free things to do with kids in St. Louis

Families are invited to the Saint Louis Art Museum on Sunday afternoon to participate in free hands-on art activities with fun themes and to explore the galleries. Each Family Sunday focuses on a different family-friendly theme. 

Kids can meet a friendly CHAMP Therapy Dog and read to them to enhance their reading skills!

Visit the Missouri History Museum on Fridays in June and July for their Summer Family Fun Series! Enjoy a variety of free family activities, including crafts, performances, food, movement, and more! All activities are tied into Museum exhibits and St. Louis history, and focus on a different theme each week. This summer kids and families can learn about Juneteenth, celebrate America’s 250th birthday, explore Vietnamese culture in STL, and discover the wonders of the Mighty Mississippi!

Enjoy a free outdoor movie at Movies on the Plaza in the Central West End. Each month, trivia and prizes kick off the fun, so arrive early. Movies begin at 8 p.m.

Wolves, foxes, African painted dogs, and maned wolves, oh my! Learn all about the eight species of canids (animals in the dog family) that live at the Endangered Wolf Center and what you can do to help endangered species. Attendees at this free program will also have a chance to meet an animal ambassador up close!

Master puppeteer Paul Vandivort brings three fables to life including All for City Mouse, Pink Riding Hoodie and The Monster and the Baby. 

Kids can get tuned into learning about science through exciting demonstrations and experiments, including a surprisingly loud dinosaur-in-a-can, the singing pipe and a kid-created thunderstorm.