If mom (or dad) is threatening to go on strike and not make Thanksgiving dinner with the kids underfoot and whining, how about taking them to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (3900 Wildlife Way, 216.661.6500) to work up an appetite? Not only is the zoo during open regular hours (10 a.m.-5 p.m.), it’s free today, with Thanksgiving dinner treats for the animals scheduled throughout the day. Of course, if the kids come home with ideas of emulating the baboons foraging for cranberry sauce, the rhinos making “squash” out of pumpkins and the tigers feasting on “bone-sicles,” Mom and/or Dad may not be very thankful after all. — Anastasia Pantsios
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2009.