---
title: "Summer Family Fun for Your Preschooler: Northern Ohio"
description: Finally! It’s outdoors season in Northern Ohio. Here are a few fun and inexpensive activities for your preschooler to enjoy during this summer.
---

[Child Care Blog | Horizon Education Centers ](https://www.horizoneducationcenters.org/blog)

# [Summer Family Fun for Your Preschooler: Northern Ohio](https://www.horizoneducationcenters.org/blog/summer-family-fun-for-your-preschooler)

 Written by [David Smith](https://www.horizoneducationcenters.org/blog/author/david-smith) | Wed, Jul 08, 2015 @ 12:30 PM

Finally! It’s outdoors season in Northern Ohio – and there are plenty of fun and inexpensive activities for your children that help them to be active while having a great time. Many are even free! **Here are just a few of them. **

### Spray Parks

As the weather heats up, nothing is as refreshing as a dip in cool water – but maybe your preschooler isn’t yet comfortable with swimming – or maybe he or she is overly confident, pushing the boundaries of safe play. In that case, a wonderful option is spray parks, where water is safely sprayed out of fountains and your child can put on a bathing suit and frolic as the water squirts out. Because there is seldom any standing water, this is an ideal warm-weather option for young children who don’t know how to swim – and even for those that do!

[Northeast Ohio Family Fun](http://northeastohiofamilyfun.com/northeast-ohio-spraygrounds-spray-parks-wading-pools/) offers a listing of spraygrounds in the following counties: Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Stark, Summit and Wayne. You can click on a link for the county you prefer to see available options – and, better yet, some are free!

### Children’s Gardens

Here are two gardens in Northern Ohio with activities especially for children:

- [Secrest Arboretum & Garden](http://secrest.osu.edu/): Located at 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster in Wayne County (330-263-3761), admission is free and children’s programs are offered. Here are fun ones for July: 
    - Whiz Bang! Science Show on Thursday, July 9. Dr. Dave Lohnes – the Whiz-Bang Scientist! – will encourage children to learn more about science while having fun outdoors.
    - Family Bug Night and Insect Walk on Saturday, July 18. Share in the excitement of seeing insects active at night. 
    - Plus, children can check out the “new Fortress at the Hogs-back, embankment slide and pavilion complete with giant frogs, tortoises and more...for kids of ALL ages!”
- [Schoepfle Garden & Children’s Garden](http://metroparks.cc/schoepfle_garden.php): Part of the Lorain County Metroparks, this part is located at 11106 Market Street, Birmingham in Lorain County (440-965-7237). Adults will appreciate the beautiful gardens – free! – and children’s eyes will light up when they see the carousel in the Children’s Garden. The entire garden is based on a musical theme, so children can “climb the Rocky ‘G’ Clef, crawl through the Flute-A-Pillar, and ride the restored carousel.” 

### Cleveland Zoo

The Cleveland Zoo is a 183-acre adventure land for families with one of the largest collections of primates in North America, located at 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland in Cuyahoga County (216-661-6500). Part of the Cleveland Metroparks System, there are multiple areas to explore, including Australian Adventure, African Savanna, Northern Trek, The Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building, The RainForest and Waterfowl Lake. A limited-time exhibit is Penguin Shores, located in Northern Trek. 

Although prices are subject to change, at the time of writing, they are:

- Adults: $13.25 ($12.25 for those aged 62 and older)
- Juniors (2-11): $9.25
- Under 2: Free

You can save $1 per ticket by purchasing in advance online and you can add the following upgrades:

- Carousel rides: $3.00 per ride
- Camel rides: $5 per ride and $5 per photo
- Train ride: $2 per person
- Lorikeet nectar feeding: $2 per cup

Or pay $5.75 per person for unlimited train rides, carousel rides and lorikeet feedings. On Mondays, the zoo – not counting the RainForest – is free for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township from Memorial Day through Labor Day. 

**It’s also crucial to choose the right [summer program](https://www.horizoneducationcenters.org/camp) for your child and we’d love to talk to you about your needs. **

** **

[View full post](https://www.horizoneducationcenters.org/blog/summer-family-fun-for-your-preschooler)

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