Fun, inexpensive or free things to do in Central Ohio #1

Since I am part of a moms' group here in my town I thought I would post some of the things that we do to help keep us and the kids entertained.  Because most of us stay at home money can be an issue.  So, we try to do a mix of free and paid activities.  I will be posting one or two activities per day.  So, stay tuned!

Velvet Ice Cream Factory in Utica, OH.   http://www.velveticecream.com/
Tours are free.  The factory is open May-October.  Group tours are given Monday-Thursday from 11-3. Please sign in for the tour at the barn.

Velvet Ice Cream is a family run ice cream factory.  The factory is set on several acres of land.  In addition to a water wheel and the ice cream factory on the property you will also find a creek with ducks and geese, a picnic shelter, and two Rainbow play structures.

The actual factory tour is somewhat limited.  Your tour begins in the barn for an iintroduction to the area and to the history of the factory.  After the talk and video you will be escorted up the hill to the factory.  Once inside you are in a room with a large viewing window of the factory.  Your tour guide will tell you about each area of the factory while you watch the ice cream being made and packaged.  In the viewing room you will also find displays of vintage and current Velvet packaging.  My son found it really neat to look at the old style packages (not sure why, but he did).  The tour lasts about 30-45min.

No tour is complete, however, without a stop to the ice cream shop.  In the shop you will find many (if not all) of the yummy ice cream flavors Velvet makes.  So, get your ice cream and go out by the creek or play area to enjoy!

I would plan for an entire afternoon if you go to Velvet.  Bring a lunch and hang out for a bit.  Let the children play while the adults relax and chat.

Monkey and I have been to the factory twice.  Both times he has had a blast!  The first time was with my parents a couple of years ago and the second was last summer with our moms' group.  Each time I think he has enjoyed playing and eating the ice cream more than he has enjoyed the tour, but you must realize he is a very active boy.  The older kids seem to take much more interest in the actual tour.  The tour can also make for a good homeschooling lesson.