Things to do this week in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro with kids!
This guide covers Twin Cities Southeast Metro family activities for the week of April 20-24, 2026. If you are in search of things to do with your family this weekend, jump over to our TWIN CITIES SOUTHEAST METRO WEEKEND FAMILY GUIDE. We’ve got you covered no matter your corner of the Minneapolis-St Paul Metro Area!
How to plan your family fun this week
More events this week around the Twin Cities Metro Area
Upcoming Twin Cities Southeast Metro Family Events
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
⚈ 9:00 am - 9:00 pm: Mendota Heights Find the Frog (FREE) - Mendota Heights parks (see link), MN⚈ 10:00 am - 12:30 pm: Eagan Blast & Play - Eagan Community Center, Eagan
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
⚈ 6:00 am - 10:00 pm: FREE Entry at Washington County Parks for Earth Day - Washington County Parks, Minnesota⚈ 9:00 am - 11:00 am: Apple Valley Pre-K Gym - Apple Valley Community Center, Apple Valley
⚈ 9:30 am - 11:30 am: Gleason's Preschool Open Gym - Gleason’s Gymnastic School, Eagan
⚈ 10:00 am - 10:45 am: Family Storytime at Thompson County Park (FREE) - Dakota Lodge, West St. Paul
Thursday, April 23, 2026
⚈ 10:00 am - 12:30 pm: Eagan Blast & Play - Eagan Community Center, Eagan⚈ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm: Mendota Heights Earth Week Movie Night: WALL-E (FREE) - Mendota Heights City Hall, Mendota Heights
Friday, April 24, 2026
⚈ 8:30 am - 12:00 pm: Bird Banding (FREE) - Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, Hastings⚈ 9:00 am - 11:00 am: Apple Valley Pre-K Gym - Apple Valley Community Center, Apple Valley
⚈ 9:30 am - 11:30 am: Gleason's Preschool Open Gym - Gleason’s Gymnastic School, Eagan
⚈ 9:30 am - 11:30 am: IGM Friday Preschool Open Gym - IGM Gymnastics, Burnsville
⚈ 10:30 am - 11:00 am: Family ROCK! (FREE) - RH Stafford Library, Woodbury
⚈ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Earth Week Live Raptor Show (FREE) - Mendakota Park, Mendota Heights
⚈ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Big Air Burnsville Cosmic Glow Night - Big Air Burnsville, Burnsville
⚈ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Gleason's Youth Open Gym - Gleason’s Gymnastic School, Eagan
Saturday, April 25, 2026
⚈ 7:00 am - 5:00 pm: Earth Day Birding Festival - Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, Hastings⚈ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Fleet Farm Kids Crafts: Paint a Fishing Lure (FREE) - Twin Cities Fleet Farm locations, Twin Cities Metro Area
⚈ 10:00 am - 11:00 am: Down On the Farm - Shepard Farm, Cottage Grove
⚈ 10:00 am - 10:30 am: Eagan Barnes & Noble Storytime (FREE) - Barnes & Noble Promenade, Eagan
Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro on Monday, April 20, 2026
Tot Time Open Gyms on Monday
Let them bounce off someone else’s walls! Our list covers open gyms for tots across the Twin Cities where they can work their wiggles off during cooler weather either FREE or at a low cost to you. SEE OUR FULL LIST OF TWIN CITIES TOT TIME OPEN GYMS THIS SPRING!
APPLE VALLEY Pre-K Gym
14603 Hayes Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Developmentally appropriate play equipment is provided in the gym for kids ages 5 & under with caregiver. April 20, 2026, 9-11am. $3/visit or $15/season pass.
Twin Cities Southeast Metro library storytimesÂ
APPLE VALLEY Galaxie Library Storytime for Babies
14955 Galaxie Avenue, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Read stories, sing songs and play alongside your lap-sitter in an interactive storytime designed for newborns and babies to age 2. April 20, 2026, two morning sessions to choose from, see link. FREE.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS Earth & Arbor Week: Find the Frog
Lily the Frog is hiding near a trail in one of 13 Mendota Heights parks – can you figure out which one? Solve the puzzle and enter to win an Earth & Arbor Day gift basket. April 20-27, 2026. FREE.
MORE MENDOTA HEIGHTS EARTH WEEK EVENTS! The frog hunt is just one in a week-long celebration of Arbor & Earth Day events across the city. Find more events here.
Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro on Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Tot Time Open Gyms on Tuesday
EAGAN Blast and Play
1501 Central Pkwy, Eagan, MN 55121
Blast & Play Tot Time includes admission to the space-themed Blast Indoor Playground and the community center gym for open play with equipment provided. April 21, 2026, 10am-12:30pm. $8/child to age 11.
Twin Cities Southeast Metro library storytimesÂ
COTTAGE GROVE Park Grove Storytime & Art Cart
7900 Hemingway Ave S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016
A special storytime centers around themes such as life skills, community and emotions. Activities with the Art Cart will follow with crafts appropriate for kids ages 2-5. April 21, 2026, 10:30am. FREE.
Free Tuesdays in Washington County Parks
In honor of Earth Day, you get a special extra free admission day to the Washington County Parks of your choosing (regularly a $7 vehicle permit). Here’s a list in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro for inspiration:
- HASTINGS St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park
- COTTAGE GROVE Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park
- HASTINGS Point Douglas Park – note this park does not have a playground and does not charge a vehicle fee year-round.
Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro on Wednesday, April 22, 2026
 Tot Time Open Gyms on Wednesday
APPLE VALLEY Pre-K Gym
14603 Hayes Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124
A second weekly option for indoor tot gym time in Apple Valley. April 22, 2026, 9-11am. $3/visit or $15/season pass.
EAGAN Gleason’s Gymnastics Open Gyms
2015 Silver Bell Rd #180, Eagan, MN 55122
So flipping fun! This used to be a family go-to when the cold set in and my kids needed to get their wiggles out. Yours will love the opportunity to bounce on trampolines, scoot through obstacle courses, and play on the gym equipment. Register in advance for a discount. And hey, teens and tweens! There’s an open gym for you, too. April 22, 2026. Preschool open gym: Wednesdays & Fridays: 9:30 – 11:30am. Pre-register: $10/child; $15/family ($13/$20 at the door).
WEST ST PAUL Family Storytime at Thompson County Park
360 Butler Avenue East, West St Paul, MN, 55118
While the Wentworth Library undergoes a remodel, meet in park for a special storytime and stay to play on the awesome equipment! April 22, 2026, 10-10:45am. FREE.
Show some love to your local indie bookshop this week!
Independent Bookstore Day Passport Week
Love books, reading, and shopping local? The Twin Cities is excited to promote Independent Bookstore Day on April 25th in 2026. During the week leading up, many local bookstores participate in a fun passport program. Families can pick up a passport at participating stores and then get it stamped at as many stores as they can visit to qualify for prizes. Families can pick up their passport beginning April 22nd and can visit the bookstores through April 26th to get the passports stamped. Here’s a notable Twin Cities Southeast Metro bookstore participating in the event:
Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro on Thursday, April 23, 2026
Tot Time Open Gyms on Thursday
EAGAN Blast and Play
1501 Central Pkwy, Eagan, MN 55121
A second weekly opportunity to score admission to the Blast Indoor Playground and gym. April 23, 2026, 10am-12:30pm. $8/child to age 11.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS Earth Week Movie Night: WALL-E
1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118
The council chambers will screen a free showing of Wall-E. Free popcorn provided for all who attend, all ages welcome. April 23, 2026, 6:30-8:30pm. FREE.
Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro on Friday, April 24, 2026
Tot Time Open Gyms on Friday
BURNSVILLE IGM Gymnastics Preschool Open Gym
12117 Riverwood Dr, Burnsville, MN 55337
Your little balls of energy will FLIP for open gym at IGM Gymnastics in Burnsville. Try out trampolines, the foam pit, balance beams and the springy gym floor. April 24, 2026, 9:30-11:30am. $15/child, $10/sibling.
MORE OPEN GYMS ON FRIDAYÂ Gleason’s Gymnastics has options for Preschool Open Gym AND a Youth Open Gym for kids ages 7-18 on Friday night!
WOODBURY Family ROCK!
RH Stafford Library, 8595 Central Park Pl, Woodbury, MN 55125
Royal Order of Chords and Keys (R.O.C.K.) presents a free program of original song and dance with takes on classic children’s music. Shakers, scarves and bubbles included. April 24, 2026, 10:30am. FREE.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS Earth Week Raptor Show
2111 Dodd Road, Mendota Heights, MN 55118
Earth & Arbor Week wraps up with a live Raptor Encounters show at Mendakota Park. The presentation shows off 3 different live raptors and a bald eagle. April 24, 2026, 1-2pm. FREE.
BURNSVILLEÂ Big Air Cosmic Glow Night
14290 Plymouth Ave, Burnsville, MN 55337
Tons of cool attractions (bouncing, ninja-ing, interactive challenging) and, as extra fun bonus, Friday nights GLOW from 7-9pm. April 24, 2026. Tickets/$27.99 7 up.
Plan ahead: Fun things to do in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro this weekend
Spring down-on-the-farm fun events for families
APPLE VALLEYÂ Minnesota Zoo Farm BabiesÂ
13000 Zoo Blvd, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Farm Babies at Minnesota Zoo’s Wells Fargo Family Farm opens this weekend for you to meet fuzzy, cuddly newborns. The zoo expects goat kids, lambs, piglets, and calves to be born in April and May. Tickets are included with Zoo admission. Farm Babies 2026 – April 25 to May 17.
COTTAGE GROVEÂ Down On the Farm at Shepard Farm
8946 70th Street S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016
Time to meet the babies in the big red barn – lambs, chicks and piglets! Please register online for this mostly-outdoors event. April 25, 2026, $10/pp.
FIND MORE SWEET MINNESOTA FARM BABIES TO MEET THIS SPRING!
Earth Day in the Southeast Metro
EARTH DAY is well celebrated in the Twin Cities. FIND MORE EARTH DAY EVENTS to help teach our children about good stewardship of the planet.
EAGAN Earth Day Celebration
1629 Murphy Pkwy, Eagan, MN 55122
Drop in to Blackhawk for educational and informational booths, explore the kids compost corner or swap gardening tools. April 26, 2026, 1-4pm. FREE.