Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

Smart Summers on a Budget

June 22, 2009

There is a television commercial that shows a boy drying off from swimming, shaking his head to get the water out of his ears and watching all of the numbers and facts he learned during the school year fall out as he moves. I don't remember who the commercial is for but the message sticks with me and I worry that my kids, especially my 9 year old, will forget the lessons they learned over summer break.

I want to teach my kids over summer break without making lessons boring or "school like" and I'm on a budget. I could send them to expensive camps or tutoring sessions but it doesn't fit in with our spending plan so I have been looking for low cost alternatives to reinforce their learning but also have fun. Luckily, the St. Louis area has many free museums which is a great place to start. I have already taken the kids to the newly expanded Magic House (which is not free but there are coupons available online) and the St. Louis Zoo. The Zoo is always free but The Children's Zoo is not unless you arrive before 9:00 in the morning. By getting there early, you save money and miss the hottest part of the day! I also plan on taking my oldest son to the Art Museum again (I find it hard to appreciate in one visit so we have been seeing small sections at each trip) which is also free. 

To prepare for our summer activities at home, I visited our local craft store and re-stocked our construction paper and other art supplies. I'm not a crafter so we usually play with foam stick-on's, watercolor and finger paints, markers and crayons. The kids and I have made our own stories and cards for loved ones which is fun and reinforces their writing and cutting skills. 

Outside, we also practice our letters, numbers and shapes. I buy massive amounts of sidewalk chalk to encourage outdoor art projects. With our three year old triplets, I often draw hopscotch squares and let the kids fill in the numbers to reinforce the little ones' writing skills. I also write part of the alphabet or numbers on the driveway and let them finish. I encourage them to write their entire names and have recently been trying to teach them to write their address. Our driveway is always covered in my poorly drawn pictures with labels and arrows showing the kids the word for the drawings. By doing this, I've taught them sight words and they are beginning to write words like "car" and "dog" on their own.

I want to keep the kids' bodies healthy as well as their minds and encourage the physical coordination they practiced during the school year. The triplets learned outdoor games like "Red Rover" during preschool which we continue to play outside in our yard. We've also been running, jumping, swinging and slip and sliding all over our backyard. We also visit our many local (and free!) parks where the kids balance along equipment and try to cross the monkey bars. Late summer afternoons are also wonderful times to walk the neighborhood and learn about our surroundings while getting exercise.

Summer can be an easy time to have fun and learn with kids without breaking the bank. Longer daytime hours, good weather, family get-togethers and holidays all provide opportunities to learn with children (and if you do it right, they won't even know they were learning).

Local Gifts for Dad

June 19, 2009

This Sunday, June 21st, is Father's Day and I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what to give my husband on behalf of our children. He doesn't make it easy because he isn't big on material possessions but buys the things he does want when he wants them and barely ever wears a tie. In previous years, we have given him gift certificates for the electronics store but I wanted to give him something different this year. I want to give him gift certificates for local destinations he enjoys as well as for free time or special times with his family. I haven't decided which of the following I will purchase but here are some local present ideas.

Golf Course/Pro Shop Gift Certificates: I would like to give him a gift certificate for 18 holes of golf as well as credit in the shop to buy whatever he wants. Of course, I can't afford this somewhat extravagant present but I said I would like to give it to him. He'll probably get some golf balls and my blessing to schedule a tee time. If the Dad in your life enjoys golf, check out this site for a listing of local golf courses. You could even print a list with a home made coupon for a guilt-free golf outing.

Photo Present from Creve Coeur Camera or other local photography store. I love to give books made of my own photos as well as photo mugs and t-shirts. I like Creve Coeur Camera because the staff is knowledgeable and the quality of their products is higher than some other national chains. 

Cardinals Tickets: I would like to give him Cardinals' Tickets along with a new shirt (there are some really great Busch Stadium All Star Game t-shirts available right now). 

Concert Tickets: Verizon Wireless (aka Riverport) Amiptheatre, The Fox, The local casino's and local clubs offer a variety of music and shows. Tickets for a guaranteed night out with babysitter coverage is a great gift for Dad.  The RFT site's concert calendar has a schedule for musical acts coming to St. Louis

Other gift certificate ideas include: movies, casinos, video game stores, restaurants or fun places like Dave and Busters or Go-Carts for young at heart Dad's. Whatever you choose, celebrate Dad in style and make to tell him how much he means to your family.

Old Time Fun at The Old Tyme Picnic & Circus Flora

June 16, 2009

The Old Tyme Picnic in St. Peters begins this Friday, June 19th and continues through Sunday, June 21st. 2009 marks the 40th year the summer picnic has been held but the annual event has grown substantially (as has the area) since its humble beginnings. It was originally started as an "old timey" picnic but has grown into an event with a large parade, carnival rides, a barbeque cook-off, tractor pull, live music and vendors.  There will be fireworks at 9:45 pm on both Friday and Saturday nights.

 Carnival Ride at the The Old Tyme Picnic

The parade will feature approximately 60 floats and is always a big hit with kids. It begins on Saturday morning at 9:00 am from the Mid-Rivers Mall parking lot and continues along Main Street, St. Peters. 

The picnic takes place in the Old Town and Lone Wolf Parks and a shuttle is available from Mid-Rivers Mall. A complete schedule is on the Picnic's Web site.

Also, this is the last weekend of the current Circus Flora's current show at Grand Center.  The air-conditioned big top is located next to Powell Symphony Hall and will be showing the last matinee and evening shows of 2009 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available through Metro Tix or at the show.

Free Summer Movies!

June 09, 2009

Our family has been searching out low cost or free activities to keep everyone busy (not bored!) during summer vacation. Werenberg Theatres is running ten movies for free every Wednesday and Thurday morning at 10:00 am.  The movies are all appropriate for kids (except perhaps Marley and Me which may upset dog-loving children) and recent movies which are now in DVD release. The schedule and participating theatres are listed at the theatre's web site.

I have three year old kids who have not been to the movies yet but will soon go for the first time during the Summer Movie Series. It is the perfect opportunity to take my young children and test the waters at the movies without paying for a ticket. If the kids are over-stimulated, whiny or decide to play with the seats instead of sitting in them, we will leave. There are many other families with young children at these shows so some noise is tolerated more than at the matinee shows.

Now if only the popcorn was free...

Must Do Summer Activities in the St. Louis Area

June 01, 2009

Visit Raging Rivers Water Park to float along lazy rivers and down water slides. Itty Bitty Surf City is perfect for young children under 42" tall. Bring lunch and eat a picnic lunch or buy in the park.

Feed the baby goats and admire the famous Clydesdales at Grant's Farm

Celebrate the Missouri Botanical Garden's 150th birthday at Garden Party Nights

Watch fireworks at Fair St. Louis or catch a show Live on the Levee

Pet Stingrays at the St. Louis Zoo's Caribbean Cove then cool off at Penguin and Puffin Coast before riding the zoo-line express.