This is a fun mall to take the kids to if you want to entertain them and let them play, but it's just a so-so mall for shopping. I rarely ever buy anything here, but my kids always have a blast going to this mall to play, as there is lots to do here. They also have an ice-rink you can rent ice-skates and go ice-skating. My son(6yo) loves the nascar store as they have lots of games to play and cars to drive. Good food-court and a handful of restaurants.

This is a great little place that I also called my "little secret' as a lot of people who live in St. Louis don't even know about this place. If you want an afternoon to relax and let your kids play this is a great place to spend an hour or two. They have multiple wooden train sets all over the store and they kids can play while you read or talk w/ the other parents there. It's best for ages 3-7. There is a snack bar, but it's not a place you would have lunch. My son loves this place and asks to go all the time.

This is one of our favorite places in St. Louis. You can easily spend 4-5 hours here. They just added a whole new building, which is geared more towards school-aged kids. The older section I think is more for toddlers and pre-school, but my son (5) loved the new section too. They also added a new cafe, so you can even eat lunch there now. This is more like a children's museum or discovery museum with lots of hands-on things for the kids to do.

City Museum is lots of fun and you can spend at least half a day there is not a full day. I do think it's more catered toward the ages of 6-12. There is stuff for the younger kids to do but some of it can be too big or scary for the toddlers. I suggests your kids wear tennis shoes as there is lots of climbing and they may lose sandals.

The Butterfly House is a must see if you are in STL. It's one of my kids' favorite things to do there. You get to see thousands of different butterflies and walk among them. They also have a display which shows the cocoons and the butterflies hatching. It is very warm and humid in the butterfly house. You will spend about 1- 1.5 hours here. You may want to bring a picnic lunch as the butterfly house is in an awesome park and there is a great play area for the kids and a carasol they can ride.