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Badge of Honor: 11 Great Places to Earn Scout Badges

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Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts proudly display their badges as a way to share their achievements, interests and experiences. If St. Louis-area scouts need a little bit of help or to talk with an expert, there are plenty of local resources. Here are 11 St. Louis organizations that lend their expertise to make badge-earning a breeze.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Year-round programs are offered for both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Family workshops are also available for Daisies and Tiger Cubs. For a list of programs from previous years, visit the National Park Service website. Call 314-655-1700 for more information about current programs.

Saint Louis Zoo
When it comes to animals and conservation, the Saint Louis Zoo has your scouts covered. Scouts of all ages can participate in after-school and event scouting programs, and "Snooze at the Zoo" sleepovers. For more information and registration, visit the Saint Louis Zoo website.

City Museum
BadgeCity at the City Museum has your art badge requirements covered. SlumberCity overnight programs are also available. For more information visit the City Museum website or call their group coordinator at 314-231-2489, ext. 601.

Upper Limits
Boy Scouts can work on the Rock Climbing and Rappelling Merit Badge while Girl Scouts work on the High Adventure patch at Upper Limits Indoor Rock Gyms. Scouting programs are offered at both the St. Louis and West County locations.For details, call 314-241-7625 or visit the Upper Limits website.

Charmette Academy of Dance and Acrobatics
Instructors at Charmette Academy of Dance and Acrobatics near Affton will work with scout leaders to create workshops in their studios that help Girl Scouts earn Try-Its, badges and patches. Call 314-962-2002 or visit their website for more information.

Missouri History Museum
Museum staff provide private tours and assistance for scouts working on badges related to Missouri History Museum exhibits. For free opportunities, be sure to check out special Girl Scout and Cub Scout Days for fun and educational badge-earning activities. For details, call 314-454-3114 or visit the Missouri History Museum website.

Saint Louis Science Center
Need to borrow a scientist for your next scout meeting? Saint Louis Science Center's Science Off Center staff will attend your meeting to help scouts earn science-related badges. Or, you can bring the scouts to the science center. Special Boy Scout and Girl Scout days provide even more opportunities for badge assistance. For details, visit the Science Off Center website or call 314-289-4439.

The Magic House
Camp under the exhibits at the Magic House. During an overnight in the children's museum, scouts will explore the exhibits, work on badge activities and "camp" in comfort. Scout Camp-Ins are available for both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts throughout the year. For details, visit the Magic House website or call 314-822-8900, ext. 518.

Museum of Transportation
Brownie Girl Scouts can earn the "Movers" Try It, while Boy Scouts can earn the Railroad Merit Badge during visits to the Museum of Transportation. Additional opportunities include assistance with theater badges and science badges. For details, visit the Museum of Transportation website or call 314-965-6885, ext.5.

St. Louis University
Boy scouts can attend Merit Badge University on Dec. 10, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This free event offers several badge workshops, and is presented by the Delta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. Visit the Merit Badge University website for more information and registration.

St. Louis City Open Studio and Gallery
The Tower Grove studio will send an artist to your scout meeting to help scouts with arts badges. For details, call 314-865-0060 or visit the St. Louis City Open Studio and Gallery website.

For more information about scouting events, select the category "Scouting" when searching the Sprout Calendar.

Best Bets articles represent the views and the research completed by St. Louis Sprout & About journalists and are not driven by advertising or requests by vendors or venues. Best Bets do not imply an endorsement of a business or activity.

St. Louis Sprout Calendar Manager Liz Behan created this list of best bets. Behan has lived in St. Louis since she was 4. Her husband and two kids, ages 4 and 2, are always looking for ways to burn off some energy and have a good time as a family.

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Five Places for Great Cupcakes in St. Louis

Kathy Deters

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Just the mention of cupcakes elicits memories of birthdays, bake sales and working with mom in the kitchen. Biting into one of these delicate morsels, it's difficult not to feel like a kid again, so if you're looking to introduce your tiny epicureans to these delights, here are a few places to share a great cupcake.

Whipt Cream
With flavors like Vintage Vanilla, Red Velvet and Carrot Cake, this bakery is the perfect spot for a classic cupcake topped with an airy buttercream. Located in Chesterfield Valley, it's a nice place to take a break from shopping, and its selection of basic flavors make it an easy choice for children. Be sure to plan ahead, as they close at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Whipt Cream is located at 143 Chesterfield Towne Center, Chesterfield, Mo., 63005. Call 636-532-0020 for details.

The Bakery Shoppe
Cupcake connoisseurs in St. Charles County will love the cocktail cupcakes at The Bakery Shoppe in the O'Fallon Crossing Plaza on Hwy. K. Non-alcoholic concoctions include Mojito, Chocolate Martini, Cosmo and Fuzzy Navel. Their great service, fun and affordable selection, and nut-free products make this bakery a good choice for families.

The Bakery Shoppe is located at 2956 Highway K, O'Fallon, Mo., 63368. Call 636-294-4331 for details.

The Cup
The Cup's evening hours and its location in the Central West End make it a great date-night destination for parents. Kids will enjoy watching friendly bakers decorate cupcakes and devouring fun and whimsical offerings, like the seasonal Mummy Wrap. Be sure to check The Cup's website for seasonal offerings.

The Cup has two locations in the metro area: 28 Maryland Plaza Rear, St. Louis, Mo. 63108, and 1057 Century Drive, Edwardsville, Ill., 62025. Call 314-367-6111 for details.

Sarah's Cake Shop and Catering Co.
Salted caramel, gooey butter, chocolate caramel pretzel ... Sarah's has a knack for taking popular cravings and baking them into tiny works of art. And what could be more hip than Sarah's signature Glitter Bites? Buying them from Sarah's Cake Stop food truck! This yellow and pink cupcake truck travels throughout the St. Louis area, and you can find its next stop by following the Cake Stop on Twitter.

Sarah's Cake Shop and Catering Co. is located at 10 Clarkson Wilson Centre, Chesterfield, MO 63017. Call 636-728-1140 for details.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Cafe
Jilly's recently earned a top spot on Food Network's "Cupcake Wars," so if it's good enough for the discriminating tastes of a renowned pastry chef, it's sure to pass muster with a finicky 4-year-old. Afterall, the Bee Sting -- a lemon cake filled with honey lemon curd and topped with lemon cream cheese, toasted almonds and a lemon candy dust -- truly is the bee's knees. Recently expanded and remodeled, Jilly's is located near Delmar and I-170.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Cafe is located at 8509 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63124. Call 314-993-5455 for details.

Pictured: The Monster cupcake from The Cup stares down hungry kids. The mint chocolate chip cake with vanilla and chocolate mint buttercream is available through Halloween for $3.25.

Kathy Deters has a background in politics and public relations and continues to do freelance writing and editing, everything from magazine articles to screenplays. Originally from Jefferson City, Kathy is a transplant to St. Charles County and has enjoyed discovering all that St. Louis has to offer through the eyes of her three children.