Fun, Free or Inexpensive Things to Do Around Central, OH: Metro Parks

Did you know that there are 15 metro parks in the Columbus area?  Yes, 15!  Plus, there are plans for a new one in Grove City (not sure when it will come into fruition though).  All 15 of these metro parks offer free programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors.  Our tax dollars go to support these metro parks so why not check them out?  You might even learn a thing or two!  :-)

The one we frequent the most is Battelle Darby Creek since it is the closest.  Plus, they offer a regularly scheduled Preschooler Program each month.  In fact they have four of these each month!  That is more than any other metro park.  The Battelle Darby Creek Preschoolers Programs are generally offered on the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30a and 11:00a and then again on the last Friday of the month (sometimes this will change due to holidays and such) at 11:00a and 1:00p.  The same program is presented at all four and the topic changes each month.  Last month was owls. This month they will be talking about snakes.

The Preschooler Programs (ages 3-5.5 or 6) seem to be fairly standard from park to park.  The kids gather on the floor while the naturalist talks about the topic.  After that they will read and story and sing a song.  Once that is done a craft is made based on the topic for the month.  The programs last 45 min to an hour and are lots of fun!

Some of the metro parks (generally Sharon Woods and Blendon Woods) offer Homeschooler Programs as well.  The age range is for 6 and up, but after going to one I think they are geared more toward ages 10 and up.  It was a little too much for my six year old Monkey.  The owl program at Sharon Woods lasted almost two hours with lots of sitting still time.  He doesn't do well with sitting still and he found it boring.  At the end they dissected an owl pellet and he did enjoy that. We've not been to any other Homeschooler Programs so I cannot comment much about them.  We've been to many, many more Preschooler Programs.

Check out Metro Parks Programs for the current schedule of events.  Some of the metro parks require registration for their programs and others do not. 

The photos below are all from various programs at Battelle Darby Creek.

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.