Aquaport is an 8,000 square foot pool, which includes a 740 foot long "river" for tubing, slides, and a flume. Small kids have their own "Wacky Water" area with sprinklers and fountains. Changing areas, lockers, showers, free parking, spacious deck areas for sunning, and a snack bar are also available on site.

Birthday party packages start at $90 for residents; $195 for non-residents. Parties include a reserved birthday party area for one hour, a free pass for the birthday child to come back on another day, and a t-shirt for the birthday child. Cake and balloons can be brought into the park only with purchase of a birthday party package. Party reservations must be made at least one week in advance.

Residents of Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, and Bridgeton can take advantage of the residents' rate. Be sure to bring a valid City ID, issued by the respective city government.

Baskin Farm is a full-service hunter/jumper equestrian facility nestled within the beautiful wooded suburbs of West St. Louis County. The farm boards horses and offers beginners lessons and one-week summer horse camp sessions, which allow "horse-crazy" kids to learn how to ride and how to care for horses and riding equipment.

Baskin Farm is a great place for novice and intermediate riders, with an extensive lesson program focusing on safety and horsemanship. The program features many school horses, private and group instruction, a Working Student program, and frequent participation in local shows.

"Midwest diving" seems a bit contradictory, but BellyUp Diving believes anyone interested in underwater exploration deserves proper training, even those far, far away from seascapes.

Private and group lessons teach the fundamentals of scuba diving, including instruction on the correct dive equipment and techniques to use. Certification requires the completion of pool dives, five knowledge development sessions, and four open water dives; students also need to be at least 10 years old.

Birthday Pool Parties with BellyUp instructors are great fun. Parties are for children ages eight and older and can take place at private homes or at pools hosting special events. For those hosting their own pool parties, Belly Up Diving can supply certified lifeguards.

"Midwest diving" seems a bit contradictory, but BellyUp Diving believes anyone interested in underwater exploration deserves proper training, even those far, far away from seascapes.

Private and group lessons teach the fundamentals of scuba diving, including instruction on the correct dive equipment and techniques to use. Certification requires the completion of pool dives, five knowledge development sessions, and four open water dives; students also need to be at least 10 years old.

Birthday Pool Parties with BellyUp instructors are great fun. Parties are for children ages eight and older and can take place at private homes or at pools hosting special events. For those hosting their own pool parties, Belly Up Diving can supply certified lifeguards.

Who wouldn't get excited upon hearing that they're about to embark on a "space mission"? For space enthusiasts, the Challenger Learning Center provides
hands-on, realistic, simulated space missions for people ages six and up (Public missions are geared towards
those 11 and up). The activities here are unique in that they encourage participants to work together and perform activities similar to astronauts, scientists and engineers.

Reservations are required for all public missions, which are held intermittently throughout the year - check the website for schedules. Missions can also be booked for school and scout groups, birthday parties, and corporate team-building sessions.

In the summer, the center's one-week and two-week day camps allow children to engage in all sorts of space themed activities, including hands-on workshops, simulated missions, and field trips. The camps are open to kids between third and eighth grades.

City Museum is the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best museum for big kids in St. Louis!

Truly an architectural wonder to behold, City Museum is constructed entirely out of unique, found objects: Reclaimed building materials, old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and two planes help form the amazing attractions here.

The Enchanted Caves capture any adventurer's imagination: With spiral tunnels in which to crawl and all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore, this is where many young visitors head first.

MonstroCity - the 2008 Parents' Picks winner for best playground for big kids - is an amazing "interactive sculpture" - that is, a giant playground that welcomes kids who climb and explore and includes multi-level caves. The Baby Bob Ball Pit gives little kids the opportunity to leap among, under, and over zillions of balls.

The World Aquarium, located upstairs, is 13,500 square feet and will house more then ten thousand creatures when fully completed. The Aquarium hosts special critter feedings almost every day; check the website for a schedule. Entrance to the Aquarium is an additional fee of $6.

The museum's "everydaycircus" area is where the zany antics of circus performers come alive. Weekly performances and classes designed for young entertainers are held here; pizza buffet birthday parties are, too.

Circus Performance Summer Camps - a unique and intensive circus training experience - teach kids the art of circus performance and are split between two-week sessions starting in late June and extending through the end of August. Camps are geared for ages eight though 16.

Enchanted Parties by Tracy specializes in two kinds of personalized dress-up parties in your home. Parties can include up to 14 children. Tracy can travel to any town on the Missouri side of the St. Louis Metro area.

The Once Upon a Time Princess Party includes invitations, set up, pricess storytime, craft project, a "beauty session" and dress-up time, a tea party. The deluxe Happily Ever After party includes all of the above plus themed games and music, additional treats for the tea party, and a Poloroid photo for each child. Special additional-cost "ad-ons" can be chosen with either package.

Enchanted Parties by Tracy specializes in two kinds of personalized dress-up parties in your home. Parties can include up to 14 children. Tracy can travel to any town on the Missouri side of the St. Louis Metro area.

The Once Upon a Time Princess Party includes invitations, set up, pricess storytime, craft project, a "beauty session" and dress-up time, a tea party. The deluxe Happily Ever After party includes all of the above plus themed games and music, additional treats for the tea party, and a Poloroid photo for each child. Special additional-cost "ad-ons" can be chosen with either package.

More than 1,000 animals, representing more than 100 different species from six continents, reside on the expansive and award-winning Grant's Farm; the name derives from the fact that Ulysses S. Grant, the eighteenth US president, founded and farmed part of the acreage during the 1850's. His cottage, Hardscrabble, is still on the property.

Highlights of a day's visit include animal shows in the Tier Garten amphitheater; tours of Deer Park, which feature free-roaming deer, buffalo, and bison; and a visit to the Clydesdale Stables, where the famous Anheuser-Busch Budweiser teams are bred and raised. Several resturants, snack shops, and gift stores are also on the premises.

Kids can host their birthday parties here, and partygoers get to hand feed camels and goats. Packages range from $175 to $250.

Kids entering kindergarten through fifth grade can also attend Critter Camp, a summer camp that teaches about animal care through games, arts and crafts, and excursions in the Deer Park.

Horse-boarding, English- and Western-style riding lessons, summer camps, and birthday parties take place at the busy Greensfelder Park Horse Stables. Staff specialize in assisting "rusty" or novice riders, including children.

MidWest Soccer Academy is a non-profit organization that provides year-round soccer instruction. Its leagues and training focus on enhancing players' individual skills, field sense, physical strength and fitness, mental preparation, and sportsmanship.

The Academy sponsors indoor leagues for kids in grades kindergarten through fourth, and it hosts birthday parties and summer soccer camps; the facility can also be rented for special events.

Known among the younger set as the home of the well-loved, outdoor Alligator's Creek Aquatic Center, the 20-acre Civic Park is the city's oldest park. It holds four horseshoe pits, two pavilions, and two large play structures.

The park's bandstand plays host to numerous concerts and special events throughout the year. The O?Fallon Historical Society offers tours of the Log Cabin Museum on the park grounds.

Alligator's Creek features two swimming pools and two water slides. The facility is open seasonally, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The full range of party services offered by Once Upon A Bash, which can be booked for any location, is a relief to overworked parents. The company makes and sends invitations, decorates the party area, hosts a two-hour party, and provides real dinnerware, utensils, crafts, games, music, cupcakes, and favors for up to ten guests. Additional guests may be added to the party for an additional fee.

Parties for boys, girls, or both sexes combined can be booked. Popular themes include Pop Star, Fashionista, Hannah Montana, Pirate, Rock Star, Circus, and Tea Party.

In addition to all-inclusive parties, Once Upon A Bash offers an "a la carte menu" of party entertainment, including circus acts, face painting, caricature art, princess visits, and more.

A 66,000 square-foot facility, the Renaud Spirit Center (RSC) offers a host of recreational activities for all members of the family, including aquatics, sports, fitness, and wellness. It is the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best place to leave the kids for a parents' night out in St. Louis!

Kids love the Natatorium, a swimming area that features a 185-foot three-turn water slide, a "lazy river" with waterfalls, a vortex pool, zero-depth water entry, water-play features, and family locker rooms.

Trained staff members are available to watch children in the Kids' Korner while grown-ups participate in a class or workout in the fitness area. Kids' Korner is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for children ages 3 months to nine years. The service is limited to two hours at a cost of $2.50 per child.

The Center offers camps for school-age kids during the summer and during winter and spring breaks. RSC can also host birthday parties. Parties must be reserved at least two weeks in advance and full payment must accompany reservations.

The Saint Louis Zoo is the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best day camp for teens in St. Louis!

Innovative exhibits are a highlight at the Saint Louis Zoo, located inside Forest Park. The River's Edge exhibit is especially interesting - visitors follow a lush waterway to view the interaction between wildlife, plants, and people from four continents. Along the path live all the kids' zoo favorites - cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, and hippos, among others. Many other exhibit areas feature animals from different climates and world regions.

The Children's Zoo is a place for up-close, hands-on visits with animals. Children can touch animals such as guinea pigs, goats and rabbits, play on the playground, splash in water bubblers, see an animal show on stage, and more. Some activities are seasonal.

ZOOmagination Station, part of The Living World, allows families to investigate animal biofacts up close, design their own zoo habitats, and create creature crafts to take home. Puppets, costumes, discovery boxes, a playhouse, and a variety of play areas are part of this permanent exhibit.

Older kids love the motion-simulator adventure Dino Island, where they can come eye-to-eye with a T-Rex, Pteroenodon, and a herd of Apatosaurs. It runs Friday through Sunday (11am-3pm) and costs $3 per person.

The First Bank Zooline Railroad is one of the zoo's most popular attractions. The train ride lasts 20 minutes and is fully narrated as it winds around the zoo on a 1.5-mile loop. It typically runs daily, although hours vary by season.

The zoo is available for birthday parties, which run 1.5 hours at the Lakeside Café. The price of $18 per guest (10 people minimum) includes invitations, pizza and beverage, cake and ice cream, goodie bag, a costumed character, and a birthday guide to help with games.

Camp KangaZoo - a summer day camp - proves quite popular for school-age kids in grades first through sixth. The camp takes place on zoo grounds and puts learning about animals and their habitats front and center.

Teens aren't shut out of camper fun: Students in grades seventh through ninth can participate in their very own Teen Camp. Visit the website's Education section for further details.

The supremely kid-friendly Snip-its offers cuts and styles for children of all ages.

Kids can play computer games or watch videos during their individual styling sessions. Afterwards, kids trade in their plastic cut cards for a prize out of the magic box at check-out.

Birthday parties are also available, complete with glamour photos of all the braids and curls, nail polish, make-up, and dressy clothes.

No appointments are taken; walk-ins only.

St. Louis's professional ice hockey team, the St. Louis Blues, was one of six teams added to the NHL during the 1967 expansion. The Blues were a playoff presence every year from 1980 to 2004 - the second longest active streak in North American professional sports at the time.

Despite some shaky seasons in recent years, the Blues continue to have a loyal fan base among St. Louisians, who turn out at Scottrade Center to cheer their team on.

Junior fans ages 16 and younger can join the Junior Blue Note Club, which costs $24.95 and provides a range of benefits.

Birthday parties for children 14 and under can be held at any game for a cost of $30/guest. Price includes a mezzanine seat ticket, a hot dog and soda, a gift pack and autographed mini hockey stick for the birthday child, and your name in lights - that is, scoreboard recognition.

The St. Louis Jewish Community Center - also commonly known as JCC or just "the J" - offers a wide range of youth and family programming at its two campuses, including sports, cultural enrichment, and childcare. The JCC is open to people of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.

The I.E. Millstone Jewish Community Campus in Creve Coeur features the Carlyn H. Wohl Building, a 4,000-square-foot fitness center, two indoor pools (including a warm-water therapy pool), an outdoor pool, racquetball and squash courts, meeting rooms, an early childhood center, the Black Box Theatre, and a double-sized gymnasium. This campus hosts the St. Louis JCC's summer day camp program, which serves over 2,000 campers every summer.

Chesterfield's Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus features a 6,500-square-foot-fitness center, gymnasium, 25-yard indoor lap pool, meeting rooms, and a 5,600 square foot outdoor recreational pool. For children, the campus also hosts day camps, an Early Childhood Center, and the
Children's Activity Center for infants and toddlers.

Both campuses can host customized birthday parties at the pools, gymnasiums, on the sports fields, or in one of the many meeting rooms.

The St. Louis Jewish Community Center - also commonly known as JCC or just "the J" - offers a wide range of youth and family programming at its two campuses, including sports, cultural enrichment, and childcare. The JCC is open to people of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.

The I.E. Millstone Jewish Community Campus in Creve Coeur features the Carlyn H. Wohl Building, a 4,000-square-foot fitness center, two indoor pools (including a warm-water therapy pool), an outdoor pool, racquetball and squash courts, meeting rooms, an early childhood center, the Black Box Theatre, and a double-sized gymnasium. This campus hosts the St. Louis JCC's summer day camp program, which serves over 2,000 campers every summer.

Chesterfield's Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus features a 6,500-square-foot-fitness center, gymnasium, 25-yard indoor lap pool, meeting rooms, and a 5,600 square foot outdoor recreational pool. For children, the campus also hosts day camps, an Early Childhood Center, and the
Children's Activity Center for infants and toddlers.

Both campuses can host customized birthday parties at the pools, gymnasiums, on the sports fields, or in one of the many meeting rooms.

The St. Louis Jewish Community Center - also commonly known as JCC or just "the J" - offers a wide range of youth and family programming at its two campuses, including sports, cultural enrichment, and childcare. The JCC is open to people of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.

The I.E. Millstone Jewish Community Campus in Creve Coeur features the Carlyn H. Wohl Building, a 4,000-square-foot fitness center, two indoor pools (including a warm-water therapy pool), an outdoor pool, racquetball and squash courts, meeting rooms, an early childhood center, the Black Box Theatre, and a double-sized gymnasium. This campus hosts the St. Louis JCC's summer day camp program, which serves over 2,000 campers every summer.

Chesterfield's Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus features a 6,500-square-foot-fitness center, gymnasium, 25-yard indoor lap pool, meeting rooms, and a 5,600 square foot outdoor recreational pool. For children, the campus also hosts day camps, an Early Childhood Center, and the
Children's Activity Center for infants and toddlers.

Both campuses can host customized birthday parties at the pools, gymnasiums, on the sports fields, or in one of the many meeting rooms.

Have a squirmy child with a fear of scissors on your hands? The Hairy Elephant Hair Salon - winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best haircut for big kids in St. Louis - offers a jeep, sports car, or airplane salon chair for kids to sit in while getting coiffed; a Play Station® and movies are at each station to keep children entertained. Kids like the "hair-washing" elephant most.

The store's staff can also assist with special occasion make-up application and hairstyles, as well as baby's photo-worthy first haircut.

'Tweens and teens especially like the store's birthday parties. Guests get treated to a special hairstyle, manicure, and makeup; paper goods, beverages, decorated cookies, and party favors are also included.

Have a squirmy child with a fear of scissors on your hands? The Hairy Elephant Hair Salon - winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best haircut for big kids in St. Louis - offers a jeep, sports car, or airplane salon chair for kids to sit in while getting coiffed; a Play Station® and movies are at each station to keep children entertained. Kids like the "hair-washing" elephant most.

The store's staff can also assist with special occasion make-up application and hairstyles, as well as baby's photo-worthy first haircut.

'Tweens and teens especially like the store's birthday parties. Guests get treated to a special hairstyle, manicure, and makeup; paper goods, beverages, decorated cookies, and party favors are also included.

The Magic House is the winner in four categories of our 2008 St. Louis Parents' Picks Awards: Best Museum for Little Kids, Best Daycamp for Little Kids, Best Indoor Play-space and Party-space for Little Kids, and Best Place for Family Bonding. Wow!

The museum features more than one hundred hands-on exhibits for youngsters. In Children's Village, kids can be a newscaster, shop in a grocery store, or catch a "fish." The electrostatic generator brings tons of laughs and a fly-away hairdo after kids touch an electrically charged ball. Science is all about fun in the Observation Center, Air Power Station, and WaterWorks, while the Lewis and Clark Adventure brings that historic mission to life for children.

The Magic House offers monthly preschool classes for children and their parents. These typically involve an exploration of music, simple science concepts, and art. Camp Magic House - half-day, weeklong camp sessions for kids ages six through nine - and Camp Little Bit, for ages four and five, are offered each summer.

The Magic House also hosts themed birthday parties for $12 per child. Price includes a private room where Magic House staff facilitates one hour of party activities; when the party is over, guests get unlimited play time in the museum.

Aside from great its reputation as a great place for children's haircuts and styling, The Plaid Monkey Kids Salon is also known for its glamor birthday parties in cheerleader, beauty pageant, dance diva, or princess themes.

Guests get treated to fancy 'dos, "secret fairy dust," and a makeup class; next comes dress-up time with more than 50 outfits! Party favors come in a princess purse, and a group photo and balloons are included in the price. Cupcakes, cookies, or beverages can be added for an additional cost.

Aside from great its reputation as a great place for children's haircuts and styling, The Plaid Monkey Kids Salon is also known for its glamor birthday parties in cheerleader, beauty pageant, dance diva, or princess themes.

Guests get treated to fancy 'dos, "secret fairy dust," and a makeup class; next comes dress-up time with more than 50 outfits! Party favors come in a princess purse, and a group photo and balloons are included in the price. Cupcakes, cookies, or beverages can be added for an additional cost.

The giant five-story speed slide might be the biggest draw at the Wapelhorst Aquatic Facility, located at Wapelhorst Park: The slide takes just five seconds to reach the bottom - in other words, it's breathtakingly fast.

The facility also includes a water-rapids inner-tube ride, one underground and one open waterslide, a children's play area, and a general swimming area.

The pool hosts swimming lessons, parties, summer day camps, water aerobics, family swim nights, and tiny tots programs.

Wildlife Center of Missouri is a medical care, research, and educational facility for wild animals, staffed by wildlife rehabilitation professionals.

The center offers many educational opportunities for a nominal fee, including outreach programs for schools and community groups, and onsite programs for Scouts, schools, birthday parties, and daycare facilities. Topics of programs include endangered species education, native Missouri wildlife education, and baby animal welfare.

One of North America's largest facilities for the conservation of birds, the 130-acre World Bird Sanctuary is dedicated to interactive, entertaining environmental education about the earth's biological diversity and about the life cycle, habitats, and future of bird species. The sanctuary is home to more than 350 animals.

WBS is available for naturalist-guided field trips for groups, scouts, or classrooms, and it also can host birthday parties featuring a live animal encounter; parties can be held at WBS or at a location of your choice.

Visitors can hike the trails, view animal exhibits, visit with volunteer and staff naturalists, picnic and bird-watch, and shop the Raptique Gift Shop for unique nature-related gift items, including jewelry, sculptures, clothing, books, and children's toys and games.

The state's largest skate park - all 33,000 square feet of it - can be found at Youth Activity Park (YAP); an indoor recreation facility, a sand volleyball court, half-court basketball, indoor and outdoor rock climbing walls, a batting cage, open play fields, a disc golf course, and a video-game electronics nook provides kids and teens almost everything they could want when it comes to recreation.

Birthday parties, special events, and youth group or scout meetings can be held at the park's facilities: Call 636.561.4964 for details.