Fun places to go with your kids during the summer in Northeast Ohio
OUR SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST FOR KID FRIENDLY PLACES AND ACTIVITIES IN OHIO!
Each year, I make a mental ‘summer bucket list’ in my head of ALL the places I want to take our kids during the warmer months. Of course, we never make it EVERYWHERE, and I forget half the places I want to go because life is busy and chaotic. So THIS year, I decided to write them all down. In a week I’m sure I’ll think of more, but I figured, why not also share this list with other local parents who are scouring Google right now with ‘what to do with my kids during the summer in Ohio’. I can’t be the ONLY one who has Googled this, right? We are in Ohio, which many people get down on, but there are ACTUALLY a good amount of things to do, and child friendly places. Ya just gotta know where to look!
So, here is my current list! If I add more, I’ll make sure to come back and add those as well, so feel free to come back and reference the list. I’m determined to cross most of these off this year. Let’s not kid ourselves, dragging three kids anywhere isn’t actually always FUN, but I’m determined to increase their experiences, get them outside, and sacrifice a bit more of my sanity to do so. I don’t actually have that much left anyways…so it’s not a huge loss.
Two disclaimers: I did add a few things here we have yet to do personally, and a few aren’t technically in Northeast Ohio, but are places I want to go or favorite stops I want to make, so I included them.
Feel free to share with friends and family who you know are also wondering WHAT THE HELL am I gonna do with all these kids this summer in Ohio! ;) If you find this helpful, let me know! Maybe I’ll make some others in the future with more specific themes of some of our favorite places :)
In no particular order…HERE WE GO!
LAKE FARM PARK
I don’t know if this is considered Northeast Ohio, and it’s a bit of a drive for us but we love it here! They have several playgrounds, and the entire park is so large there is plenty of room to be spread out even if it’s busier. They have all kinds of animals, and if you have any animal lover kids, they’ll love it! You can seriously spend half a day here just walking around and hanging out and letting kids explore and be outdoors. Way more relaxed then other places.
PRESTON HOPE PLAYGROUND
This is one of the most unique playgrounds! It’s a bunch of little houses that looks like an entire town. We haven’t been in awhile, but it’s definitely on our list to go back this summer. Pack a lunch, you can hang out for a few hours.
AKRON ART MUSUEM
We are close to the Akron art museum and it’s fun to go on a day when they have one of their family events or just a random day. They have a great little creation kid area that is super fun and gives them space to create and make things with really natural elements. They’ve switched it up a bit here and there, but this is good for a rainy day. Or, if it’s a nice day, the outdoor garden area is great too. Tip, if you can go on a Thursday, they have free gallery admission!
BEECH CREEK GARDENS
I don’t get memberships to many places because I like to get the kids out to experience as many places as possible. And, we just only have so many days in the summer! BUT, I got a membership for us for this place for the year, and I’m so happy I did. I cancelled Disney Plus and spent the money on a year membership to Beech Creek and I already have no regrets. This place is amazing. They have a butterfly house my daughter loves, and the best part to me is all of the outdoor climbing stuff that is so natural. Everything is play based and encourages risky play. An outdoor kitchen, a zip line, an awesome tree hours, and tons of logs and bridges and structures all created for kids to climb, play, explore. And a ton more I’m not even mentioning. This is out in Alliance, so about 30 minutes from where we leave, but worth the drive wherever you are coming from. What’s great is that both my 3 year old and 11 year old can find something to do here, and that is kind of hard with their ages being so far apart. They also have added an entire storybook walk with animals like foxes, owls, and an eagle to see. I personally prefer to skip their special event days because it gets busy, and I try and go on days where nothing is on the calendar so the kids have more room to roam and play with less crowds. Take a change of clothes and pack a lunch. And if you think you’ll come more than once, just get the membership, it’s worth it!
