St. Louis, Missouri is a great destination for families. There is something for everyone here, including tons of activities for kids in St Louis. Here are a few St Louis kid activities to check out whether you are visiting the area or have lived here all your life:
As a city, St. Louis holds a number of attractions for children not only in terms of tourist destinations but also in form of the varied flora and fauna inhabiting the area which children would love to observe. The streets are lined with rows of endless oak, maple, and hickory and there is a forest of Ozarks close to the city. Most of the greenery is due to the Native American varieties of trees, the only exception being the Japanese Honeysuckle, which is now being consciously removed to preserve the ethnicity of the place. The animal inhabitants include coyotes, whitetail deer, squirrels, rabbits and a rare nocturnal animal called opossum. The banks of the Mississippi River are populated by gulls and bald eagles, whereas the parks are dotted with goose, mallard duck, egret, and heron.
Children who visit the city of St. Louis as tourists have amazing experiences which is unimaginable in any other city and some of those rare activities are as follows:
Gateway Arch
A ride to the top of the Gateway Arch is a must for every kid and the experience would be more memorable if taken in a barrel-shaped capsule that starts from 50 feet under the ground and zooms up right till the top. A peek from the top of the arch would yield a panoramic view of the longest American river with both legs of the arch stretching underneath all the way till the ground.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Kids would enjoy a trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden which would not only afford them an unforgettable educational experience in the tropical rain forest in the Climatron but also provide fun and adventure through a green labyrinth, waterfalls, and talking orchids. The Japanese Garden has a number of ponds that are inhabited by exotic varieties of fishes who look forward to being fed by visitors.
St Louis Zoo
One of the nation’s best zoos and filled with fun things for kids to do and see. Wander around and see over 700 species of animals, watch a sea lion show or a 3D movie, or visit the Children’s Zoo which includes a petting zoo, water geyser play area, slide down a see-through chute surrounded by water with otters swimming about, and much more!
A day at the Children’s Zoo would be an ideal way to spend the time especially since it houses a number of rare, exotic species of animals and birds. A couple of unique experiences for children at the zoo would be to feed honey to lorikeets, which are colorful little Australian parrots, and interact with the turtles in the Turtle Park.
Magic House
kids will love this place, with 50,000 square feet of interactive exhibits! There are so many different exhibits where kids can construct the walls of a 2 story firehouse, explore a mirror maze, conduct science experiments, surround themselves in a giant bubble, climb a three-story beanstalk, and too many more to list!
The Magic House offers a remarkable display of exhibits for children, some of which may even be scary. Having the honor of being the fourth most visited children’s museum in America, it has certain exhibits designed for children below two years of age, one such exhibit being ‘For Baby and Me’.
Nationally acclaimed children’s museum offers more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits for kids from one to 101. At The Magic House, you will find four floors packed with more than 100 hands-on exhibits designed to be fun, engaging, and memorable in a creative and stimulating environment.
Visit The Magic House to touch an electrically charged ball and make your hair stand on end; transform your silhouette into a kaleidoscope of color; lift yourself with a pulley; freeze your shadow on a wall; an experiment in a water playground; make a three-dimensional impression of yourself, and zoom down a three-story slide!
The museum is digging into a major construction project that will double its size and add so much more. Features of special interest to teachers include a Conservatory to welcome school groups; new galleries with exhibits on a variety of curricular subjects including literacy, art, science, music, and health; an Education Center with three flexible classroom spaces; the Star-Spangled Center, a unique learning environment with a courtroom, legislative chamber and Oval Office to house new exhibits and educational programs on citizenship; and additional free parking, restrooms, and other amenities to ensure that every school tour is a magical experience. The current facility will remain completely operational during the 2007-2008 school year, and the new Magic House will open in the summer of 2008.
The Magic House will engage all children in hands-on learning experiences that encourage experimentation, creativity, and the development of problem-solving skills within a place of
beauty, wonder, joy, and magic.
Location: 516 S. Kirkwood Rd. (Lindbergh Blvd.), St. Louis, MO
Phone: (314) 822-8900
Faust County Park
A carousel ride in the Faust County Park has been an age-old attraction for children and adults alike and if combined with a visit to the Butterfly House, it would be right out of imagination because the Butterfly House is a glass enclosure through which the visitors are allowed to walk through and observe thousands of butterflies in flight.
Six Flags St Louis
enjoy tons of roller coasters and rides, including huge slides and a wave pool in Hurricane Harbor (part of Six Flags and free to enter with a ticket to the main park).
Six Flags St. Louis is an amusement park with lots of rides and shows just for children and the one ride which is most feared is a 5000 feet wooden roller coaster that zooms at 65 miles per hour. The City Museum is an adventure-filled place with lots of activities designed to bring out the creative instinct in children in addition to providing them with a fun-filled thrilling experience.
St. Louis consists of three water theme parks that enable children to enjoy the wave action of the sea through dynamically controlled machines. As a result, not only is it safe for children to play in the artificial waves but their delicate skin is also protected from getting ravaged in the seawater.
Grants Farm
See exotic animals, watch animal shows with elephants, parrots, and mammals, visit the petting zoo, and see the famous Anheuser Busch Clydesdales.
St Louis Science Center
With so many interactive and educational exhibits, kids of all ages will love the Science Center. See dinosaurs in motion, watch movies on the huge IMAX screen, conduct science experiments, and more!
Art Museum
Located in Forest Park, the Museum houses featured exhibits and new rotating exhibits. Think an art museum isn’t the most kid-friendly destination? The Art Museum has Family Sundays every Sunday from 1 – 4 pm which includes hands-on art products and a fun family tour through the galleries.
Citygarden
A park right in the middle of downtown St Louis, the Citygarden has tons of sculptures and fountains, all of which kids can climb around on and play on. Kids can run around in all of the fountains, including the main fountain which has 102 nozzles that spray water lit up in different colors and patterns 6 ft into the air.
Family Arena
The Family Arena is conveniently located and is a quality family entertainment center. The Family Arena offers the best in Concerts, Sporting Events, Comedy, Family Shows and more! You can also rent the Arena for private parties, meetings, conventions, trade shows or recitals. It offers tremendous flexibility in size and set- up.
The Family Arena is your ticket to great entertainment. It offers a close, intimate setting for all guests to enjoy an entertainment event. Whether you are at a hockey game, football game, concert or a family stage show, you are close to the action. Portable carts serve a wide variety of food and beverages throughout the concourse. Thirsty guests can enjoy soft drinks, bottled water, iced tea, coffee, hot chocolate, a variety of beers, mixed drinks and wine coolers. Come experience magic of the Family Arena. They look forward to having you as their guest.