8 Essential Events for St. Louis Families in January

The January cold doesn't mean your family is stuck indoors! There are plenty of indoor and outdoor family fun activities happening all around St. Louis this first month of the year. Here are some you won't want to miss:

1. Superhero Night at The Magic House (1/6)

Calling all superheroes! Grab your capes and fly to The Magic House for an action-packed evening with some of your favorite superheroes. Enjoy a super fun pizza party, tour the new Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks exhibit in a single bound, show off your superpowers in the photo booth, create a superhero mask and play throughout the museum with Super Girl and Batman. Cost is $15 per person for members and $20 for non-members. Reservations are required.

Superhero Night takes on Saturday, January 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Magic House, located at 516 S. Kirkwood Road in Kirkwood. For information, visit magichouse.org.

2.  Loop Ice Carnival in the Delmar Loop (1/13-14)

The Loop Ice Carnival, a local winter favorite, returns to the Delmar Loop this January for plenty of frozen fun. Family-friendly activities will be offered on Saturday and Sunday including ice slides, ice sculptures and carving demonstrations, costume characters, human dog sled races, temporary tattoo scavenger hunt, a ferris wheel, stiltwalkers, jugglers, fire performers and more.

Loop Ice Carnival takes place Saturday, January 13 and Sunday, January 14 in the Delmar Loop in University City. Hours vary, but most activities are happening between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information, visit visittheloop.com.

3. Circus Harmony Legato at City Museum (1/13-14 and 1/20-21)

City Museum's circus-in-residence, Circus Harmony will present its 2018 confluence of music and circus arts, Legato, an amazing and awe-inspiring look at circus through the decades from 1920 through 2010. Circus Harmony is a non-profit social circus organization that uses circus arts to motivate social change. Tickets to Legato are $20. Show times are on Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Learn more about the show and Circus Harmony in our feature story.

Circus Harmony, Legato takes place on January 13, 14, 20 and 21 at City Museum, located at 750 N. 16^th Street in St. Louis. For more information, visit circusharmony.org.

4. Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up at the Hyatt (1/13-15)

St. Louis Cardinals fans don't have to wait until Opening Day to get their baseball fix. Cardinals Care, the charitable foundation of the St. Louis Cardinals, will host their 22nd annual Winter Warm-Up in January at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. The three-day event allows fans to meet their favorite players at autograph sessions, play interactive games, share memories with Hall of Famers, take photos with Fredbird, find collectible memorabilia, bid on one-of-a-kind items at live and silent auctions, experience live presentations and ask tough questions of players, owners, scouts, broadcasters and officials at Q&A sessions. Tickets cost $40 for fans age 16 and over and $10 for children age 5 to 15. Kids under 5 are admitted free.

Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up takes place Saturday, January 13 through Monday, January 15 at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, located at 315 Chestnut Street in St. Louis Event times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.  For more information, visit mlb.com/cardinals.

5. Mardi Gras Winter Family Carnival (1/20)

This free, family-friendly kick-off to Mardi Gras season will keep the kids busy with bounce houses, story time, fire trucks and police vehicles. Kids can also check out fun, interactive displays provided by local artists and organizations. The whole family can pick out festive crowns, masquerade masks, and face paint to get in the Mardi Gras spirit. This is an alcohol-free event.

Mardi Gras Winter Family Carnival takes place on Saturday, January 20 from noon until 4 p.m. at the Bud Light Party Centre in Soulard Market Park. For more information, visit stlmardigras.org.

6. MLK Day Camps at the St. Louis Zoo and Artscope (1/15)

With the kiddos off school for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, you may be looking for ways to keep them busy. Fortunately, there are a couple day camps being offered around town. Kids in grades 1-5 can spend MLK Day at the Saint Louis Zoo observing and learning all about animals. Participants will also enjoy animal-related games, crafts and hands-on activities from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Space is limited to 40 participants and registration is required. The cost is $50 for Zoo members and $55 for the general public with before and after care available for an additional fee.

Artscope in Tower Grove Park will host a camp called Dream-o-Matic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with before and after care available. The cost is $40 or $55 with before and after care. Kids and leaders will discuss their dreams for themselves and the community and then create inventions to improve the world around us. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programs take place on Monday, January 15. For more information, visit stlzoo.org and artscopestl.org.

7. Family Workshop: Bird Café at Laumeier Sculpture Park (1/20)

Invite your backyard birds to a "café" designed by your family. Learn about the birds in your backyard from a naturalist at Laumeier Sculpture Park, then take a short hike and make a bird feeder using manmade and natural materials. Note: The feed mix contains seeds and nuts, which may make this activity unsuitable for those with nut allergies. This workshop is for adults and children ages 4-7 and the cost is $25. 

Family Workshop: Bird Café takes place on Saturday, January 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m at Laumeier Sculpture Park, located at 12580 Rott Road in Sunset Hills. For more information, visit laumeier.org.

8. St. Louis Summer Opportunities Fair at Whitfield School (1/27)

The St. Louis Summer Opportunities Fair provides a great opportunity for parents to learn about day camp and sleep-away camp options for their children from preschoolers to teenagers. Summer camps from across the country and the globe, as well as many St. Louis camps, are typically represented, about 160 camps in all.

The annual fair is sponsored by John Burroughs School, MICDS, and Whitfield School and is free and open to all.

The 2018 St. Louis Summer Opportunities Fair takes place on Satuday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Whitfield School, located at 175 South Mason Road in West St. Louis County. For more information, visit summeropportunitiesfair.org.

_{Photo courtesy of visittheloop.com}