We’re almost midway through the summer, which might mean you’re running out of ideas to keep the kiddos busy without breaking the bank. That’s why we’ve put together a refresher on all things kid-friendly in Cleveland that are nowhere near Cedar Point.
From kayaking to outdoor movie nights to ice cream and golf, all the activities listed are all free or pretty affordable, making for some easily achievable summer fun.
Go To The Beach
Hit the beach and better than that, hit all of them. Edgewater is a gem, Euclid Beach is beckoning, Huntington Beach is pristine, and Mentor Headlands is just a short drive out east with gorgeous views and the added bonus of putting you close to Scooter’s Dog House and all the glorious footlong dogs and pounds of golden fries you could dream of and the best tacos in Northeast Ohio at La Casita in Painesville. Looking for something outside of the usual rotation? Refer to Scene’s handy guide to 19 low-key beaches within driving distance of Cleveland at clevescene.com/beaches. Credit:Erik Drost/FlickrKids Bowl Free Program
Check out KidsBowlFree.com and you’ll find a list of about 20 Northeast Ohio bowling alleys participating in a free bowling for kids program that lasts all summer long. You may still have to pay for shoe rental, but the free lanes make for a pretty affordable afternoon out knockin some pins down. Fuck it, man, let’s go bowling. Credit: Emanuel WallaceHit up the Children’s Museum
3813 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
The Children’s Museum is definitely one of the best ways to spend a day with the kiddos. It’s interactive, they can run around and get their energy out, and best of all, it’s just $15 per child. Credit: Scene ArchivesEat Some Local Ice Cream
We’ve come a long way since Pierre’s was founded in 1932. Now we can slurp up gourmet creations from Mitchell’s all across town — and at the grocery store. Or maybe you’re looking forward to Churned in Tremont. Or maybe you’ve got a taste for a perfect milkshake served up with a side of nostalgia at Sweet Moses. It’s all sugary bliss, so try them all. Credit: Scene ArchivesTake Your Dog To A Dog Park
If you don’t have one, adopt one. There are a ton of awesome dog parks around Northeast Ohio.
Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene ArchivesGo See a Drive-In Movie
Seeing a movie from the car sounds to us like a perfect activity for the hot weather. With five theaters around Northeast Ohio, you’re sure to find one close to you. Just make sure you crank the AC up. Credit: Scene ArchivesEdgewater Park
4101 Fulton Parkway., Cleveland
The Cleveland Metroparks’s Edgewater Park is great for those beautiful summer nights. You can pack up the whole fam, grab some food and beer at the Edgewater Beach House and enjoy a wonderful night making memories with the kiddos. Credit:Erik Drost/FlickrGo to a Farmer’s Market
What better way to teach your kids about supporting local farmers than hitting up a local farmers’ market? And there’s’ plenty around Northeast Ohio. There’s the Sunset Market at Van Aken, Tremont Farmers’ Market, Chagrin Falls Farmers’ Market, the Shaker Square Market, Kamm’s Corner Market, Old Brooklyn Farmers Market and many more. Credit:BEV Norton/FlickrHit Up A Festival
Cleveland loves a festival, and once again, there are about 578 to enjoy this year. While many charge for admission, many more are absolutely free to enter (people watching is always the best part anyway), and many of those are totally free. Ohiofestivals.net has a pretty comprehensive list of all the Northeast Ohio gatherings on the calendar for 2023. Credit: Emanuel WallaceStart Planning Your Summer Garden With Seeds From A Local Gardening Shop
If you’ve had it in your head to start your own garden for a while, there’s really no time like the present. There’s a plethora of local gardening shops in town and surely one close to your house. No time like the present. Credit: Scene ArchivesSee The Kelley’s Island Glacial Grooves
Kelley’s Island
Did you know that there was a National Natural Landmark about an hour’s drive (and a ferry ride) from downtown Cleveland? The Glacial Grooves of Kelley’s Island are 400 feet long, 35 feet wide, and up to 15 feet deep. They were created by the slow movement of the massive glacier that created the Great Lakes and Lake Erie Islands and are a site to see! Credit:Scene ArchivesTake a Tour on the Goodtime III
You can brush it off as lame if you want (it’s not), but you’re hard-pressed to find a better daylong tour of some of the city’s finest sights. And while it may not be the most gourmet meal in town, it’s good enough to kill a few hours with the whole family. Tickets start at $15 for kids ages 5-12, $30 for 13+ and free under 5. Credit:K_E_Lewis/FlickrKayaking the River
Cuyahoga River
There are few better ways to enjoy the sights of Cleveland than traveling through its main waterway in a kayak. The mighty Cuyahoga winds through Northeast Ohio carrying gigantic ore ships and weekend travelers, but it also affords you, the novice outdoorsman, the chance to kayak alongside them. Whether you’re looking for a quick two-mile jaunt or a five-mile marathon down the river (which is very much clean these days, thank you very much), there’s an option for you. Check out 41 Degrees North, River Cruiser Kayaking or Great Lakes Watersports for an awesome adventure.
Photo via @Kayak41North/Instagram Credit: Scene archivesLake Metroparks Farmpark
8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland
The Lake Metroparks Farmpark is one of the best outdoor kids spots in town. Ride a wagon ride or horse drawn tractor, learn about beekeeping, help milk cows, see chickens and alpacas and goats and feel like you’re livin’ down on the farm. Credit: Lake Metroparks Farmpark/FacebookMemphis Kiddie Park
10340 Memphis Ave., Cleveland
There’s a reason this junior amusement park has been open for over 70 years. It’s affordable, very walkable, there’s rides for all ages of kids and most importantly, it’s fun as heck. There’s 8 rides, mini-golf, an arcade and much more, making it one of the most fun kids’ activities in town. Admission is free and rides are $3 for individual tickets or a pack of 10 tickets for $28. Credit:Burned City/FlickrDo Something in the Metroparks
The Emerald Necklace is one of Northeast Ohio’s most treasured assets and the envy of tons of other big cities. There’s something for everyone. Walk, hike, bike, rollerblade, skip, jump, bird watch, sleep, picnic, lounge, golf — whatever. It’s nature, and it’s magnificent. Credit: Scene ArchivesCatch A Minor League Game
Check out the future stars of the Cleveland Guardians for a fraction of the ticket and concession prices at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario by heading down to Akron for a Rubber Ducks game (cheapest ticket: $5) or Lake County for the Captains ($8). Not only will you sit up close and personal to the action, both teams’ schedules are filled with promotional nights and giveaways sure to make even the most disinterested baseball fan have fun Credit: Scene ArchivesCheck Out a Petting Zoo
Northeast Ohio has a ton of rural areas surrounding the suburbs. With rural areas come animals and with animals come petting zoos. Within an hour driving distance of Cleveland there’s alpaca farms, goat farms, an early American farm (Hale Farm) and a bunch of other awesome, affordable farms to hit up with the fam. Credit:BEV Norton/FlickrGo for a Picnic
Nothing like an old fashioned picnic to get you and your loved ones out of the house. Pickup some food from a local restaurant or grocery, grab some local brews, and you’re all set.
Photo via Scene Archives at Brookside Reservation Credit: Scene ArchivesHit up some Playgrounds
Cleveland has some truly awesome playgrounds around town. There’s Preston’s Hope in Beachwood, a fully-accessible playground, Fairview Park with a mini-waterpark, Every-Child’s Playground in Avon with a zip line and rock wall, the rocket ship playground in Berea, the hedra climbing system at Marquardt Park in Berea and an awesome playground in Lakewood. And those are just a few of the unique and awesome playgrounds around. Credit:Cunningham Recreation/FlickrExplore Our Public Art
Cleveland’s blessed with a wealth of public art and public spaces, most of which you’ve either never seen or enjoyed without the benefit of knowing the full history and context. Thanks to LAND Studio’s new app, The City is Our Museum, you can now take self-guided tours through many of Cleveland’s neighborhoods to catch all the free public art the city has to offer. Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play and immerse yourself in the beauty of Cleveland this summer. Credit:Erik Drost/FlickrSwim at a Public Pool
For those of us not lucky enough to have a friend with a pool, the region’s public swimming offerings are the next best thing. There are, of course, Cleveland’s public pools, but with erratic openings based on temperatures and staffing, they are hardly worth counting on. Luckily, you can snag a guest day pass in many suburbs where the water is warm and the beach chairs bountiful: Dragga Pool in Mayfield Heights will run you $10 as a non-resident, Walter’s Grove in Parma will cost you just $6, Parma Heights’ primo pool awaits for $8, Foster and Becks Pools in Lakewood will let you in for $5.50, and Beachwood’s absolutely stunning outdoor aquatic center will refresh and entertain you for $10. Credit: Scene ArchivesPutt Putt and Candy Browsing at Sweeties
6700 Brookpark Dr., Cleveland
A candy store with every possible candy you can think of and mini-golf with 36 holes is the perfect summer day for the whole family. Lucky for us, Sweeties has both of these things so what are you waiting for? Admission is just $9 for 18 holes. Credit: Scene ArchivesVisit a Quaint Local Downtown Like Medina or Chagrin Falls
Northeast Ohio and basically all of Ohio is known for having a ton of quaint downtowns to visit. Check out our list, pick your favorite and go. Get some ice cream, go to an antique shop, walk around the local park. How quaint. Credit:Steven Miller/FlickrCheck out the Redline Greenway
Cleveland’s newest gem opened last year and the two-mile trail connecting the Zone Recreation Center and the West bank of the Cuyahoga is already one of the most popular routes in the Metroparks. The western portion of the trail abuts I-90, but once you get past the exchanges at W. 44th and W. 41st, you descend into a scenic, shaded ride along the train tracks. The whole thing is safe, clean and beautifully landscaped and with Ohio City at one end and Detroit-Shoreway on the other, there’s no shortage of places to stop for bite as you enjoy your afternoon. Credit: Scene ArchivesTake a Trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Not everything on the list is in Cleveland proper, but there are certain Northeast Ohio expeditions that we’d be crazy to exclude. Here’s one: Take a trip on one of the longest, most historic railway tours in America through the 33,000 acres of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. You can also have dinner and an adult beverage on the train and pretend like you’re sophisticated like the Europeans. Tickets for children start at just $13. Credit:Blake Lewis/FlickrVisit a State Park or 12
Instead of or in addition to your regular stops in the Metroparks, pack up the car
and hit one of Ohio’s 83 state parks. With gorgeous scenery and a wide variety of
activities – camping, hiking, biking, swimming, boating, bird-watching – the Buckeye
state’s impressive roster of parks will give you a chance to scope out other parts of
Ohio’s natural landscape and each one is an easily doable weekend destination.
Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene ArchivesPinball at Super Electric
6500 Detroit Ave., Cleveland
All you need is a pocket full of quarters to head over and play pinball at Super Electric. Pinball ain’t easy to master, but this vintage pinball space gives you and your little ones plenty of room to try and perfect your craft in one night. Credit: Scene ArchivesWade Oval Wednesdays
Cleveland’s marquee free weekly community outdoor concert series, Wade Oval Wednesdays, is running through August 23rd. Grab some friends, a lawn chair, and enjoy a hump-day break sure to inject some relaxing fun into your frenzied schedule. Credit: Scene ArchivesZip Line and Ropes Course at the Metroparks
16200 Valley Pkwy., Strongsville
Head to the Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville for ziplining and a ropes course. The Metroparks has teamed up with ziplining company Go Ape to give you beautiful views of the parks from above. Credit:Scene ArchivesGo To The Zoo
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is free to all Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township residents every Monday (with the exception of Monday holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day), and there are few better free summer experiences than traipsing around the zoo and checking out enough animals that even Noah would be jealous. Credit: Scene Archives
