Summer is the season to make the most of days that are less defined by school and extracurricular activities, and more about enjoying time together with family and friends. This year, explore all that the St. Louis region has to offer, especially the many family-friendly attractions now open or reopened.
Visit one of St. Louis’ best playgrounds. Whether you want a more “natural” option like Forest Park’s Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape, a castle-themed wonderland like Zachary’s Playground at Hawk Ridge Park, or the destination playground in Brentwood, there’s something to keep every kid active. Looking to try something new? Check out St. Charles’ Kinetic Park or Crestwood Park.
Discover fun things to do with the family
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After getting nice and sweaty, cool off by running around one of St. Louis’ best splash pads. One of our favorites is inside the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, where kids can play with a lock-and-dam system and float boats. They can also get a refreshing shower at the flower-themed splash pad. We recommend hitting up the giant sand pit before you turn your kids loose at the water features (and not the other way around). For even more ways to cool off, check out these pools and waterparks and swimming holes worth exploring near St. Louis.
When the temps make it feel like you’re walking on the surface of the sun, consider retreating indoors. Whether you want to turn the kids loose at an indoor play place, introduce them to an old-school arcade, try an escape room, dominate in laser tag, or bowl a few frames, read through our master list of indoor entertainment for families.
Alternatively, many libraries across the St. Louis region have indoor play spaces that rival the biggies. Check out a handful of them here, as well as details about the St. Louis County Library’s newest Clark Family Branch.
This is the summer you can introduce your kid to the fun that is the zipline. Read about a few of the best ones in St. Louis here.
Enjoy an afternoon at the theater. Among the options: Shrek – The Musical at The Muny in June and Shakespeare In the Park at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park, May 27–June 21. This year’s Shakespeare play is The Tempest.
Discover what’s new at Grant’s Farm. Weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day head over to Bauernhof Courtyard to take in the Summer Nights drone show, complete with live music, food, and drinks.
Ride the all-electric train at the Saint Louis Zoo. It’s named after abolitionist Mary Meachum. And for more tips and tricks on visiting the zoo, see our story here. And check out a baby animal or two while you’re at it.
Visit new exhibits at The Magic House. The children’s museum’s latest cultural exhibit, starting June 13, celebrates Argentina and their love of fútbol in anticipation for the World Cup. Children can explore Argentine culture, climb the Andes, color on the bustling street mural and so much more. Plus, the museum has launched a ‘90s summer experience this season sure to bring on the nostalgia.
Plan a St. Louis staycation. The summer is the perfect time to explore a new-to-you neighborhood, stay at a family-friendly hotel, and just take a break from the everyday.
Check a must-do off your family-friendly bucket list. St. Louis Magazine has pulled together 25 things every St. Louis kid must do. Has your family done every one? If not, it’s time to complete a few. And check out even more fun, affordable options below, including parks, playscapes, and story time.
Get all dressed in your favorite pajamas, load the car up on snacks, and take in a drive-in movie or two this year for a nostalgic memory that will last a lifetime.
Speaking of nostalgia, strap on some skates for an air-conditioned ’80s-style adventure at one of the metro area’s few remaining roller rinks. No judgement if you don’t fall as gracefully as you did the last time you took a spin around the rink.
Mini golf is a summer classic for a reason. These courses are family favorites and offer the chance to play in the dark, on a Hawaii-themed course, at a train station, and more.
For a picture-perfect moment that produces both smiles and snacks, try a u-pick farm experience at one of these kid-forward family farms. If you enjoy the berries and peaches of summer, come back for an apple- or pumpkin-flavored taste of fall.
Take a beat, find a nook, and read–or be read–a great book at a cozy storytime meant to inspire little literature lovers and engage their brains over the long summer slump.
And speaking of brain-busters, pick out a favorite new museum exhibit to enrich those what-I-did-this-summer essays, from the Cardinals Museum’s 1926 exhibit showcasing some of the Cardinal’s greatest hits, to the Saint Louis Art Museum’s new Ancient Splendor: Roman Art in the Time of Trajan where you can learn what life was like in ancient Rome.
