Fame. One adult per child required. There is a limit of 12 adult/child pairs per session.

10 a.m. At the World Chess Hall of Fame in the Central West End.

Bring your child, ages birth through 2, to Breakfast with Baby, designed to foster your child's early understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. Each session includes light refreshments, socializing, and an activity led by an early childhood educator. Each session focuses on a different area of creative and cognitive development.

At the Gateway Arch, the $3 entrance fee included in each adult Tram Ride to the Top and adult Documentary Movie ticket is waived, reducing the cost of each ticket.

Safety Town is a nationally recognized preschool safety program that teaches 4, 5, and 6-year-olds about a wide variety of safety issues, including bicycle safey, water safety, school bus safety and stranger danger. The program includes classroom activities as well as outside, hands-on activities in the miniature Safety Town city.

The program is hosted and staffed by the Chesterfield Police Department in cooperation with the Chesterfield Rotary, Chesterfield Kiwanis and the Parkway School District. The program is conducted for six, two-week sessions during the summer months.

The Rockwood Parent Series continues on April 14 with a free presentation on Internet Safety and Cyberbullying. Parents will learn what they can do to prevent cyberbullying and what to do when it happens, as well as precautions to take to keep their kids safe on the internet. The speaker is Tom Durkin, public education director for the Missouri Attorney General's office.

Free. 7 to 8 p.m. at Rockwood South Middle School.

This free performance by Bob Kramer’s Marionnettes celebrates 50 years of magic and puppetry with scenes from classic shows like Phantom of the Opera, Hawaiian War Chant and Meet Me in St. Louis.

The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation presents the finals of the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, a competition that showcases the talent of local high school students and fosters emerging talent.

Students in the finals vie for college scholarships, special awards, gift certificates and public appearance opportunities. First prize is a $7,000 college scholarship underwritten by Ameren, Missouri.

In celebration of "Drop Eveything and Read" month the Saint Louis Zoo invites children to an interactive Storybook Safari at the Children's Zoo. Kids can listen as a zookeeper reads an animal-themed book and then presents a live animal from the story. 

Children are also encouraged to bring their favorite book and read aloud to the animals, including pygmy goats, alpacas, meerkats, fennec foxes, rabbits, guinea pigs and more.

9 to 10 a.m. at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Parents and soon-to-be parents are invited to attend this free informational event about education options in the city of St. Louis. You'll hear from representatives of public, magnet, charter, private and parochial schools concerning enrollment and more.

Schools represented include:

Enjoy a fun morning of kite flying and watch the Gateway Kite Club perform with stunt kites at this free event. The first 50 participants will receive a free goodie bag, and eveyone will get to decorate their own kite.

9 a.m. to noon at Joe Glik Park in Edwardsville.

More information: cityofedwardsville.com

Lewis and Clark Heritage Days commemorates the 206th Anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Rendezvous in Historic St. Charles.

The festival includes an authentic reenactment of Lewis & Clark's encampment in 1804 prior to embarking on the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, a grand parade, period music and Colonial Ball, children's games, weapons demonstrations, boat replicas, museum tours, a candlelight camp tour and more. 

Join the fun at Free Family Day: Cityscapes at Craft Alliance in the Delmar Loop. Designed for families with children ages 7 to 14, participants will take part in art activities inspired by the current exhibition: Small Buildings: Built, Unbuilt, Unbuildable.

Now that April's rain has gone away, it's time to tell stories about flowers and plants!