1 of 4
2 of 4
Photographer: Kevin A. Roberts
The Nest
3 of 4
Youth Activity Park
4 of 4
Christopher Carter
Saint Louis Zoo Preschool
Meals Made Easy
Time for Dinner
After a long day at work, the last thing most people want to do is whip up a meal for a house full of ravenous relatives. Time for Dinner presents the perfect way out. You can go to the storefront on Manchester Road and put together all the ingredients of your repast, to be baked at a later date. Whether you’re hungry for Tom’s turkey meatloaf, pork carnitas, crab cakes, bacon-wrapped bistro steak, or myriad other offerings, the result is downright delicious. And if you’re a devotee of Weight Watchers, you can get the points count on each dish. 8506 Manchester, 314-968-8463, timefordinner.com.
Tutoring Service
Shelley B. Smith, Special Solutions
Sometimes kids just don’t get a certain subject—or have special needs that make it harder. For decades, Shelley Smith worked as a special-education teacher in the Special School District
of St. Louis County and the Ladue Schools. “She never lost her cool, the students loved and respected her, and she got results,” says one parent. After she retired from the classroom, Smith founded Special Solutions, with the goal of taking the stress out of education. Today, she not only helps students with their work, employing a team of tutors in multiple subjects, but also advocates for them at school. 9225 Manchester, Ste. 100, 314-650-1203, specialsolutions.com.
Athletic Gear for Youngsters
Ivivva
The Lycra tops, shorts, and pants come in sizes 4 to 14—a toddler’s 4 to a preteen’s 14, that is. Products like Fly Tech sports bras ($28), Remix hoodies ($68), Double Time headbands ($12), and Rhythmic tights ($58) work for yoga, dance, and all kinds of sports. The store does more than sell clothing, though: It works on boosting girls’ self-esteem and confidence. “We are 100 percent about girls’ self-image,” a sales associate says. The store also offers athletic classes: Mommy and Me Yoga, dance, and more. 29 Allen, 314-968-5295, ivivva.com.
Skate Park
Youth Activity Park
If “goofy foot,” “McTwist,” or “ollie” frequently crop up in your child’s lexicon, you need to hightail it to St. Charles County’s Youth Activity Park. The largest skate park in the state, with a 33,000-square-foot skate course, it boasts concrete ramps, bowls, and more for skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, and BMX bikes. Inside, kids can play a variety of video games, foosball, and air hockey. Or they can climb a wall—literally—with the park’s indoor rock-climbing wall. 7801 Highway N, Dardenne Prairie, 636-561-4964, parks.sccmo.org.
Dining Meets Daycare
The Nest
A place for parents to chill and children to play, The Nest defies the basic truism of dining out with children: If there’s a play area, the food’s probably unhealthy and undesirable. Here, the food is fresh and mouthwatering, from the kids’ PB&J sushi to the adults’ caprese grilled cheese. Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, The Nest offers a play area; classes on baby massage, cooking, art, parenting, yoga, and more; and even baby-sitting. 10440 German, 314-942-3521, theneststl.com.
Editor's Note: On June 25, The Nest announced it would be closing in the next 30 days. It's slated to open under new ownership as a special-event space.
Preschool in the park
Saint Louis Zoo Preschool
If you’re looking for the dream program for your active toddler, this is likely it. The preschool classroom (1 Government, Forest Park, 314-646-4544, stlzoo.org/education/preschool) consists of the zoo’s 90 acres. While school may start in The Living World, mornings are spent outside, checking on the animals, talking to staff, and teaming up for various projects. There are no more than 18 students per class, and children must be ages 3 to 5 and potty-trained; the cost is $600 or $900 per month, depending on age level.
