If winter has cast a groggy spell on your family, banish boredom for good by grabbing the kids and engaging in some good old-fashioned winter fun. Whether you choose to venture out or stay in where it’s warm, there are exciting activities for children of all ages. Let this winter be the most memorable on record. Here are some ideas we came up with to lift everyone’s spirits.
Get Soaked at Kalahari Water Park
7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky
419-433-7200
Hop in the car and head to Kalahari in Sandusky, for some indoor water park action! This fun-filled destination has many attractions specifically geared toward children of a variety of ages, including daily planned activities. Splash around with your kids in the vast array of wave pools, the lazy river, or take the plunge on one of many water slides. If your goal is to stay dry, the park includes indoor mini golf, pottery classes, cookie decorating and more. Want to make a night of it? Book a room at the on-site resort and slip slide away the whole weekend!
Conquer the Mountain at Alpine Valley
6775 Highland Rd., White Lake, MI
248-887-2180
Alpine Valley is located in White Lake, Michigan, about 1.5 hours north of Toledo. The resort offers group packages for lift tickets, ski, snowboard, and helmet rentals. Dealing with a brood of novices? Sign your kids up for lessons specifically for children ages 5-12. There are many hotels and other types of lodging conveniently located near the resort, so check Airbnb.com or your favorite booking site, like Expedia or Hotwire. Skiing and snowboarding are incredible ways to exercise outdoors and build confidence– a truly unforgettable experience for the whole family!
Discover your Scientific Side at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
220 E. Ann St., Ann Arbor, MI
734-995-5439
Join your children as they learn about the human body, simple machines, computers, magnets, bubbles, geology and light through hands-on play. Watch as they experience a self-contained tornado, what it’s like to be on television, a water table stocked with toys, the inside of a real-size ambulance, or take a trip back in time to the 1930s.
Wheel Your Way to Physical Fitness at Ohio Skate
1370 Conant St., Maumee
419-893-4031
5735 Opportunity Dr.
419-476-2808
A time-honored favorite of many Toledoans, chances are you may have visited Ohio Skate when you were a kid! Rent skates or bring your own. Introduce your children to this disco-era favorite! They’ll delight in burning off energy by speeding around the arena or playing arcade games. Inexpensive skating lessons are available, which always include the cost of skate rental.
Special rates are often advertised, so keep checking the
website.
Learn a New Skill at the
577 Foundation in
Perrysburg
577 E. Front St., Perrysburg
419-872-0305
Here, your children can create beautiful art projects, play a musical instrument, or learn about Perrysburg’s natural environment. Choose between indoor and outdoor activities, which are all extremely easy on the wallet. You and your kids can also explore the compound itself, which dates all the way back to 1880! The classes are all instructed by locals residents and are mostly geared towards very young children, with the exception of some of the art classes.
Get Lost in the Stacks at any Toledo Public Library Location
Main Branch: 325 N. Michigan St.
419-259-5200
Why not instill a love for great stories in your children this winter? In addition to fantastic children’s collections, the library hosts storytimes of all varieties, including some that require everyone to get up, move, and shake about! The library also offers activities like “Take it, make it,” where you can stop into the main branch to pick up a craft to take home and make. Each week, there is something new to construct. Your child can also enter science drawing contests to win prizes or even learn to knit. Toledo’s local libraries are the place to be this winter!
Get Stars in your Eyes at the Ritter Planetarium
University of Toledo Bancroft Campus
2801 W. Bancroft St.
419-530-4037
Friday nights at 7:30pm, take a live guided tour of Toledo’s night sky. You and your family can learn all about the constellations and planets visible from Toledo! Experience amazing presentations cast against the Ritter Planetarium’s incredible dome. Travel inside a black hole or tour the moon with Elmo! The kids will marvel at this immersive show. Winter events also include a special program about Pluto. Detective Skye Watcher is on the case to track down clues about Pluto’s existence. Audiences will delight in this quirky and unique program that addresses the changing status of planets in our solar system.
Bounce your Way to Joy at Skyzone Trampoline Park
1600 Albon Rd., Holland
Trampolining is an extremely healthy way to have fun, and Skyzone has activities appropriate for a variety of ages– from toddlers to pre-teens. In addition to regular trampolines, your children can jump into pits of foam, play trampoline dodgeball, or SkySlam trampoline basketball. The park divides its areas by age group, so no need to worry about little ones getting injured by rambunctious big kids. Grownups can get in on the fun too and everyone gets a special pair of SkySocks, designed specifically for trampolining!
Glide on Ice at the Ottawa Park Ice Rink
419-245-3388
Suit up for the cold weather, lace up your skates, and you’re good to glide! The whole family can enjoy an afternoon at Ottawa Park’s ice rink. There are many events on the calendar for winter, including free skating and snacks for kids and of course, ice dancing. Skate rentals and special rates for children are available.
Brave the Sledding Hill at Sidecut Metropark
480 W. Dussel Dr., Maumee
419-407-9700
The Wagener Hill at Sidecut Park is a favorite among sledding enthusiasts of all ages in Toledo. Load up the car with your toboggan, saucers, or tubes and head on out. Just because the sun goes down, doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. The lights come on when it gets dark.