Fun, inexpensive or free things to do with kids around Central Ohio #12--Dawes Arboretum

Looking to get the kids outside this summer?  Want to expose them to nature?  Then visit the Dawes Arboretum in Newark.  It is about a 50 min drive from the Columbus area.  Admission is free and there is even a hands on area in the basement of the Visitor's Center.

Dawes was founded by Berman and Bertie Dawes in 1929.  The area has over 1800 acres and over eight miles of hiking trails.  You will find over 15,00 living plants at the Arboretum.   Every season at Dawes brings something new.

One of the latest attractions at Dawes is the StoryTrail.  This is an interactive trail for children.  The featured book is John Himmelman's Mouse in a Meadow.  On this trail children will read about a mouse and act out some of the pages.  At the end there is a guide of insects and spiders so that the children can search for them.  The trail is open during regular business hours for six months beginning May 4, 2010.

My friend and I took our boys there yesterday.  They had lots of fun running around the grounds.  It was very hot so we did seek out shady areas.  So, the Deep Woods was a welcomed area with its thick, dense trees.  Another spot the boys enjoyed was the Japanese Garden.  They enjoyed the stepping stones across the pond.  There they could peer at the fish in the pond. 

The interactive area in the basement of the Vistor's Center was also a hit.  There the boys were able to look at two different snakes and a couple of turtles.  The one rat snake seemed unusually active and it really held their attention.  For adults there is a nice seating area that looks out onto a garden complete with a waterfall.  We saw many pretty American Goldfinches along with other native birds.

We did not do the entire arboretum so we will have to go back.  I think we will go again in the fall when it is a tad cooler and when the leaves have begun to change. 

Dawes Arboretum
7770 Jacksontown Rd, SE
Newark, OH 43056
http://www.sawesarb.org/

Dawes is open from 7a until dusk year round.  The Visitor's Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8a-5p.  On Sundays and holidays from 10a-5p.  They are closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Admission is free.

On the StoryTrail

View of part of the StoryTrail.