Looking for something fun to do with toddlers in Cleveland? Take a peek at some of these fun spots to keep your little busy throughout the year!
1. Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Located at 3813 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115, the Children’s Museum of Cleveland is one to keep your toddler busy for hours! There are eight exhibits to explore and interact with from making bubbles to engineering in the splash zone, to a two-story climber, and so much more! They also have educational programs from summer camp to toddler time. Summer camps are held on Mondays with a different theme every week. You must hurry to book these though, they sell out fast!
Hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays from 9am – 1:30pm and closed on Thursdays. Admission for children and adults is $15. 11 months and younger are free. Because one day is just not enough here they do offer memberships for $100 for one child and one adult $25 per additional members. Or purchase a ACM Reciprocal Membership for $175 that can be used for additional participating museums.
2. Hinckley Spillway
Located at 1824 Metropolitan Park W, Hinckley, OH 44233. This park is easy to spend the entire summer at! The spillway area has a small beach area and shallow water to swim in which is perfect for little children! Pack a lunch and have a picnic, bring a change of shoes and a bike to take a ride or a stroll along the beautiful trails. If you have a fishing license bring your fishing gear too! Hinckley Lake is stocked with largemouth bass, rainbow trout, white crappie bluegill, carp and bullhead catfish. Drive a little further down Metropolitan Park and you’ll find the boat docks where you can rent a canoe or kayak to cruise around Hinckley Lake.
3. Rocky River Nature Center
Located at 24000 Valley Pkwy, North Olmsted, OH 44070. Pack your lunches for an adventurous day at Rocky River Nature Center! Start off with exploring the Nature Center where your little one can learn about wildlife. Then take off on adventure through five miles of trails and to the Fort Hill Stairs. Keep a look out on their calendar for different programs and events for children of all ages.
4. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
There are several different stations to board the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad from:
- Akron Northside Station 27 Ridge St., Akron, OH 44308
- Botzum Station 2912 Riverview Rd., Akron, OH 44313
- Indigo Lake Station 4300 Riverview Road, Peninsula 44264
- Peninsula Depot 1630 Mill Street West, Peninsula, OH 44264
- Boston Mill Visitor Center 6947 Riverview Rd., Peninsula, OH 44264
- Brecksville Station 9141 Riverview Road, Brecksville, OH 44141
- Canal Exploration Center 7104 Canal Rd., Valley View, OH 44125
- Rockside Station 7900 Old Rockside Rd., Independence, OH 44131
Keep an eye out for interactive rides with special characters, games and great entertainment for your children. Or take a bike and ride during summer hours. Ride your bikes to a station and then take a train ride back! What child wouldn’t be thrilled for a train ride through the valley!
5. Preston’s Hope
Located at 26001 S Woodland Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122. Preston’s Hope is a huge play area for all children and children with disabilities. It’s filled with little playhouses to get those imaginations going, swings, slides, tunnels, a large sand area, climbing walls, a picnic area and bathrooms on site. The park is free to the public but they do appreciate donations to help with the maintenance of the park. Pack a lunch when you bring your little ones, it’s easy to spend a lot of time here letting them explore it all!
6. Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Located at 2000 Sycamore St, Cleveland, OH 44113. Exploring the aquarium in my experience went by too quickly for my energetic child, but for a toddler it will be just enough to get out on those rainy days! The Cleveland Aquarium features species from the Great Lakes and from around the world including a shark exhibit. Admission is $19.95 for adults and $13.95 for children. Ages 2 and under are free. Take your time making your way through and check out everything to maximize your trip.
7. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109. The Cleveland Zoo is the perfect size in my opinion! We spent anywhere from 2-4 hours here. Best to get the membership when you have a toddler, you’ll be making lots of trips to the zoo! During winter days, you can take your little one to the Rainforest and make a couple of trips around in one visit. Definitely a must to add to your list of things to do with toddlers in Cleveland!
8. Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Located at 1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a great place of discovery and exploration for your little one! While this is a great place to visit during the winter months, it’s also worth a trip in the warmer days to visit the Wildlife Center & Woods Garden. Get up and close with nature and some pretty amazing animals! You may get lucky and catch them during their feeding time!
9. Get Air
Located at 7204 Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130. Sometimes little ones have so much energy and need some exercise to get it all out! Get Air trampoline park in Middleburg or Akron is a great way to literally let them bounce off the walls! They have a kiddie court for children under 46″ only which is perfect to also keep them safe. As they get older the foam pits and dodgeball are an exciting addition! be sure to check out their daily deals and discount page first!
10. Memphis Kiddie Park
Located at 10340 Memphis Ave, Cleveland, OH 44144. Memphis Kiddie Park is best for ages 2-5. This park has been around since 1952 and is still a huge hit with the little ones! The park has 11 rides for children under 50″ tall. With free parking and no entrance fee, pay as you go with tickets or buy a season pack of tickets for the best value. Guaranteed your little one is going to have a blast and one of the best things to do with toddlers in Cleveland!
11. North Park
Located at 3595 Grafton Rd, Brunswick, OH 44212. This park has lots to keep your child active and it’s great for parents if your looking to get some walking or running in! Bring your fishing poles for the stocked 5 acre lake and nets to catch and release frogs and tadpoles. There are two playgrounds, one for the bigger children and one separate small playground for toddlers. Bring the scooters, bikes or roller skates to get some exercise riding around the lake. There are bathrooms on site and a few picnic tables and pavilion to pack your lunches or dinners. In the back of the park is large sledding hill for the winter!
These are just some of my favorite things to do when I had a toddler to keep busy!
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