Things to Do in O'Fallon

Staffers at Kirkwood Knittery happily direct shoppers to a colorful collection of knitted sweaters, hats, and wraps; however, they're not for sale. That’s because staff members would rather teach customers to make the garments themselves during classes aimed at beginning and intermediate knitters. Sessions, which typically meet in four one-hour segments or two two-hour segments; cover skills such as basic stitches, circular knitting methods, and crochet patterns; and culminate in the creation of a scarf, pair of socks, or knitted umbrella. Before classes, students can peruse the shop’s selection of yarns to choose an attractive skein whorled from international wools, organic cottons, or rare fibers.

Begun in 1985 as a strictly volunteer-based project of the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship, Plowsharing Crafts grew over the years into a thriving nonprofit with two locations and an expansive inventory of eclectic wares from around the globe. The staff is committed to selling fair-trade art and handcrafts in order to provide much needed income and nurture the businesses of artisans, 70% of whom are women, from more than 45 developing countries around the world. The selection of items ranges from housewares to jewelry and beyond, many of which are made with sustainable and recycled materials or from food grown with sustainable methods.

After a decade getting her hands dirty with clay, artist Donna Schreiter swung open the doors of The Painted Pot in 2001, determined to bring the art of ceramic creation to all ages and skill levels. Inside the open studio, adults, kids, and families dabble raw bisques with glaze-soaked sponges, assemble mosaic works, and shape wet clay on spinning wheels. Kids' classes guide little hands to shape and paint their own pieces, and grown-ups-only evenings throw in margaritas for sipping and instructions for weaving baskets out of old utilities bills.

Demolition Ball - Adrenaline Zone's inventive twist on team sports challenges players, daring groups of kids and corporate staff alike. In demolition ball, teams face off in a game that blends bumper-car crashing and lacrosse-like ball handling. As they veer into oncoming opponents and shoot goals to the beat of pulsing music and sound effects, live referees provide commentary on action-packed plays and each player's hairstyle. For a dose of on-foot competition, up to three teams can battle in the power-plant-themed laser-tag arena, where players target opponents with laser beams while darting between slate-gray barriers, hoping their foes will be disoriented by the flashing strobe lights. Players test their sneaking skills in The Heist—a museum-themed maze—dodging trip lasers as they attempt to steal a replica of the Mona Lisa without waking a sleeping Leonardo da Vinci.

The Pilates and Yoga Center's experienced instructors whip clients of all ages and ability levels into shape during yoga lessons, Pilates sessions, and BeyondBarre classes, which blend cardio workouts with ballet moves. To ensure their teaching methods stay sharp and up-to-date, all of these teachers attend workshops each year.

To advance results and help clients reshape their fitness goals, instructors helm metabolic tests, which determine how efficiently each body burns calories when at rest and when working up a sweat exercising or chasing down its spirit animal who accidentally caught a glimpse of a squirrel.