Laumeier Sculpture Park, South County

Location: 12580 Rott Road, St. Louis, MO 63127

Website: http://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/

Laumeier is a 105 acre park filled with sculpture and trails and wide open spaces. It's a great place to picnic, take a walk, admire some art, and let the kids run wild. They have stroller tours, free family days, camps, and scavenger hunts as well. Check out their calendar to see all the events they have throughout the year.

Here are the trail lengths:
Art Hike Trail: 0.77 miles / 45 minutes
Central Pathway: 0.64 miles / 25 minutes
Western Woodland Trail: 0.15 miles / 10 minutes
Emerson Spring House Trail

Here are some of the sculptures you will see. Laumeier asks that you don't climb on them, please!

I think the 'eye' is the most popular thing here! 

The new deer sculpture in the distance

Installation of the new "Deer" from the Post Dispatch

I think the most popular sculpture used to be "The Way" 

There is just so much to see here! Such a great place to explore with little ones. Get this scavenger hunt booklet and try doing it with your kids!

Here are some great tips to enhance your visit to Laumeier:

LOOK at the artworks from different angles:
Crouch or lie down
Stand far away and up close
Circle around

ASK questions to encourage discussion:
What do you see?
What do you think it means?
How does it make you feel?

MOVE your body to imitate the shapes of the sculptures!

INVENT your own creative titles for the artworks before reading the object labels.

DRAW what you see. Sketchbooks are encouraged!

TAKE A BREAK at the benches and picnic tables located throughout the Park. Public restrooms and water fountains are located in the Museum Circle, Way Field, and Emerson Children’s Sculpture Garden, and in the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center during regular building hours.

BRING the conversation home:
What sculpture did you like the most?
Did you learn about a new material?
What new projects can you create at home now?

Independence Park, Berkeley

 

Location: 8296 Frost Ave, Berkeley MO 63134

Website: http://www.cityofberkeley.us/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=16

Playground Ground Cover: Poured Rubber


This playground has two areas, one for big kids and one for littles. There is a bathroom building and pavilion nearby but I didn't check them out.

The structures are older but in decent shape. There are several slides, a bridge, and bars and poles for climbing.

Howdershell Park, Hazelwood

Location: 6810 Howdershell Rd, Hazelwood, MO 63042

Amenities: 2 playgrounds, horseshoes, picnic shelter, restroom, walking/jogging path (with fitness stations), tennis courts, racquetball/handball courts, softball fields, soccer fields, Ninja course

Website: http://www.hazelwoodmo.org/index.php/services/36.html

Playground ground cover:  Poured Rubber

This park is really a wonderful park. If you park in the parking lot next to the fire station, you'll have to walk to the back of the park along the level trail. It's not a bad walk but if you have little ones you'll want to use your stroller. There is also an entrance to the park from Village Square Drive, in the subdivision behind the park.

The playground for school-aged children is pretty new. It has lots of places to climb and several slides, including one that is quite steep (especially if you go down it while holding a toddler!)
The structure has a ton of activities including a large rock wall, tic tac toe board, monkey bars, and lot of bars and poles.

Between the older and younger playgrounds are swings and a "metal man with plow." Which is a neat throwback to what you used to see at parks a couple decades ago (and maybe that old?). There is also a swing set with 4 sling swings and 4 baby swings between the two playgrounds.

The playground for younger children has recently been renovated. It has a tunnel, a rock wall, several activity boards, slides, and a dragonfly climber.

Restroom building and drinking fountain

Tennis courts

Horseshoes

The best part of this park is the new Ninja Course! This was added in the summer of 2017 and the flooring is astroturf. There are lots of different activities and each activity has signage showing how to do each one.