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Places to Go, Things to Do

A busy April calendar for kids and families

A busy April provides lots of outdoor activities for St. Louis area families. Events range from a historic children's festival in St. Charles to a chance for family camping on the prairie.

Each month, Young Saint Louis.com compiles a list of kid-friendly events that young St. Louis area kids will like.

Sometimes, these are major events and sometimes they have a more specialized appeal. Major events are often given full treatment by YSL.com with separate stories. For events with more specialized interest, we often include them in this Places to Go, Things to Do feature.

In this April edition, three events have gotten full-story, home page treatment. Those are:

  • Weekend "sneak peek" previews of the new Schnuck Children's Garden.
  • Earth Day in Forest Park.
  • Opening of the 2006 Trailnet bicycle ride season.

The three articles also have internet links where you can get more detailed information.

But, there are lots of other interesting activities and events that are also worth kids' attention. They include:

Historical Children's Festival in St. Charles

This family-oriented event will be held Saturday, April 15, at the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site in downtown St. Charles. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kids and their families get a look at what life was like in pioneer times.

There are carriage rides, costumed re-enactors, storytelling and historical games. Also, there is a fur and trapping exhibit and barnyard animals.

Activities include butter churning, cow milking, necklace stringing, quill pen writing, candle dipping, cornmeal pounding and hearth cooking.

For more information, call the First Missouri Capitol Site at (636) 940-3322.

Streetcar and miniature train rides

The Museum of Transportation's streetcar and miniature train ride season opens on Saturday, April 1. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rides are $4 for adults and $2 for children and senior citizens.

The museum is located at 3015 Barrett Station Road in west St. Louis County. The museum has one of the largest collections of transportation vehicles in the world. Also, the remodeled Lindburg Automobile Center opened earlier this year.

For information, call (314) 965-7998 or visit www.museumoftransport.org.

Family Camping in the Prairie

The Shaw Nature Reserve provides an ideal "first camping trip" experience on Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30.

You'll camp in the prairie, sleeping near a sod house. You'll have a campfire dinner and a night hike. Then, in the morning, there's another hike to see more of the surrounding prairie.

You provide your camping gear but supper and breakfast are provided. The cost is $30 for a child and $35 for an adult who is a Botanical Garden member. The non-member fees are $35 per child and $40 per adult.

For information and reservations, call (636) 451-3512. The Shaw Reserve is located on Highway 100 at the 1/44 exit (Exit 253).

Puppet Making and Ben Franklin's kites

The Missouri History Museum has a couple unique events for kids and their families.

On Sunday, April 9, the museum will sponsor a kite-making workshop in honor of the upcoming Ben Franklin exhibition. Kite flying was one of Ben Franklin's favorite hobbies and his finding electricity with a kite and a key in a thunderstorm is a popular history story.

After assembling and decorating your own kite, you'll go outdoors to fly the kites in Forest Park.

Hours for the event are 1 to 3 p.m.

On Saturday, April 22, there will be a Lewis and Clark Puppet Show and a puppet-making workshop. Hours for puppet-making are noon and 2 p.m. Hours for the puppet show are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis will bring the Lewis & Clark exploration to life.

For information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Basic Fishing Lessons at Busch

With the fishing season awaiting, kids 7 and up can get some basic fishing lessons at the Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County. The session is Saturday, April 22, from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

The program is for newcomers with limited fishing experience. Subjects covered will be fishing tackle, rods, reels, baits, casting techniques and types of fish.

You'll get a chance to tryout your new skills at lakes on the conservation area. Poles are provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

To sign up, call (636) 441-4554. For more about MDC programs, visit www.mdc.mo.gov.

 

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