August means back-to-school for many area students, so the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday is important for St. Louis families to note. In the state of Missouri, the three-day holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2 and runs through Sunday, August 4.
During this time period, back-to-school purchases (including clothing, school supplies and personal computers) are exempt from sales tax, so if you have a lot of shopping to do or large purchases to make, this is a great way to save. Expect large crowds in local stores that weekend – and keep in mind that items purchased online qualify for the exemption too.
Some cities and counties in the state opt out of the tax holiday, including St. Charles County, and the cities of Kirkwood, Manchester, Brentwood, Des Peres, Ferguson, Maplewood, Crestwood, Richmond Heights, Overland, Clayton, Town and Country, St. Peters, University City, Rock Hill, Webster Groves and more. For a full list of cites opting out, go here. For more specifics, go to dor.mo.gov
Come over to the dark side and meet the amazing birds that exist by moonlight. Owl Prowls are an opportunity for families to learn about owls from the naturalists at the World Bird Sanctuary.
Families are invited to the Saint Louis Art Museum on Sunday afternoon to participate in free hands-on art activities with fun themes and to explore the galleries. Each Family Sunday focuses on a different family-friendly theme.
Plan your child's summer at the biggest Summer Camp Expo in the St. Louis area, featuring 70+ local and regional summer camps offering day- and sleep-away camp experiences all across the St. Louis region and beyond. Bring your kids and learn about a wide variety of summer learning and summer fun opportunities for kids of all ages. The Summer Expo is presented by Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed, sponsored by STL Parent and STL Camps, and is open to all families from any school district across the St. Louis metro area. Admission is free.
The Saint Louis Science Center has expanded its Preschool Science Series to include new offerings for different age groups of young scientists. Storybook STEM is for ages 3 to 5.
Young visitors and their families are invited to the Life Science Lab Classroom at the Saint Louis Science Center to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.