Program Type: Family-Friendly

Tell the tale of a chosen animal by combining pressure-printed textures with wood type in an accordion-folded booklet and a time-tested writing game–the Mad Lib. Using provided bookmaking supplies, families will enjoy creating their book from start to finish. Whether it’s a housecat up to the usual antics or a winged beast resting on a cloud, your story will surely be legendary!

Central Print is a non-profit arts organization with a mission to promote the art of letterpress printmaking and related arts by providing workshops, classes, and programs focusing on design and production using historic printing equipment. Founded in 2014 by Eric Woods, Owner of The Firecracker Press, and Director Marie Oberkirsch, Central Print is located in the historic Old North neighborhood of Saint Louis.

*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel

Get in the holiday spirit and customize your own nutcracker in this family-friendly workshop inspired by our latest exhibition Charles Houska: Master of Play. Make one for yourself or to gift someone! Supplies will be provided.

*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel

Draw yourself as your favorite chess piece in a self-led coloring activity in our new Play & Create gallery! After you’ve created your masterpiece, you and your friends can read, socialize, play chess and other board games, or continue to get creative with our arts and crafts supplies—free and fun for all ages! A parent or guardian must accompany minors at all times.

Join us this Valentine’s Day for some fun arts and crafts in our Play and Create space! Bring family, friends, or loved ones to make arts and crafts you get to take home! Free and for all ages.

We’re WILD about you! Join us for a hands-on workshop with Perennial, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Inspired by our Paws and Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets exhibit, the creative instructors at Perennial will take you through DIYing a loving creature to gift to someone special. From love bugs to love birds, all creatures will be crafted using provided reclaimed materials.

Perennial is a non-profit organization in St. Louis where you can take classes to learn creative ways to reuse materials. By reducing waste and crafting with salvaged materials, our community diverts more than 10,000 pounds from landfills yearly! Join us in our reuse studio, where you can try woodworking, stained glass, mosaics, sewing, dyes, bookbinding, and more classes. If you’re looking for secondhand materials to get creative with, our shop is open to the public on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Purchase Tickets Here

• *20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel

Thursday, February 13- 6:00 pm

Bring the little ones to the WCHOF for a hands-on art workshop, exploring creativity and discovering their inner champion! Inspired by our current exhibition, Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions exhibition, Art Educator Colleen Fitzsimmons-Wiviott will teach the class how to use a variety of kid-friendly painting and sculpture techniques to create a sizeable collaborative trophy and make individual wearable crowns using collage and printing techniques. This workshop is recommended for children ages 3-6 and their caregivers; supplies are included.

Colleen Fitzsimmons-Wiviott is an art and museum educator and the founder of Start With Art, which provides early childhood art education programming and consulting in Saint Louis. She has taught at the Museum of Modern Art, El Museo del Barrio, and the Saint Louis Art Museum. Her virtual art program, “Wee Wednesday,” airs on Nine PBS as part of Teaching in Room 9. For more information, visit startwithartstl.com.

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20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel

Saturday, Apr 13 – 10:30 am

Bring the kids for a summer fun event on our chess patio and meet Saint Louis-area author and mom-influencer Tara L. Smith! Smith will be here to autograph copies of her new book, Best Mom St. Louis, a compilation of the best activities for families to enjoy in the city. Cool off with complimentary make-your-own snow cones from Kona Ice, play “duck” chess with our giant pieces, make some crafts, and save 20% on children’s gifts at Q Boutique!

Tara L. Smith has lived much of her life in the Saint Louis area. As a mom blogger for over 15 years, she is the voice behind SeeingDandy.com. Her blog has been featured on News 4 Great Day, Show Me St. Louis and Farmhouse Style magazine. When not behind the keyboard, you’ll find her hiking or traveling with her husband and four children, crafting with friends, and eating out at one of her favorite local restaurants that she likes to frequent on rotation. She can also be found doing her main job, which is “mom taxi service,” taking her kids to all their activities.

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Friday, Jul 26 – 10:00 am

Celebrate artful, sculptural objects in a hands-on art workshop for young artists with Colleen Fitzsimmons-Wiviott. Inspired by the Crown Jewels: Donation Highlights exhibition, Colleen will teach different painting and collage techniques to create a sizeable collaborative chess piece celebrating rare and ornate chess sets in the collection. Then, create your take-home chess piece sculptures with air-drying clay, fun jewels, and more!

Recommended for children ages 3-6 and their caregivers.

Colleen Fitzsimmons-Wiviott is an art and museum educator and the founder of Start With Art, which provides early childhood art education programming and consulting in Saint Louis. She has taught at the Museum of Modern Art, El Museo del Barrio, and the Saint Louis Art Museum. Her virtual art program, “Wee Wednesday,” airs on Nine PBS as part of Teaching in Room 9. 

Purchase Tickets

For more information, visit startwithartstl.com.

*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel

Saturday, Oct 5 – 10:30 am