55 Exciting Things to Do with Kids in this Ohio City

55 Exciting Things to Do with Kids in this Ohio City

Looking for some awesome things to do with your kids around town? We put together a super-fun list of 55 activities that will make your kids smile and laugh. From petting zoos to trampoline parks, there’s something here for kids of all ages. We included both indoor and outdoor places so you can have a blast no matter the weather. And lots of them are free or affordable so you don’t have to break the bank to make memories.

We hope our friendly local guide gets your family playing, exploring, and bonding together. Pick a few things from our big list to try on your next day off school or weekend. Guaranteed, your kids will be begging you to do these fun things again and again! So, what are you waiting for? Start scrolling and let the good times roll!

1. See Animals at the Zoo

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Ohio is home to several world-class zoos that make for an excellent family day trip. Top on the list are the renowned Columbus and Cincinnati zoos, as well as the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Toledo Zoo, all of which offer exciting exhibits where kids can safely view exotic animals from across the globe. When planning your zoo visit, check out the unique habitats like jungle bio-domes and African savannas. Interactive feedings and educational shows are also very popular.

Be sure to see if any behind-the-scenes or safari tours are offered when you buy tickets. And don’t forget to stop by the gorilla, tiger, and polar bear viewings too. Pack some snacks, sunscreen, and comfy walking shoes. Zoos can involve a lot of walking! Most zoos are easily accessible from main highways and have plenty of parking. Memberships or multi-visit passes are great ways to save money if you plan to visit more than once per year.

2. Hands-on Science Museum

Get ready to explore and learn at Ohio’s awesome science museums! The top picks are COSI in Columbus, the Great Lakes Science Centre in Cleveland, and the Boonshoft Museum in Dayton. These fun museums have hands-on exhibits where kids can touch, build, and test things out. Little engineers will love designing their own rollercoasters and racing cars down huge tracks. Wannabe astronauts can pretend to walk on the moon or climb into a space station.

Dinosaur fans can dig for fossils or see giant robot dinos that move. Make sure to catch one of the amazing live science shows with explosions and experiments! Also, be sure to check when the IMAX movies play on the huge 5-story screens; it makes you feel like you’re diving underwater or flying out to space! From building circuits to touching moon rocks, Ohio’s science museums make learning about science cool. And you’ll have so much fun exploring that you won’t even realise how much you’re learning!

3. Ride Amusement Park Rides

Buckle up for awesome rollercoaster rides and family fun at Ohio’s amusement parks! Cedar Point in Sandusky is a must, with record-breaking rides like the 150-foot-tall Steel Vengeance and the super-fast Top Thrill Dragster. Families with younger kids should head to Cedar Point Shores Water Park right next door to splash on waterslides and tube down lazy rivers.

Kings Island, near Cincinnati, also has top coasters like the Diamondback and the 300-foot-tall Eiffel Tower. Little ones will love the Snoopy indoor play area. Don’t miss the charm of old-fashioned amusement parks like Idlewild Park in Lima, with bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl rides, and arcade games. Whether you want to feel the wind on your face on crazy loop-de-loop coasters or gentle rides like bumper boats and carousels, Ohio amusement parks have every type of ride to put a smile on the faces of kids of any age.

4. Children’s Theatre Shows

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Lights, camera, action! Spark your kids’ creativity by taking them to a children’s theatre show in Ohio. The Columbus Children’s Theatre puts on fantastic musicals like “Mary Poppins” and “The Little Mermaid” with talented young actors. The Cincinnati Playhouse also produces imaginative original shows just for younger audiences. The Akron Children’s Museum has an intimate theatre space for interactive performances where kids can get up on stage.

For big Broadway-style shows, Playhouse Square in Cleveland does excellent kid versions of classics like “The Lion King” and “Aladdin”. Many theatres also host puppet shows, improv comedy, and workshops where children can learn set design. From fairy tales to fables with animal characters, kid-friendly plays and musicals boost creativity, reading skills, and confidence. With affordable tickets just for little theatre fans, Ohio Children’s Theatre makes the arts accessible for budding performers and audiences alike.

5. Family Cooking Classes

Cooking with kids builds life skills, and Ohio offers some tasty classes families can take together! Little cooks can knead dough at creative pizza-making workshops across the state. Cleveland Cooks and Cincinnati Cooks both have great hands-on cookie, cupcake, and cake decorating classes for young bakers-in-training. The Toledo Botanical Garden teaches about herbs and lettuces in its Kids Culinary Garden series.

Families can pick up fresh veggies from the farm at Local Roots near Wooster and then stir up mouthwatering soups. For junior chefs who love to get messy, try the Cleveland Culinary Launchpad, where kids can make their own ravioli or handmade gnocchi. Tiny foodies can even join Parents’ Night Out classes to whip up yummy global recipes. From proper knife skills to kitchen safety, professional chef-taught courses set little food lovers up for success. And the whole family will have fun eating the delicious meals they cook together!

6. Jump at Trampoline Park

Bounce the day away at Ohio’s awesome trampoline parks! Get your kids’ energy out at Sky Zone trampoline parks in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, where they can jump on walls, slam-dunk basketballs, and leap into foam pits. For classic free jumping, check out brands like Launch in Toledo, Airbound near Akron, and Jump Zone in Canton.

If your teens are thrill seekers, don’t miss Rocky Top Indoor Climbing and Trampoline Park in Medina, featuring obstacle courses high above the ground! Many parks also host Toddler Time, with gentler bounce areas just for little ones working on balance and coordination skills. With huge play structures, ninja courses, performance trampolines, and dodgeball courts, Ohio trampoline parks offer endless high-flying fun. Caution: These incredible parks may tire you out faster than your kids!

7. Indoor Rock Climbing Gym

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Let your kids climb to new heights at Ohio’s indoor rock climbing gyms! From beginner-friendly bouldering walls just a few feet tall to challenging climbing routes over 50 feet high, these awesome gyms build strength, balance, and confidence. Top picks are the Cleveland Rock Gym with over 150 stunning climbing routes, Vertical Adventures’ four locations across Ohio featuring rooms filled with climbs of all skill levels, and Rock Mill Climbing in Akron, housed in a stunning former mill with soaring ceilings.

Friendly instructors teach basics like tying secure knots, proper harness use, and climbing techniques before kids tackle walls. Look for kids climbing teams, camps, and birthday party packages too. With routes colour-coded by difficulty, the whole gang can have their vertical adventures. And don’t worry about rain spoiling the fun—it’s climbing time any day at indoor rock gyms!

8. Go-Karts Racing

Rev up your engines and race go-karts as a family! Put on helmets and zip around one- or two-story indoor and outdoor tracks across Ohio. Big fun centres like Scene75 in Columbus and Cincinnati and Kalahari Resort in Sandusky have karts for all ages.

Many hometown raceways, like Competitive Karts and Zoom Racway, also offer junior tracks just for little racers as young as 5. Kids can even steer their double kart with mom or dad riding a shotgun. No matter their speed, everyone has a blast! Look for weekend camps to learn racing tips and make new friends. Strap in and feel the need for speed at Ohio go-kart hot spots!

9. Mini Golf Courses

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Mini golf is a blast for families in Ohio! Play courses with fun themes like dinosaurs, pirates, space, or fairy tales. Windmills, loops, hills, and tunnels make every hole exciting. Mini golf takes little skill so the whole gang can play.

Courses like Par-T-Perfect and Mr Putter in Columbus or Put-in-Bay Mini Golf on the islands create thrills at every turn! Many are indoors to play year-round, like Early Bird Golf Centre or Birdie Indoor Golf near Cleveland. Kids can be so silly and creative on the course. Bring your putter swing and knock the ball through castles, around water, and under bridges. Mini golf always ends with big giggles, no matter what part you get!

10. Visit the Aquarium

Explore under the sea at Ohio’s awesome aquariums! The Newport Aquarium, right across from Cincinnati, is filled with tanks of colourful fish, playful penguins, tiny seahorses, and even sharp-toothed sharks gliding overhead! The huge Ocean Tunnel makes you feel like you’re swimming with vibrant fish and sea turtles. Little ones flip for the touch tanks to get their hands on starfish and shells.

The Columbus Zoo Aquarium lets kids peek at cute otters and beavers. Don’t miss the SEA LIFE Aquarium at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets near Toledo to walk through clear tunnels surrounded by stingrays and octopus. Aquariums bring the mysteries of the ocean to Ohio, both big and small! Grab your goggles and prepare for an underwater adventure that makes learning about marine life awesome.

11. Dinosaur Museum

Stomp alongside dinosaurs at some roar-some dinosaur museums! The Cincinnati Museum Centre has a giant hall full of skeletons and fossils. See the T-Rex and Triceratops skeletons dug up right here in Ohio! Watch scientists work on new fossils in their lab and ask how they figure out what type of dinosaur it is.

Make sure to catch a show at the museum’s Fossil Theatre to watch a massive mammoth skeleton come to life with realistic movements and dinosaur sounds. You can even head to the Dig Pit to dig up your fossils, like shark teeth, to take home. If you dare, stick your hand into the mystery boxes to feel real dinosaur bones, eggs, poop and footprints!

12. Arts and Crafts Studios

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Spark new talents at Ohio’s super creative arts and crafts studios! Stores like Canvas and Cocktails help families paint pottery pieces with their favourite colours and designs. Then staff will professionally glaze and fire your mug, plate, or bank so it lasts for years. Art Avenue Studios offers group projects like stained glass sun-catchers, tie-dye shirts, or vision boards.

At Jerry’s Artarama stores, kids go nuts making sand art, slime, mosaic frames, and melted crayon art to hang in their rooms. For more seasonal fun as the holidays approach, make sweet sock snowmen, beaded candy cane keychains, and ceramic Christmas tree ornaments. With huge imaginations, young artists in the making get hands-on with all kinds of cool and crafty art forms.

13. IMAX Movies

Want to be wowed by movies on the biggest screen around? Then experience films the IMAX way with the whole family! Top spots like the Cincinnati Museum Centre, COSI in Columbus, and Great Lakes Science Centre in Cleveland have gigantic 5-story-tall IMAX screens and surround sound that pull you right into space adventures, ocean voyages, butterfly gardens, and more.

Instead of normal theatre seats, you recline back to gaze up and all around comfortably. It makes you feel like you’re hang gliding, jet skiing, and going on other thrilling rides along with characters. Even grownups gasp and point at the colourful gardens, playful dolphins, and majestic mountain views that fill your vision from floor to ceiling. Films also focus on science and history topics kids love to learn about in a super-fun way. IMAX theatres provide these blockbuster films that make family members ages 3 to 103 say, “Wow!”

14. Arcade Gaming

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Level up family bonding at Ohio’s awesome arcades! Spots like 16-Bit Bar in Columbus, Cleveland Arcade, and The Pixel in Cincinnati have all the classic arcade hits like Skee Ball, basketball tosses, pinball, racing games, and Dragon’s Lair. Kids go crazy for ticket redemption counters to trade their hard-earned prizes for bouncy balls, temporary tattoos, and rainbow slinkies.

Grown-ups reminisce over their old favourites like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong too. Everyone laughs together, trying silly poses in funny photo booths. With games suited for all ages and skill levels, parents and children play side-by-side, competing for the highest score. Affordable pricing makes it easy to enjoy quality family time. And the vibrant sounds and flashing lights create such an electric, festive atmosphere!

15. Build with LEGOs

Inspire the little LEGO lover in your household to construct and create! In Ohio, visit massive BrickUniverse LEGO fan conventions in Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus. Gaze at skyscraper-sized structures, cityscapes, and life-sized characters built from millions of LEGO bricks on display. Then dive hands-on into play zones with thousands of LEGOs to build your designs.

Challenge each other to build the tallest tower without it crashing down! There are also LEGO Stores in Beachwood and Cincinnati where you can meet LEGO mini figures with different personalities, build and take home mini LEGO vehicles, or get lost in their virtual reality and video game play zone. With endless build-and-rebuild fun, LEGOs spark imaginative stories and creative experimenting for constructive family-free time.

16. Indoor Laser Tag

Gear up for glowing tag games and family bonding! In dark arena courses with flashing lights, laser tag puts a futuristic spin on traditional running-around fun. Popular spots like LaserWeb in Cincinnati or Tagger’s Den in Columbus and other Ohio towns let you suit up with high-tech vests and laser blasters.

Divide into teams to strategize your attack! Some places, like Extreme Air Trampoline Park in the Cleveland area, combine the adrenaline thrill of trampolines with ninja warrior obstacles inside their laser tag matches too. Using angles and teamwork to capture your opponents’ bases and score points teaches great lessons even amid the epic excitement. Expect lots of thrills, exercise, and extra closeness amid all the laughing.

17. Bowling Alley

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Strike up family fun at the bowling alley! Ohio offers duckpin bowling for added variety in cities like Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, and more. The smaller balls and squatter pins make scoring strikes and spares exciting for even young kids. As their coordination improves with bumpers and ramps, celebrate the growing independence and confidence!

Classic 10-pin bowling gives tweens and teens a way to gently compete, taking turns cheering each teammate’s rolls. Arcades and tasty snacks like hot pretzels and pizza make bowling a one-stop destination for bonding. With rates as low as $1 per game and shoe rental, it’s an affordable way to make memories by scoring strikes and giggles.

18. Batting Cages

Round up your slugger for batting practice at an indoor batting cage! Top spots like Elite Baseball Training in central Ohio, Grand Slam USA in Mason, and Batters Box near Cleveland offer private cages by the half hour so your whole crew can take turns working on swing technique and speed.

Turn it into a fun family home run derby! Many cages use both real baseballs and rubber safety balls so everyone from little rookies to seasoned vets can make solid contact without getting hurt. Friendly staff help equip your batter with helmets and proper glove fit too. With multiple baseball, softball and even cricket cages, every generation can play side-by-side during this active indoor adventure.

19. Bumper Boats

Make waves while piloting bumper boats with your little sailors! Found at amusement parks like Cedar Point in Sandusky and family fun spots statewide, bumper boats or aqua racers let you captain your own brightly coloured vessel around a pool or lazy river track.

Expect to get soaked from onboard water sprayers and cannons from neighbouring boats. Strategize how to best bump and steer around others in your wacky crew. The bouncing off cushy inner tubes prevents any real ramming while giggles go full speed. Spinning and drifting around makes tummy muscles sore from laughing, not effort. Bumper boat adventures paddle up family bonding every time!

20. Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf

Tee up after dark for a neon round of glow mini golf! Fun centres like Birdie Golf in the Cleveland area and Early Bird Golf Centre near Cincinnati feature creatively themed courses that transform into vibrant visions under black lights. Familiar obstacles like windmills, slopes, and tunnels take on a trippy rainbow effect.

Kids go crazy for the vivid colours, patterns, and textures that make every hole pop. Expect lots of goofy group pictures of people posing with glow sticks and neon balls in hand. The excitement over each tricky shot gets amplified under the magical glow. And you might be surprised who scores best on the darkened course!

21. Toddler Museum

Engage even your littlest learners at a museum made just for toddlers! The Akron Children’s Museum packs tonnes of sensory, building, and role-playing fun into kid-sized spaces perfect for ages 1-5. Sort scarves by colour and pattern while developing motor skills. Stack soft building blocks high, then knock them over gleefully.

Pretend to be a chef at play kitchens, a firefighter rescuing baby dolls, and more with costumes to spark imaginations. Read stories, then do alphabet puzzles together. Dance to music and climb gentle slopes, working on balance and coordination. Toddler museums introduce early concepts while allowing safe touching and exploring that is very hands-on. Carers appreciate the closeness during play!

22. Model Train Rides

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All aboard Ohio’s model train attractions! At the Cincinnati Museum Centre, families can climb on board a replica steam engine model complete with working headlights and whistles. Conductors teach junior riders how real brake, acceleration, and direction controls move the engine, just like giant trains.

Or visit the Marion Union Station, modelled after Ohio railway architecture and filled with elaborate train dioramas recreating four seasons of landscapes to discover. Up in Millersburg, families can pedal-powered railbikes along actual old railroad tracks surrounded by natural scenery. However you ride, model trains fascinate young children who press their noses against the glass, eagerly watching the working engines. Choo choo, choose family train fun!

23. Petting Zoo

Make cuddly friends with fuzzy goats, woolly sheep, funny alpacas, and more at an Ohio petting zoo! Top picks like Frisch’s Big Boy Barnyard Zoo in Cincinnati or Cleveland Metroparks Zoo have scheduled animal encounters and feeding tours so your toddler can gently pat the polite barn residents while learning about their care.

Bring little handfuls of provided grain and greens to lure animals close enough for a sweet nuzzle. Adorable pygmy goats, fluffy bunnies, clumsy piglets, and baby chicks welcome gentle strokes and silly selfies. Petting zoos’ relaxed rules for interaction allow kids to find comfort up close with their animal friends!

24. Putt-Putt Golf

Gather up your silly putters for family-time mini-golfing across Ohio! With courses like Par-T-Perfect Mini Golf in Strongsville, Sir Putt-A-Lot near Youngstown, and Mr. Putter in Columbus, you aim for castles, caves, and distracting obstacles at each hole. Mini golf takes little skill, so newbies can play alongside seasoned pros, having fun regardless of final scores.

The creative themes, from jungle ruins to dairy farms, make every hole exciting to discover. Affordable rates provide hours of entertainment and memory-making. Expect lots of laughs, trash talk, and teamwork trying to bank that ball off curves and through tunnels!

25. Paddle Boating

Cruise the water on a paddle boat built for two, four, or more! Public gardens like Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, parks like Lake Milton in Mahoning County, and amusement parks like Cedar Point have paddle boats to rent by the half hour.

Working together to coordinate paddling, navigate towards destinations, and dodge other boats builds bonding. Peacefully take in the lake views and scenery not visible from the land. Many boats feature sunshade covers, cup holders, and benches, so you can rest comfortably. Paddle boating gives families a new, fun perspective on experiencing the waterfront!

26. Fly Kites

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Reach for the skies together, flying kites in wide-open Ohio spaces! Grab easy delta or diamond kites at Five Below stores or make a vibrant windsock kite from The Toy Shop in Cleveland. Head to area parks when winds pick up and let little ones run freely with these beginner models.

For fancier dragon or butterfly kites, visit speciality shops like Addicted to Wind Kites in Columbus, which also holds spring kite festivals along the waterfront trails. Show patience in helping tiny tots untangle and unwind strings, then celebrate victories by keeping kites in flight. The bright colours dancing overhead double the fun. Kites make picture-perfect memories on blustery days!

27. Hobby Shop

Spark fresh family hobbies and spend quality time touring local hobby shops in Ohio towns! Stores like Hobbytown USA, Michael’s Crafts, JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts, and Pat Catan’s Creative Crafts carry all the art supplies, train set accessories, remote control vehicle parts, doll house items, and more you need for creative projects.

Better yet, patient staff teach beginner skills like painting mini-figures, building wood furniture kits, wiring circuits, or decoupage. Sign kids up for DIY workshops to learn glass fusing and calligraphy together. Niche shops also host model train conventions and remote-control car test tracks. Hobby stores open up new lifelong passions!

28. Family Arcade

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Get the whole gang giggling together at family-friendly arcades! With neon lights, bleeping games, skee ball, air hockey, basketball tosses, and prizes galore, spots like Game Day in Strongsville or Putt-Putt Fun Centre in Columbus bring nostalgic, screen-free fun.

Let the youngest learn games like whack-a-mole alongside teens tackling virtual reality experiences. Shoot hoops together or race wheel-to-wheel driving games. Parents relive their youth competing in Dancing Stage machines! Affordable pricing keeps the action going all day, with points scored in family bonding too!

29. Juggling Classes

Up, up, and away, learning the circus art of juggling as a playful team! Studios like Circus Mojo in Cincinnati and Circus Culture in Cleveland offer beginner group lessons in tossing practice scarves, devil sticks, rings, clubs, and ball basics. Silly challenges like balancing peacock feathers keep everyone grinning through failures.

As hand-eye skills improve, kids gain confidence in entertaining parents and siblings with patterns like alternating throws or under-the-leg catches. Juggling builds determination when trying tricky manoeuvres in a zero-pressure environment. Expect lots of dropped objects and laughter while perfecting new tricks together!

30. Swim Lessons

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Make waves while making memories with parent-child swim lessons! Indoor community pools at local YMCAs, JCCs, and rec centres offer beginner classes with an instructor guiding parents on effective ways to hold and support kids learning water skills.

Practice blowing bubbles, kicking towards loved ones and eventually paddling short distances, gaining courage. Classes incorporate nursery rhymes, toys, and songs, making lessons entertaining rather than intimidating. As kids earn badges for mastering floating, rolling, jumping, and underwater retrieving, celebrate the confidence boost with a big splashy hug!

31. Indoor Camping

Pitch your imagination tents for backyard campouts…inside your own home! Let kids design fortresses from couch cushions, sheets, blankets, and pillows. Snuggle in sleeping bags and lanterns, lighting up make-believe campfires.

Trade funny stories, sing silly songs, and play classic camp games like charades. Cook up no-mess s’mores and trail mix in the real kitchen, then carry the sweet treats back to your wilderness cabin. When eventually exhaustion hits, drift to sleep surrounded by a loving family in your cosy indoor camp haven.

32. Animal Shelter Volunteering

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Show care and kindness together, helping orphaned animals as a family! Ohio shelters like Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus, Cincinnati Animal CARE, and Cleveland APL often welcome young and old groups to gently bathe puppies, walk dogs, brush cats, do laundry, or decorate adoption lobby space.

Call ahead, then complete brief orientations before working side-by-side to keep cages clean and pets socialised. Volunteers provide much-needed affection so dogs don’t feel lonely. Make it an even more meaningful learning opportunity by sponsoring an animal’s adoption fee. Shelter volunteering bonds families while benefiting furry friends in need!

33. Military Museum

Explore planes, tanks, and ships up close at one of Ohio’s many military museums! The National Museum of the Air Force near Dayton holds missiles, bombers, and spacecraft hanging from ceilings with real astronaut gear to try on. At the Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus, kids can climb the concrete boots of a Korean War Memorial statue and view Medal of Honour artefacts.

The USS Cod Submarine Memorial lets families safely walk through a real WWII submarine stationed along Lake Erie near Cleveland! From experimental flight simulators to artillery guns, interactive exhibits make history exciting. And with most military museums being free, they salute families on a budget too!

34. Trolley Rides

All aboard old-time trolley cars for sightseeing tours across Ohio! Seasonal rides like the vintage Cincinnati Street Railway take families slowly up hills overlooking the city skyline and riverfront. Or visit museums like the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, where drivers in old-fashioned uniforms let kids stand at the helm, pretending to steer, and ring bells.

Little engineers push buttons, activating horns and signals too. Some trolleys feature open seating to feel the breezes, while others have window views of key landmarks. Hearing tales of how trollies operated years ago gives kids perspective. With affordable fares, trolley rides make memories pace by pace!

35. Make Sweets

Whip up sweet memories together by making your candies and treats! In cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati, shops like Sweet Bliss Artisan Chocolates or Jeni’s Ice Cream offer classes perfect for parents and children to take together. Learn techniques like enrobing fruit in chocolate, combining ingredients for salty-sweet popcorn mixes, or churning fresh ice cream base into creamy flavours.

Let little ones decorate monster-themed sugar cookies or design their cake pops too. Licking batter from mixers and smearing icing every which way makes for silly smiles and lasting joy. With guidance from the pros, families can become expert candy makers!

36. Horseback Riding

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Saddle up for outdoor family fun horseback riding across Ohio! Several stables, like Equus Run Vineyard in Lebanon or Flying W Farms in Cleveland, offer lead-line experiences perfect for little equestrians just starting. Sitting atop gentle giants, kiddos grip saddle horns while instructors guide horses slowly about the grounds.

For older kids, relaxing trail rides that follow meadow paths are ideal for all riding levels to enjoy. Groom horses beforehand to form patient bonds built on mutual affection and trust. Feeding carrots and apples after adventuring builds empathy too. With the peaceful setting and new furry friends, horseback outings provide wonderful life perspectives.

37. Cave Tours

Explore underground surprises together by touring one of Ohio’s many cool, natural caves! At Ohio Caverns near Springfield, follow paved pathways down into former ocean floors filled with coral fossils and creamy cave bacon mineral deposits. Over near Bellevue, Seneca Caverns feature wild, spiky crystal formations and maze-like passageways to discover as a family.

Or for a real spelunking adventure, places like Cave Without a Name offer beginner vertical caving suitable for ages 5+ to descend ladders together under guidance. No matter your pace, cave tours reveal an alien, glittering world of stalagmites, pure darkness, sinkholes, and stone curtains unlike anywhere above ground!

38. Aerial Ropes Course

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Reach thrilling new heights together on treetop rope adventure courses! Found at parks like Camp Joy in Clarksville and YMCA Camp Campbell Gard in Hamilton, challenge courses start with ziplines for all ages, then get braver by tackling wobbly bridges, tightropes, and climbing walls secured in harnesses.

Move at your own pace through obstacles as a family. Help each other navigate tougher sections or just cheer on all the courageous efforts! Advanced adventurers can skywalk along rays and even free-fall from poles. With group encouragement and plenty of high fives, bond while safely pushing your limits!

39. Pasta-Making Classes

Get hands-on with whipping up homemade pasta dishes from scratch as a family! At specialty shops like Pasta Fresca in Cleveland or Loveland Cooks demonstrations near Cincinnati, aspiring little chefs can weigh ingredients, crack eggs, and combine mixing dough. Then use rolling pins to flatten circles for raviolis or feed through machines to shape noodles.

Select creative fillings to stuff inside, like cheese, vegetables, or pepperoni. As the fresh pasta boils, make sauces together too. Classes teach proper cooking techniques and instil pride in devouring your custom creations, all covered in red sauce and smiles!

40. Dance Lessons

Cut loose as a crew at a lighthearted family dance class! Studios statewide open even hip-hop and ballroom workshops to ages 5+ to shuffle alongside parents. Follow simple choreography together, bending robot arms to upbeat music. As the class progresses, hula hoop, do the limbo, and freeze in silly poses for selfies!

The no-pressure atmosphere makes it easy for kids to open up about getting funky. For little ones still developing motor skills, upbeat sensory movement classes feature props like rhythm sticks, stretchy bands, and feather boas supporting jokey jamming. And dads might discover their inner diva shining brighter while twirling daughters in hugging dances!

41. Fruit Picking

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Make fruitful fun by picking ripe, juicy produce as a seasonal family adventure! Starting in spring through fall, Ohio orchards and farms statewide welcome families to gently pluck apples, peaches, berries, and pumpkins right off vines and trees during harvest. Little foodies sample sweetness straight from the source—the ultimate fresh, local treat!

Weave through fragrant fields, spotting bright colours together. Then take home baskets overflowing with in-season goodies perfect for cobblers, jams, freezing, and sharing gratitude. Creating yummy memories while getting some vitamin D makes fruit picking a beloved yearly tradition.

42. Charity Volunteering

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Warm up hearts by serving at an Ohio charity together this season! Many organisations, like Ronald McDonald Houses, Meals on Wheels, and area food banks, offer family volunteer days around holidays for all ages to participate side-by-side.

Tasks like preparing nutritious ingredients, sorting donated clothing by size or decorating gift bags let kids’ efforts make a visible impact in communities. Experience the deep fulfilment that comes from simple acts of service. And inspire little ones to be compassionate citizens. Consider making assistance and kindness cornerstones of yearly traditions; their smiles and yours will be the brightest gifts gained!

43. Body Museum

Discover gross and fascinating facts about the human body together at uniquely weird and wild museums! COSI Columbus’ “Body Worlds” displays use real preserved specimens like whole nervous systems and organs to showcase health concepts. The Museum of Natural History in Cleveland offers a giant walk-through heart and brain table to touch.

The Healthspace Children’s Museum in Dayton builds basic biology knowledge as kids pedal stationary bikes wired to light up human joints working hard. From zany exhibitions on digestion’s journey to the intensity of real childbirth, families gain weird wisdom while reinforcing their bodies’ wonders!

44. Train and Bus Rides

All aboard for affordable sightseeing tours, riding Ohio public transportation like pros! In big cities, navigating routes using printed maps introduces basic directional and street-smart skills. Watch cities and rural areas roll past windows while counting red barns or reading informational bus ads together.

Hop off mid-journey to explore new neighbourhoods’ cool art festivals, tasty taco trucks, or awesome playgrounds. Sitting side-by-side provides cosy company and conversations. As final destinations like museums now hold deeper meetings, celebrate making the entire transit trip itself into quality time exploring off track.

45. Frisbee Golf

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Toss discs towards chain-link basket goals across Ohio parks for free family frisbee golf fun! Courses like Brent Hambrick Memorial and Challenge Park in Columbus or Bojack’s outside Cleveland mark start tees and 9 to 18 targets on wooded, grassy terrain.

Load up discs at Five Below, then take turns trying trick shots, bouncing plastic plates off trees to reach baskets. Tiny tykes happily hop along fairways, just flinging away, while older kids track exact scores. No reservations are necessary and BYO snacks picnic-style. Bring sweet team spirit and resilience through wild, wacky attempts hooked on the thrill of the disc throw!

46. Fire Station Tour

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Climb aboard real engines during exciting behind-the-scenes fire station tours! Ohio houses like the Columbus Fire Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Firefighting History and the Cincinnati Fire Museum open bays for families to explore vintage and modern rescue vehicles.

Chat with on-duty firefighters about gear, training, and emergency simulations. Learn what it takes to suit up, respond, and extinguish flames rapidly. Check out historic equipment, from horse-drawn wagons to iconic 1950s engine models. The hands-on visits reinforce important lessons about smoke alarms, staying low in fires and dialling 9-1-1, sparking awe in community heroes!

47. Chemistry Museum

Create chemical reactions and mixtures in a colourful, fizzy way thanks to Ohio’s children’s museums spotlighting all things science! At COSI Columbus, the Budding Scientist Lab lets little chemists concoct potions from various mystery liquids using droppers and beakers. Mixes change hue suddenly or bubble over magically!

In Cincinnati, the Museum Center’s lab simplifies concepts of solvents and chemistry chains with hand-powered experiments separating Skittles dyes. And at the Nicholson STEAM Museum in Elyria, make sensory ooblecks one minute, then build molecule models the next! With engaging exhibits, future Nobel Prize winners get stoked on science early.

48. Kids Eco Centres

Plant seeds of environmental curiosity in kids via Ohio’s many hands-on green living centres! Learn about recycling sorting at Franklin County GreenEnergy Education Park. Examine energy efficiency at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Sustainable Shelterhouse demo.

Pot seedlings and pluck fresh veggies from produce gardens to share at the Cincinnati Nature Centre. Sign up for programmes on topics like backyard chickens, flower pressing, and compost mixing. Through interactive play, children gain earth-friendly resources for life, from the garden to the grocery store and beyond!

49. Skate Parks

Roll on over to Ohio’s smooth skate parks, offering thrill-filled afternoons for skateboarders, inline skaters, and bike motocross pros of all ages! Top-tier cement parks like Decent in Columbus, Edgewater near Cleveland, and Champaign County Skate in Urbana allow beginners to practice ramps safely with pads and sticks before dropping into bowls.

Take scenic spins together on trails connecting area parks too. Consider private lessons for newbies anxious to kickflip like teen idols with patience and practice. However they ride, skate spots grind up golden times, celebrating radical kids in motion!

50. Family Fishing

Go fish for family fun at Ohio lakes, ponds, and rivers! Pack a picnic plus bikes and scooters to roll between fishing holes, trying for a big catch. Let little ones get hands-on with baiting hooks and removing slimy fish safely. They’ll love reeling in feisty crappie, bluegills, and bass.

Please take photos of smiling kids holding rods as tall as them when they score a success! Even just dangling toes off docks teaches patience. And cooking up the day’s wriggly getaways outdoors makes for tasty tacos. With quality time cast side-by-side, a fulfilling day is guaranteed, no matter the size of your haul.

51. Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails

Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Explore the outdoors together on Ohio’s easy, pretty paths, perfect for little legs! Cedar Bog Nature Preserve near Urbana has a smooth boardwalk trail that zigzags over cool, bouncy bogs. Young hikers shriek, spotting tiny toads below!

Hocking Hills State Park offers a short Rock House Trail to walk through a mini-cave-like canyon. Let imaginations run wild over its ancient-looking walls. Squaw Rock Loop at Mohican-Memorial State Forest thrills kids with a pioneer castle fortress view. Reward after-adventure s’mores and restore smiles ’til next weekend’s mission!

52. Recreation Centre Sports

Get your recreation by playing all kinds of sports as a family crew at local community centres! Sign up for parent-versus-kid basketball faceoffs at YMCAs. See who scores soccer goals as fast as lightning—then who dances best!

Have a ball just bumping volleyballs or trying badminton birdies back and forth, giggling. Teach tennis racket grips. Or time-race swimming laps side-by-side. Ohio rec centres make it easy for Clan Smith vs. Clan Jones contests at any time. Expect extra cheers and double high-fives with everyone a winner in the family Olympics!

53. Hot Air Balloon Festivals

Look towards the skies together, marvelling at colourful hot air balloons floating gracefully over Ohio! Many cities, like Canton, Cincinnati, and Dayton, host summer balloon festivals featuring special dawn and dusk balloon glows.

Watch staff inflate giant decorated envelopes that light up from within at night, then gasp at seeing them fill and rise slowly at sunrise! Kids ask excellent questions about how hot air makes balloons fly and controls direction. Let the whole family oooh and ahh at these beautiful giants among us during joyful community gatherings.

54. Food Bank Volunteering

Lend a helping hand in preparing nutritious food for Ohio neighbours in need by volunteering as a family! Local food banks like Freestore Foodbank and Akron-Canton Foodbank often host groups—parents, teens, and children—to sort canned goods for distribution, pack produce boxes, or prep hot meals.

Teens can carefully use big spoons to serve chilli into containers as little ones stick fruit snack rolls into lunch sacks happily. Working together, realise that through small acts of service, you can uplift entire communities. The bonus is precious bonding while doing good.

55. Aviation Museum

Hunini, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blast off into family fun at one of Ohio’s cool aviation museums, full of real planes and spaceships! The National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton holds missiles, jets, and wow—even spacecraft that have orbited Earth! Let imaginative kids pretend to be astronauts walking on the moon inside its hangar of wonders. If your mini-jet pilot loves the movie Top Gun, put him in the cockpit of flashy fighter planes for thumbs-up photo ops. While looking up in wide-eyed wonder, share dreams of fantastic futures soaring through the skies hand-in-hand.

Wow, those are just some of the many awesome adventures waiting across Ohio for curious little explorers like you! Whether you build LEGO towers, paddle bumper boats, or fly kites soaring high, making memories together is what it’s all about. So go get giggly at laser tag, volunteer alongside loved ones, and visit creatures big and small at the zoo. And who knows what cool things you’ll discover when trying new activities as a family? Ohio offers endless fun if you’re willing to step away from screens and set out on a quest. The smallest moments of joy, curiosity, and tight hugs will stay with you forever. So, what are you waiting for? With this mega list as your guide, start creating your traditions of Ohio family fun this month! Adventure awaits you and your crew!