30 Kids Adventures in Ohio

Looking to take your kids on some Ohio adventures this summer? Across the state, families can embrace outdoor experiences that go far beyond the playground at the park. Feed farm animals, search for fossils, spot wildlife, explore caves, try new skills and climb to new heights. Whether you’re looking for safari-style encounters at The Wilds or kid-friendly trails in the Hocking Hills or Cuyahoga Valley National Park, our guide to family-friendly destinations offer memorable ways to get outside together. Whether you’re looking for easy day trips or a long weekend getaway, these 30 spots promise plenty, fun, learning, adventure and memories. 

FARMS & ANIMALS

Take Your Kids on Safari at The Wilds: The 10,000-acre conservation park in Cumberland affiliated with the Columbus Zoo, offers everyday tour experiences and summer camps aimed at specific interests.

Freshwater Farms of Ohio • Urbana
There’s no denying that kids love getting close to furry animals but what about the less cuddly creatures in our world? Freshwater Farms of Ohio, the state’s largest indoor fish hatchery, offers kids a fascinating look into the world of fish at its farm in Urbana. Highlights include the Sturgeon Petting Zoo, which is stocked with the rare and endangered fish, and the Trout Feeding Frenzy, where visitors can gather around and watch the tank go wild when mealtime arrives. 2624 N. U.S. Hwy. 68, Urbana 43078, 937/652-3701, fwfarms.com

Lake Metroparks Farmpark • Kirtland
Lake County offers a barnyard experience that would be sure to get the Old MacDonald seal of approval. Known as Lake Metroparks Farmpark, the educational facility lets kids get up close to animals while learning about agriculture. Daily activities include sheep-herding and cow-milking demonstrations, and horse- or tractor-drawn wagon rides allow families to experience the 235-acre working farm in its entirety. Special events scheduled throughout the year provide youngsters the chance to marvel at vintage tractors or learn how sheep are sheared. 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland 44094, 440/256-2122, lakemetroparks.com

Hershberger’s Farm & Bakery • Millersburg 
If there’s an animal petting zooexperience more adorable than Hershberger’s Farm in Holmes County, we’re haven’t found it yet. Admission to the Farm Animal Petting Area is inexpensive (kids under 2 are free), and for a nominal fee, you can buy feed or carrots to help you make friends along the way. The experience features more than 100 barnyard animals ranging from big horses to baby pigs. We promise you will fill your phone’s photo roll with adorable moments. 5452 St. Rte. 557, Millersburg 44654, 330/674-6096, hershbergersfarmandbakery.com

Explore African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton: With over 800 animals, this longtime northwest Ohio favorite invites families for a fun and photo-friendly experience. 

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RAILS & WHEELS

Embrace the Old West on Ohio’s Friendliest Train Robbery: The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway stages this fun experience several times each summer, complete with play money and bandits with manners.

Mountain Biking at John Bryan State Park • Yellow Springs
Greene County’s John Bryan State Park offers mountain-biking adventures for riders of various ages and skill levels. The park has seven mountain biking trails with an “easy” difficulty rating, making them a fit for younger riders. The trail system is relatively flat and designed to be “challenge by choice,” meaning some trails contain optional obstacles. First-timers should start with the 1.1-mile Arboretum Trail and add trails as their confidence rises. 3790 St. Rte. 370, Yellow Springs 45387, 937/767-1274, ohiodnr.gov

Cliffs Bike Park • Cuyahoga Heights
Sitting within Cleveland Metroparks’ Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, Cliffs Bike Park offers junior bicyclists a place to hone their skills. Opened in 2022, the park has two pump tracks with rolling hills and rounded berms, as well as a beginner skills area and both intermediate and advanced jump lines. The park welcomes riders year-round and is free to use, although they must adhere to park rules and etiquette, which includes wearing a helmet. After building confidence, mountain bikers can take on the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation’s 0.2-mile Beginner Flow Trail, 1-mile Canal Trail or 2-mile Primitive Loop. 4514 E. 49th St., Cuyahoga Heights 44125, clevelandmetroparks.com

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad • Peninsula
Families flock to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad during the holidays for its North Pole Adventure, but riding the rails during summer holds much to discover too. Special kid-friendly, themed excursions are scheduled throughout the season. Rail Rover highlights the natural beauty of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, while Craft & Bingo focuses on creativity and fun. Train, Tracks & Trails delves into railroad history for all ages, while Create-A-Critter lets little ones make a stuffed animal during the trip. Check website for schedule and availability. cvsr.org

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10 Ohio Nature Centers Your Kids Will Love: From living streams to animal ambassadors, exhibits at these nature centers in parks across our state turn lessons about the outdoors into an adventure for kids and families alike.

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TREES & TRAILS

Go in Search of Thomas Dambo’s Famous Trolls in Dayton
Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm’s whimsical woodland trail leads families to three giant trolls created by the renowned Danish artist. 

Ash Cave Gorge • Hocking Hills State Park
There may be no other easy hike in Ohio with a payoff as rewarding as the one that comes with making the brief trek back to Ash Cave at Hocking Hills State Park. Nearby parking and a paved path open the experience to even the youngest explorers. The flat, quarter-mile gorge trail ends in a sandy area under the enormous overhang of the nearly 700-foot-wide recessed cave (the state’s largest), providing great summertime shade. 26400 Ste. Rte. 56, South Bloomingville 43152, ohiodnr.gov

Beaver Marsh • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
For the shortest walk to Beaver Marsh, a boardwalk-covered area that is a favorite among Cuyahoga Valley National Park visitors, start at the Ira Trailhead parking lot along Riverview Road. The marsh is about a quarter-mile north on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. It’s an easy walk and benches and wooden railings along the boardwalk provide kids places to sit and lean as they keep an eye out for great blue herons, turtles, ducks and, of course, beavers. 3801 Riverview Rd., Peninsula 44264, nps.gov/cuva

Bird-Watching at Magee Marsh • Oak Harbor
Bring your kids to learn about the wonders of Ohio’s wetlands and the wealth of birds that pass through this area along the Lake Erie shore. Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is considered one of our state’s top bird-watching sites and kids can get in on the fun too. The Magee Marsh Boardwalk is an accessible, roughly 1-mile walking path that offers easy ways for visitors of all ages to be in the heart of the action. 13229 St. Rte. 2, Oak Harbor, 43449, 419/898-0960, ohiodnr.gov

Step into the Treetops on the Blacklick Woods Canopy Walk in Reynoldsburg 
This elevated forest boardwalk with a giant cargo net and a treehouse invites kids to explore Blacklick Woods from above. 

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ROCKS & SAND

Explore Put-in-Bay History at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center: Visit one of South Bass Island’s most enduring attractions at this family-focused spot where history meets a kids maze, gem mining and mini golf.

Fossil Park • Sylvania
Fossil Park invites kids to dig through piles of shale in search of what remains of 375-million-year-old organisms from Ohio’s prehistoric past. Admission to the outdoor attraction is free, and the site is regularly restocked with fossil-rich rock from a nearby quarry. Signs on-site feature photos and QR codes to aid in identifying finds, and visitors are encouraged to take their discoveries home at no charge. 5705 Centennial Rd., Sylvania 43560, 419/882-8313, outdoorsylvania.com/fossil-park

Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden • Columbus 
On a hot summer day, kids flock to Sandstone Creek within the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory. Littles ones can play in shallow water, pass by the Misting Boulder (where sunshine and water droplets combine to form rainbows in the air) or explore rock formations and fossils along the bluff walls. That’s just the start of the features here — others include Wetland Explore and Pollywog Pond — that connect kids to the natural world through educational and interactive outdoor features. 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus 43202, 614/715-8000, fpconservatory.org

As of June 17, Sandstone Creek has been closed for renovation. Visitors should check Franklin Park Conservatory’s website for reopening details.

East Harbor State Park Beach • Lakeside-Marblehead
Families looking for a kid-friendly beach along Lake Erie will find it at East Harbor State Park. Stone breakwaters protect the park’s 1,500-foot bathing beach, helping create calm waters, and the gentle sandy slope makes it easy for even young kids to wade and play. Beyond the beach, families can paddle the park’s calmer inland waters, keep an eye out for bald eagles and herons or stop by the nature center to learn more. Bike rentals and an on-site campground add to the family appeal. 1169 N. Buck Rd., Lakeside-Marblehead 43440, ohiodnr.gov

Kids Dig in at Penitentiary Glen’s Nature Play in Kirtland: The 1-acre play area at this Lake Metroparks’ reservation lets little ones dig, splash, climb and even try gardening.

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