35+ Free, Family-Friendly Summer Spots in Central Ohio

This morning I went to update my Summer Bucket List for Kids blog post from last year and quickly realized, almost ALL OF IT doesn’t apply to this summer. A lot of the ideas are to places that are closed for the summer. Instead of updating, I decided to put together a brand new post – making sure it is all accurate, up-to-date and easy to read!

While this summer doesn’t feel like a typical one, there are still a TON of FREE ways to explore Columbus throughout the summer in a safe, socially distanced way, of course.

1. Head to the Fairy Trail at Infirmary Park in Granville for magical time. Columbus on the Cheap has all the details here.
2. The Worthington Libraries might be closed to the public, but you can still participate in their Summer Reading Quest and earn prizes! They’ve even put together a list of DIY Activities. You can sign up here.
3. Kids Bowl Free announced that they are back up and running for Summer 2020. You can find local bowling alleys participating here.
4. Find the best creeks to go creeking at. Columbus Mom Blog has the listed started for us here. I’ve also heard that Highbanks should be at the top of your list! Columbus for Kids has the details on that one!
5. Head to Alum Creek State Park and walk the Storybook Trail. Storybook Trail is a 1/2 mile long trail that brings books to life for children to learn while exploring the outdoors. 
6. Step back in time with the turn-of-the-century historic area known as Century Village in Grove City. Make sure you walk over to Fryer Park afterwards. They have an awesome  space themed all accessible playground.
7. The Plain City Aquatic Center is opening for the summer and while it is not FREE always, the splash pad will be available for the public to use BEFORE the pool opens for business and the Village will notify the public when the Splash Pad is open (per Facebook post).
8. Go fishing with the family at one of these spots.
9. Spend the day at one of the natural play areas where the only rule is “there are no rules.”
10. Explore a new-to-you part of town.
11. Take advantage of the Community Days program at Franklin Park Conservatory and get FREE ADMISSION! Make you snag a ticket prior to going as they have new protocols with COVID-19.  
12. Head to Battelle Darby to see its herd of bison, which roam freely within two enclosed pastures.
13. Explore the Kids Garden at Inniswood. My favorite part is the Treehouse!
14. Head back to the 1880s at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. Experience first-hand what life was like on an Ohio farm. Stroll through the gardens, barns and farmhouse + visit with pigs, geese, turkeys, Percheron horses and other heirloom animals can be seen.
15. Check out the list of perfect picnic spots from Visit Dublin. Maybe make a bucket list of Dublin Parks to visit this summer.
16. Check out this list “Top Outdoor Playgrounds Around Columbus” from Columbus Parent and find a new favorite playground!
17. Mark your calendar for open farm day at Sunrise Sanctuary. Open Barn Days are monthly events where they open the Sanctuary to the public, allowing you to visit and get to know the animals on a personal level.  This isn’t totally free if you’re over the age of 3, but I had to add it!
18. Explore the Dublin, OH Waterfall Tour. It includes Indian Run Falls, Wedgewood Hills Falls, Glick Park & Overlook and Hayden Falls.
19. Pretend you’re on vacation at the 3,000-foot beach at Alum Creek State Park.
20. Visit Gallant Farm, a representation of a Depression-era farm, in Troy Township. You’ll come across a farmhouse with period furnishings, a barn with historic 1890s timbers, a granary, machine shed and barnyard, demonstration crop fields, vegetable garden, orchard, and pond. 
21. Get the bikes out and ride on one of my many bike paths throughout Columbus.
22. Take a self-guided walking tour of Columbus Art, Architecture and History via the MyColumbus Mobile Smartphone app.
23. Stroll the aisles of Aquarium Adventure and check out the HUGE variety of fishes they have!
24. Head to Scioto Park in Dublin to see the Chief Leatherlips sculpture. If you head down the hill, you’ll find a great playground and picnic spot.
25. Visit the OSU Airport and watch planes take off. Read this statement before going as things are currently closed.
26. Challenge the kids on an obstacle course at our Metro Parks. 
27. Go to Oakland Nursery or Groovy Plants Ranch and look at all of their unique plants .
28. Explore the Topiary Park, a seven-acre park in downtown – most famous for its topiary interpretation of Georges Seurat’s famous Post-Impressionist painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte. 
29. Check out the a culture pass from the Columbus Library and enjoy FREE admission to many of our museums (Art Museum, History Connection, etc.)
30. Whether you are looking for a great location to have a picnic, bird watch, fish, revel in the beauty of the trees, learn about gardening, or just sit on a bench and watch the world go by, Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens is the place for you. Make sure to download the Walking Tour App before going.
31. Join the worlds largest treasure hunt and search for over 1,784 geocaches around Columbus.
32. Meet your local farmer from Paige’s Produce by setting up a visit to their farm.
33. Take an outdoor adventure to Shale Hollow Park in Lewis Center. This park looks absolutely gorgeous and seems to have some great creeking and hiking spots. You can read all about it + see pictures here.
34. Take a stroll through the beautiful Park of Roses in Clintonville, which has over 12,000 roses! There is a playground across the parking lot, too! If you’re lucky, the pond will be filled with ducks. 🙂 Check out our most recent visit here.
35. Download the self-guided walking tour apps from Worthington and Westerville and explore the history of the two areas.

If you don’t feel like venturing out of the house, but still want to get outside and do something – check out this blog post with 75+ ideas!

Make sure you’re following along over on Instagram and Facebook to follow along with all of our spur of the moment summer fun! Also, keep this post bookmarked as I am sure I will be updating it throughout the summer.